Local Chapter Procedures

Local Chapter Procedures Manual: Denver Alumnae Chapter

Date of last revision: April 2021

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INTRODUCTION

This document outlines the procedures used by the Denver Alumnae Chapter in meetings, events, and projects.

ABBREVIATIONS

VPM: Vice President, Membership
VPP: Vice President, Programs
VPR: Vice President, Ritual
SAA: Sergeant-at-Arms
EB: Executive Board
NAA: National Alumnae Association
NH: National Headquarters
CPM: Chapter Procedures Manual

COMMITTEES

Standing committees

  1. Fundraising, projects including but not limited to: 
    1. Sip n’ Paint event (January)
    2. Chapter holiday card (October/November)
  3. Historian, projects including but not limited to: 
    1. Photography
    2. Written content about chapter history and events
    3. Scrapbook creation 
  4. JoAnne Kyhl Memorial Performance Competition 
    1. Offered to collegiate members of Xi C Province
    2. Prize money available up to $500 per year
    3. Procedural details located in the Kyhl Competition Handbook
  5. Membership, projects including but not limited to: 
    1. Courtesy
    2. Hospitality
    3. New Member
    4. Notification
    5. Rose Sisters
  6. Service, projects including but not limited to: The Gathering Place partnership
  7. Social, projects including but not limited to:
    1. Incorporation Day luncheon
    2. Coordination of June meeting luncheon
    3. Summer picnic, usually in August
  8. Technology & Archives, projects including but not limited to:  
    1. Website management
    2. Social media management
    3. Digital asset management
    4. Records digitization
  9. Yearbook Directory

Special committees

Created on an annual basis

  1. Bylaws
  2. Honors
  3. Nominating

EXECUTIVE BOARD

President

Duties of this office are located in the CPM 5-3.

Vice President, Membership

  1. Duties of this office are located in the CPM 5-5.
  2. Historically chairs the Membership and Social committees.

Vice President, Programs

Duties of this office are located in the CPM 5-5.

Vice President, Ritual

Duties of this office are located in the CPM 5-7, 9-3

Secretary

Duties of this office are located in the CPM 5-7.

Treasurer

  1. Duties of this office are located in the CPM, chapter 8.
  2. Historically chairs the Fundraising committee.

Editor

  1. Duties of this office are located in the CPM 5-10.
  2. Historically serves as Yearbook Directory chair.

Sergeant-at-Arms

Duties of this office are located in the CPM 5-11.

Term limits

    1. President, VPM, VPP, VPR, Secretary, and Sergeant-at-Arms may serve three consecutive one-year terms at a time.
    2. Treasurer and Editor may serve five consecutive one-year terms at a time.
    3. A minimum of one year away from an office must be taken when a member reaches a term limit, before returning to that office. Members may serve in another office during that time.
    4. There is no lifetime cap on how many total terms a member is allowed to serve in any one office.

FINANCES

Budget

  1. The chapter budget is typically developed over the summer and presented for an approval vote at the September chapter meeting. While the CPM advises that the budget serves as a guideline, Denver Alumnae strives to stay within their approved budget as much as possible.
  2. The budget allocates spending “buckets” for each officer and committee, and projects income and expenses for the chapter over the fraternal year.
    1. National awards are not included in the annual budget due to variable eligibility of awards year-over-year, but have funding allocated based on available funds. 
    2. Distinguished Member and Patroness fees are not included in the annual budget to allow for flexibility with the recruitment process, but are allocated based on available funds.
  3. Special projects may have their budgets developed and approved outside of this timeline.

Expenditures

  1. Members making purchases on behalf of the chapter must submit receipts for record-keeping and/or reimbursements.
    1. Receipts may be submitted in person, via mail, or via screenshot/scan and submitted by text or email.
    2. Reimbursements will be issued no later than the next chapter meeting after which the receipt was submitted. Reimbursements are issued via check, either in person or by mail.
  2. Planned and budgeted expenses do not require additional approval.
  3. Expenses (including philanthropic gifts) that exceed the amount allocated in a “bucket” or that were not planned for should be brought to the EB for approval. If the executive board recommends it, the expense should be brought to the chapter for a vote.

