Order of Omega – Omicron Eta Chapter
George Mason University
Constitution and By-Laws
Preamble
We, Greek leaders of George Mason University, comprised of representatives
from all chief governing bodies within the Greek Community, recognizing a need for
continued leadership, scholarship, action in programming, increased communication and
cohesion among the members of the Greek Community, do hereby establish such an
organization and bind ourselves to abide by the provisions of the following Constitution
and bylaws.
Article I
Naming of the Organization
The name of this organization shall be the Omega Epsilon Chapter of Order of
Omega at George Mason University hereby referred to in the document and may be
referred to otherwise as OoO.
Article II
Purpose
The purpose of OoO is to:
o Recognize those students who have attained a high standard of leadership in interGreek activities, to encourage them to continue along this line, and to inspire
others to strive for similar conspicuous attainment.
o Recognize those students who have attained a high standard of scholarship, to
encourage them to continue alone this line, and to inspire others to strive for a
similar conspicuous attainment.
o Bring together the most representative fraternity and sorority members, and to
create an organization which will help mold the sentiment of the institution on
questions of local and intercollegiate affairs.
o Bring together members of the faculty, alumni, and student members of the
institution's fraternities and sororities on a basis of mutual interest, understanding,
and cooperation.
o Facilitate cooperative activities and functions that cater to and are appealing for all
governing bodies within our Greek Community. Encourage cooperation and
harmony among all Greek Members through the cross council interactions and
programming.
o Raise awareness about issues facing the Greek Community.
Article III
Membership
Section 1
o The Director of Recruitment shall have the responsibility of coordinating a
recruitment event once per semester corresponding with their term of office.
Section 2
o Only Greek students registered at George Mason University and who are in good
standing with their Greek organization may be in the Order of Omega.
o The scholastic membership requirement for entry into this chapter shall be a college
cumulative GPA of at least a 3.0.
o The leadership requirement for entry into this chapter shall be to have held or
currently hold two Greek leadership positions.
o All applicants must have completed 60 credit hours at an accredited college or
university by the end of the semester they are initiated.
Section 3
o Membership will not exceed 3% of the campus Greek community
Section 4
o Membership will be offered, based on availability, to those who meet the GPA and
leadership requirements.
o Those meeting qualifications may be invited to interview for membership based on
the wishes of the Director of Membership and Executive Board.
Section 5
o The interviewing panel shall consist of at least two members of the Executive
Board, the Director of Membership, and the Chapter Advisor (when possible).
Section 6
o The following point system will be used when evaluating applications:
Personal Statement/Recommendation:
Is the person's application neat and concise? 1-5 points
Did the person answer application questions intelligently? 1-5 points
Are the answers interesting? 1-5 points
Grade Point Average
3.9-4.0 - 10 points
3.8-3.89 - 9 points
3.7-3.79 - 8 points
3.6-3.69 - 7 points
3.5-3.59 - 6 points
3.4-3.49 - 5 points
3.3-3.39 - 4 points
3.2-3.29 - 3 points
3.1-3.19 - 2 points
3.0-3.09 - 1 point
Leadership Offices Held
Executive board position on NPC, IFC, NPHC, MGC - 5 points/position
Executive board position in chapter - 4 points/position
Appointed position or committee chairperson in NPC, IFC, NPHC, MGC - 3
points/position
Appointed position or committee chairperson in chapter – 3 points/position
Other campus leadership positions – 1-5 points/position to be determined
by application committee
Involvement on campus 1-5 points
Honors and awards 1-5 points/award determined by the application committee)
Interview Points (Optional)
Punctuality and Appearance: 1-5 points
Enthusiasm and willingness to commit to Order of Omega requirements: 1-5 points
Does the person seem genuinely interested in Order of Omega? 1-5 points
Is he or she willing to attend meetings and functions? 1-5 points
Article IV
Attendance
Section 1
o To be considered in good standing, members will adhere to the attendance policy
set forth by the chapter.
Section 2
o 2/3 of the chapter will be considered quorum, and quorum must be met in order to
vote.
Section 3
o All members must attend 75% of all regularly scheduled meetings each semester.
