question on bylaws
 

i know its kind of odd, but i was wondering if there is any standard/set guideline/rule on when bylaw revisions go into effect. i checked our bylaws and the only provision remotely close to this was when revisions had to be submitted to the province director.

i ask because earlier i got an email from our MEVP saying that I didnt make grades, which was news to me.
Aparently we changed the requirement when we did bylaw revisions.
my question arises because, at the beginning of the spring semester our GPA requirement was one thing, and we revised it in the middle of the semester, so theorhetically it shouldn't go into effect until the end of this semester to be fair, correct?

basically im mad because at the beginning of last semester i was aware of one standard, and i dont think its right for it to change halfway through, when classes are halfway over.

Lyrica,

Call your chapter adviser and ask her.

I *think* (not sure) that bylaw revisions go into effect immediately. It should be in Robert's Rules of Order. I was never good with all that procedure, but I believe I remember that just from this past Convention in Houston.

?????

Im pretty sure you are corect that they go into effect immediately. Id def call your chapter advisor and ask her to be sure. I was on bylaw review every year, but its been 2 years now so I cant remember for sure.

Lyrica, you should have been properly informed of all bylaw changes, especially one so substantial. If you were unable to make the meeting they were discussed in, you should have had to read the minutes. Either way, it would have been clear to you all changes made during revision. I would discuss the change with your advisor. As I'm sure, a hearing will take place, this can be discussed at this time as well. I'm not promising, I'm just saying that since this was a recent change (and maybe one that was not properly relayed to the members not on the review committee), then you might simply get a warning.

This won't be your 3 semester not making grades will it?? PM me...we'll talk.

Not only should the revised bylaws be read at a Chapter Business Meeting, the chapter must VOTE to APPROVE the proposed revisions.

As to when they go into effect - good question. Anyone have a COB handy?? (It's not yet school-year, so mine's at home, NOT in my car or at my side...)
;)

lyrica9, any news on what is going on?

well i searched and found that yes, bylaw changes are to go into effect as soon as they are approved by the province director, but many sisters, including some on exec, believe that the changes to the GPA requirement when there is only one month left in the semester is unfair, and that it shouldn't go into effect until fall's grades come back. but we'll see what happens, they're having an exec meeting this week. but even if all of exec decides they dont want it to go into effect, it wont matter, our advisors hold all the cards with every decision, unfortunately.

but here's to hoping!

oh and to everyone wondering about the approval of the bylaws... basically it happened at a meeting where everyone was ready to just leave, they rushed through it without reading it all, most people approved and ended the meeting.
very poorly done.

I don't think its fair to say the Advisor holds all the cards. :( She has rules to follow just like the Chapter does. And they all come from the same source: COB. It's not up to your Advisor to make a change to your bylaws or their effective date. (That would be contrary to the procedure outlined in the COB.)

The chapter wanted to leave a meeting so they rushed thru the revised bylaws, voted to approve something they didn't read or understand and now they don't think its fair. :mad:

The Chapter could have voted against the bylaws and there would be nothing the Advisor could do about it - until the next Revision. At which point the Chapter votes again.

See - you are not at the mercy of the big bad Advisor! ;)

There wasn't really any time to really ask questions.. the revised bylaws were just being read to us as quickly as possible, and by the end of the meeting, it was already very late, and people pretty much just wanted to approve whatever needed to be approved and motioned to adjourn the meeting :( (plus I don't know about everyone else, but I personally could not remember half of the revised bylaws that were read out loud, so at the end when we "approved" them it was a general thing.. they didn't ask for our approval for each and every change being made)

I think it would have been better if we had had printed copies in our hands so we could at least follow along what was being read to us and look it over, but unfortunately it wasn't really done that way. We were just listening to the revised bylaws that the exec board or whoever came up with.

You all should have asked more questions during the approval process if it is unclear. Certainly there were changes to your dues also that you would want clear information on and should be asking questions.

FYI - There is a bylaw revision committee that initiates proposed changes which are then reviewed by the executive board and then approved by the chapter and the Province director.

You may ask to be on the bylaw committee this year and ask that everyone in the chapter receive a copy of the bylaws and proposed revisison in writing before voting. Even an email copy would help to clear things up and make the process smoother.

