PREAMBLE
We, the members of Omega Phi Alpha National Service Sorority, in order to
secure for ourselves, Texas A&M University, for the community at large, and for the
citizens of the world, the rewards that come from the affiliation of the students, and to
deliver a program of service to our fellow man, do hereby adopt and establish the
following constitution and By-Laws.
CONSTITUTION
ARTICLE I
NAME AND INSIGNIA
Section I
The name of this organization shall be Delta Chapter of Omega Phi Alpha National
Service Sorority, being chartered by Omega Phi Alpha National Service Sorority and
shall be known as a service sorority serving on the campus of Texas A&M University
and the surrounding communities.
Section2
The flower, pins, crest, and colors shall be in accordance with Article I, Section 2-6 of the
constitution of the national sorority.
ARTICLE II
PURPOSE
This chapter shall operate under the provisions set forth in the constitution of the national
service sorority, under all applicable regulations of Texas A&M University, and under
such other provisions set forth in the constitution and By-Laws.
ARTICLE III
MEMBERSHIP
Section 1
Membership shall be open to any and all students of Texas A&M University, who are
duly enrolled in good standing and who have successfully completed the membership
requirements of this chapter of the national sorority.
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Section 2
Pledgeship shall be conferred upon any enrolled student of Texas A&M University who
is accepted through the recruitment process and expresses a desire to participate in a
period of preparation and training in the ideas and purposes of Omega Phi Alpha National
Service Sorority.
Section 3
Active membership shall be conferred upon any enrolled student of Texas A&M
University who has fulfilled the pledge requirements of this chapter and the national
sorority. To retain active status, a member must maintain a 2.0 overall grade point ratio,
have no more than two unexcused absences, accumulate required service hours, and be
current in dues and fines payable to this chapter and the national sorority.
Section 4
Honorary members, senior members, and advisors may be elected at the discretion of the
national sorority or this chapter, but shall not have voting power in the local chapter.
A. An honorary member may be any member the sorority deems worthy
of membership yet not eligible to pledge. They shall have all the rights
and privileges of active membership with the exception of voting
power.
B. A senior sister shall be a graduate of Texas A&M University, or any
sister that has served seven active semesters, serving this chapter as an
unofficial advisor.
C. Delta chapter shall have a minimum of one advisor. They shall be
elected by the membership and with approval of the University. At
least one the advisors should be a woman who is from any field at the
University.
Section 5
An active member may be granted a temporary “leave of absence” from active status
upon approval of the chapter Standards Board. An active must have served one full active
semester before petitioning for a leave of absence, and may serve a maximum of two
leave of absence semesters.
Section 6
An alumna shall be a member who has completed at least one full term as an active and
who has met at least one of the following conditions:
A. Is no longer enrolled in the university at which the member was active.
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B. Is a student in their final term prior to graduation and who requests
alumna status from the chapter Standards Board.
C. Is a student who has been an active member for at least 4 years, and
requests (and is granted) alumna status from the Chapter Standards
Board.
D. Is a student who petitions the National Standards Board and is granted
alumna status by gaining a majority vote without meeting the
aforementioned requirements.
Section 7
An active member may be disassociated from the sorority for failure to attend chapter
business meetings, failure to pay national and/or local dues, failure to pay local fines,
failure to complete local service requirements, or placement on disciplinary probation by
the university.
Clause I.
Any officer/member shall be notified verbally and in written form
of any disciplinary action that may be taken against them.
Clause II.
Proceeding warnings will be a scheduled meeting with the executive board and
Advisor to determine a course of action.
Section 8
Any active member of Omega Phi Alpha who transfers to Texas A&M University may
receive membership in this chapter upon application and upon meeting national transfer
requirements set forth in the national constitution, Article III, Section 12.
Section 9
Lifetime membership shall be granted in accordance with Article III, Section 8 of the
national constitution.
