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BY-LAWS

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(Revision June, 2001)

ARTICLE I. NATIONAL SOCIETY

SECTION 1. The National Society shall consist of the National Council, honorary members, chapter advisors, alumni, and active members.

SECTION 2. The legislative and fiduciary responsibility of the Society shall be vested in the National Council.

SECTION 3. Enactments of the National Council shall be classified as statutes if they are of a permanent character, and as resolutions if they are of a temporary character.

SECTION 4. A National Headquarters shall be maintained to execute the administrative and clerical responsibilities as designed by the National Council. An Executive Director and other staff shall be employed as necessary to function under the direction of the National Council.

SECTION 5. The National Society shall conduct all activities without discrimination on the basis of race, gender, age, religion, national origin or disability.

ARTICLE II. NATIONAL COUNCIL

SECTION 1. The National Council shall be composed of the National Officers, four Professional and three Student Members selected at large, and the National Editor.

SECTION 2. The National Officers of the Society shall be the President, a Vice President for Finance and Long Range Planning, and a Vice President for Chapter Relations and Expansion and a President-Elect during the last year of the incumbent President's term. If the President-Elect is a current member of the National Council, with a year of more remaining in that member's term, the President-Elect may choose to serve in the dual role for that year or resign the National Council position at the beginning of the year of service as the President-Elect. These officers will comprise the Executive Committee and are authorized to meet, interpret policy and make decisions as necessary in the interim period between Annual Meetings.

SECTION 3. At each annual Council meeting, the National President shall appoint a Nominations and By-laws Committee from members of the National Council. The Committee shall present nominations for officers for vote at the following Council meeting. The Committee shall present nominations for Professional Members-at-Large at the following Council meeting. In January of the year following the Council meeting, the committee shall select a Student Member-at-Large nominee. The name of the nominee for the Professional Member-at-Large and the nominee for the Student Member-at-Large shall be placed on a mail ballot to be sent to the chapters on or before February 1st. Each chapter shall have one vote for each position. Each chapter shall determine its voting procedure. Chapters not returning ballots shall be considered to have cast a positive vote for the proposed nominees.

SECTION 4. Officers shall be elected by the National Council for a three-year term, with the exception of President-Elect who shall serve for one year only, and shall hold office until their successors are duly installed. Re-election of officers is permissible. Officers must have served on the National Council. Retiring officers shall deliver to their successors all books, records, papers and other property of the Society.

SECTION 5. Professional Members-at-Large shall be elected by mail ballot to all chapters for a three-year term and shall hold office until their successors are duly installed. They shall be selected from current or former chapter advisors or former Student Members-at-Large who are employed full time in higher education. Professional Members-at-Large are eligible for re-election after an interim of three years. They may, however, be elected at any time as officers. Retiring Members-at-Large shall deliver to their successors all books, records, papers and other property of the Society.

SECTION 6. Student Members-at-Large shall be undergraduate students elected by a mail ballot to all chapters during their year of active membership in Alpha Lambda Delta to serve a two and one-half year term and attend three National Council meetings. The Student Member-at-Large must be enrolled in school during the term of office.

SECTION 7. The National Council shall fill all vacancies occurring in its membership, regardless of method of election, between the years designated for election of officers and Members-at-Large. Upon completion of a partial term, a Professional Member-at-Large shall be eligible immediately for election to a full term.

SECTION 8. The annual election rotation schedule of National Council members shall be as follows:

a. President, two Professional Members-at-Large and one Student Member-at-Large.
b. Vice President for Chapter Relations and Expansion, one Professional Member-at-Large, and one Student Member-at-Large.
c. Vice President for Finance and Long Range Planning, one Professional Member-at-Large, and one Student Member-at-Large, President-Elect, if incumbent President is completing tenure.

SECTION 9. The National Council shall meet annually for the transaction of business, the time and place to be determined by the National Officers. No policy decisions, nor Constitutional changes, shall be made at other than the annual meeting. The President may call a special meeting to discuss certain specific announced items. A simple majority of Council members must be present.

SECTION 10. A written vote of the Council may be taken, without meeting on any question submitted to the Council by the President.

SECTION 11. The National Council shall have the power to discipline chapters. Such action shall be taken upon the recommendation of a member of the National Council. This power shall include placing a chapter on probation, rendering a chapter inactive, and revoking the charter and recovering any property of the Society.