The only acceptable excuses for meetings are documented illnesses, direct class
conflict, chapter rituals and unavoidable family commitments.
o Members should turn in a copy of their class schedule from Patriot Web to the
Secretary at the first meeting of each semester.
Section 4
o Other mandatory meetings include: Initiation and either one Philanthropic event or
one Recruitment event.
Section 5
o New members must attend the first chapter meeting after membership selection or
they forfeit their membership. He/she may apply for membership again the
following semester.
Section 6
o A member who is unable to attend meetings or other events must submit a written
excuse to the Secretary 48 hours in advance.
o Failure to submit an excuse 48 hours in advance will result in an automatic
unexcused absence (except in cases of emergency).
o Submission does not result in an automatic excusal of a meeting or event.
Section 7
o In the event that a member falls below the 75% threshold without written
documentation of legitimate excuses, they will be notified in writing by the
Secretary of the chapter that their membership is considered in poor standing and
is under review. At that time, they will have the opportunity to write a letter to the
Executive Council stating their case. The Executive Council shall make the
decision whether to extend or terminate membership.
o Once a member is terminated, he/she may not go through the membership process
again. A member is extended only one inactive semester. If a member is inactive
for more than one semester, his/her membership is automatically terminated.
Section 8
o Members in poor standing lose their voice to vote and are not considered part of
quorum.
Section 9
o An officer who has one unexcused absence from the Executive Council meetings or
chapter meetings will be placed under membership review and forfeit his/her
office.
Article V
Meetings
Section 1
o Meetings shall be called to order twice a month during the academic year.
Section 2
o Each meeting counts as 2 points. One point will be given for attending the formal
portion of the meeting, and one point will be given for attending the informal
portion of the meeting in which all chapter members meet with Directors to
collaborate on future events and goals of the chapter.
Section 3
o The formal portion of the meeting will be guided by Robert’s Rule of Order.
Section 4
o All semester meetings should be scheduled and reserved through Events
Management two weeks in advance, but the President reserves the right to
schedule special meetings one week in advance
Article VI
Dues
Section 1
o To be recognized as a member in good standing, the member in question must be
current in all financial obligations due to the chapter.
Section 2
o Dues for Initiation will total $75 dollars and are due before initiation. The $75 will
cover their national fees as well as graduation cords.
Section 3
o The chapter dues will total $10 a semester for each member of Order of Omega.
New members will be expected to begin paying dues the semester following their
initiation
Article VII
Officer Qualifications and terms
Section 1
o Officers and directors of the organization shall serve for a period of one calendar
year.
Section 2
o Officers shall be elected at the end of each Spring semester. For a candidate to seek
office they must be in good standing with the local chapter, and receive the
majority of the votes cast with at least quorum present.
o Directors will be appointed by the Executive Board, but members are encouraged
and preference will be given to those who express Interest In certain positions to
the board in writing.
Section 3
o Every officer shall be properly installed at the earliest convenience of the chapter,
preferably early enough that the new board will be able to preside over one
meeting before the end of the semester.
Section 4
o Each executive board member will be required to meet with the rest of the board
outside of chapter meetings as frequently as the board decides.
Section 5
o All officers and directors shall be in scholastic and financial good standing. All
financial obligations shall be paid in full and he/she must have a cumulative GPA
equal to or above a 3.0.
Section 6
o Should a vacancy occur, excluding that of the presidency, it should be filled by
election at the next meeting following the announcement of the vacancy.
Section 7
o An officer can be withdrawn from their position with 3⁄4 votes from the Executive
Board.
Article VIII
Election Procedures
Section 1
o Members may nominate an eligible member from the floor who will then accept or
decline the nomination. The Secretary will note all candidates for each position in
the minutes.
Section 2
o Officers are elected by secret ballot with quorum members present at the meeting
following nominations. Nominees are welcome to present a 2-3 minute speech as
to why they feel they would be best for the position.
Section 3
o Officer transition will occur before the start of their term. Outgoing officers and
directors will meet with incoming officers and directors to confer individually.
