THE DELTA KAPPA GAMMA SOCIETY INTERNATIONAL
NORWAY STATE
BYELAWS

Revised and adopted April 2013
The byelaws for Delta Kappa Gamma Society International, Norway State are based on the Constitution of The Delta Kappa Gamma Society International, with later amendments approved by the Convention.

Definitions:

  1. Constitution: The basic steering document for The Delta Kappa Gamma Society International.
  2. International Standing Rules: guidelines for the practical work in the Society, prepared in accordance with the Constitution.
  3. Byelaws: Steering document for the Society in a member country. This document must be in accordance with the Constitution and the International Standing Rules.
  4. Rules: Individual chapters may decide their own rules. These must not be in conflict with documents of a higher order.
Constitution, International Standing Rules, Byelaws and Chapter Rules shall be the basis for all activities in The Delta Kappa Gamma Society International, Norway.

ARTICLE I
Name

  1. The name of the Norwegian organisation is The Delta Kappa Gamma Society International, Norway.

  2. Each chapter shall be designated by a Greek letter or a combination of two or more Greek letters.


ARTICLE II
Objectives
The Delta Kappa Gamma Society International, Norway has these objectives:
  1. – to promote the purposes of The Delta Kappa Gamma Society International as described in the Constitution, article II.
  2. – to be a link between the local chapters and the international organisation.
  3. – to organise chapters in Norway and provide for leadership training for State and Chapter Presidents.

ARTICLE III
Membership
  1. Members may be active, reserve and honorary members. Membership shall be in accordance with the Constitution, article III.
  2. Each chapter has full authority to decide matters concerning chapter membership.
  3. Honorary members in The Delta Kappa Gamma Society International,Norway shall be recommended by the Board of a chapter and be elected by the State Executive Board. Approval by a 4/5 majority is required. Initiation of a State honorary member may take place at an ordinary meeting in the chapter or at a State Conference. The State President and the leader of the Membership Committee shall administer the ceremony.
  4. Termination of membership: a complete list of members who have terminated their membership in The Delta Kappa Gamma Society International, Norway shall be kept by the State Secretary. The list shall contain the reason for and date of the termination. If the termination of the membership is due to resignation, the chapter shall keep the written resignation in its files.
  5. Reinstatement: the leader of the chapter’s Membership Committee shall inform the State Secretary when a former member has been reinstated.

ARTICLE IV
Finances
Annual dues:
  1. The State annual dues shall be determined at the State Conference, by a 2/3 majority. Changes in the dues shall be decided in accordance with the Constitution, article IV.
  2. Annual dues and a possible scholarship fee shall be paid between 1 July and 31 October. Members who have not paid before 1 November may be struck off.
  3. All dues and fees shall be collected by the Chapter Treasurer. State and international dues shall be sent to the State Treasurer.

  1. Financial control:
  1. A draft budget for the biennium, written by the State Treasurer, shall be presented to the State Board. Thereafter, it shall be presented to the State Conference for discussion and final approval.
  2. All claims for expenses shall be signed by the State President before payment by the Treasurer.
  3. The Constitution, article VIII section B4 stipulates annual auditing of the Society’s accounts. The revised accounts shall be approved by the State Board.

  1. Funds:
  1. Available Fund. The Available Fund shall be the operating fund, requiring a budget.
  2. Scholarship Fund. The Scholarship Fund shall be for the benefit of our members, e.g. financial support to attend Conventions. The fund has its own guidelines concerning allocation of the resources.
  3. Permanent Fund. The State shall maintain a Permanent Fund in accordance with the guidelines in Article IV of the Constitution.

ARTICLE V
Organisation
The State Board
Officers
President, shall be elected.
Vice President, shall be elected. The Past President may function as Vice President, but shall be elected.
Secretary, shall be elected.
Treasurer, shall be selected and appointed by the Executive Board, but without the right to vote.
The State Conference is not authorised to approve or disapprove the selection.

The State President has the central executive function. She represents The Delta Kappa Gamma Society International, Norway in those fora where this is natural, also internationally.
The Secretary takes care of all correspondence and minute taking.
The Treasurer is responsible for fees and all payments. She also heads the Membership Committee and as such has the right to vote.
The chapter presidents are also members of the State Board.

The duties of the State Board are described in the Constitution, article VII, B2.
The State Board shall meet at least once a year. The State President may call an extraordinary meeting with at least 30 days’ notice. The State Board has a quorum when a majority of its members are present. Chapter presidents who are unable to attend a meeting may appoint a deputy to the State Board with full rights.
If the State Board, for practical reasons, deems it necessary to require a postal vote, this shall be regarded as a valid voting procedure.

Term of office
  1. State Board members, elected at a State Conference in odd-numbered years, shall function for a period of two years, unless otherwise stated, or until a successor is appointed.
  2. None, except the Treasurer, may function in the same office for more than two consecutive terms.
  3. All State Board members are appointed as of 1 July in the year of their election.
The Treasurer may function for more than two terms.