Finance technology

Denver Alumnae maintains digital accounts to facilitate online transactions. A full list of digital accounts managed by the chapter is held by the Executive Board and the Technology & Archives Committee. Please note the following information about accounts the chapter uses or may use: 

  1. The chapter bank accounts are currently housed by Wells Fargo.
    1. The chapter maintains a checking account and CD account.
    2. Wells Fargo logins are tied to individuals rather than the account itself, so there is no one chapter login for the bank accounts.
    3. At this time, the President and Treasurer have debit cards linked to the chapter checking account. At the Executive Board’s discretion, additional cards may be granted to officers as needed. The Treasurer maintains the chapter checkbook.
  2. The chapter does not use Venmo for business purposes because National Headquarters does not permit it, per communications sent from our National Vice President, Finance in Sept. 2019.
  3. The chapter uses a PayPal business account to transact online business as a vendor for the following items:
    1. Dues payments
    2. Donations for the JoAnne Kyhl Memorial Performance Competition Fund
  4. The chapter uses Eventbrite when it hosts events that require ticket sales and/or registration. 
  5. The chapter, in accordance with local laws and when applicable, absorbs service fees as the payee of online transactions.
    1. We do this to remain in compliance with Colo. Rev. Stat. §5-2-212.
    2. In the event that cash and card payment options are available at a chapter event, a discount on cash prices can be offered per Colo. Rev. Stat. §5-2-212.

Fiscal year

Denver Alumnae observes a fiscal year of July 1-June 30, in accordance with the fiscal year observed by National Headquarters.

MEETINGS

  1. Denver Alumnae generally holds eight (8) business chapter meetings per fraternal year (July-June).
    1. CPM 7-4 mandates a minimum of five business meetings per year, two of which must be formal. 
    2. CPM 7-4 mandates a minimum of three meeting musicales per year. 
  2. Chapter meetings generally do not occur in December, July, or August.
    1. If the chapter hosts Province Day, there is typically not a business meeting in March.
  3. The June chapter meeting generally does not include business.
  4. Chapter meeting times have historically been, but are not limited to: 
    1. 2:30pm on the third Sunday of the month.
    2. 7:00pm on the third Tuesday of the month.

Inclement weather protocol

  1. Meetings canceled for extreme weather will not be rescheduled.
  2. For Executive Board meetings, members will meet via conference call.
  3. For chapter meetings, all executive members and committee chairpersons should submit detailed reports to the secretary for compilation by the intended meeting start time. The compiled notes should be submitted to the chapter via an official chapter e-mail by the end of the day.

Using Zoom for virtual chapter business

The chapter uses the Zoom online conferencing platform to host virtual meetings and events. These events can be exclusively virtual, or a hybrid of in-person and virtual, depending on chapter needs. Types of events can include:

  1. Chapter meetings
  2. Executive Board meetings
  3. Social events
  4. Committee meetings
  5. Other chapter business, as needed

MEMBERSHIP

Active membership

Denver Alumnae recognizes the following dues-paying alumnae membership categories:

  1. Active members, who pay full dues and receive all the benefits of chapter membership, including chapter publications, the ability to hold office, and voting privileges. This category includes:
    1. Alumnae Members
    2. Affiliated Patronesses
  2. Associate members, who may or may not live in the Denver metro area, but choose to remain associated with the chapter, and receive the newsletter and the Yearbook Directory. These members pay reduced dues and are not permitted to hold office or vote. This category may include Alumnae and Affiliated Patroness members.

Inactive membership

  1. Active and Associate members may claim inactive status at any time by notifying the Executive Board; no approval is required from the chapter, per the CPM.
    1. Inactive members are welcome to attend events, and are not expected to attend meetings.
    2. Inactive members do not appear on the roster or the Yearbook Directory.
    3. Inactive members do not receive chapter communications.
    4. Inactive members are not permitted to hold office, participate on committees, or to vote.
    5. If a member seeks inactive status mid-year, a refund on dues paid is not provided.
  2. It is the responsibility of the member seeking inactive status to communicate with the Executive Board so that they are not accidentally reported as not-in-good-standing.
  3. It is the responsibility of inactive members to communicate with the Executive Board when they wish to re-activate their membership with the chapter. The VPM will submit an Application for Member Reactivation with NH on behalf of the member seeking reactivation.
  4. It is the responsibility of the member seeking reactivation to ensure their NAA fee is current.
  5. Re-activated members follow the prorated local chapter dues schedule.