Section 10
All active members are required to participate in 5 out of the 6 primary service projects
voted on by the chapter. The primary areas of service will benefit: the community, the
campus, the members of the sorority, the nations of the world, the permanent project
(Mental Health awareness), and the President’s project. Seventy five percent of all the
actives must participate in all of the 6 primary service projects each semester. Actives
will also be responsible for 5 sisterhood or social hours, 5 fundraising hours, and 5
chapter management hours per semester, if there is a cube reserved for that semester.
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ARTICLE IV
OFFICERS
Section 1
The executive officers of this chapter will be President, Vice-President, Service Director,
Membership Director, Treasurer, and Secretary. Other officers may be provided as in the
chapter by-laws as necessary.
Section 2
Provided a quorum of the membership is present, officers shall be elected by a simple
majority vote. (Refer to Article VI, Section 4 of this constitution).
Section 3
The President may appoint other officers deemed necessary for the proper functioning of
the chapter in compliance with this constitution and by-laws and the national constitution
and with the approval of the Executive committee.
Section 4
The term of office for any elected officer of the chapter shall be one year. Vacancies that
occur shall be filled immediately by election as provided in Article IV, Section 2 of this
constitution. No elected officer may serve more than two consecutive terms in the same
office.
Section 5
All chapter officers shall be installed according to an installation prescribed by the
national sorority.
Section 6
Duties of all officers shall be set forth in Article III of this chapter’s by-laws.
Section 7
Any officer may be removed from the office by the chapter upon the recommendation of
the Standards Committee after reviewing. Any member may ask the Standards
Committee to review an officer. Impeachment shall be by a 2/3 vote of the active
members or by a petition signed by 2/3 of the active members.
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Section 8
Any officer may be removed from office if the officer has failed to complete the service
requirements that are set by the chapter.
Section 9
As required by Texas A&M Student Activities, the officers of Delta chapter must meet
the following requirements:
(a)
(b)
Have a minimum grade point ratio (GPR) as stated below and meet that
GPR in semester immediately prior to the election/appointment, the
semester of election/appointment and during the semesters during the term
of office.
1)
For undergraduate students, the minimum GPR is 2.00. In order
for this provision to be met, at least six hours (half-time credit)
must have been taken for the semester under consideration. In one
limited circumstance, summer semester hours may be applied to
this provision. In order for summer coursework to qualify toward
a grade point ratio prior to election/appointment, at least six credit
hours must have been taken during the course of either the full or
two summer session(s).
2)
For graduate level students the minimum GPR is 3.00. In order for
this provision to be met, at least four hours (half-time credit) must
have been taken for the semester under consideration. In one
limited circumstance, summer semester hours may be applied to
this provision. In order for summer coursework to qualify toward
a grade point ratio prior to election/appointment, at least four
credit hours must have been taken during the course of either the
full or two summer session(s) unless fewer credits are required as
they complete the final stages of their degree.
Be in good standing with the university and enrolled:
1)
at least half time (six or more credit hours), if an undergraduate
student (unless fewer credits are required to graduate in the spring
or fall semesters) during the term of office, and
2)
at least half time (four or more credits), if a graduate level student
(unless fewer credits are required in the final stages of their degree
as defined by the Continuous Registration Requirement) during
their term of office.
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(c)
Be ineligible to hold an office should the student fail to maintain the
requirements as prescribed in (a) and (b).
Section 9 is required by Texas A&M Student Activities.
ARTICLE V
COMMITTEES
Section 1
The Executive board shall consist of all executive chapter officers. This committee shall
meet at least once each week during the academic year at an agreed upon time and place.
Committee chairmen shall meet with the Executive Board while their committees are
active
Section 2
Standing committees shall be the Standards Board, the Executive Board, the Fundraising
Committee, the Social Committee, the Service Committee, and the Public Relations
committee. The president, the local constitution, and the by-laws shall assign their duties.
Section 3
The president may create special committees whose members will be announced at a
meeting of the chapter.
ARTICLE VI
MEETINGS
Section 1
The chapter shall hold a minimum of two regular meetings each month. Time and place
of meetings shall be approved by a majority vote of the chapter membership.
