Alpha Kappa Chapter Rules
Adopted 1976
Amended January 2016
I. NAME
The name of this chapter shall be Alpha Kappa Chapter, Zeta State, The Delta Kappa Gamma Society International.
II. PURPOSES
The purposes of the chapter shall be to promote the purposes of The Delta Kappa Gamma Society International as found in the Constitution, Article II.
III. MEMBERSHIP
Membership is in accordance with the Constitution, Article III, and the International Standing Rules, 3. The chapter has full authority for the administration of membership.
A. MEMBERS
IV. ATTENDANCE
A. Active members are expected to attend all chapter meetings.
B. Absences
V. FINANCES
VI. ORGANIZATION
Alpha Kappa Chapter shall govern the conduct of its business in a manner consistent with the Constitution, the International Standing Rules, the Zeta State Organization Bylaws, the Zeta State Organization Standing Rules, and the Alpha Kappa Chapter Standing Rules.
VII. OFFICERS AND RELATED PERSONNEL
OFFICERS OF ALPHA KAPPA CHAPTER
President
Treasurer
COMMITTEES OF ALPHA KAPPA CHAPTER
1. Communication/Publicity:
5. Scholarship:
VIII. MEETINGS
IX. EXECUTIVE BOARD
X. AMENDMENTS
These chapter rules may be amended by a majority vote, provided that notice of proposed changes are provided to members at a date not later than five days prior to the meeting at which changes are to be considered.
XI. DISSOLUTION OF THE CHAPTER
Amended January 2016
I. NAME
The name of this chapter shall be Alpha Kappa Chapter, Zeta State, The Delta Kappa Gamma Society International.
II. PURPOSES
The purposes of the chapter shall be to promote the purposes of The Delta Kappa Gamma Society International as found in the Constitution, Article II.
III. MEMBERSHIP
Membership is in accordance with the Constitution, Article III, and the International Standing Rules, 3. The chapter has full authority for the administration of membership.
A. MEMBERS
- Membership is composed of active, reserve, and honorary members. All require the payment of dues.
- Members failing to pay dues by stated date will be dropped from the roll.
- Recommendation for Membership (form 11) shall be completed by the sponsor and returned to the chapter membership chairman five days prior to the first yearly meeting.
- The Membership shall vote by secret ballot.
- The Membership Committee shall prepare the ballots.
- Each candidate receiving a majority of the votes cast shall be invited to join Alpha Kappa.
- Orientation of members-elect shall be held no less than 10 days prior to initiation.
- The orientation program shall be the responsibility of the Membership Committee.
- Members-elect will communicate their acceptance to membership within five days after orientation via letter or email to the Membership Chair.
- Initiation shall be held at the second meeting of the year.
- The recording secretary shall record in the chapter or executive board minutes the name of any member whose membership is terminated. The record shall include the reason and the date of termination.
- Special recognition of a member’s death shall be financed by the chapter assessment/dues.
- New members shall be initiated at the second meeting of the chapter in the fall. No person shall be considered a member until she has been initiated.
- In case of emergency or extenuating circumstances, a prospective member who has attended the orientation session may appeal to the Executive Board to set one other date for initiation during the current year.
- The red roses and small candleholders used at the initiation ceremony shall be given to new members as a gesture of welcome.
- Initiation of chapter honorary members may be conducted at any chapter meeting and shall be the responsibility of the chapter president and the Membership Committee chairman.
- A former member may be reinstated into Alpha Kappa in accordance with the regulation as given in the Constitution, Article III, Section F.
IV. ATTENDANCE
A. Active members are expected to attend all chapter meetings.
B. Absences
- Members are marked absent if they are not present at the chapter meeting.
- The only “excused” absence is if the member is attending a DKG state level meeting.
V. FINANCES
- Financial matters are in accordance with the Constitution, International Standing Rules, and Zeta State Organization Bylaws.
- Chapter dues shall be determined by chapter vote no later than the first meeting of the fiscal year.
- The chapter dues are payable to the treasurer between July 1 and October 31. After dues and fees are collected, the chapter treasurer shall forward them to the state treasurer on November 1.
- All bills, without exception, shall be submitted to the chapter treasurer before June 30.
- Any proposed non-budgeted items in excess of fifty dollars ($50.00) must be approved by the Finance Committee and the Executive Board.
- The current chapter president shall be authorized to sign checks in the absence of the treasurer.
