Chapter Bylaws

Phi Beta Mu

XI Chapter Organization and Procedures

Phi Beta Mu is a non-political, non-profit fraternity organized to promote fellowship among its members, to encourage the building of better bands and the development of better musicians in schools throughout the world, to foster a deeper appreciation for quality wind literature, and to encourage widespread interest in band performance.

Chapter Officers and Elections

The following Chapter Officers shall be elected by a majority vote of a quorum and be known as the executive committee: President, Vice-President, and Secretary. They shall serve two-year terms and may succeed themselves in office.

A member who is appointed by the President, Vice-President and Recording Secretary of the Chapter will fill the Executive Secretary position. There is no term limit on this position and the Executive Secretary serves at the pleasure of the Executive Committee.

Duties of the Chapter President

The Chapter President shall preside at all meetings of the chapter membership, appoint all committees, and serve on such committees as an ex-officio member.

Duties of the Chapter Vice-President

The Chapter Vice-President shall act as the Chairperson of the Chapter Membership Committee. The Vice-President will assist in the recruitment of new members and contact members who have fallen behind in their dues and/or participation. In the absence of the President, shall assume the President's duties. In the event of the President's departure from office, the Vice-President shall assume the office of the President with all of its rights and responsibilities.

Duties of the Recording Secretary

The Recording Secretary shall take minutes of all meetings and serve as record keeper of the chapter’s history by maintaining the archives of the chapter. The minutes of all meetings will be turned over to the President for distribution. This officer will also coordinate the currency of the chapter website with the webmaster.

Duties of the Executive Secretary

The Executive Secretary shall collect all dues, maintain bank and tax records, manage the list of members and report in writing to the membership each January at the Annual Meeting. The Executive Secretary will also file the Annual Chapter Report with the National Office, order pins and plaques from the National Office as needed, and distribute all correspondence to the membership. The Executive Secretary and President will each have their signature on file with the bank holding the Chapters funds.

The Executive Secretary has no policy making power as part of the Executive Committee.

Chapter Dues

Dues may be established and modified according to the needs of the chapter through constitutional processes.

Budget

The Chapter funds are used to support all operational costs of the Chapter. No formal annual budget need be presented, however, the Executive Secretary shall file an annual financial report at each annual meeting.

Regular Chapter Meetings

Regular chapter business meetings shall be held at the same time and in the same city as the regular meeting of the Illinois Music Educators Association State Conference. At no time shall there by a called meeting of the Fraternity to transact business other than herein specified.

Chapter Quorum

A quorum shall consist of those members present at the regular business meeting.

Election to Chapter Membership

To be elected to membership, an active member in good standing, who shall be held responsible for the prospective member, providing he/she is accepted for membership in the Fraternity, must sponsor a prospective member. In the event that a member should be expelled from the Fraternity, it shall be the duty of the sponsoring member to inform said member of his/her expulsion.

The name of any prospective member must be submitted by an active member for consideration by the Chapter Membership (see New Member Procedures). Except in the case of a prospective member requesting an opportunity to be considered for membership, prospective members are not to know that the chapter is considering their names.

If a chapter member has valid reason for objecting to a candidate's initiation into membership, it is that member's responsibility to notify the President of these objections in writing. Written objections must contain a valid reason why a nominee should not be considered for membership and the executive committee will then render a decision. If there are no written objections this will be considered a vote of acceptance by the membership for the nominee into the Fraternity and the prospective member is then eligible to take the Oath of the Fraternity.

Individuals who are not members of the XI Chapter, who are selected for the Outstanding Bandmaster Award or the Bandmaster Hall of Fame, will, in addition to their award, receive one year dues free membership. At the conclusion of that year, each will be offered regular chapter membership and, if accepted, proceed through chapter initiation to assume full membership responsibilities.

Attendance at Meetings

The effectiveness of the chapter is guided by member participation. A member who misses three straight annual meetings will be asked by the Executive Secretary if they wish to continue as a member of Phi Beta Mu.

Attendance at all meetings will be recorded.

Dues and Privileges/Responsibilities of Membership

The International Board of Directors shall set the international per capita fee. This fee shall entitle each member to attend all chapter and International membership functions, vote on all matters of chapter and international concern, and receive the Phi Beta Mu Report as an independent publication or as a section in another professional journal, depending on the arrangements made by the International Board of Directors.

Each active member has pledged to help every other member in whatever way is possible and to respond promptly to all communications concerning Phi Beta Mu business. These responsibilities should be taken seriously, and, if violated, may be grounds for a member being dropped from membership.

Retired Membership

When a band director retires from the profession, whether or not he/she accepts employment in another line of work, he/she shall be considered eligible for one of two types of retired membership.

Retired Active - An active member in good standing may be designated a Retired Active Member and shall carry all of the privileges of an active member. Such a Retired Active Member shall pay only local dues, have local chapter privileges only, and not be entitled to the Phi Beta Mu Report.

Retired Inactive - An active member in good standing may be designated a Retired Inactive Member with no dues required. Such a member may attend chapter meetings and enjoy Fraternity affiliation, but will not have voting privileges at any level or receive the Phi Beta Mu Report.

Honorary Memberships and Honors

In accordance with national bylaws, the chapter may bestow honorary membership upon an individual outside the Fraternity by a unanimous vote of the chapter's membership at any regular chapter meeting. This membership shall be considered international in scope and shall be listed in the International Membership Roster.

An Honorary Member may participate in all activities but shall have neither voting privileges nor the right to hold office. An Honorary Member may petition any chapter for active membership, thereby gaining voting privileges and the right to hold office.

Honorary Membership may be bestowed on an active member by majority vote of the membership at a regular meeting as a special recognition of service to the Fraternity or the profession. In such situations, the member in question will retain all active membership privileges but will not be required to pay annual dues.

A member may be further honored with a Lifetime Honorary President designation by unanimous vote of the chapter membership in a regular meeting. No special pin will be given for this award, but the member will retain all active membership privileges and will not be required to pay annual dues.

A Chapter Past-President pin will be given each Chapter President at the conclusion of his/her term in office. This pin shall be the regular membership pin with a row of five (5) half pearls bordering the top and bottom of the pin.

Standing Committees and Guidelines

The Executive Committee may establish a working committee for a purpose that will support the mission of Phi Beta Mu. The structure and work of each committee must be reported annually to the membership. The corresponding guidelines for each document will be attached to the chapter bylaws.

Nominating Committee

Appointed by the President, the nominating committee will present a slate of officers for each two-year term. Election will be either by acclamation at the meeting or by mail ballot if there are multiple suggestions for the offices.

Webmaster

The President will appoint an individual, or individual(s) to maintain the Chapter Website. This individual will work with the Recording Secretary to maintain the accuracy of information posted on the site.