Section 2
A. Called meetings may be held when deemed necessary for the functioning of
the chapter and its program. Any member with the permission of the President
may call these meetings. Regular business may be discussed and voted on
provided written notice of the meeting has been available to members three
days prior to the called meeting.
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B. Special meetings may be called to discuss business or activities immediate
knowledge by the entire chapter so that members may be in a position to vote
on such action deemed necessary at a regular or called meeting.
Section 3
The chairman of the committee calls committee meetings. The President shall be
informed of any meeting to be held by the committee.
Section 4
A quorum shall consist of 2/3 of all active members of the chapter.
Section 5
A simple majority vote shall be required for the passage of all motions with the exception
of constitutional amendments, which requirement is set forth in Article VIII of this
constitution.
Section 6
Attendance at chapter retreats is required for officers and for active members.
ARTICLE VII
FINANCE
Section 1
The necessary expenses of this chapter shall be met from funds secured through chapter
activities conducted in keeping with the activity and financial policies of Texas A&M
University and the national sorority.
Section 2
All funds of this chapter, from whatever source and for whatever purpose received, shall
be given to the Treasurer, who in turn will deposit these funds to the credit of this chapter
in an account established at the Student Finance Office of the Memorial Student Center
of Texas A&M University. All funds must be deposited to the SOFC within 24 hours
after collection .
Section 3
All fundraising events with an expected income of over $500.00 must be voted on and
approved by ¾ of the actives at that meeting or session
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ARTICLE VIII
AMENDMENTS
Section 1
This constitution may be amended at a regular or called meeting with a quorum present
(Refer to Article VI, Section 4 of this constitution) upon affirmative vote of 3/4 of the
active members in attendance, provided the proposed amendment(s) shall have been
presented for consideration to the Executive Committee at least two weeks prior to the
chapter voting and further provided that a formally written statement of said
amendment(s) shall have been presented to each active member of the chapter at least one
week prior to voting.
Section 2
All referrals to the national constitution and By-Laws, in these By-Laws, should be
updated yearly to continue being correct.
Section 3
Any new changes in National Constitution and/or By-Laws that nullify any portions of
Local Constitution and/or By-Laws shall be immediately changed to read exactly as the
National Constitution and/or By-Laws.
Section 4
The local constitution of this chapter will be reviewed annually and subject to the
Approval of the Department of Student Activities.
BY-LAWS
The By-Laws of this chapter shall consist of all rules and statements adopted by this
chapter to implement this constitution and its amendments and to provide for the proper
functioning of this chapter.
ARTICLE I
MEMBERSHIP
Section 1
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It shall be the aim of this chapter to maintain an active membership. Active status is
achieved upon successful completion of chapter and national pledge requirements.
Section 2
Active members shall have the power to vote, decide chapter questions, to be delegates to
convention, to hold local, regional, or national office, to have a little sister, and to
participate in chapter functions, both service and social.
Section 3
Article III, Section 3 of the local Constitution implies that the following requirements
must be fulfilled to remain an active member:
1. Each member is allowed a total of two unexcused absences per
semester.
2. Members shall be required to attend 5 out of the 6 primary service
projects each semester.
3. Maintain a 2.0 overall grade point ratio.
4. All dues and fines must be paid by the deadlines given at the
beginning of the semester.
Section 4
A member on leave of absence may have the right to attend social and service functions,
participate in meetings, wear the letters, and receive the Chevron. Said member cannot
vote on sorority issues, hold a local, regional, or national office, serve as a convention
delegate, or have a little sister. Said members do not pay national dues and are not
included in chapter-level awards programs.
Clause 1. Members must petition the chapter standards board for
leave of absence status.
Clause 2. A leave of absence may be granted for no longer than one
school term at a time. Members wishing to extend their
leave of absence must re-petition the chapter Standards
Chair.
