Article I Name
The name of the chapter shall be Mu Chapter, Eta State, North Carolina Organization, The Delta Kappa Gamma Society International. The Delta Kappa Gamma Society International may be known as the Society, Delta Kappa Gamma, or DKG. [International Standing Rule 1.02]

Article II Purposes
The basic purpose of Mu Chapter shall be to implement the seven Purposes of the Society through programs and activities. The vision statement of the chapter is: Promoting educational excellence and supporting key women educators worldwide.

Mission statement: The Delta Kappa Gamma Society International promotes professional and personal growth of women educators and excellence in education.

Article III Membership
A. Membership in the Delta Kappa Gamma Society shall be by invitation. A member initiated into the Society becomes a member of a chapter, a state organization, and Delta Kappa Gamma. She is initiated only once. [Constitution Article III, A.]
B. Classification
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 in the activities of the Society.
2. Reserve membership shall be granted only to a member who is unable to participate fully in the activities of the chapter because of physical disability and/or geographic location. Reserve status shall be granted by a majority vote of the chapter. A reserve member, upon request, shall be restored to active membership.
3. An honorary member shall be a woman not eligible for active membership who has rendered notable service to education or to women and is elected to honorary membership in recognition of such service. [Constitution, Article III, b. 1. 2. 3.]
C. New Members
Members shall be encouraged to submit names of educators who are well qualified professionally and personally, who would be interested in the benefits of membership, and who would make a contribution to the Society.
1. Each recommendation for membership should be prepared and signed by one or more members.
2. To avoid conflict with other chapters, the president of Mu Chapter will review the list of nominees with the presidents of Beta Theta and Gamma Lambda.
3. Election by invitation and the initiation ceremony shall be held yearly at the time to be determined by the executive board.
4. During the first year of membership, one of her sponsors shall be responsible for notifying her of meetings and serving as her hostess, introducing her to other members of the chapter.
5. The key pin is the official jewelry of the Society. The pin may be worn on a ribbon or other manner as desired by members. Members are expected to wear it in ways that demonstrate their respect and honor for their membership. [ISR 1.16]
6. A special page in the chapter newsletter shall be prepared, introducing the initiates to the membership.
7. Candidates for active membership shall be voted upon in a chapter meeting in a manner determined by the chapter.
D. Individual Record Forms
Each member shall fill in individual Record Forms to be kept on file by the membership committee. It shall be brought up to date during the first year of the biennium.
E. Transfers
A member in good standing may be transferred from one unit to another upon application to Society Headquarters [Constitution, Article IIID]. Application forms for transfer are available from chapter presidents, Society Headquarters, chapter treasurer, or the Society website. A member who is changing her residence may choose to retain her membership in her present chapter.
F. Termination
The reasons for termination as given in the Constitution are: non-payment of dues, resignation, or death. The treasurer shall report to the chapter president the names of members who have not paid their dues and fees two weeks prior to October 31st. Dues and fees must be paid before November 1st.
Resignation: A resignation from membership shall be presented, in writing, to the chapter president.
G. Reinstatement
A former member shall be reinstated to membership by the chapter receiving the request. [Constitution, Article III, f]
H. Reorientation
Reorientation information shall be provided frequently at chapter meetings.

Article IV Finances
A. Dues
Mu Chapter dues shall be determined through the annual budget, which is recommended by the finance committee and approved by the executive board. The current Mu Chapter dues are seventy-five dollars ($75) for active members and twenty-two dollars ($22) for reserve members. Mu chapter pays a one-time publication fee of fifty dollars ($49.50) for each chapter honorary member (monetary amount as stated in the International Standing Rules) [ISR 4.23]
B. Assessments
Assessments for a special project are for one year only. They are determined by vote of the chapter and are binding on all active members.
C. Budget
A budget for each year shall be prepared by the finance committee, approved by the executive board, and copies made available to members at the September meeting.
1. The chapter shall assist with expenses of the president and an additional member to attend the Eta State convention.
2. Mu chapter shall pay the housing and meals for the president, the treasurer, and the chairman of the membership and educational excellence committees to the Eta State workshop in even-numbered years.
3. Mu Chapter shall pay for meals and lodging for state officers and the region one director when invited to a chapter meeting.
4. A voucher system shall be established whereby each expense requires a copy of the original receipt attached to the voucher. The president shall sign the voucher and send it to the treasurer for payment. All vouchers are for the current fiscal year and shall be in to the treasurer by June 30th.
D. Account Signatures
Two signatures, that of the president and treasurer, shall be required on all signature cards of the chapter. Only one of these signatures shall be required on each check.

Article V Expansion
The leaders of Mu chapter shall consider a division into a new chapter if the present membership grows so large that it becomes impossible to communicate among members.