3) Vacant State Board offices
  1. If the office of State President becomes vacant during the term, the Vice President shall take over this function.
  2. If a vacancy occurs in one of the other offices, the State President shall appoint a successor.
4) Nominations and elections
  1. Nominations shall be made by a Nominations Committee consisting of one member from every chapter. The committee shall be elected by written ballot at the State Conference. The committee members shall elect their leader from among their own number. The committee shall propose 1 – one – candidate for every office. The nominee shall have given her consent. The chapters shall be notified in writing about the nominations. After the committee report has been made public at the meeting, the members present may propose other candidates, whose consent has been obtained.
  2. Elections shall be by ballot and be decided by a simple majority. If only one name has been put forward, the election may be decided by a show of hands.
  3. The Nominations Committee shall prepare and supervise the voting.
5. Chapters
  1. The Chapter Board, with the exception of the Treasurer, shall be elected by a general majority at the chapter’s annual meeting in even-numbered years. The Chapter Board shall consist of a President, a Vice President, a Secretary, a Treasurer and 1-2 Board members.
  2. The term of office for the individual Board member shall be two years. No Board member, with the exception of the Treasurer, can serve in the same office for more than two consecutive terms. All Board members shall start their term of office on 1 July after the election.
  3. The Treasurer shall be selected by the Chapter Board every second year and can serve in the same office for more than two consecutive terms.
  4. The chapter shall establish its chapter rules, which shall be in accordance with the Constitution, International Standing Rules, and state organisation byelaws.
  5. Board meetings shall take place at least twice a year. The President may call additional meetings.
  6. Every chapter shall work in accordance with the Constitution and the Norway State Byelaws.
  7. The Chapter President represents the chapter as a voting member of the State Board.

6. New chapters
  1. The State Board shall determine the geographical area of each chapter and approve the organising of a new chapter.
  2. Rules for the admission of new members and the inauguration of a new chapter shall be recommended and approved by the State Board.

ARTICLE VI
Meetings
State Conferences
  1. The business of The Delta Kappa Gamma Society International, Norway shall be conducted at a State Conference in odd-numbered years. The time and venue shall be decided by the State Board. Among other matters that may be raised, the Conference shall receive and discuss reports, plan the activities of the Society, make any amendments to the State byelaws, elect a new State Board and discuss any matters arising.
  2. Every member registered as a Conference participant may vote. If required, the voting may take place after a roll call.
  3. A quorum is made when a majority of the registered participants is present. The State Conference shall appoint an auditor.


2) Chapter meetings
  1. Every chapter shall be free to decide the number of members’ meetings and activities during the year.
  2. Every chapter shall have a working majority when at least half of the members are present.
Each chapter shall determine its own quorum.
  1. Chapters shall be required to have at least four business meetings per year.

ARTICLE VII
Committees

  1. Standing committees
  1. Nominations Committee
  2. State Conference Committee
  3. Membership Committee

  1. General rules of procedure
  1. All State committees shall be appointed by the State Board, except the Nominations Committee.
  2. The State President shall always be an external member, without special duties, of all committees, except the Nominations Committee.
  3. Postal voting is acceptable in matters that require instant decisions in the committees, if all committee members have been informed.

  1. The tasks of the committees
  1. The business of the Nominations Committee shall be conducted in accordance with article V. 4 of these byelaws.
  2. The State Conference Committee shall be responsible for planning the State Conference as far as the practical events and the programme are concerned. The Committee shall co-operate with the State Board.
  3. The work of the Membership Committee shall be conducted in accordance with Article III of the Norway State byelaws.
4. Ad Hoc committees
The State President may appoint ad hoc committees. These committees shall be dissolved after their final reports have been presented.

ARTICLE VIII
Publications

The publications of special programmes and brochures from The Delta Kappa Gamma Society International, Norway shall be approved by the State President and the financing plan must be approved by the State Board.
Our news is published on our web-site, where any member is free to write. A web-master will edit the page. Our web-site shall be run according to Society rules.

ARTICLE IX
Amendments

  1. The Norwegian State Byelaws may be amended at a State Conference by a 2/3 majority, on the condition that a proposed amendment shall have been made known to members at least 60 days before the State Conference.
  2. Proposed amendments to the Byelaws may be submitted to the State Board by any member and by any committee, Board or Chapter.
  3. All proposed amendments shall be approved by a 2/3 majority of the State Board before being presented to the State Conference for discussion and approval.

ARTICLE X
Dissolution

Should a chapter, or Norway State, be dissolved,
  1. all liabilities and obligations shall be paid or satisfied,
  2. all assets shall be forwarded to Norway State in the case of a dissolved chapter, and to the International Executive Board of Delta Kappa Gamma in case of the dissolution of Norway State. Remaining assets (including cash) shall be sent to an international Delta Kappa Gamma fund (e.g. the Available Fund).

ARTICLE XI
Parliamentary Authority

Norway State has used Organisasjonshåndboken, published in 2009 by Frivillighet Norge, Oslo, as its governing manual for parliamentary procedures of Norway State and chapters, except for those procedures described in the Constitution, International Standing Rules, State organisation byelaws and chapter rules.