Section 5
A disassociated member shall have no membership rights. The said member cannot vote
on sorority issues, wear the letters, attend service or social functions, hold local, regional,
or national office, serve as a convention delegate, or receive the Chevron. A disassociated
member may regain active status only by appealing the status to the national executive
board or by re-pledging, either at their original chapter or at another chapter. The
disassociation procedure is as follows:
1. The member will be notified that they are being considered for this
status in writing. The letter shall be certified/return receipt. The letter
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2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
will state a specific date and time which the member can go before the
Standards Board to discuss their status.
After the member appears before the Standards Board, or doesn’t
show, the Standards Board makes a recommendation concerning the
member’s status to the chapter.
The chapter then votes whether or not they feel this member should be
disassociated. The chapter must have a ¾ approval vote to
disassociate a member (unless financial or legal reasons or a sister
commits a violation that negatively impacts the sorority).
Ill proceedings along with the vote numbers will be recorded in the
chapter minutes.
A second letter also certified/return receipt must be sent to the member
informing them of their disassociation. The letter shall also tell the
member that they can repledge at a later date or appeal their status to
the National Executive Board within 3 months of the decision. The
name and address of the National President will also be included. The
Chapter President will sign this letter.
A carbon copy of this letter shall be sent to the National President
along with a copy of the minutes from the meeting when the vote took
place (unless no vote is implemented)
The Chapter Executive Board must notify the national treasurer of the
change in status when the dues are tendered.
Section 6
Alumnae members shall have the right to attend convention, to hold regional or national
office, and are eligible to receive the Chevron.
Section 7
Chapters may not recognize any membership status other than those outlined in the
national constitution and By-Laws.
Section 8
Any member who attained alumnae status because the said member left Texas A&M
University may petition the chapter standards board to return to active membership status
upon re-enrollment at Texas A&M University. If the said member enrolls at another
university where there is an active chapter, membership may be attained by following the
guidelines in Article III, Section 12 of the national constitution.
Section 9
A permanent record of the active and alumnae members of the chapter shall be kept on
file. This record shall include a permanent address for all members.
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Section 10
A. Each member is allowed to miss one primary service project each semester, which
means that a member is required to attend/participate in five out the six primary
projects voted on by the Delta chapter each semester. Should a member miss more
than one primary service project she will be asked to attend the monthly Standards
Board meeting and will be required to choose from three options in order to make up
her project(s) in order to meet the five out of six attendance/participation service
project requirement:
1. Conduct a service project per approval of the Delta Chapter Service
Directors. Members must gain approval for their make-up service
project by petitioning through the established appeals process, where
the make-up project must be in the same area of service as the original
missed primary project.
a. Hours done apart from the sorority or apart from the required
5/6 primary service projects may be admissible to make up for
missed primary projects (examples: donating blood, Big Event,
Replant).
b. Hours done for school credit or pay are not admissible to
Omega Phi Alpha.
2. Conduct a service project with the OPA Delta Chapter pledges.
3. Pay a $50.00 fine.
B. If a sister chooses to do a makeup service project and does not fulfill her service
requirements by the end of the semester, there is reason for formal disassociation.
C. If a sister chooses to pay the $50.00 fine, instead of conducting a makeup project, she
must let the Delta Chapter Service Director know that she has chosen the fine over
the makeup project. If the $50.00 fine is not paid to the Delta Chapter by the end of
the semester there is reason for formal disassociation.
Section 11
A. Any absence from regular meetings shall be reported to the Secretary within 24
hours after the regular meeting and whether the absence is to be excused shall be
left to the discretion of the Secretary or meets one of the following conditions:
1. It is considered a Texas A&M University recognized absence.
2. A sister has a scheduled class, lab, test, or university sponsored review
session.
3. A scheduled tutoring session with an established tutorial office/business (ex.
A+ or Tutor John).
4. Has a meeting or function for another organization, provided that the sister is
an officer in the other organization.
5. There is an emergency.
6. Illness
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B. Any absence not reported to the Secretary within 24 hours after the regular
meeting will be considered unexcused.