Article VI Officers
A. Elected Officers
Officers shall be president, first vice–president, second vice-president, secretary, and treasurer (appointed by the executive board). The process of elected officers moving up to the next highest position in the following biennium shall be strongly encouraged in order to provide continuity and assured leadership.
1. Elected officers shall be elected to one term of two years; elections shall be held no later than the spring of even-numbered years.
2. The treasurer may serve successive terms.
B. Duties of Officers
Duties shall be as specified in the Constitution, Standing Rules, Eta State By-Laws, and the current edition of Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised.
1. President shall…
(a) appoint all committees and serve as ex-officio on all except the nominations committee.
(b) submit names of committee chairmen to the Eta State secretary as soon as they are named.
(c) submit names of new officers to the Eta State executive secretary as soon as they take office.
(d) appoint a parliamentarian.
(e) plan, with the membership committee, orientation for new members.
(f) plan a workshop for new officers and committee members to be held once each biennium.
(g) attempt to attend Eta State workshop for newly elected chapter presidents, the Eta State convention, and may attend the Southeast regional conference, and “if possible”, the international convention.
(h) keep in close touch with committee chairmen and encourage them in appropriate activities.
(i) encourage members to be willing to serve at state and international levels.
(j) assure that records and materials of retiring officers and committee chairmen are given to their successors promptly.
(k) assure that chapter reports are made promptly to Eta State.
(l) assure that the history of each year is part of a final newsletter and filed with the chapter records.
(m) assist the communication and publicity committee in preparing the chapter year book.
2. First vice-president shall…
(a) serve as chairman of the educational excellence committee.
(b) coordinate work of the sub-committees.
(c) be alert of the activities of the sub-committees and encourage appropriate programs and activities.
(d) carry out any other task as assigned by the president.
3. Second vice-president shall…
(a) serve on the finance committee and on the communications and publicity committee.
(b) carry out any other task as assigned by the president.
4. Secretary shall…
(a) keep accurate minutes of the executive board and chapter meetings.
(b) submit to the president a copy of the minutes several days before the meeting at which they are to be considered. Retain a copy of all approved chapter and executive board minutes for the files.
(c) make copies available to members prior to or at each meeting
5. Treasurer shall…
(a) be ex-officio member of the finance committee without vote.
(b) keep the following records and each shall be filed in the financial ledger for the fiscal
year. It is suggested that the following records be computerized:
1) Membership Listing: an alphabetical listing of all members, including the international identification number and showing dues paid.
2) Chart of Accounts: a listing showing the account numbers for both income and expenses.
3) Monthly Accounts: a monthly statement showing checks written, deposits, balance of all funds, and reconciliation with the bank statement.
4) Total of Accounts: a running total for each fund; ie, expenses and income.
5) Financial Records: a monthly financial report showing all balances with the expenses compared to the budget for the year.
6) Meetings of Members: a listing of all meetings where funds are collected, showing names of the payees and the amount received
C. Related Personnel
Parliamentarian shall…
1. be named by the chapter president and serve for one biennium.
2. act as an advisor to the officers and the members of her organization in matters pertaining to interpretation of the Constitution as to parliamentary usage.
3. serve as a member, ex-officio, without vote on the executive board.
4. act in accordance with the Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised in situations that require the parliamentarian’s assistance and in situations that are out of order.

Article VII Executive Board and Committee
A. Executive board shall…
1) meet a minimum of three times a year.
2) consist of elected officers, the immediate past president, and the committee chairmen.
3) consist of the treasurer, as ex-officio with vote (except on the finance committee) and the parliamentarian, ex-officio without vote.
4) appoint the treasurer.
5) approve the budget.
6) approve actions, policies, and rules and present them to the chapter for a vote.
7) abide by the quorum which shall be one third of the elected officers.
B. Executive committee shall…
1) be composed of elected officers and the immediate past president.
2) consist of the treasurer, as ex-officio with vote (except on the finance committee) and the parliamentarian, ex-officio without vote.
3) be authorized to make necessary emergency decisions.

Proposed Committee Structure for Mu Chapter

Changes in the Constitution in 2010 created an opportunity for each state and chapter to examine how it can best organize to accomplish its mission. This committee structure aligns with the state and international organizations; it equally distributes the work and engages as many members as possible.

Committees that are responsible for reporting to state and international are marked with an asterisk. They are: educational excellence, membership, scholarship, world fellowship, communication and publicity, and finance. Officers and committee chairmen should study the Constitution, state bylaws and standing rules as they relate to the office.

