TBP Constitution AmendmentS

The 2022 Convention approved two amendments to the Tau Beta Pi Constitution. Per the provisions of the Constitution, the amendments must be ratified by the chapters to be adopted. Chapters are asked to conduct a vote of their active members and submit the ballot by April 1, 2023 June 1, 2023. Additional information about the ballot and the proposal is available on this webpage.  

Deadline Extended (NEW!)

Normally, the ratification ballot is due on April 1. In order to provide additional information and time to consider the amendments, the Executive Council has extended the deadline until June 1, 2023! Any chapter that has not submitted a ballot or wishes to reconsider their vote based on the additional information can submit a new or revised ballot. 

Detailed Ratification Presentation (NEW!)

A detailed presentation about the proposed changes is available in PDF or PPTX. The presentation includes general information about the ratification process, as well as the purpose, context, wording changes, Convention presentation, Convention discussion, and reference information about each proposed amendment. This provides nearly everything a member and chapter might want to know about the proposed changes!

Chapter Chats

Two Chapter Chats were held in April to discuss the proposed amendments with interested members or chapter officers. The presentation from the chat is available for download in PPTX format. The video from the chat is available on our YouTube channel.

The chats were held on Wednesday, April 12 at 8:00 pm ET and Thursday, April 20 at 8:30 pm ET. Director of the District Program Stacey Forkner and Trust Advisory Committee Chair Jim Johnson attended to speak about these amendments since they impact an area of the Association they are actively engaged with. The bulk of the time will be allocated to answer questions from those in attendance.

Ballot

The ballot should be submitted via the electronic reporting system (from the main screen, click on Other Reports and then Ratification Ballots). A sample ballot and instructions for voting are available in PDF format to assist chapter officer's in the voting process.

Information Sheet

A basic information sheet about the proposal is available for chapter officers and members. It provides a basic statement about the proposed changes and the actual changes to the text of the Constitution.

Frequently Asked Questions

Article XV, Section 3(a) of the Tau Beta Pi Constitution states the deadline is April 1. How can the Executive Council extend the deadline?

Article XV, Section 3(c) of the Constitution gives the Executive Council the authority to act and vote for chapters that do not report by the deadline. In their March 2023 meeting, the Executive Council agreed to allow ballots to continue to be submitted through June 1, 2023, and would treat any ballots received by June 1 as though they were received by April 1. This has been done on several occasions in the past when chapters have not submitted ballots on time.

What vote is required for an amendment to be ratified? What is the quorum for such a meeting/vote?

The Constitution requires three-fourths of the chapters to cast ballots with three-fourths favorable vote of the active membership present and entitled to vote (Const. Art XV, Sec. 2(a)). The quorum requirement is three-fourths of the active chapter membership (Const. Art. VII, Sec. 2(c)).

I thought abstaining meant not to vote. Why is there a line on the ballot for abstentions and what does that mean?

The Constitutional requirement "three-fourths favorable vote of the active membership present and entitled to vote" is unusual. Robert's Rules of Order Newly Revised typically refers to a vote by those present and voting. As such, the Tau Beta Pi requirement means that an attendee who does not vote in the affirmative is actually voting "No." The ballot includes lines for affirmative, negative, and abstentions to record how attendees voted or did not vote. However, if the explicit "No" votes plus explicit or implicit abstentions exceed one quarter of those in attendance, a chapter's vote is "No." Hence, an abstention,  in this unsual case, is a "No" vote.

My chapter already submitted a ballot. Are we able to submit a new one?

Yes, until the ballots are officially counted and recorded, a chapter is always able to resubmit a ballot. This has happened in the past particularly in the case where a chapter submits an invalid ballot. Tau Beta Pi considers the last ballot received as the one to be counted. If you need to resubmit your ballot, contact chapters@tbp.org.

How does a chapter actually submit a ratification ballot?

In the past, chapters had to print a copy of the ballot and either email or mail the completed ballot to HQ. Starting in 2023, chapters can now submit their ballots using the electronic reporting system. After logging in to the system, click on Other Reports and then Ratification Ballots. The system will automatically validate your numbers to ensure your ballot is accurate. If you run into any issues, email chapters@tbp.org.