C. If an active member has used up her two free unexcused absences and misses a
third meeting with no excuse or email, she will be asked to attend the monthly
Standards Board meeting. If the members of Standards Board agree that the
member has no justifiable excuse(s) for having three absences, she will be fined
$10.00. The fine will be due within two weeks after her Standards Board meeting
to the Delta Chapter Treasurer. If the active member does not pay her fine within
the allotted two weeks, a late fee of $5.00 will be added to the fine for every week
that passes thereafter. If all fines are not paid off by the end of the semester there
is cause for formal disassociation.
D. If an active member misses half of a semester's meetings the active will be asked
to meet with Standards Board and there is cause for formal disassociation.
Section 12
A. Each member is required to attend all events and/or activities deemed mandatory
events. The following events are mandatory events:
1. Active Retreat
2. Initiation
3. Activation
4. Bid Day
5. District Rally (Only if it is in College Station, TX)
6. Any project or event the Executive Board deems mandatory
B. Absences from any of the mandatory events will be excused or not excused at the
discretion of the Delta Chapter Secretary or for the following reasons:
a. There is an emergency.
b. Illness.
c. Prior engagement scheduled before mandatory event dates are announced.
C. In order for an absence from a mandatory event to be excused, the Delta Chapter
Secretary needs to be notified 72 hours prior to the event unless the absence is due to
an illness or emergency. Should the Delta Chapter Secretary not receive notification
of absence the absence will be unexcused.
D. Any unexcused absence from a mandatory event will result in a $25.00 fine due
within two weeks after the fine is issued. Should the fine not be paid within the
allotted two weeks the member will incur a $5.00 late fee for every week the fine is
late. Should the fine and/or late fees not be paid by the end of the semester there is
cause for formal disassociation.
Section 13
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Each member is required to have completed a minimum of 5 fundraising hours each
semester. If fundraising hour requirements are not met by the end of the semester the
member will be asked to meet with the Standards Board and may be fined up to $35.00 so
as to make-up for the money lost. If the fine is not paid there is cause for formal
disassociation.
Section 14
Each member is required to have completed a minimum of 5 sisterhood hours each
semester. Rush events, not including Bid Day, socials, and any sisterhood activity or
event, other than Active Retreat, can go towards this requirement. If the sisterhood hour
requirement is not met by the end of the semester the member will be asked to meet with
the Standards Board and may be fined up to $25.00. If the fine is not paid there is cause
for formal disassociation.
ARTICLE II
OFFICERS
Section 1
A. The Executive Officers shall be:
President
Vice President
Secretary
Treasurer
Service Director
Membership Director
Pledge Educator
Alumnae Liaison
The following appointed and/or elected officers and committee chairs may
include as deemed necessary:
Fundraising Chair
Social Chair
Active District Officer(s)
Historian
Public Relations Officer
Athletic Chair
In addition, the pledge class shall maintain the following elected officers (if
deemed necessary by pledge educator and/or membership director):
President
Vice President
Secretary
Social Chair
Treasurer
Historian
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B. A member must have at least a 2.0 grade point ratio and must satisfy all grade point
requirements by the current Texas A&M University Regulations, to become an
officer (pledge or active) in the chapter. To be eligible for an Executive office, a
member must have completed one pledge semester and one active semester. A
member must have completed one pledge semester in order to hold any other chapter
office.
ARTICLE III
DUTIES OF OFFICERS
Section 1
The President shall:
Preside at all meetings, represent the chapter in sorority related functions, and be
aware of all committee and officer business. They will also enforce observance of
national and local constitutions and by-laws, appoint committees and serve as exofficio member of such committees, appoint committees not otherwise provided
for, see that advisors are kept informed, chair the Executive Board, oversee the
coordination of all functions, make the weekly agenda for each meeting, attend
75% of all the active projects, and perform other duties as the office may require.
Section 2
The Vice President shall:
Preside at chapter meetings in the absence of the local president, be at the head of
the chapter Standards Board, maintain the local constitution by proposing
amendments as necessary and presiding over a vote to ratify amendments,
conduct officer elections each spring as Head of Standards Board, and keep
accurate records of members’ statuses.