Article VIII Standing Committees
A. Society Mission and Purposes
1. Educational Excellence Committee*
The first vice-president shall serve as chairman. This committee shall be organized into sub-committees to accomplish its responsibilities. This committee shall coordinate the work of the sub- committees. The chairmen of the sub-committees shall be appointed by the president and serve as a member of this committee.
a. Programs and Projects: It is recommended that this sub-committee consist of at least five members. This sub-committee shall plan programs and projects that promote excellence in education and international projects. It shall be responsible for the Kate Parks Kitchin Grant-in-Aid.
b. Fine Arts: This representative and/or committee shall encourage inclusion of the arts at chapter meetings and other occasions; eg. visual arts, music, dance, etc..
2. Leadership Development
This committee shall be organized into subcommittees to accomplish its responsibilities. The chairman’s of these subcommittees are appointed by the president and will serve as members of that committee.
It shall promote leadership development opportunities.
a. Membership: It is recommended to have at least five members, one of whom shall serve as chairman. This sub-committee is to encourage the recruitment and involvement of educators capable of impacting education. It shall encourage members to submit names of educators who would be interested in the benefits of membership and who would make a contribution to the Society.[Article III d,e,f,g,h] It shall have name tags available at each meeting.
b. Nominations: It is recommended to have at least four members, one of whom shall be the chairman.
This subcommittee shall…
1. submit a slate of nominees who have agreed to serve as officers before March in even numbered years.
2. work with the president in conducting the election of officers according to these rules.
3. promote leadership development opportunities that would foster future leaders.
4. also serve as members of the Membership committee.
c. Scholarship* and World Fellowship*: This subcommittee is recommended to have at least three members, one of whom shall be chairman.

Scholarship shall…
1. encourage members to apply for state and/or international scholarships.
2. inform members of the Ora VanBuskirk Scholarship and encourage members to apply for it. The committee shall designate a recipient.
World Fellowship shall:
1. promote interest in the World Fellowship Awards and the recipients.
2. encourage voluntary contributions and communication with recipients.
3. promote global awareness of both women educators and the DKG/UN Relationship.

3. Educational Law and Policy
This committee is recommended to have at least five members, one of whom shall be the chairman appointed by the president. It shall…
a. encourage members in legislative actions.
b. be concerned with legislative activity that deals with educational issues, not with candidates or political parties.
c. initiate, endorse, or support legislation relating to the improvement of education and the status of education.
d. study and recommend action on professional issues.
e. urge the state organization to initiate, endorse, and support desirable legislation in the interest of women educators.
f. promote activities that gain support at the local and state levels.
g. cooperate with other organizations when their legislative activities promote the purposes for the Society.

B. Society Business
1. Communications and Publicity*
(includes chapter newsletter, yearbook, scrapbook, and Web page). It is recommended that the committee have at least five members, one of whom shall be the chairman appointed by the president.
This committee shall:
a. prepare a chapter newsletter which is to be approved by the president before presenting it to the membership. No less than four newsletters shall be distributed each year. Copies of the newsletters shall be sent to the Eta State president, executive secretary, editor of the Eta State News, communication chairman, and Region I director.
b. send to the Eta State editor information about chapter members who have been honored for outstanding achievements and any noteworthy accomplishments of Mu Chapter.
c. prepare publicity releases concerning chapter activities for the local news media.
d. maintain an e-mail communication line to send and receive news of importance to the chapter. Members without e-mail access will be contacted by telephone or mail.
e. provide copies of the current yearbook for chapter members in the fall, if possible. Copies shall be sent yearly to the Eta State executive secretary, president, and the EEC chairman.
f. maintain the Mu Chapter scrapbook through a web page or through hard copy.

2. Finance Committee*
It is recommended that the committee have at least four members, one of whom shall be the chairman appointed by the president. The second vice-president shall be a member of this committee. The treasurer shall be ex-officio without vote.
It shall…
a. prepare and review the budget before submitting it to the executive board for adoption and to the membership as required by these rules.
b. assure that records are submitted to the committee of the executive board which will conduct a financial review at the end of each fiscal year.
c. make recommendations to the executive board for change in amount of dues and assessments, as needed.
d. include fundraising. It is responsible for planning and arranging fundraising activities as approved by the executive board. Monies earned for any fundraising shall be used to promote projects within the chapter.

3. Rules Committee
It is recommended that this committee have at least four members, one of whom shall be the chairman appointed by the president.
It shall…
a. review the chapter rules periodically to assure that they are in compliance with the Constitution, and the Eta State Bylaws and Standing Rules.
b. update rules document.

4. Nurturing Committee
It is recommended that this committee have at least four members, one of whom shall be the chairman appointed by the president.
This committee shall:
a. encourage each member to consider herself a committee of one to inform the Nurturing Committee of any illness, death, or disaster which affects Mu Chapter members.
b. contact members prior to each meeting to remind them of the upcoming meeting and to relay important information about the meeting.
c. communicate, regularly, with reserve members and report at chapter meetings.
Suggested ways include:
1. sending one red rose to a member at the time of death in her immediate family (husband, parent, child, sister, brother, or any other person living in her home).
2. sending a card to a member as soon as it is known that she has been hospitalized.
3. sending a card to a family of a member upon her death. When possible, the roses used in the memorial service shall also be sent to the family.
4. sending a card to a member who has been sick at home for one week.
5. sending a card to a member who has lost a close relative but did not receive a red rose.
6. sending a card to a member remembering a birth, wedding, an honor, or retirement.
7. encouraging members of the chapter to send individual cards in the case of extended illness in the hospital or at home.
The president has the discretion to determine any other action concerning a member, who is ill,
hospitalized, or has suffered a loss.

