Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia Fraternity of America, Inc.

Province 27 Council Bylaws

 

PREAMBLE

The primary characteristics of the Council are defined by the National Constitution, Article VIII. These bylaws prescribe how the Council shall function, and include all rules that the Council considers so important that they (a) cannot be changed without previous notice to the members and by a two-thirds vote, and (b) cannot be suspended, except clauses that provide for their own suspension under specified conditions, or clauses in the nature of rules of order. These bylaws shall govern the Council in all cases to which they are applicable and in which they are not inconsistent with the Articles of Incorporation, National Constitution, General Regulations for Collegiate Chapters, and any policies the Fraternity may adopt.

 

ARTICLE I
Members

Section 1. Membership.

The membership of this Council shall be the Province Officers and two delegates from each chapter, colony, and alumni association within the Province.

Section 2. Delegate Eligibility.

Delegate members of the Council shall be members in good standing and shall include the president (or, in his absence, another Chapter executive committee officer) of each chapter, colony, and alumni association within the Province, and an elected delegate (or, in his absence, an elected alternate) of each Chapter, Colony, and Alumni Association within the Province.

Section 3. Province Tax.

Province Taxes shall be the amount of $5.00 per member per chapter, colony, and alumni association within the Province and are due biannually, by March 1 and again by November 1. The Province Governor shall notify chapters, colonies, and alumni associations one month in arrears, and those chapters, colonies, and alumni associations which have not paid within two weeks thereafter shall be automatically placed on probation and lose their delegate representation until all taxes have been paid.

 

ARTICLE II
Officers

Section 1. Collegiate Province Representative.

In addition to those duties prescribed by the National Constitution, the Collegiate Province Representative shall perform the duties prescribed by these bylaws and the duties of a chairman as prescribed by the parliamentary authority adopted by the Council. He shall be subject to orders of the Council.

Section 2. Assistant Collegiate Province Representative.

An Assistant Collegiate Province Representative shall be elected at the annual meeting. He shall visit Chapters, Colonies, and Alumni Associations as requested by the Province Governor or Collegiate Province Representative. He shall perform the duties prescribed by these bylaws and the duties of a secretary as prescribed by the parliamentary authority adopted by the Council.

Section 3. Province Governor.

In addition to those duties prescribed by the National Constitution, he shall perform the duties prescribed by these bylaws and the duties of a treasurer as prescribed by the parliamentary authority adopted by the Council.

Section 4. Deputy Province Governor.

In addition to those duties prescribed by the National Constitution, he shall perform the duties prescribed by these bylaws and the duties of a manager as prescribed by the parliamentary authority adopted by the Council.


Section 5. Second Assistant Collegiate Province Representative.

A Second Assistant Collegiate Province Representative shall be elected at the annual meeting. He shall visit Chapters, Colonies, and Alumni Associations as requested by the Province Governor or Collegiate Province Representative. He shall perform the duties prescribed by these bylaws and the duties of a historian as prescribed by the parliamentary authority adopted by the Council.

Section 6. Province Alumni Coordinator.

A Province Alumni Coordinator shall be appointed by the Province Governor. He shall communicate province issues to alumni associations and other interested alumni as needed. He shall also work with chapter alumni secretaries on alumni newsletters, databases, and other activities. He also is responsible for the development of new associations in the Province.

Section 7. Nomination Procedure, Time of Elections.

Nominations shall be from the floor. Elections shall be at the Annual Meeting.

Section 8. Ballot Election, Term of Office.

Elected officers shall be elected by ballot, unless there is only one candidate for an office, in which case the Council may dispense with the ballot. Elected officers shall serve for one year and until their successors are elected, and their term of office shall begin the September following their election.

Section 9. Office-Holding Limitations, Vacancies.

No member shall hold more than one office at a time. There shall be no limits to how many terms a member may serve in the same office. Vacancies shall be filled by appointment by the Province Governor.

 

ARTICLE III
Meetings

Section 1. Regular Meetings.

The regular meetings of the Council shall be held twice each academic year.  One regular meeting shall be in concurrence with Sinfonia Slam, and the other shall be in concurrence with the Province Workshop.

Section 2. Annual Meetings.

The regular meeting held in concurrence with the Province Workshop shall be for the purpose of electing officers, receiving reports of officers and committees, and for any other business that may arise.

Section 3. Special Meetings.