Section 3
The Service Directors:
There shall be two service directors who will be responsible for maintaining an
accurate record of all actives’ participation in service projects. It is their
responsibility to present to the active chapter for voting at the beginning of each
semester service project ideas for each of the six primary projects. They shall
oversee the service function for the chapter by coordinating all service projects
and managing service project committees. They will be Chairmen of the Service
Committee, should they wish to have one, and perform other duties as the office
may require.
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Section 4
The Membership Director shall:
Be responsible for recruitment of potential members. She is in charge of the
details and scheduling of rush at the beginning of each semester, which includes
but is not limited to choosing a theme, submitting the Budget Request Form to
nationals, choosing an appropriate service project and social, and coordinating
interview time slots. Throughout the semester, she shall keep track of service
project attendance and paid dues of pledges. She shall forward the permanent
home addresses and the Pledge Roster to the appropriate national officer. She
must submit copies of the original national test answer sheets, the pledge
summary forms, and the final pledge roster to the national membership director
two weeks prior to the activation ceremony. She will be the Chair of the Rush
committee (if one is deemed necessary), attend at least 75% of Pledge activities,
and perform other duties that the office may require.
Section 5
The Pledge Educator shall:
Be responsible for training pledges accepted through the recruitment process in the history and
ideals of Omega Phi Alpha. She shall submit a copy of the local pledging rules to the national
membership director at the end of each academic year for review. Throughout the semester, she
shall keep track of service project attendance and paid dues of pledges. She must report the
activities of the pledge class to the active chapter as needed. She will preside over mid-semester
and final pledge check. She shall have charge of the election of pledge class officers and pledge
tests and quizzes. She cannot activate the eligible pledges until she receives written confirmation
from the national membership director. She will attend at least 75% of Pledge activities, and
perform other duties that the office may require.
Section 6
The Treasurer shall:
Be responsible for any financial concerns, reimbursement information, the intake
of dues, fees and fines, and budget concerns. She shall forward any payments of
money due to nationals and any required forms. She will keep an accurate record
of all money received, make all payments of the chapter (counter-signed by an
advisor), and perform other duties as the office may require.
Section 7
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The Alumnae Liaison shall:
Be responsible for maintaining Delta chapter alumnae relations, shall coordinate
and plan Senior Ceremony every semester, shall prepare a bi-annual newsletter
for alumnae, and plan at least one alumnae and active event for the school year.
Section 8
The Duties of the Secretary shall be:
Be responsible for the taking and preparing of the local chapter minutes, shall
keep an accurate record of attendance for meetings and functions, and shall
maintain an accurate record of addresses for actives. Be responsible for sending
get-well cards, birthday cards, etc. to members. She will send out monthly
newsletters via email to keep alumnae informed about local events, keep an
updates and accurate record of alumna addresses, phone numbers, and email
addresses, and perform any other duties as the office may require. She will be in
charge of any correspondence with other chapters, make an active roster each
semester, send out monthly chapter reports, and perform other duties as the office
may require.
Section 9
The Fundraising Chairman shall:
Handle and organize all fundraising activities, collect all monies received and
transfer them to the treasurer. The fundraising chair shall head the fundraising
committee and will also correspond with the chapter about money made from
each fundraising event.
Section 10
The Social Chairman shall:
Organize chapter social function, be responsible for food and accommodations,
organize Activation with aid from the Membership Director, head the Social
committee, and perform other duties as the office may require.
Section 11
The Public Relations Officer shall:
Be responsible for designing and ordering all Omega Phi Alpha Delta Chapter
paraphernalia, managing rose shop orders, and coordinating with the treasurer to collect money
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to pay for said paraphernalia. This officer is chosen during spring officer elections and serves as
the Head of the Public Relations committee, should one be necessary.
Section 12
The Active District Officer(s) shall:
Be responsible for communicating with Active District Officers from of their
chapters within District 5 to plan and execute the annual District 5 Rally. Should
District Rally take place in College Station, TX, the ADOs will be responsible for
arranging meeting space, determining what workshops will be presented, securing
workshop presenters, determining an appropriate location and budget with the aid
of the Treasurer, providing timely communication to the other chapters in district
5 regarding all actives, and communicating with both the Traveling Leadership
Consultant and the Director of Alumnae Activities. This officer is chosen by the
Executive Board via an application process and each year is it up to the discretion
of the Executive Board whether or not to have this officer.