- The chapter shall pay registration and hotel costs for the president or her official representative if the president is unable to attend District, State, Regional, and International conferences and conventions.
- The chapter shall pay the registration fees for the president, the vice presidents, the treasurer, and the Membership Committee Chairman to attend the Zeta State Chapter Leaders’ Retreat held at the beginning of their biennium.
- The chapter shall pay the cost (for the chapter honoree) of the State Convention Luncheon at which the Alpha Kappa Woman of Distinction is honored.
- Each member shall purchase and wear the Delta Kappa Gamma key pin to meetings. Failure to wear the pin shall result in a fine of one dollar ($1.00), which shall go to the chapter’s World Fellowship fund. The World Fellowship chair is responsible for the collection of such fines.
- The president’s pin shall be purchased by the chapter and presented to her when she is installed. The treasurer shall be responsible for purchasing the pin, and the outgoing president shall be responsible for its presentation.
VI. ORGANIZATION
Alpha Kappa Chapter shall govern the conduct of its business in a manner consistent with the Constitution, the International Standing Rules, the Zeta State Organization Bylaws, the Zeta State Organization Standing Rules, and the Alpha Kappa Chapter Standing Rules.
VII. OFFICERS AND RELATED PERSONNEL
- The chapter’s elected officers shall be president, first vice president, second vice president, recording secretary, corresponding secretary, and historian. The immediate past president shall serve as parliamentarian.
- A slate of officers, with one nominee per office, shall be prepared by the Executive Board and presented to the membership.
- The treasurer shall be appointed by the Executive Board.
- When a vacancy occurs in the office of president, the first vice-president shall become president.
- When a vacancy occurs in office other than that of president or a vice-president, the president shall name a successor.
- Officers shall be installed at the last meeting of the biennium and shall take office on July 1.
OFFICERS OF ALPHA KAPPA CHAPTER
President
- oversees all aspects of the chapter in accordance with Zeta State and International intents
- plans all meeting agendas and all business meetings
- presides over all called business meetings
- makes sure all reports are submitted on time
- chairs Educational Excellence Committee and oversees all responsibilities it entails
- steps in for the president as necessary
- secures locations for all chapter meetings
- plans and secures all speakers
- steps in for president and first vice-president as necessary
- purchases thank you gifts for non-member speakers
- records all minutes of all meetings
- calls/records roll at each meeting
- sends minutes to the chapter president, historian, and newsletter editor
- sends get well cards or condolence cards to members
- writes thank you notes on behalf of the chapter
Treasurer
- maintains the chapter checkbook
- collects dues from all members
- pays all chapter contributions
- pays all bills
- writes all reimbursement checks
- prepares and files tax forms
- advises on parliamentary procedure
- keeps the record of the chapter
COMMITTEES OF ALPHA KAPPA CHAPTER
1. Communication/Publicity:
- Chair: reminds members of necessary specifics. Chair is responsible for writing and sending all press releases
- Recording Secretary: is always on this committee
- records all minutes of all meetings
- sends minutes to the chapter president, historian, and newsletter editor
- Corresponding Secretary: is always on this committee
- sends get well cards or condolence cards to members
- writes thank you notes on behalf of the chapter
- Newsletter (2 members): is always on this committee
- prepares a minimum of 2 chapter newsletters per year, working with the chapter president
- Chapter Photographer/s (1-2 members):
- takes photos of:
- every person who speaks at each meeting as they are speaking
- new officers, posed for press release
- new members, as a group and up close face for the yearbook
- Woman of Distinction/Red Rose, posed for press release
- all chapter service projects
- Grant-In-Aid recipients
- any work with the SEE program
- any other important photos
- sends all photos to the necessary members (Communications Chair, webmaster, newsletter, yearbook, president, etc.)
- takes photos of:
- Zeta Data liaison:
- each year of the biennium writes a short paragraph summarizing chapter activities and submits to Zeta Data
- DKG Educator’s Award Book Chair:
- each year reports to the chapter a brief review of the annually selected book
- Yearbook and Yearbook Assistant: is always on this committee
- creates the yearbook each year of the biennium and distributes it to the membership
- mails copies of the yearbook to Zeta State prior to the deadline.
- Webmaster: is always on this committee
- maintains and updates the chapter website
- retains DKG certification of website
- Chair: must be the 1st Vice President. Oversees all divisions of this committee to make sure all tasks are fulfilled. Chair also oversees the SEE Leadership of the Early Educator in the SEE program.