Dues

Local dues

Denver Alumnae Chapter annual local chapter dues are:

  1. $40 for Active Members, allocated (gross revenue) as:
    1. $30 to the General Fund
    2. $5 to the Convention Fund
    3. $3 to the Philanthropy Fund
    4. $2 to the Competition Fund
  2. $25 for Associate Members, allocated (gross revenue) as:
    1. $20 to the General Fund
    2. $3 to the Philanthropy Fund
    3. $2 to the Convention Fund
  3. Starting in 2020-21 and re-voted on each year until the end of the COVID-19 pandemic, dues for all members were set to $25, with the following allocations (gross revenue):
    1. $20 to the General Fund
    2. $5 to the Convention Fund

Prorating local dues

  1. Members affiliating or re-activating between July-October, pay full-year dues.
  2. Active members affiliating or re-activating between November-March pay $20, allocated as:
    1. $15 to the General Fund
    2. $3 to the Convention Fund
    3. $2 to the Philanthropy Fund
  3. Associate members affiliating or re-activating between November-March pay $10, allocated as:
    1. $7 to the General Fund
    2. $3 to the Convention Fund
  4. For all members affiliating or re-activating between April-June, no dues for the current year are owed.

Payment deadlines

  1. Full-year local dues are due no later than August 31.
    1. This ensures good standing on the local level for the upcoming membership year.
    2. This is also the deadline for members who would like their information included in the Yearbook Directory’s print run.
    3. Any member paying dues after August 31 will have their information included in the Yearbook Directory via an adhesive label affixed to the printed Directory, distributed on an as-needed basis at chapter meetings.
  2. Deadlines for local dues for members affiliating or re-activating during the year are set by the Treasurer.
  3. Grace periods and payment plans are set at the discretion of the Treasurer.

Payment methods

Local dues may be paid via:

    1. Cash
    2. Check or money order, made out to “SAI Denver Alumnae Chapter” and with “Dues” written in the memo line
    3. Online, via PayPal
      1. Dues paid via PayPal are subject to merchant fees; the chapter budgets around the net revenue, and dues paid via this method are considered paid in full.
      2. Net allocations of dues paid via PayPal follow the allocation methods specified above; The  Convention, Philanthropy and Competition funds are allocated in full, with the remainder going to the General Fund.

National Alumnae Association Fee

The National Alumnae Association (NAA) fee is an annual payment, which is separate from local dues and paid directly to National Headquarters. Members who have achieved 50 or more years of membership in Sigma Alpha Iota or who are at least 70 years of age may apply to NH for an exemption to this fee.

Payment details

  1. Each member is on an individual schedule for their NAA fee payment, and is contacted privately by NH in regards to their NAA fee. This fee is paid directly to NH, and Denver Alumnae has no involvement in the payment of this fee. 
  2. Denver Alumnae tracks the standing of each chapter member’s NAA fee status as a courtesy, because members must be in good standing with both local dues and the NAA fee in order to be in good standing for chapter activities.

MEMBER MANAGEMENT

Celebrating life events

The chapter recognizes the many accomplishments of its members and wants to celebrate them! The following life events are acknowledged with a gift of up to $50 in value, pulled from the VPM budget and managed by or in collaboration with the VPM:

  1. A chapter member gets married
  2. A chapter member has or adopts a child
  3. A chapter member completes a master’s or doctoral degree

Disciplinary procedures

Refer to Article XVI of the National Bylaws for information regarding disciplinary procedures for chapters and individual members.

Membership information

  1. Membership information is kept in the membership roster. The Executive Board accesses the roster on a regular basis.
  2. If a member’s personal information changes, they should fill out the change request form available on the chapter website. Updates to the roster based on form submissions are made approximately once per week.

