Gamma Alpha
Chapter of Psi State (Georgia)
The Delta Kappa Gamma
Society International
GAMMA ALPHA CHAPTER
The Delta Kappa Gamma Society International
District III, Psi State, Clayton County
2015 – 2017 Biennium
The Delta Kappa Gamma Society International may be also known as the Society, Delta Kappa Gamma, DKG, or by the Greek letters. The official jewelry may be worn on a ribbon or other manner as desired. Gamma Alpha members are expected to wear Society jewelry in ways that demonstrate the respect and honor they have for the membership.
Standing Rules of Gamma Alpha Chapter
The Gamma Alpha Chapter Rules are consistent with the Constitution, GA State (Psi) Organization Bylaws, and GA State (Psi) Organization Standing Rules. Gamma Alpha shall possess and use copies of these documents.
Section XX. Membership
Membership
A. Gamma Alpha Membership Rules
1. A candidate elected to Gamma Alpha for active or honorary membership shall be initiated within a period of one year from the time of election.
2. Gamma Alpha will adapt the initiation and installation ceremonies, which are provided in the Ceremonies book.
3. An individual is not a member of the Society until she has been initiated. She is initiated only once.
4. In the selection of Gamma Alpha members, “teaching” shall be interpreted to include one-to-one as well as group instruction.
5. Recommendations for invitation to Gamma Alpha membership, signed by GA State (Psi) Organization members, may be submitted to chapters in other areas.
6. Gamma Alpha has authority to act in matters of membership.
7. Membership records are kept by Gamma Alpha.
B. Gamma Alpha Membership Classification: Active, Reserve, and Honorary
1. An active member shall be a woman who is employed as a professional educator at the time of her election or has been retired from an educational position. An active member shall participate fully in the activities of the Society.
2. An individual becomes a member of the Society when she is initiated. She is initiated only once.
3. An active member who lives in an area where no chapter exists may be connected to Gamma Alpha through technology.
C. Gamma Alpha Reserve Members
Reserve members may attend meetings and participate in all of the activities of Gamma Alpha except that of holding office.
D. Gamma Alpha Honorary Membership
1. In the selection of honorary members, service shall be:
- of statewide significance in the case of state honorary members.
- of local significance in the case of Gamma Alpha honorary members.
2. Any Gamma Alpha member may submit a name for honorary membership at either the chapter or state level.
3. An honorary member may serve as parliamentarian since the position of parliamentarian is not an office.
4. A retired educator to be eligible for invitation to honorary membership must be currently giving distinguished service to education or to women.
5. A candidate for Gamma Alpha honorary membership must live in Georgia.
E. Gamma Alpha Attendance
Gamma Alpha members who are traveling or who live away from its chapter have the privilege of attending meetings of other chapters, state organizations, and regions.
Section XXI. Finances
Finances
A. Gamma Alpha Initiation Fee
An initiation fee of $10.00 shall be required, at the time of initiation, of all active members except honorary members. Gamma Alpha shall retain $5.00 and sends $5.00 to the state treasurer.
B. Gamma Alpha Payment of Annual Dues
Each active and reserve Gamma Alpha member is required to pay annual dues and the scholarship fee.
1. International dues shall be:
a. $40.00 per active member, except those who have paid dues for life.
b. $20.00 per reserve member, except those who have paid dues for life.
2. GA State (Psi) Organization dues shall be:
a. $10.00 per active member.
b. $4.00 per reserve member.
C. Gamma Alpha Assessments
1. Only Gamma Alpha members may vote to levy assessments.
2. A reserve and honorary Gamma Alpha member is exempt from paying assessments.
D. Gamma Alpha Annual Scholarship Fee
1. A scholarship fee of $1.00 shall be paid annually by each Gamma Alpha active and reserve member—except for those who have completed payment of life membership.
2. Gamma Alpha retains $.60 (sixty cents) per active and reserve member. The Gamma Alpha treasurer sends $0.40 (forty cents) per active and reserve member plus an annual fee of $5.00 for scholarships to members.
3. Gamma Alpha retains $0.60 (sixty cents) per member of the scholarship fee to use for scholarships to members. No part of the $0.60 may be used for grants to non-members.
4. Scholarships are gifts to recipients.
E. Special Funds and/or Rewards
Special funds and/ or rewards may be created by the Gamma Alpha Executive Board and approved by the membership.
Section II. Duties of Officers and Related Personnel
President—Elected by the Gamma Alpha Membership
The Gamma Alpha president shall (in addition to duties listed in Bylaws, Section II.):
1. check the file received from her predecessor for needed reports, forms, and supplies.
2. attend meetings and workshops of the state organization and, whenever possible, the regional conference and the international convention.
3. execute, with Gamma Alpha’s recording secretary and/or treasurer, legal documents pertaining to Gamma Alpha; a legal document may be executed only when it has been authorized by Gamma Alpha’s executive board and/or by the chapter membership.
4. assume the responsibility of encouraging Gamma Alpha activities, which develop the leadership potential of each Gamma Alpha member.