- SEE Leadership (2-4 members):
- secures the early educator/s for the chapter to mentor
- organizes and leads the chapter in the mentoring process
- encourages SEE mentees to attend the Northern District meeting
- Personal Growth and Services (2 members):
- leads the committee in selecting the chapter’s Woman of Distinction in even years and the Red Rose Award recipient in odd years
- completes and files the appropriate reports for Woman of Distinction/Red Rose to Zeta State by the deadline
- writes a short biography of the Woman of Distinction/Red Rose recipients for the yearbook and website
- Music (2 members):
- provides/leads music at each meeting
- teaches one new song to the chapter in the biennium
- Legislation:
- reports to the chapter any new legislation shaping education
- World Fellowship/Schools for Africa:
- reminds chapter of these international service projects and encourages donations at the appropriate time
- at each meeting collects from each member who forgets to wear her keypin $1.00
- Service Leaders (5 members):
- Manages all aspects of the chapter service projects
- contacts organization leader beforehand
- leads the chapter in actual service
- follows through with the organization
- Chair: is the immediate past Treasurer
- oversees all the financial activities of the chapter
- Treasurer: is always on this committee, but is never the chair
- maintains the chapter checkbook
- collects all payments of member’s dues
- pays all chapter contributions
- pays all bills
- writes all reimbursement checks
- prepares and files tax forms
- Treasurer’s Assistant:
- assists the treasurer in the collection of dues and other donations
- assists the treasurer with other duties as needed
- Member in charge of Pins:
- collects payment and orders all needed society pins (new member, anniversary, chapter president’s pin)
- Member in charge of Ribbons: collects payment and orders all needed ribbons
- Chair:
- secures nominations for membership
- presents nominations to the chapter
- leads Orientation for nominees
- organizes initiation
- works with president on recommitment ceremony and member anniversary ceremony
- Membership Assistant (2 members):
- assists the chair with nominations, orientation, and initiation
- Historian: is always on this committee
- keeps the record of the chapter
- assists the chair as needed
- Parliamentarian: is the immediate past president and is always on this committee
- advises on parliamentary procedure
- assists the chair as needed
- Hostess/Decorations Chair:
- is the RSVP point of contact for chapter members
- prepares decorations at the meetings
- contacts hostesses prior to the meeting
- assists the chair as needed
- Courtesy Chair:
- contacts members absent from the meeting
- contacts new members, guiding them throughout their first year
- assists the chair as needed
- Greeters (2 members):
- welcomes members at the door as they arrive and offes any assistance as needed
- assists the chair as needed
- Media Specialist:
- creates name tags for new members
- prints all necessary certificates
- assembles the new member informational folders
- assists the chair as needed
- STARS Manager:
- Maintains the STARS materials and has it at each meeting
- after the last meeting of the year, makes a list of all members earning STARS recognition and sends this list to the president and the membership chair
- assists the chair as needed
5. Scholarship:
- Chair:
- oversees the committee in the selection of the chapter’s Grant-In-Aid recipient/s
- aids the previous Grant-In-Aid recipients in applying for the Zeta State Grant-In-Aid the following year
- encourages chapter members to apply for Zeta State scholarship money
- organizes and runs the Silent Auction for fundraising toward chapter Scholarship fund
VIII. MEETINGS
- Alpha Kappa Chapter shall have a minimum of four meetings each year with no meetings scheduled for December
- A quorum for chapter meetings shall be a majority of the total number of members.
IX. EXECUTIVE BOARD
- The Executive Board shall consist of all the officers, the immediate past president, and the chairmen of the standing committees.
- The Board shall meet at least once a year. The Board may be called at the discretion of the president.
X. AMENDMENTS
These chapter rules may be amended by a majority vote, provided that notice of proposed changes are provided to members at a date not later than five days prior to the meeting at which changes are to be considered.
XI. DISSOLUTION OF THE CHAPTER
- Before a chapter is dissolved, the approval of the Zeta State Organization must be obtained.
- Careful consideration shall be given to the manner in which those desiring to maintain membership transfer to other chapters.
- The dissolution of the chapter shall be in accordance with the Bylaws and Standing Rules of Zeta State Mississippi, Article XIII.
- International procedures must be followed.
updated 03/16/2016