SECTION 12. The National Council shall determine the detailed specifications of the coat-of-arms and other insignia of the Society, and contract for the manufacture of the same. It shall also make and enforce regulations concerning the manufacture, the sale, and the distribution of the insignia of the Society.

SECTION 13. The National Council shall have control of the financial affairs of the Society and shall provide for the collection and distribution of revenue.

ARTICLE III. DUTIES OF THE MEMBERS OF THE NATIONAL COUNCIL

SECTION 1. The NATIONAL PRESIDENT shall be the official head of the Society; shall call and chair the meetings of the National Council and Executive Committee meetings as deemed necessary; shall sign and issue all charters, certificates of membership, and official documents of the Society; shall submit to the National Council such recommendations as seem beneficial to the Society; and shall appoint committee chairs and members as prescribed in Article IV of these By-Laws.

SECTION 2. The NATIONAL VICE PRESIDENT FOR FINANCE AND LONG RANGE PLANNING shall perform the duties of the National President in the absence of the National President, if senior to the Vice President of Chapter Relations and Expansion; shall work with the National President and the Executive Director in reviewing society finances and recommending budget proposals for National Council action at the Annual Meeting; shall examine the Society's long-term financial position and recommend methods for improvement; shall chair the Finance/Budget Committee and involve National Council members in the planning process.

SECTION 3. The NATIONAL VICE PRESIDENT FOR CHAPTER RELATIONS AND EXPANSION shall perform the duties of the National President in the absence of the National President, if senior to the Vice President for Finance and Long Range Planning; shall oversee meritorious service and other Society awards; shall chair either Chapter Relations or the Expansion Committee; shall keep the National Council informed about expansion work and shall sign all charters.

SECTION 4. MEMBERS-AT-LARGE shall participate fully in National Council meetings; shall serve on and/or chair committees as appointed by the President; shall interact with individual chapters and advisors as requested; shall represent the Society at installations, workshops, and other special events and shall serve in any other capacity useful to the Society.

SECTION 5. The PRESIDENT-ELECT shall participate fully in National Council meetings; shall serve on and/or chair committees as appointed by the President; shall represent the society and serve in any capacity as assigned by the President.

SECTION 6. The NATIONAL EDITOR shall be appointed for a three year term by the incoming President with the confirmation of the National Council. The National Editor shall serve as Editor of The Flame, the official publication of the Society; shall participate fully in the National Council meetings; shall maintain communication with the editors of local chapters and shall serve in any other capacity useful to the Society.

SECTION 7. Each member of the National Council shall submit a report with recommendations
at each annual meeting of the National Council.

ARTICLE IV. COMMITTEES

SECTION 1.The Standing Committees of the Society shall be:
a. Administration Committee (6 members) President, the two Vice Presidents and three senior Council Members-at-Large
b. Chapter Relations
c. Executive Committee
d. Expansion
e. Fellowship
f. Finance/Budget
g. Nominations and By-Laws
h. Order of the Torch (4 members) one of whom serves as chair chosen from National Council members, current and former National Council members and/or current and former Chapter Advisors.
i. Publications
j. Personnel. Executive Committee and a senior Member-at-Large selected at the annual meeting by the current Members-at-Large and the Editor.

SECTION 2. With the exception of the two Vice Presidents, all the Committee Chairs and members are appointed by the President.

SECTION 3. AD HOC COMMITTEES will be appointed by the President as needed.

SECTION 4. All Committees must be chaired by Council members but committee members may be appointed from outside the Council from former Council members and current and former Chapter Advisors of Alpha Lambda Delta chapters at colleges and universities.

ARTICLE V. EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

SECTION 1. An EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR shall be appointed by the National Council and shall attend all National Council meetings.

SECTION 2. The EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR shall establish and maintain a national headquarters office where all monies due or donated to the National Society will be received and held, and all bills of the Society shall be processed and paid with dispatch. He or she shall furnish annually to the National Council a complete statement of the finances of the organization; a C.P.A. audited account of the receipts and disbursements; and annual budget developed along with the President and Vice President for Finance and Long Range Planning for approval by the Council. The Executive Director shall sign all membership certificates, and shall supervise the accurate accounting of all members, mailing of initiates' jewelry, ordering of insignia, distribution of The Flame and handling of other Society documents and materials. The Executive Director shall uphold the provisions of the Constitution, By-Laws and Statutes of the Society.