Photo and video use

Denver Alumnae may take photos and video at chapter musicales and other non-Ritual or non-business events. These photos and video may be posted to public and semi-public channels including but not limited to the chapter’s social media, chapter website, and chapter newsletter, and may also be shared with National Headquarters’ publications in an effort to promote the chapter and SAI in a positive light. Members with questions or concerns about the use of their image for chapter purposes should contact the Executive Board.

RECOGNITION

Honors and Awards

National honors and awards

  1. Denver Alumnae recipients for national honors and awards are selected by chapter vote, administered by the Honors Committee. A record of individual members’ awards is located in the annual yearbook directory.
  2. See Chapter 14 of the CPM for more information on national awards.

Local honors and awards

  1. Local honors and awards are distributed at the discretion of the Honors Committee.
  2. See CPM 14-10 for more information on local awards.

Presentation

Awards are historically presented on an annual basis at the June gathering.

QUORUM

Denver Alumnae’s recognized quorum for conducting business at chapter meetings is 50% + 1 of the average meeting attendance over the last three fraternal years.

TECHNOLOGY

  1. Denver Alumnae maintains a website and digital accounts for tasks including but not limited to:
    1. Communication
    2. Content creation and management
    3. Digitization
    4. File storage 
    5. Social media
  2. A full list of digital accounts managed by the chapter is held by the Executive Board and the Technology & Archives Committee.
  3. Technology will not be used to record Ritual or business activities during meetings other than for the purposes of creating an official record of meeting agendas or minutes, or for attending members to take their own notes if needed.
  4. Additional documentation for the tools the chapter uses, in relation and respect to current Fraternity documentation, may be created as needed.

Chapter Google accounts

The chapter maintains the following Google accounts for its officers:

  1. saidenveralum: Main administrative account, hosting the chapter drive, calendar, YouTube, and the registration of most online accounts
  2. saidenverpresident: President’s account
  3. saidenvervpm: VP Membership’s account
  4. saidenvervpp: VP Programs’ account
  5. saidenvervpr: VP Ritual’s account
  6. saidenversecretary: Secretary’s account
  7. saidenvertreasurer: Treasurer’s account
  8. saidenvereditor: Editor’s account

Account management

  1. Chapter google accounts should list the officer’s personal phone number as the recovery phone number.
  2. Chapter google accounts should list the saidenveralum account as the recovery email address.
  3. The recovery information for saidenveralum should be set to that of the current technology chair.
  4. Officers may manage their own passwords provided they are safely documented and are able to transition the account upon leaving office.
  5. Should any potential security concerns arise, officers should change their passwords ASAP and notify the chapter technology chair.
  6. As officers transition out of office, they are responsible (with the assistance of the technology chair, as needed) for setting their successor up with access to their officer Google account.

VOTING PROCEDURES

Bylaws and Local Chapter Procedures

Proposed changes to national and Denver Alumnae bylaws, as well as local chapter procedures, are presented at the meeting preceding the scheduled vote. At the time of voting:

  1. Two-thirds approval of votes cast is required. Arrangements may be made for electronic voting to ensure a quorum is met.
  2. Voting on proposed changes to national bylaws is done by a show of hands.
  3. Voting on proposed changes to local bylaws is done by secret ballot; each item is voted on individually, but on one ballot. 
  4. Voting on proposed changes to local chapter procedures is done by secret ballot; each item is voted on individually, but on one ballot. 

Honors and awards

  1. Two-thirds approval of votes cast is required. Arrangements may be made for electronic voting to ensure a quorum is met.
  2. Voting on awards is done by secret ballot; each item is voted on individually, but on one ballot.

Motions made at chapter meetings

  1. See chapter 17 of the CPM for details on procedures for motions during chapter meetings.
  2. Unless stated otherwise, motions are approved with a simple majority vote.

Officer nominations and elections

  1. Historically, the officer slate for the following year is presented at the February chapter meeting. Additional nominations are accepted from the floor.
  2. Elections for the following year’s Executive Board take place at the chapter meeting following the one when the slate was presented.
  3. If there is only one candidate for an office, confirmation via acclamation is appropriate, per Robert’s Rules of Order, Newly Revised.
  4. If there are multiple candidates for an office, a simple majority of votes cast is required. Arrangements may be made for electronic voting to ensure a quorum is met.
  5. When using ballots, separate and anonymous ballots for each office are used.