Advisors don't run the chapter. Sometimes we are blamed for things that collegians don't want the responsibility for. Sometimes it is just easier to blame the advisors or the PD for unpopular decisions.

Scholarship is important and putting together a scholarship plan will make it much easier for you to exceed the grade expectations of your chapter.

lyrica9 any update on this? I hope everything works out for you.

Our MEVP said they have to decide on it in exec.. and i dont know if that was discussed at this past week's exec meeting, or is on the agenda for a future meeting.... but its not looking good for me. all i want is a little diamond sis!:(

Okay, it's been a while since I was an active, but what exactly would happen to you? Would you be on academic probation with the chapter? And what does that usually imply? Can you still participate in FR, Initiation, Philanthropy? Can you just not take a little diamond?:confused:

It all depends on how many times she has not made grades....we pray this is the 1st time! :) :(

Yes, usually first time probation is kind of like a slap on the hand. At our chapter you fill out grade sheets every week on what you think you are getting in classes, you also meet with scholarship chair for mandatory study hours you must follow on probation and possibly a few other things. Also usually if its first time, they will let you take a diamond, but it is up to the NMC and exec to allow you.

Second time is more strict, you need your teachers to sign off what you actually are getting in their classes each week, more study hours I think, and other more strict things. I know more about the first than the other probations.

Third time is bad. Chapter can vote or discuss getting rid of you and you not being an ADPi anymore. You go in and can bring witnesses to help you plead your case, but a lot of times, its bad. When I was in one girl from my pledge class I was very close to and anotehr girl I knew both were on 3rd time probation and were asked to leave ADPi. It was very sad, but their grades werent close to making grades.

A lot of times if you had a bad semester due to family problems, health problems, or something that hurt you getting good grades, you need to plead that and the reasons even bring in doctors reports or witnesses and they take that into consideration and may just give you a less probation. Really though its all up to exec board on what they can do. They can decide to give you a less probation because you plead your case well or they could decide to make it worse cause your grades were horrible or something else.

The CHAPTER voted on that??? :eek:

No No No No-- Exec votes!! After a formal standards hearing-- but Shannan is correct on the fact that not many of our members have made it through the vote if they were on third time. A best friend and roommate that I went through rush with was a legacy and did not even make it!

ETA: I am not going to lie-- I was on probabtion twice (my first 2 semesters)! It all depends on your GPA in relation to the chapter GPA requirement. My first time I was able to take a Diamond sister since I had a 2.65 out of the then GPA requirement of 2.75...but could not hold an office. The second time I had a 2.66 and was required to give up one of three fall activities (Flag, Football, Socials, or Songfest-- I chose Socials)....the girl who was the legacy I mentioned above had the same thing except she could pick only one of the 3 activities.

Sooooo after my 2nd time I turned my GPA around from a 2.66 to a 3.7!! I studied my butt off-- ADPi meant (means) way to much to me!!

I like that we are given a chance to "redeem" ourselves ... because everyone has a crummy semester or two. (I had 2 in a row, but I def. made sure I made grades the third time around!!!)

Here's a question that maybe someone might know the answer to:

When it comes to summer school, how do summer school grades factor in?

If for example, let's pretend I didn't make grades Spring Semester, but I took one or two classes throughout the summer to bring my GPA up.. would those summer classes count? Or would they only count if I took a certain number of hours (I believe at my school a full time summer school student takes 9 hrs per summer session) My chapter has is set up that the grades only count if you take so many hours... I think they set the number to 12.. and IMHO that's a HUGE courseload to take during the summer b/c of the extremely fast pace.

Our summer grades did not count whatsoever!

according to the new bylaws they will consider 12 hours in the summer...but im trying to fight that too, because the university considers 8 hours in the summer as full time, so i think adpi should as well.

and its my second semester not making grades.... ugh. which means no social privleges..... no little diamond.
i was kind of pissed when i found out that you're allowed to have a diamond if its your first semester not making grades, because here they dont let you if you didnt make grades at all. this semester they're going so far as to force girls who dont want one to have one if they made grades. which is just as unfortunate as people who want one not getting one because of grades.

katie - I pm'ed you :)