SECTION 3. The EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR shall have a prominent role in chapter relations and expansion for the Society through chapter campus visits and campus expansion visits; and shall recommend annually the chapters, advisors, and chapter presidents worthy of recognition and methods for recognition.

SECTION 4. The EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR shall make arrangements for National Council meetings and provide for the recording and distribution of Council minutes.

SECTION 5. The EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR shall perform such other duties as assigned by the National Council.

ARTICLE VI. ARCHIVIST

SECTION 1. The ARCHIVIST shall be appointed for a three year term by the incoming President with the confirmation of the National Council.

SECTION 2. The ARCHIVIST shall assemble, organize and maintain records in the library of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

ARTICLE VII. HISTORIAN

SECTION 1. The HISTORIAN shall be appointed for a three year term by the incoming President with the confirmation of the National Council.

SECTION 2. The HISTORIAN researches, summarizes and narrates the history of the Society.

SECTION 3. The HISTORIAN shall attend the National Council annual meeting as an ex-officio member every third year in the final year of a President's term.

ARTICLE VIII. ELIGIBILITY FOR MEMBERSHIP IN THE SOCIETY

SECTION 1. Membership in the Society shall be based upon superior academic achievement by students during their first year in college. (Only credit hours that count toward a bachelor's degree can be used to determine Alpha Lambda Delta eligibility. Advanced placement and other credits earned prior to high school graduation, however, are not counted in determining Alpha Lambda Delta eligibility.)

SECTION 2. The student must be registered in a course of study leading to a bachelor's degree for an amount of work equal to an average full load (usually 12 to 15 hours). Questions regarding eligibility arising from exceptional circumstances affecting an individual student must be referred to the National Headquarters for a decision.

SECTION 3. The minimum academic average required for membership is a grade exactly half-way between grades A and B, or the equivalent thereof, and is not subject to reduction by an individual chapter. (For example, 2.5 when A = 3, or 3.5 when A = 4, or 4.5 when A = 5, B = 4. The decimal should be a .5 or above, and not a .49. Other variations in grading systems shall be approved by the National Council.) In addition, the student must rank in the top 20% of his/her class. A chapter may petition to the National Council to raise the minimum academic average required for membership in their chapter. The students shall have no Incompletes or Failures even if the institution allows "F" grades to be expunged from the record. The inclusion of grades and credits earned by examination during the student's first year of enrollment will be determined by institutional policy.

SECTION 4. Academic eligibility shall be obtained on the grades of one full curricular period, i.e., semester, trimester, quarter, or term. Thereafter, the cumulative average of the total hours earned must be considered. Eligibility is limited to the first year of enrollment. Initiation must occur no later than the school year following the student's initial eligibility.

a. summer school session equivalent to a full curricular period may be used to meet the academic requirement.
b. Any courses taken during a summer session prior to the completion of the first year shall be part of the cumulative grade point average.

SECTION 5. Transfer students may be eligible for membership provided that they meet the requirements as stated below.

a. Transfer students who attained eligibility for membership in an institution in which there is a chapter of this Society may be initiated during their first year of residence upon certification by their previous institutions.
b. Freshman transfer students from institutions that do not have an Alpha Lambda Delta chapter, to be eligible for membership must have the required Alpha Lambda Delta grade point average on the courses taken during the first full curricular period in the institutions to which they transfer. In addition, the cumulative average of the grades student's transfer credits combined with the grades in the institution in which the student is currently enrolled must equal the Alpha Lambda Delta academic grade requirement.

SECTION 6. Questions of interpretation or adjustments pertaining to eligibility should be referred to the National Headquarters.

SECTION 7. A member shall remain active for no less than one academic year. Offices will be held by sophomore members, with the exception of the Junior and/or Senior Advisor(s).

ARTICLE IX. HONORARY MEMBERS

SECTION 1. Faculty members or administrative staff may be elected to honorary membership by a local chapter with the approval of the Chapter's Advisors. Any exception must be approved by the Executive Director in consultation with the National President.

SECTION 2. The National Council may elect to honorary membership individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the field of education.

