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Mu Beta Psi, National Honorary Musical Fraternity

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policies:chapters:zeta:bylaws

By-Laws of Zeta Chapter

Article I — Chapter Name

  1. The Chapter of Mu Beta Psi National Honorary Musical Fraternity located on the campus of Michigan Technological University shall be called Zeta Chapter.

Article II — Purpose

  1. It shall be the purpose of Zeta Chapter to promote and stimulate interests in music and musical presentations at Michigan Technological University and the surrounding community, either by its own initiative through service or by assisting other organizations of similar intent. Zeta Chapter shall also actively promote fellowship among musicians everywhere.

Article III — Membership

Section 1. Brotherhood

  1. Any initiated member of Zeta Chapter, regardless of type, is a Brother of Mu Beta Psi National Honorary Musical Fraternity.

Section 2. Qualifications

  1. Any individual who demonstrates special interest in the local music community, or who has distinction in some recognized musical organization, shall be eligible for membership in Zeta Chapter.
  2. In compliance with Michigan Technological University’s Board of Control Equal Opportunity Policy effective February 24, 2011, Mu Beta Psi — Zeta Chapter will not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, height, weight, genetic information, or marital status. Mu Beta Psi — Zeta is also committed to the policy of not discriminating against disabled individuals or veterans.

Section 3. Types of Membership

  1. There shall be seven (7) general types of membership in Zeta Chapter: Active, Special Active, Alumni, Associate, Honorary, New Member, and Inactive.
    1. Active
      1. An Active member of Zeta Chapter shall be any student who meets the following conditions:
        1. A person currently enrolled at MTU.
        2. A student who has been duly initiated into the membership of Zeta Chapter by completing Zeta Chapter’s Member Education Program and meeting the requirements for membership outlined in the National Constitution and National Policies.
        3. An Active may not have previously lost membership by resignation or revocation.
      2. An Active member must pay all applicable dues and fees as prescribed by the Finance Policy.
    2. Special Active
      1. A Special Active member shall be a student a Michigan Technological University or a member of the community who wishes to actively participate in the functions of the Fraternity and for whom standard Member Education Process would not be appropriate
      2. Special Actives members shall be considered Active members of this Chapter. They shall be included in any reference to “Active members(hip)” in these Bylaws unless otherwise specified.
      3. Special Actives members who are students shall become Alumni in the same manner specified for Active members. Special Actives members who are not students shall become Alumni after approval of a request to become Alumni of the Chapter. This approval shall be granted by a majority vote of the Executive Board (hereinafter referred to as E-Board).
      4. A Special Active member must pay all applicable dues and fees as prescribed by the Finance Policy.
    3. Associate Member
      1. An Associate member shall be any person who would have made outstanding contributions toward the purposes of Mu Beta Psi had Zeta Chapter existed when they attended Michigan Technological University.
      2. Associate membership shall be granted by a two-thirds vote of the Active Brotherhood.
      3. An Associate member shall have the rights to attend meetings and fraternity functions, but shall not be required to pay dues, shall not have the right to vote, and shall not have the right to hold any Chapter Office or Committee Chair Position.
      4. Each Associate member will pay their own initiation fee.
    4. Alumni
      1. Members of Zeta Chapter who have graduated from or terminated studies at Michigan Technological University while in good standing with the National Fraternity shall automatically become members of the Alumni Association. They shall be referred to as Alumni of Zeta Chapter. They retain all rights and privileges of Active members except they may not be required to pay dues, and they cannot hold Chapter Office, hold Committee Chair Positions, or vote.
      2. Graduate students may petition to become Active member status by submitting a letter of intent to the Brotherhood and appearing before the Active membership for a vote of confidence. A simple majority vote of those eligible members present will reinstate full membership privileges..
    5. Honorary Member
      1. An Honorary member shall be any person whom the Brotherhood feels has made outstanding contributions toward the purpose of Zeta Chapter and who has been granted such membership by a two-thirds vote of the Active members.
      2. An Honorary member shall have the right to attend meetings and Fraternity functions, but shall not be required to pay fees or dues, shall not have the right to vote and shall not hold any Chapter Office or Committee Chair positions.
      3. Each Honorary member’s initiation fee will be paid for by the Chapter.
    6. New Members
      1. New Members of Zeta Chapter shall be students currently enrolled at Michigan Technological University who have shown interest in joining Mu Beta Psi and have been offered a bid to join Mu Beta Psi by a two-thirds majority vote of the Active Brotherhood.
      2. Upon acceptance of their bid, New Members will participate in the Member Education Process according to the Member Education Policy.
      3. New Members may participate in Fraternity functions and meetings, but may not vote, hold Chapter Office, hold Committee Chair Positions, or be referred to as a Brother of Mu Beta Psi.
      4. Upon completion of the Member Education Process, New Members will be initiated into Mu Beta Psi and automatically become Active Members.
      5. Upon completion of the Member Education Process, New Members must pay all applicable dues and fees as prescribed by the Finance Policy.
    7. Inactive
      1. There shall be two categories of inactive membership: Voluntary and Involuntary.
        1. Voluntary Inactive
          1. Voluntary Inactive members shall be Active, Special Active, or Associate members who have become Inactive by submitting to the Brotherhood a written statement of intent to become Inactive and an explanation of the circumstances involved.
        2. Involuntary Inactive
          1. Involuntary Inactive members shall be Active, Special Active, or Associate members who have been forcefully made Inactive due to a Standards Board ruling.
      2. All Inactive members shall have no vote, shall not pay dues, shall not hold any Chapter Office or Committee Chair Position, and shall forfeit all privileges normally afforded to Active members, except that Voluntary Inactive members shall be allowed to wear the insignia and symbols of the Fraternity.
      3. All Inactive members shall be required to abide by all current policies of the National Fraternity.
      4. In order to return to Active membership, the Inactive member must submit a letter of intent to the Brotherhood and appear before the Active members for a vote of confidence. A simple majority vote of those eligible members present will reinstate full membership privileges.