5. assure that recognition is given to any Gamma Alpha member who is serving as a state or international officer, committee chairman, committee member, or related personnel position.
6. work with the chapter to plan the activities for the year and serve as an ex-officio member of committees, except the nominations committee, with vote if the Gamma Alpha rules authorize this (Refer to Robert’s Rules of Order, Latest Edition.)
7. notify the state organization of changes of officers during the biennium.
8. distribute biennial report forms and assure that they are returned on time to the persons designated to receive them.
9. complete the chapter President’s Annual Report form and mail the report to the person designated on the form.
10. name an official representative for meetings that the Gamma Alpha president is unable to attend. The Gamma Alpha president is expected to appoint one of the vice-presidents.
11. submit the names, contact information, and recommendation for assistance to the state president for those Gamma Alpha members who have sustained major losses from floods, tornadoes, hurricanes, or other catastrophic disasters.
12. mail a list (out-going Gamma Alpha president) of the incoming chapter officers with their contact information, immediately after installation, to the state president, her district director, and International Headquarters.
13. appoint (the incoming Gamma Alpha president) Gamma Alpha committee chairmen and committee members. The Gamma Alpha president shall send the committee chairmen’s names and their contact information to district directors and state committee chairmen (listed in the GA State (Psi) Leadership Team Notebook or other electronic method of communication).
14. serve as a voting representative on the GA State (Psi) Organization Executive Board.
The Gamma Alpha first vice-president shall:
1. serve as a presiding officer in the absence of the president and, in the event of the resignation or death of the president, shall succeed to the presidency and serve until the next regular election of officers.
2. serve as the chairman of the Membership Committee.
3. perform other duties as the president or the executive board shall assign to her.
The Gamma Alpha second vice-president shall:
1. serve as presiding office in the absence of both the president and the first vice-president and, in the event of the resignation or death of either the president or the first vice-president, shall succeed to the office of first vice-president and serve until the next regular election of officers.
2. serve as the chairman of the Educational Excellence Committee.
3. perform other duties as the president or the executive board shall assign to her.
The Gamma Alpha recording secretary shall:
1. keep minutes of each meeting and furnish the president with a copy of such minutes.
2. serve as secretary to the executive board.
The Gamma Alpha corresponding secretary shall carry on such correspondence as may be delegated to her by the president.
1. send cards to members such as thinking of you, thank you, recognition, illness, or sympathy.
2. send emails to members who were unable to attend a meeting(s) that they were missed.
3. read correspondence from members at meetings.
4. keep all correspondence in a notebook to be passed on to the next corresponding secretary.
Section X. Treasurer—Selected by the Gamma Alpha Executive Board
Treasurer
The Gamma Alpha treasurer (selected by the executive board) shall (in addition to the duties listed in the Bylaws, Article VI,):
1. study carefully the instructions contained in the most recent Guidelines for Chapter Treasurers and other materials sent to each treasurer from International Headquarters.
2. have at the beginning of each fiscal year the supplies needed for chapter treasurer work.
3. report on Form 18 the payment of each member’s dues and fees. Send the report and dues to the state treasurer.
4. make sure that the name of each member of Gamma Alpha is listed on the preprinted Form 18 received from International Headquarters.
5. collect the proper payment for initiates and report these payments promptly.
6. list names of Gamma Alpha members who are dropped on Form 18-A and send immediately to the GA State (Psi) Organization treasurer.
7. ensure that the Initiate Cards and Reinstated Member Cards are on hand for each initiation or reinstatement.
8. deposit all Gamma Alpha money in an insured account.
9. pay by check the bills approved by the Gamma Alpha president as authorized in the budget or through Gamma Alpha actions.
10. make an annual report on Form 15 to the state organization treasurer and the state organization president.
11. surrender financial records for financial review/audit at the close of each fiscal year.
12. review the Constitution, International Standing Rules, GA State (Psi) Organization Bylaws,
GA State (Psi) Organization Standing Rules, Handbook of The Delta Kappa Gamma Society International, and Chapter Rules.
13. complete and submit other required forms and payments as needed.
14. deadlines for Gamma Alpha treasurer:
a. collect Gamma Alpha dues and scholarship fee between July 1 and October 31.
b. drop members who have not paid their dues/fees by October 31 from membership on November 1.
c. submit dues, fees, and reports to state treasurer by November 10 of each year.
d. Complete and submit the Annual Report of Chapter Treasurer (Form 15) to the persons listed on the form by July 15 of each year.
Section XII. Parliamentarian—Appointed by the Gamma Alpha President
The Gamma Alpha parliamentarian shall:
1. act as advisor to the Gamma Alpha officers and the members of Gamma Alpha in matters pertaining to interpretation of the Constitution and to parliamentary usage.
2. serve as an ex-officio member, without vote, on the Gamma Alpha Bylaws and Standing Rules Committee.
3. serve as an ex-officio member, without vote, on the Gamma Alpha Chapter Executive Board Committee.
Executive Board Committee
Constitution, Article VII.