ARTICLE X. INITIATION

SECTION 1. The chapter may hold an initiation for students, currently enrolled on the main campus or in its centers or branches, who have met the membership requirements, provided the chapter:

a. has submitted a list of names to the Executive Director for inclusion on the National Roll.
b. has forwarded national membership fees to the Executive Director.
c. has received from the Executive Director the official Authorization to Initiate, which means that the names have been entered on the National Roll and membership fees received.

SECTION 2. Honorary members may be initiated by the chapter in accordance with the procedures prescribed in Section 1 of this Article. No National membership shall be charged for an honorary member.

SECTION 3. If candidates for initiation, either at main campuses or branches, are unable for reasons approved by the Chapter Advisors to be initiated with the class, they may be initiated by the chapter officers in the presence of a Chapter Advisor.

ARTICLE XI. ACTIVE CHAPTERS

SECTION 1. Active chapters may be chartered and established in regularly incorporated not-for-profit colleges and universities as provided in the By-Laws in Article XI.

SECTION 2. Active chapters shall have the power to adopt By-Laws for local government and for regulation and control of their revenues and expenses, provided these By-Laws do not conflict with the Constitution, By-Laws, or enactments of the National Society.

SECTION 3. The Chapter officers shall be the President, Treasurer, and such other officers (e.g., Vice President, Secretary, Editor, Historian, Senior and/or Junior Advisor) as may be desired. The duties of these officers shall be those described by ROBERTS RULES OF ORDER.

SECTION 4. A Senior and/or Junior Advisor for each chapter may be elected annually from upperclass members by a majority vote of the chapter.

SECTION 5. There shall be an Administrative Advisor and a Faculty Advisor for each chapter. If not already members, these Chapter Advisors shall be initiated as honorary members.

SECTION 6. Initiation shall be held in the form and the manner prescribed by the Ritual.

SECTION 7. Active chapters shall maintain records and make annual reports to the National Council as prescribed by statute or resolution. Any statute or resolution may provide, as a penalty for non-compliance with the provisions, the forfeiture of the charter of the delinquent chapter at the order of the National Council.

SECTION 8. A chapter may be declared inactive by the National Council if it fails for three successive years to initiate six student members per academic year.

SECTION 9. In the event a chapter has fewer than six members in any one year, the Administrative Advisor or Faculty Advisor and Chapter President shall be notified by the Executive Director that, if it fails for three successive years to meet membership requirements, it may be declared inactive. A chapter that has been declared inactive by the National Council may apply for re-activation when six or more eligible students re-organize the chapter and a college or university officer plus a designated advisor submit such a formal application to the Expansion Committee of the National Council. Upon re-activation, the chapter will be re-issued a charter, insignia cloth, and chapter book.

ARTICLE XII. ESTABLISHMENT OF NEW CHAPTERS

SECTION 1. Prior to formal petitioning for a chapter of Alpha Lambda Delta, the following requirements must be met by the petitioning institution:

a. The institution must be a 4-year institution and currently accredited by regional accrediting association. Four year branch campuses which award baccalaureate degrees may covered the blanket accreditation awarded parent institution.
b. A local freshman honor society must be established.
c. The local society shall have met the membership requirements of Alpha Lambda Delta and shall have at least fifteen members.
d. A report providing information regarding the institution and the local society as specified by the National Council shall be filed by an appropriate administrator with the Executive Director.

SECTION 2. After complying with requirements listed in Section 1, an institution may file a petition for membership with the National Council through the Executive Director and pay a $50 chartering fee. The petition shall be reviewed promptly by the Expansion Committee. Chapters will be immediately notified of the Council action taken.

SECTION 3. Chapters shall be installed under the direction of the National Council.

SECTION 4. A charter, insignia cloth, and a chapter book shall be presented to the chapter at the installation services.

ARTICLE XIII. REVENUES

The revenues of the National Society shall come from sources described in Statute I - Revenues, Section 2 and 3. The Perpetual Fellowship Fund shall be under the control of the National Council.
In the event the National Society should become defunct, its funds shall be used for educational purposes.

ARTICLE XIV. AMENDMENTS

SECTION 1. Amendments to these By-Laws may be proposed by a member of the National Council and adopted by two-thirds affirmative vote of the Council. Notice of any change in By-Laws shall be sent to all chapters by the EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR.

SECTION 2. Amendments to these By-Laws may be proposed to the National Council by petitions from one-fifth of the active chapters. For acceptance, these amendments must be passed by a two-thirds vote of the National Council.
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