Section 4. Resignation

  1. Any member of Zeta Chapter may resign from membership by submitting a letter of resignation to Zeta Chapter's President. The resignation shall then be rendered to the membership.
  2. Upon resignation, the member shall return all materials officially bearing the name and symbols of Mu Beta Psi to Zeta Chapter.
  3. The Chapter shall refund the member for the cost of initiation fees.
  4. Resignation of membership in Zeta Chapter is resignation of Brotherhood in Mu Beta Psi National Honorary Musical Fraternity. Consequently, it will be the duty of the Member-At-Large to inform the National Secretary of the resignation so that the resigning member’s name may be stricken from the National Roll.

Section 5. Removal

  1. Membership in Zeta Chapter may be revoked by a three-fifths vote of the Chapter Standards Boards as outlined in the Standards Board Policy.
  2. Upon revocation, the member shall return all materials officially bearing the name and/or symbols of Mu Beta Psi to Zeta Chapter.
  3. The Chapter shall refund the member for the cost of initiation fees.
  4. Revocation of membership in Zeta Chapter is revocation of Brotherhood in Mu Beta Psi National Honorary Musical Fraternity. Consequently, it will be the duty of the Member-At-Large to inform the National Secretary of the revocation so that the revoked member’s name may be stricken from the National Roll.

Section 6. Voting

  1. All Active members of Zeta Chapter shall have the right to cast one vote on any business requiring a vote.
  2. Voting on all business, with the exception of the election of officers and acceptance of New Members, shall be by a show of hands unless the President has specified otherwise, or a member moves to have a closed vote at the time of voting.
    1. Voting for the election of officers and acceptance of New Members shall be by secret, written ballot.
  3. Any business must receive a majority vote of the Active members present at an official meeting in order to pass.
  4. The President of Zeta Chapter shall be allowed to cast a vote on the offering of bids, the acceptance of New Members, amendments to the Chapter Bylaws and Policies, and the approval of nominees to the Standards Board. On all other matters, the President of Zeta Chapter shall not vote unless there is a tie vote, in which case the President shall act as the tie breaking vote.

Section 7. Dues and Fees

  1. Dues and fees shall be prescribed by the Finance Policy.
  2. The dues and affiliated fees of Zeta Chapter shall be submitted with the budget, and approved with it.

Article IV — Leadership

Section 1. Qualifications and Limitations

  1. The Executive Board of Zeta Chapter (hereinafter referred to as the E-Board) shall be made up of the President, the Vice President, the Secretary, and the Treasurer.
  2. The President and Vice President must have at least one year of Active membership. In the event that no Active member has a year of Active membership, or no eligible Active member wishes to hold these positions, these positions will become open to non-eligible Active members in order of seniority.
  3. The Member Educator and Assistant Member Educator must have actively participated in at least one Member Education Process. In the event that no Active member has actively participated in at least one Member Education Process or no eligible Active member wishes to hold these positions, those positions will become open to non-eligible Active members in order of seniority.
  4. No one individual can concurrently hold more than one position on the E-Board.
  5. The President cannot concurrently hold the position of Member-At-Large or Member-At-Large Elect.
  6. The Member Educator and Assistant Member Educator cannot hold a position on the E-Board or the position of Risk Manager.
  7. The Risk Manager cannot hold a position on the E-Board or be the Member Educator or Assistant Member Educator.
    1. In the event that a Risk Manager is unable to fulfill their duties, the position will default to the Member-At-Large Elect until the position is filled.