Section 4
o Goal setting will occur at the beginning of each semester. All new officers and
directors will meet to set goals and plan the semester calendar.
Section 5
o It will be the responsibility of the outgoing President to see that this procedure is
strictly followed and that all officers and directors are present.
Section 6.
o It will be the responsibility of the new President to schedule and finish up any
officer transition hat has not been completed by a new officer's predecessor.
Article IX
Officers and responsibilities
Section 1 - President
o Preside over all general and executive board meetings.
o Has the authority to call executive council and any additional meetings as he/she
deems necessary.
o Maintains a complete and up-to-date president's file, which shall include a copy of
the constitution and by-laws, minutes, and materials received from the National
Order of Omega.
o Responsible for keeping the chapter in good standing with the National chapter of
the Order of Omega and George Mason University.
o Responsible for scheduling transitions with the incoming executive council.
o Serve as a liaison between other councils.
o Will serve on the application review committee.
o Will attend president’s council meetings.
o Serves as a representative on all committees related to Greek life, or appoint a
representative to attend in his or her place.
o Meets with the advisor regularly.
Section 2 - Vice President of Membership
o Shall preside over meetings in the event that the president is absent or unable to
attend.
o Responsible for the coordination of any and all membership drives.
o Distributes applications and preside over membership meetings of the organization.
o In charge of the initiation of new members and the keeping of ritual and policy
intact.
o Responsible for keeping the National Chapter of the Order of Omega informed of
all membership changes through the national Web site.
o Responsible for any chapter-based scholarship
o Oversees member’s semester GPAs
o Will serve of the application review committee
Section 3 – Secretary
o Responsible for taking attendance at all meetings and events.
o Responsible for reviewing absences and excuses.
o He/she will take minutes at all chapter meetings and email the minutes out to the
chapter 48 hours following the meeting.
o Responsible for updating information on the Student Activities website for OoO.
o Responsible for maintaining the chapter roster and member contact information.
o Responsible for updating the constitution and bylaws when changes are voted upon.
Section4 - Treasurer
o Responsible for the collection of dues and the management of the chapter account.
o He/she shall be responsible for the prompt payment of any bills owed by the
chapter.
o The treasurer will be in charge of giving the annual fiscal report of the organization.
o In addition, the treasurer shall be held responsible for the coordination of
fundraising events
o Serve as signer on both off and on campus bank accounts.
o Work in conjunction with the President and the Advisor regarding the budgeting
process.
o Attend scheduled SGA allocation meetings every semester, and be certified through
Student Activities to apply for campus funds.
Section 5 - Directors
o Order of Omega members in good standing will be appointed by the Executive
Committee to serve as directors for the following activities:
1. Recruitment
2. Philanthropy
3. Membership
4. Campus Activities Liaison
o Duties of the Directors shall be assigned by the executive board members with
great input from general chapter members.
Section 8 - Advisor
o Shall be a staff member involved with Greek Life.
o Serve as a guide and resource for the organization.
Article X
Expulsion
Section 1
o The Executive Council shall determine if members are in good standing.
o If the Executive Council deems a member to be in poor standing, their membership
is up for review.
Section 2
o To be recognized as a member in good standing, the member in question must be
current in all financial obligations due to the chapter.
Section 3
o Members receiving a semester grade point average below a 2.8 will be determined
to be in poor standing.
Section 4
o Resignation or expulsion from a fraternal organization shall be subject to
termination of membership in The Order of Omega. Such expulsion shall be
subject to review by the Executive Council.
Section 5
o Members with conduct unbecoming may be brought before the Executive Council
and membership may be up for review
Section 6
o Members under review will be notified in writing by the Secretary of the chapter.
At that time, they will have the opportunity to write a letter to the Executive
Council stating their case. The Executive Council shall vote on whether to extend
or terminate membership. Once membership has been terminated, he/she may
not go through the application or membership process again.
Article IX
Amendments
Section 1
o Amendments to this document may be brought forth by any members of the chapter
in good standing at any time.
Section 2
o Any and all amendments to this document shall be made effective upon receiving
a2/3 vote from the votes cast by the members present.
Revised December 13th, 2009