Article IX Chapter Meetings
A. A minimum of four regular chapter meetings shall be held each year. Three of these meetings shall be based on the international theme and focuses. Regular meetings are meetings where chapter business is conducted.
Chapter members may meet through electronic communication as long as all members may simultaneously hear one another and participate during the meeting.[Article IX, Constitution, 2, c]
B. Time of the meetings and the meeting days shall be varied in accordance with members’ suggestions.
C. A joint meeting with Gamma Lambda and Beta Theta is traditional and shall be considered each year.
D. A quorum of fifteen (15) members must be present before voting on any item can take place.
E. A workshop for incoming officers and committee members shall be held once each biennium.

Article X General Information
A. Keypins
1. The keypin is the official jewelry of the Society. The pin may be worn on a ribbon or other manner as desired by members. Members are expected to wear it in ways that demonstrate their respect and honor for their membership. [ISR 1.6]
2. The President’s Pin Member keypins shall not be worn by those that resign or who are dropped from membership nor by anyone who is not a member of the Society.
3. Keypins shall be returned to the chapter by the family of the deceased member, by one who resigns, or by one who is dropped.
B. The President’s Pin
The treasurer shall order a chapter president’s pin to be presented at the first meeting of the year of her biennium and may be presented at the installation ceremony.
C. Chapter rules shall be changed at any regular meeting of the chapter by a two-thirds vote of those present and voting after the quorum has been established. Chapter members shall have been advised of the proposed change(s) through the newsletter (or other means) one month prior to the meeting.
D. Chapter Dissolution
Should the chapter ever need to be disbanded, the following Eta State procedures shall be followed:
1. The approval of the state executive board shall be obtained by the Mu Chapter president.
2. All Mu Chapter members shall be encouraged to transfer their membership to other chapters (refer to Mu Chapter rules Article III, E).
3. Any remaining funds in the chapter account shall be sent to the state organization treasurer and deposited in the Available Fund.
4. The Mu Chapter paraphernalia, the Society publications, and the Mu Chapter records shall be retained in the state archives and made available for use.
5. The Mu Chapter charter must be returned to the state to be forwarded to the International Headquarters.
6. The state Executive Board shall decide whether the name of the chapter shall be reused.
E. Compliance
In all matters, these rules shall be amended to comply with any and all requirements of the International Constitution and International Standing Rules and the Eta State Bylaws and the Eta State Rules.

The Kate Parks Kitchin Grant-in-Aid

On April 14, 1994, the Kate Parks Kitchin Grant-in-Aid was established to recognize the outstanding influence and contribution of this charter member and former president. The following guidelines were established:
1. Five hundred dollars ($500) to be awarded each year the funds are available.
2. It is the responsibility of the Support for Early-Career Educators (SEE) Committee to name the recipient.
3. The grant shall be awarded to a female education major who attends NC Wesleyan or Barton College. The colleges will alternate years for selecting a recipient. The faculty of the school of education of each college will nominate the recipient.
4. The recipient shall be an above average student who has exhibited leadership skills and the potential for excellence in teaching, shown a general interest in education, and has been involved in college and community activities.
5. The current depository for the Kate Parks Kitchin Grant-in-Aid is the money market reserve fund. The president and finance chairman will investigate other possibilities and make a decision for future investments.

The Ora VanBuskirk Scholarship

1. The ten thousand dollars ($10,000) received from the bequest of Ora Pace VanBuskirk, charter member, shall be known as the Ora VanBuskirk Scholarship.
2. These monies shall be invested for each year in a certificate of deposit of fund which will receive the highest rate at this time. The president and finance chairman will investigate the possibilities and make that decision.
3. The interest from this investment shall provide an annual scholarship to a Mu Chapter member who is working towards an advanced degree to improve her work as a teacher or administrator.
4. If no member uses the scholarship in any given year, the interest shall be added to the amount of the award scholarship in the coming year.
5. If no scholarship is awarded for three (3) consecutive years, the accumulated interest from these three years shall be added to the principal of the investment.

2014-15 Rules Committee:
Patricia Taylor – Chairman
Henrietta Barbour
Katherine Collins
Florine Joyner
Betty Penny
Joyce White
Tobey Worthington (President)

Webmaster for Mu Chapter Site: Jackie Ennis

This page last updated: September 21, 2014