Section 2. Duties of Officers

  1. President
    1. The President shall preside at the meetings of this Chapter. The President shall also serve as chair of the E-Board.
    2. The President shall be Zeta Chapter’s representative to the National Board of Trustees. The President may appoint a substitute representative if attendance to a board meeting is impossible.
  2. Vice President
    1. The Vice President shall preside at all meetings at which the President is absent.
    2. The Vice President shall be the chair of the National Committee on Chapter Maintenance.
    3. The Vice President shall assist other officers when needed.
    4. The Vice President shall oversee all committees.
  3. Secretary
    1. The Secretary shall record minutes of all meetings for approval of the Brotherhood. The minutes must be typed.
    2. The Secretary shall take attendance at all meetings.
    3. The Secretary shall obtain a meeting place for any meeting which the President calls and notify each member of the time and place of the meeting.
    4. The Secretary or a designee, selected by the Secretary, will be responsible for removing mail from the Chapter mailbox.
  4. Treasurer
    1. The Treasurer shall personally direct all the financial transactions of Zeta Chapter.
    2. The Treasurer shall be an ex-officio member of the Finance Committee.
  5. Historian
    1. The Historian shall be Zeta Chapter's representative to the National History and Archives Committee and an ex-officio member of Zeta Chapter's Alumni Relations Committee.
    2. The Historian shall maintain a system of filing and preserving historic records in coordination with the Alumni Relations Committee, National Information and Technology Committee Representative, and the Secretary.
  6. Member-At-Large
    1. The Member-At-Large shall be Zeta Chapter’s representative to the National Executive Committee. The Member-At-Large may appoint a substitute representative if attendance to a National Executive Committee meeting is impossible.
    2. The Member-At-Large shall be Zeta Chapter’s first representative to the Legislative Council. The Member-At-Large may appoint a substitute representative if attendance to a Legislative Council meeting is impossible.
    3. The Member-At-Large shall be responsible for all general business correspondence with the National Organization with the cooperation of the E-Board.
  7. Member-At-Large Elect
    1. The Member-At-Large Elect shall be Zeta Chapter’s second representative to the Legislative Council. The Member-At-Large Elect may appoint a substitute representative if attendance to a Legislative Council meeting is impossible.
    2. The Member-At-Large Elect shall assist the Member-At-Large with all matters related to the National Executive Committee.
    3. The Member-At-Large Elect shall automatically ascend to the position of Member-At-Large after the term of office of the previous Member-At-Large expires.
  8. Member Educator
    1. The Member Educator shall direct all business regarding the Member Education Process.
    2. The Member Educator shall follow all operations as prescribed by the Member Education Policy.
  9. Assistant Member Educator
    1. The Assistant Member Educator shall assist the Member Educator with all business regarding the Member Education Process.
    2. The Assistant Member Educator shall follow all operations as prescribed by the Member Education Policy.
    3. The Assistant Member Educator shall automatically ascend to the position of Member Educator after the term of office of the previous Member Educator expires.
  10. Risk Manager
    1. The Risk Manager shall be appointed by the President by the second meeting of the Fall Semester.
    2. The Risk Manager shall coordinate all Risk Management Training and events with the Brotherhood.
    3. The Risk Manager shall be responsible for creating all Risk Management Plans.
    4. The Risk Manager shall be an ex-officio member of the Policy Maintenance Committee.

Section 3. Order of Ascension

  1. In the case that an Officer is unable to complete their term of office, the position automatically becomes vacant and the duties of their office shall temporarily fall to the next highest ranking officer. Vacant positions shall be filled according to the Election Policy.
  2. The hierarchy of Zeta Chapter shall be as follows:
    1. President
    2. Vice President
    3. Secretary
    4. Treasurer
    5. Member-At-Large
    6. Member Educator

Section 4. Election of Officers

  1. Election of officers shall follow the Election Policy.
  2. Nominations for all available positions shall be conducted by the seventh week of each semester.
    1. Nominations must also be reopened at each of the next two regularly scheduled business meetings prior to elections.
  3. Elections of new officers shall be held by the tenth week of each semester, installations of new officers shall be held by the thirteenth week of each semester.
  4. All nominations must be seconded.
  5. Any member nominated for an office shall be permitted to accept or decline by the end of the nomination period.
    1. Only Active members may accept a nomination for office.
  6. Nominations for all offices shall be closed prior to adjourning the meeting at which nominations are to be held and may be reopened at the next regularly scheduled meeting by the President or by a motion of an Active member.