Section 13
The Historian shall:
Maintain a scrapbook containing photographs and newspaper clippings pertaining
to chapter activities. She will also be responsible for taking pictures or having
pictures taken at major activities. The historian will also be responsible for
preparing an annual scrapbook that will be submitted to the annual scrapbook
competition at convention every year, shall preserve Delta Chapter history and
memorabilia, and shall research and compile chapter history. This officer is
chosen by the Executive Board via an application process and each year it is up to
the discretion of the Executive Board whether or not to have this officer.
Section 14
Athletic Chair(s) shall:
Be responsible for organizing all of the chapter’s athletic events, specifically the
annual Ol’ Ags Powder Puff Tournament. The Athletic Chair(s) shall be the
Powder Puff Team Captain, encourage sisters to participate in Powder Puff, will
be the liaison between OPA’s assigned Ol’Ags Coaches and the sisters on the
Powder Puff team, and shall organize and set up Flag Football Intramurals. This
officer is chosen by the Executive Board via an application process and each year
it is up to the discretion of the Executive Board whether or not to have this
officer.
ARTICLE IV
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COMMITTEES
Section 1
The Executive Committee shall:
Adopt a yearly program at the beginning of the academic year which shall include
an outline of the duties of chapter committees, analyze the past projects of the
chapter, weigh their value and determine the advisability of repetition of these
projects, analyze any particular problems of the chapter pertaining to the program
of administration and plan for their solution, serve as Finance Committee of the
chapter, set up and operate the chapter budget, at regular intervals check the
programs and projects of the chapter.
Section 2
The Standards Board shall:
A. Consist of the Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, Service Director and a
representative number (10%) of Active members who will be voted on
every semester.
B. Meet at least once a month.
C. Review all proposed legislation and work with the person proposing it,
review the constitution and propose any needed legislation, review and
propose any standing rules to be voted on, run officer elections by acting
as a nomination committee, meet with members who are not meeting
national or local requirements, and handle all membership status changes
that need approval by the board.
D. In the case that a sister does not attend her scheduled Standards Board
meeting, evaluate the reasons why the sister was asked to the meeting in
the first place and will then come to their own conclusions on what the
consequences should be, if any. Therefore, it is very important that the
sister attend her Standards Board meeting so that she has the chance to
justify/defend why she was unable to complete or abide by Omega Phi
Alpha Delta Chapter requirements.
ARTICLE V
ELECTIONS
Section 1
Elections shall be held near the end of each spring semester to fill the offices for the next
year. The Executive Committee and the Standards committee shall set the date of the
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election. Members may nominate themselves or other members who meet the
qualifications of the offices. Both actives and pledges may nominate from within the
actives that meet the qualifications of the office. All actives and only actives may vote,
including graduating seniors.
Section 2
Nominations shall be open for two weeks prior to the election and additional nominations
shall be open to the floor on the day of the said election.
Section 3
All elections shall be by ballot and voting by proxy shall not be permitted. Absentee
ballots will be accepted prior to the meeting at which the voting will take place; ballots
are to be obtained from the Standards Committee. Ballots or decision of votes are to be
directed to the Standards Committee.
Section 4
Nominations and voting shall follow the order listed in Article II, Section 1 of these ByLaws.
Section 5
The President shall appoint other officers as stated in the By-Laws and the chairmen of
standing committees as soon after election as possible. This shall be done with the advice
of the chapter officers and approved by the Executive Committee, or this may be done by
vote of members with a majority vote to win.
Section 6
The voting procedure shall be:
1. Petition to run must be turned in two weeks prior to voting day.
2. Petition will be reviewed by Standards Board to check qualifications.
3. Candidate slate will be offered (but not closed) by Standards Board
one week before vote.
