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RULE 1: MEMBERSHIP
“The members, each of whom shall have one vote, shall be: (a) A delegate, elected by and from the active members of each undergraduate chapter in good standing; (b) A delegate elected by and from each alumni chapter in good standing; (c) the several Past Grand Consuls; and (d) the Grand Consul.” [Constitution –Article IV-B]
RULE 2: CREDENTIALS
Delegates and alternates of both undergraduate and alumni chapters must have been active members of said active or alumni chapter within the period of ninety (90) days preceding the Grand Chapter, shall hold credentials executed by the presiding officer and recording officers of the chapter represented and giving authority for such representation, and must be recorded on said chapter’s most recently filed annual or semi-annual report. No delegate or alternate to the Grand Chapter shall represent more than one chapter. An undergraduate is ineligible to be the delegate or alternate of an alumni chapter and an alumnus is ineligible to be the delegate or alternate of an undergraduate chapter except, in the latter case, in situations of a senior graduating within ninety (90) days preceding the Grand Chapter. [ECR 4.08-1]
RULE 3: CREDENTIALS COMMITTEE
The credentials of each delegate and alternate shall be filed with the Credentials Committee, and the Credentials Committee, upon receipt of said credentials, shall certify to and file a list of the names of the accredited delegates and alternates with the Annotator of the Grand Chapter for the approval of the members of this Grand Chapter. This list shall be available at least six (6) hours prior to the opening business session and updated regularly for subsequent sessions. Any delegate wishing to contest the credentials of any delegate shall file a written contest with an explanation of the objection with the Grand Chapter Annotator or the Chairman of the Credentials Committee. Such appeals must be heard by the Credentials Committee in a prompt and timely manner and reported immediately to the Grand Chapter.
RULE 4: QUORUM
A Quorum shall consist of the duly certified and registered delegates from a majority of the chapters. (The Grand Consul and the Past Grand Consuls, while members of the Grand Chapter, are not included in determining a quorum.) [Statute 4.08] Duly credentialled virtual delegates shall be included for the purpose of quorum in a manner to be determined by the Presiding Officer.
At the discretion of the Presiding Officer and in the interest of saving time, registered delegates who have signed in at a business session may be counted as present for purposes of determining whether a quorum exists, unless ten percent (10%) or more qualified voters demand a manual count of delegates in attendance physically or virtually.
RULE 5: RIGHT TO REPRESENTATION
An undergraduate or alumni chapter not in good standing under the requirements of the Constitution or of the Statutes shall be denied representation at the Grand Chapter.
RULE 6: OFFICERS AND ORGANIZATION
The permanent officers of this Grand Chapter shall be the Grand Consul as Chairman, the Grand Pro Consul as Vice Chairman, the Executive Director as Annotator, Assistant Annotators (Headquarters Staff members), a Parliamentarian appointed by the Grand Consul, one or more Kustos, a Head Teller appointed by the Grand Consul, Assistant Tellers and such other officers as the body may elect. The Presiding Officer shall be the Grand Consul or his designee.
RULE 7: PRIVILEGES OF MEMBERS OF THE GRAND COUNCIL
The members of the Grand Council shall have all the privileges of the Grand Chapter except that they have no right to vote or make nominations unless duly qualified in some other capacity, pursuant to the Governing Laws.
RULE 8: RULES
Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised, except as superseded by our Governing Laws, and the Rules as herein adopted shall be the rules of this Grand Chapter, insofar as they are applicable.
RULE 9: VOTING
(a) The Grand Chapter may consider and vote on any two or more proposed amendments as a unit under these rules, Robert’s Rules of Order Revised, notwithstanding. (b) Each delegate in the Grand Chapter shall be entitled to one (1) vote, which may be cast by his alternate in the absence of the delegate. There shall be no proxy voting. The votes cast by duly accredited delegates attending virtually in a manner prescribed by the Presiding Officer shall not be considered proxy votes. Secure electronic voting shall be authorized in a manner determined by the Presiding Officer.
RULE 10: MOTION TO TABLE
It shall be in order to table a proposed amendment to a pending measure. If adopted, said motion shall not carry or prejudice the original measure. A motion to table should not be confused with a motion to postpone. A motion, once tabled, can only be taken from the table at this Grand Chapter.
RULE 11: ROLL CALL VOTE
When ten percent (10%) or more qualified voters demand that a vote be recorded by roll call, it shall be taken first by undergraduate chapters in alphabetical order, and then by alumni chapters in alphabetical order, then by the Past Grand Consuls, and finally by the Grand Consul. Alphabetical order shall mean by Greek letter chapter name for undergraduate chapter and by English alphabet for the alumni chapters. Past Grand Consuls shall vote by terms of service with the first serving Past Grand Consul voting first, and the most recent serving Past Grand Consul voting last.