Section 5. Removal of Officers

  1. Any officer may be removed from office by a two-thirds vote of the Active membership.
    1. This vote may be called by any Active member, who must propose the vote under new business a week in advance.
    2. No vote shall be taken until the officer in question has had the opportunity to debate all charges and answer questions as prescribed in the Election Policy.
    3. The votes shall be collected and counted by the two highest ranking officers not in question.

Section 6. Committees and Appointees

  1. The power to appoint and abolish committees shall rest with the President.
  2. All committee members may call upon the resources of Zeta Chapter in the execution of their duties. They may also request the aid of any and all members of Zeta Chapter.
  3. No members may be forced to assume a task against their will, provided they give a just cause for the unwillingness.
  4. Any Active member may request the President to make the appointment of a Parliamentarian. The Parliamentarian shall be responsible for interpretation and advice on the correct procedures for conducting a business meeting.

Article V — Meetings

Section 1. Government

  1. The membership shall be governed by the National Constitution and National Policies of Mu Beta Psi and the By-Laws and policies of Zeta Chapter.
  2. All meetings of Zeta Chapter shall be governed by Robert's Rules of Order.
  3. The power to interpret the governing procedures of Zeta Chapter shall be vested in the Policy Maintenance Committee, with recommendations from the Risk Manager.

Section 2. Regulations and Requirements

  1. The regular meetings of Zeta Chapter shall be held every week on a day set by the majority of members present at the first (1st) meeting of each semester.
  2. Special meetings may be called by the President or by a petition of one-half (½) of the Active membership.
  3. One-half (½) of the Active members must be present before an official meeting can be held.

Article VI — Policies

Section 1. Creation

  1. All current practices will have a documented policy.
  2. In the event that new policies need to be created the following procedure should be followed:
    1. The Policy Maintenance Committee should review the practices that the policy will cover and write the new policy.
    2. The new policy will include a detailed description of its purpose.
    3. The new policy will include a detailed list of procedures covered by the policy.
  3. New policy may be adopted by a two-thirds vote of all Active members.

Section 2. Enforcement

  1. Occurs in the event that a member commits any infractions.
    1. Infractions are considered to be any instance in which the Bylaws or Policies are not followed.
    2. The Policy Maintenance Committee will be in charge of ensuring that all members follow the Bylaws and Policies. If an infraction occurs:
      1. Upon the first infraction, a written warning will be given out.
      2. Upon the second infraction, Standards Board will be called to determine all following actions.
    3. A list of all policies can be found in Appendix A of this document.

Section 3. Amending the Policies

  1. Policies may be amended with a one-half vote of all Active members.

Article VII — University Regulations

Section 1. Regulations

  1. All policies set forth by the University as it pertains to student organizations or Fraternal Life shall supersede this document.
  2. In the event that University regulations change, Chapter documents must reflect the change within one academic semester.

Section 2. Policy Maintenance

  1. A copy of all Chapter documents are to be physically located with the office of Student Activities.

Article VIII — Amendments to the By-Laws

Section 1. Voting

  1. The By-Laws of Zeta Chapter of Mu Beta Psi may be amended by a two-thirds (⅔) vote of all Active members.
  2. Proposed amendments and revisions to the By-Laws that are defeated shall be recorded in the minutes of the meeting in which they were defeated.

Section 2. Amendment Log

  1. All amendments made to these Chapter By-Laws, with the exception of typographical and grammatical corrections that do not alter the meaning, will be recorded in a log and must include the following:
    1. The date on which the amendment was made.
    2. The changes made by the amendment.
    3. The purpose of the amendment.
  2. The Amendment Log will be a seperate document stored with the Chapter By-Laws.

Article IX — Format and Storage

Section 1. Format

  1. The Bylaws shall be formatted as follows:

Article I - Article Name
Section 1. Section Title

  1. Content level one
    1. Content level two
      1. Content level three
        1. Content level four

Section 2. Storage

  1. The Bylaws of Zeta Chapter shall be kept in the following places:
    1. The National website.
    2. Zeta Chapter’s Google Drive.
    3. The Office of Student Activities.

Appendix A - Policy References

  • Risk Management Policy - Adopted 03/31/19
  • Member Education Policy - Adopted 10/13/19
  • Election Policy - Adopted 01/26/20
  • Finance Policy - Adopted 03/29/20
  • Academic Policy - Adopted 11/28/21
As amended on March 31, 2019
policies/chapters/zeta/bylaws.txt · Last modified: 2024/01/12 19:46 by saneveau