4. Petitions will be compiled in a notebook and available for all members
to read one week before voting.
5. Nominations will still be accepted on day of voting.
6. Election will be run by Standards Board and ballots will be tallied by
the Standards board.
ARTICLE VI
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MEETINGS
Section 1
The chapter may adopt standing rules consistent with the By-Laws and Constitution at
any regular meeting where a quorum is present, by a majority vote. These shall only be
effective during this semester in which they are adopted.
Section 2
Pledges shall meet in accordance with National Pledge rules. They shall attend a
minimum of one active meeting during the semester.
ARTICE VII
FINANCE
Section 1
Each active member (as defined in Article III, Section 3) shall be required to pay local
active dues in the amount of $75 payable on or before the date set by the Executive
board.
Section 2
Each active (as defined by Article III, Section 3) and pledge member shall be required to
pay national dues in the amount of $50, as set at the national convention each year, and
shall be paid semi-annually on or before the date set by the national treasurer
Section 3
Each pledge member shall be required to pay local pledge dues in the amount of $75.
Pledge dues will be payable before the date set by the Executive Board
Section 4
Before activation, the prospective active member must pay a one-time Activation fee of
$50. This membership fee ensures life-long standing in Omega Phi Alpha.
Section 5
Any other fees may be voted on by the chapter throughout the semester as needed.
Section 6
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Fundraising projects shall be held annually by the chapter to help finance delegates going
to the national convention to be held each summer and to replenish the chapter treasury.
Section 7
As required by Texas A&M Student Activities, all monies belonging to this organization
shall be deposited and disbursed through a bank account established for this organization
at the Student Organization Finance Center and/or the Fiscal Office. All funds must be
deposited within 24 hours after collection. The advisor to this organization must approve
and sign for each expenditure before payment.
ARTICLE VIII
Advisor Expectations
Section 1
He/she must be a Texas A&M University employee as defined by the Human Resources
Department and must advise at level consistent with the categorization of Omega Phi
Alpha. To advise an affiliated organization, you must be a full-time university employee
(faculty or staff) with the skills and/or training necessary to advise this organization.
Section 2
The advisor should meet with the officers of Omega Phi Alpha to discuss expectations for
roles and responsibilities. In order to stay connected with the organization, he or she
should regularly attend executive, as well as general meetings, and be available outside
those meetings for advice and consultation related to the operations of the organization.
Additionally, he or she should assist the organization in developing realistic goals for the
academic year. This will contribute to the educational and personal development of the
students involved.
Section 3
He/she should participate in event planning and attend events when possible or when
identified as necessary through the planning process.
Section 4
He/she will regularly receive statements from the SOFC and should be aware of the
organization’s financial status via review of these statements and approval of
expenditures.
Section 5
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He/she should ensure that the group and its officers know where University Student
Rules and guidelines are published, what the rules are, why they exist, and the
consequences for choosing to operate outside their parameters. You should be familiar
with the organization’s constitution and all other governing documents, so that you may
advise effectively.
ARTICLE IX
ALCOHOL POLICY
Section 1
Clause 1.
Omega Phi Alpha complies with all federal, state, local, and university
laws and regulations regarding the use, possession, and distribution of
alcohol and illegal drugs.
Clause 2.
There shall be no use, possession, or distribution of alcohol or illegal
drugs of any kind at an Omega Phi Alpha event. OPA members and
invited guests may not attend an OPA Event if they are under the
influence of alcohol or illegal drugs.
A. An OPA Event is defined as an event, project, meeting, or gathering
that has been officially coordinated, sponsored, or promoted by a
chapter, an active, alumna, pledge, or colonist as a part of sorority
activities.
B. An OPA Event is also defined as any outing, meeting, or gathering
that is discussed or planned 1) at another OPA project, meeting, or
gathering or 2) through official means of sorority communication,
including but not limited to sorority email, email lists, or social
media groups.
C. When an OPA Event ends, or an individual active, alumna, pledge,
or colonist leaves the event with the intent of not returning,
attendees are subject to federal, state, local, and university laws and
regulations.
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