RULE 12: REPORTS
Reports by committees shall be disposed of in the following order: Rules, Permanent Organization and Procedure Committee, Credentials Committee and thereafter at the discretion of the Presiding Officer.
RULE 13: ORDER OF BUSINESS
The Grand Chapter shall proceed in the order of business prepared and printed by the Grand Consul and the Executive Committee, except as modified from time to time during the Grand Chapter by the Presiding Officer or by majority vote of the Grand Chapter itself.
RULE 14: RESOLUTIONS
All resolutions shall be referred to the Presiding Officer who may have the same read and referred without debate, to the appropriate standing committee for its further action, or immediately presented for deliberation by the Grand Chapter.
RULE 15: PRESENTATION OF PROPOSALS
At the discretion of the Presiding Officer, any agenda proposal may be presented and discussed by a panel or forum as follows:
There shall be an aggregate time limit of 10 minutes for the pro side and 10 minutes for the contra side, unless extended to a maximum of 15 minutes for each side at the sole determination of the Presiding Officer that additional discourse is necessary. Said speakers will address the body in an alternating sequence, pro and contra, until speakers or time are exhausted. All participants from the floor shall be held strictly and firmly to the time limit prescribed. No member may move to Call the Question until each side has been given at least 10 minutes or no further arguments are made from the pro or contra side, whichever may occur first. Only members of this Grand Chapter and the members of the Grand Council shall have the right to floor privileges.
RULE 16: NOMINATIONS
The Nominating Committee shall present to this Grand Chapter at least one candidate who the Committee finds to be Qualified or Highly Qualified for each of the offices to be voted upon in accordance with the Rules for Elections, which are incorporated herein by reference. The Nominating Committee may comment on the qualifications, or lack thereof, for any candidate for an office which is subject to review by the Committee. Other nominations may be made from the floor by any member of this Grand Chapter in the manner provided in the Election Procedures for Grand Chapter.
RULE 17: SEATING
The first row of the delegate section of the Grand Chapter meeting room shall be set aside for Past Grand Consuls. The second and succeeding rows of the delegate section shall be set aside for the certified delegates or alternates from alumni and undergraduate chapters. Delegates shall be seated by province designation, which will be denoted by signs posted on the convention floor. Provinces will be arranged in alphabetical order. Grand Praetors should sit with the delegates from their respective provinces. Other Sigma Chis are invited to sit in the rear sections of the Grand Chapter meeting room.
RULE 18: MANNER OF COMPUTING VOTES
On all matters acted upon by this Grand Chapter requiring a percentage vote for approval or disapproval, the percentage of votes shall be based upon the requirements specified in the Governing Laws (i.e. changes to the Constitution require a three-fourths vote of the members voting on a proposal [Constitution Article VI-A]; changes to the Statutes require a majority vote of the members voting on the proposal [Statute 9.02]). Proposed amendments to the Executive Committee Regulations shall be adopted by a majority vote of the members voting on the proposal. [E9.02-02] “Except as otherwise provided in the Constitution or Statutes, action of the Grand Chapter shall be by a majority of those duly certified and registered delegates voting.” [Statute 4.10] Each candidate or proponent and opponent of a proposed amendment to the Governing Laws may have an observer present during the vote count. The numerical results of all votes, except elections, shall be reported to the Grand Chapter. Elections vote totals shall be reported to the candidates in the manner specified in the Rules for Elections for Grand Chapter.
RULE 19: AMENDMENTS TO THE GOVERNING LAWS
For all proposed amendments to the Governing Laws the person or persons offering such amendment shall provide the Presiding Officer with a written copy of the same before a vote is taken, unless this rule is excused by the Presiding Officer.
RULE 20: EFFECTIVE DATE
All amendments to the Governing Laws shall be effective upon the adjournment of the Grand Chapter, unless otherwise designated in the proposal as adopted.
RULE 21: ELECTIONS
Elections, including speeches, nominations and balloting, will be conducted according to the Rules for Elections incorporated herein and made available to all delegates and alternates in their registration packets.
RULE 22: ORDER OF ELECTIONS
Prior to holding elections, the chair will request additional nominations from the floor. Nominations from the floor will be handled as described in the Election Procedures. If an office is not contested, the chair may proclaim the election by acclamation.
The order of elections shall be:
7. Grand Praetor (in the following order):
RULE 23: SPECIAL ORDERS
Due to the special nature of authorized virtual participation, the Presiding Officer may make such rulings or determinations as necessary to allow the Grand Chapter to efficiently conduct its business in a manner deemed most fair to all brothers, subject only to appeal from the Rulings of the Chair.
The Rules Committee respectfully urges the Grand Chapter to adopt these proposed rules.
In Hoc,
65th Grand Consul Bob Jones, RENNSELAER 1973
Chairman of the Committee on Rules, Permanent Organization and Procedures