Special meetings may be called by the Collegiate Province Representative, the Province Governor or by the Province Collegiate Leadership Team. The purpose of the meeting shall be stated in the call. Except in cases of emergency, at least two weeks’ notice shall be given.

Section 4. Quorum.

A quorum for meetings of the Council shall be half of the membership of the Council and two-thirds of the collegiate chapters, each being represented by at least one delegate.  Both conditions must be met for quorum to be satisfied.

 

ARTICLE IV
Province Leadership Team

Section 1. Team Composition.

 The Province Governor, Deputy Province Governor, Collegiate Province Representative, Province Alumni Coordinator, Faculty Relations Chair, Colony Development Chair. The Assistant Collegiate Province Representative and Second Assistant Collegiate Province Representative shall be ex officio members of the Team without a vote. All Chairmen of a committee, standing or special, shall be ex officio members of the Team without a vote.

Section 2. Team’s Duties and Powers.

The Province Leadership Team shall have general supervision of the affairs of the Council between its business meetings, fix the hour and place of meetings, make recommendations to the Council, and perform such other duties as are specified in these bylaws. It shall be the duty of this Team to prepare a budget for the fiscal year beginning the first day of September, and to submit it to the Council at its regular meeting during Sinfonia Slam. The Team may from time to time amend the budget for the current fiscal year, but such amendments are subject to ratification by the Council. The Team shall be subject to the orders of the Council, and none of its acts shall conflict with action taken by the Council.


Section 3. Team Meetings.

Meetings of the Province Collegiate Leadership Team shall be called by the Collegiate Province Representative or by the Province Governor with at least 48 hours notice, which may be given via email. The Team is authorized to meet by telephone conference or through other electronic communication so long as all the members may simultaneously pay attention to each other and participate during the meeting.

 

ARTICLE V
Team

Section 1. Definition.

A Team shall be a Committee as defined by the parliamentary authority adopted by the Council.

Section 2. Colony Development Team.

A Colony Development Team of three members shall be appointed at the annual meeting, whose duty it shall be to support colonies through all phases of their development. This includes the pre-colony phase and outreach to identify future colony possibilities. This team works with colonies during both phases of the process and continues to assist them during their first year as a chapter during the transition from colony to chapter. The team shall report its recommendations as to colony possibilities and information on current colony status at each regular meeting.

Section 3. Faculty Relations Team.

A Faculty Relations Team of at least one member shall be appointed by the Province Governor promptly after the annual meeting, whose duty it shall be to act as a support resource for all faculty advisors within the province. This includes notifying them of province initiatives, events, and policies. This team shall develop resources and activities for faculty advisors. All faculty advisors within the province shall be ex officio members of this committee.

Section 4. Program Team.

A Program Team of at least three members shall be appointed by the Collegiate Province Representative promptly after the annual meeting, whose duty it shall be to plan the program for Sinfonia Slam, Province Workshop, and other events as may referred to it by the Province Leadership Team. Other duties of the team shall include those prescribed by the parliamentary authority adopted by the Council. This committee’s report shall be submitted to the Council for its approval at each regular meeting.

Section 5. Auditing Team.

An Auditing Team of three members shall be appointed by the Collegiate Province Representative at the Sinfonia Slam meeting, whose duty it shall be to audit the Council’s accounts at the close of the fiscal year and to report at the annual meeting.

Section 6. Other Team; Province Governor’s and Collegiate Province Representative’s Ex-Officio Team Membership; Telephone and Electronic Meetings Authorized.

Such other special teams shall be appointed by the Collegiate Province Representative, subject to ratification by the Province Governor, as the Council or the Province Leadership Team shall from time to time deem necessary to carry on the work of the Council. The Province Governor and Collegiate Province Representative shall be ex officio members of all teams. All teams are authorized to meet by telephone conference or through other electronic communication so long as all the members may simultaneously pay attention to each other and participate during the meeting.

 

ARTICLE VI
Parliamentary Authority

The rules contained in the current edition of Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised shall govern the Council in all cases to which they are applicable and in which they are not inconsistent with these bylaws and any special rules of order the Council may adopt.

 

ARTICLE VII
Amendment of Bylaws

These bylaws may be amended at any regular meeting of the Council by a two-thirds vote, provided that the amendment has been submitted in writing at the previous regular meeting or in the call to the meeting.