Gamma Alpha Executive Board
Members of the executive board shall be the elected officers and the immediate past president. The treasurer and the parliamentarian shall be ex-officio members, the parliamentarian is “without vote”, and, if the treasurer is paid for her services, she serves “without vote”.
1. The executive board shall:
a. select the treasurer for the biennium.
b. act in matters requiring immediate action and decision.
c. recommend policies and procedures for consideration by members.
d. establish rules for budget development and approval and for the supervision of chapter finances
2.The Gamma Alpha Executive Board meets twice annually—September and January—,
but it may meet more often upon the call of the president.
3. The chapter executive board may meet through electronic communication as long as all the members may simultaneously hear one another and participate during the meeting.
4. A quorum is the majority of the voting members.
Gamma Alpha Standing Committees
Constitution, Article VIII.
Gamma Alpha may fulfill its constitutional responsibilities by establishing chapter and special committees as needed.
1. The president shall appoint all committees, except the Nominations Committee. She may also ask members to volunteer and sign up for 2 to 3 chapter or special committees that they may be interested in serving. If members do not sign up for a particular committee or committees, the president may appoint members to serve.
2. Members serving on the Nominations Committee shall be elected by the members.
The president shall be an ex-officio member on all committees, except the Nominations Committee.
3. Standing committees shall be:
Society Business Committees
Membership – shall study and make recommendations related to membership. The committee plans and conducts the recruitment, orientation, and initiation of new members.
Finance – prepares the annual budget and provides for the audit of the treasurer’s books at the end of each year.
Nominations – shall nominate officers to be presented for election and shall nominate three members to serve on the next Nominations Committee. The members shall vote on the officers and members of the Nominations Committee by two-thirds of the majority vote of the membership.
Leadership Development—shall provide for leadership development within the chapter. The committee shall plan and conduct at least one meeting on developing leaders each biennium
Standing Rules and Bylaws-shall revise and amend the standing rules and bylaws as directed by GA State (Psi) Organization and DKG Society International.
Communications—shall provide the linkage of member to member, chapter to state, and state to international. This committee supports the efforts of Society members to communicate effectively with one another and to encourage effective publicity about the Society, its activities, and its members.
Scrapbook—solicits and collects materials for the Gamma Alpha scrapbook such as award certificates and/or plaques from GA State (Psi) Organization, newsletters, photos, newspaper articles highlighting meetings or recognition of chapter members, and other memorabilia.
Society Mission and Purposes
Educational Excellence – shall be composed of a chairman, the chairman of Personal Development, and the chairman of Professional Development. The committee provides and encourages a wide spectrum of programs for implementing the GA State (Psi) Organization and DKG International theme.
Personal Development – shall support and promote the international program and projects related to personal growth of members and to service. It recognizes the needs of members and provides opportunities for enrichment of the personal lives of members.
Professional Development –shall study and recommend action of the professional issues and shall support desirable legislation or other suitable endeavors in the interest of education and of women educators. The legislative efforts shall be issue-oriented, and not motivated by partisan politics.
Scholarship – shall establish criteria for the selection of scholarship and grant recipients. This committee encourages chapter members to apply for chapter, state, and international scholarships. The Society offers up to twenty-nine (29) annual international scholarships for graduate study. The applicant is required to:
a. have completed a bachelor’s degree or
b. be accepted and enrolled in a graduate program of a nationally accredited institution of higher education, preferably pursuing a doctoral degree.
Special Gamma Alpha Committees
Gamma Gals—shall organize special Gamma Alpha occasions such as chapter anniversaries and provide door prizes for each Gamma Alpha meeting.
Hospitality – shall involve the membership in providing refreshments, food, and decorations served at each chapter meeting.
Remembrance – shall recognize a death in the member’s immediate family by sending either a gift of $10.00 to the GA State (Psi) Organization Building Fund or by giving a red rose in a vase to the member.
Inspiration – shall provide an inspiration at each meeting.
Mission Statement of
The Delta Kappa Gamma Society International
The Delta Kappa Gamma Society International promotes professional and personal growth of leading women educators impacting education worldwide.
Purposes of the Gamma Alpha Chapter
The purposes of Gamma Alpha Chapter shall be the seven purposes of the Delta Kappa Gamma Society International and those of the GA State (Psi) Organization. Additional chapter objectives must be consistent with the Constitution and GA State (Psi) Organization Bylaws.
I. To unite women educators of the world in a genuine spiritual fellowship
II. To honor women who have given or who evidence a potential for distinctive service in any field of education
III. To advance the professional interest and position of women in education
IV. To initiate, endorse, and support desirable legislation or other suitable endeavors in the interests of education and of women educators
V. To endow scholarships to aid outstanding women educators in pursuing graduate study and to grant fellowships to women educators from other countries
VI. To stimulate the personal and professional growth of members and to encourage their participation in appropriate programs of action
VII. To inform the members of current economic, social, political, and educational issues so that they may participate effectively in a world society
This page last updated 10/29/2016