Bylaws of the Middle Western Province
As Amended April 21, 2012
Please submit questions to the Province Polemarch.
Article I - Nomenclature
Section 1. The name of this organization shall be the Middle Western Province of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity.
Article II - Objectives
Section 1. To observe, adhere to and promote the objectives of the Grand Chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity.
Section 2. To correlate the aims and efforts of the Chapters of the Middle Western Province.
Section 3. To cooperate with other Provinces in promoting the objectives of the Grand Chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi.
Section 4. To promote the establishment of Chapters in the Middle Western Province wherever and whenever practical.
Section 5. To encourage active participation by all members of Kappa Alpha Psi within the jurisdiction of this Province.
Section 6. To promote social contact.
Article III - Organization and Government
Section 1. The principal units of organization and government of the Middle Western Province of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity shall be: the Middle Western Province Council, the Middle Western Province Board of Directors, the Province Executive Committee, the Undergraduate Chapters, the Alumni Chapters and the Alumni Associations with jurisdiction throughout the states of Missouri, Nebraska, Colorado, Oklahoma, Kansas, and Fayetteville, Arkansas and any additional states or cities as prescribed by the Grand Chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity.
Section 2. The officers of the Middle Western Province shall be: Province Polemarch, Senior Province Vice Polemarch, Junior Province Vice Polemarch, Province Keeper of Records, Province Keeper of Exchequer, Province Assistant Keeper of Records, Province Assistant Keeper of Exchequer, Province Strategus, Province Lieutenant Strategus, Province Historian, Province Reporter, five Members of the Province Board of Directors, Province Parliamentarian, and Province Editor.
Section 3. The elected offices of Junior Province Vice Polemarch, Province Strategus, Province Lieutenant Strategus, Province Assistant Keeper of Records, Province Assistant Keeper of Exchequer, and two (2) members of the Province Board of Directors shall be filled by members of Undergraduate Chapters.
Section 4. The Province Board of Directors shall consist of ten (10) members as follows: the Province Polemarch, who shall be Chairman, the Senior Province Vice Polemarch, Junior Province Vice Polemarch, Province Keeper of Records, Province Keeper of Exchequer, and five (5) other members elected from the floor of the Council, two (2) of whom shall be Undergraduate Chapter members elected to one year terms and three (3) of whom shall be Alumni Chapter members elected to staggered three year terms with one elected each year. Alumni Chapter members elected from the floor of the Council to a three year term shall be ineligible to serve more than two consecutive terms of portions thereof. The Province Board of Directors shall have the power to supervise and act upon all Fraternity matters which arise between consecutive sessions of Province Council. The immediate Past Province Polemarch shall be an ex-officio member of the Province Board of Directors to vote only in the absence of a regular member of the Board of Directors.
Section 5. The Province Board of Directors shall hold at least two (2) regular business meetings between sessions of the Province Council. Special business meetings may be called by the Province Polemarch whenever dictated by urgency.
Section 6. Six of the ten members of the Province Board of Directors shall constitute a quorum.
Section 7. The Province Board of Directors, by majority vote, shall have the power to fill any vacancy caused by death, resignation or removal of any Province officer. The member selected for such vacancy shall serve until his successor is elected at the next regular Province Council.
Section 8. The Province Board of Directors shall have the power to levy fines on Undergraduate, Alumni Chapters and Alumni Associations of the Middle Western Province as prescribed by the Province Bylaws.
Section 9. There shall be an Executive Committee of the Province Board of Directors composed of the Province Polemarch, who shall be the chairman, the Senior Province Vice Polemarch, Junior Province Vice Polemarch, Province Keeper of Records, and the Province Keeper of Exchequer. The Executive Committee shall give active and continuous supervision to the province and administer the operations of the province during intervals between meetings of the Province Board of Directors with accountability to the Province Board of Directors.
Section 10. The laws of the Province and the order of their precedence shall be: The Constitution of Kappa Alpha Psi, the Statutes of Kappa Alpha Psi, the Ritual of Kappa Alpha Psi, such other regulations as may be established by the Grand Board of Directors, and the Bylaws of the Middle Western Province.
Section 11. A quorum in the Province Council shall consist of one-third of its financial Chapters.
Section 12. The Middle Western Province shall sponsor a leadership conference each year which shall be titled the C. Rodger Wilson Leadership Conference.
Section 13. Each Undergraduate and Alumni Chapter will be required to send their Chapter Polemarch, Keeper of Records, and Membership Intake Chairman or designees approved by the Province Polemarch to the leadership conference.
Section 14. Failing to send a representative to the leadership conference will subject a Chapter to a fine determined in accordance with Article VI, Section 8.
Section 15. Selection of the host city for the Province Council shall be made by the Province Board of Directors two (2) years in advance of the Province Council meeting via an application process. Applications and guidelines for completion may be obtained from the Province Keeper of Records. The Chapter Polemarch and Keeper of Records, certifying a majority affirmative vote, of the Chapter, must sign the application submitted for consideration.
Section 16. Any and all functions of a local chapter within the Middle Western Province that have been approved by the local chapter in a duly authorized meeting in accordance with the Local Chapter Bylaws and Roberts Rules of Order shall constitute official and sanctioned local chapter functions.
Section 17. Chapters may establish a local foundation or other legal entity for the purpose of owning real property or to facilitate funding and implementation of a fraternity program upon the advance approval of the Province Board of Directors. Any such foundation or other legal entity shall submit an annual report of its financial condition and/or its activities to the Province Board of Directors not later than sixty days following the close of its fiscal year.
Article IV - Election of Province Officers
Section 1. There shall be a Nominating Committee of the Middle Western Province Council, the chairman shall be appointed by the Province Polemarch. No candidate for elective office or position shall be allowed membership on the Nominating Committee.
Section 2. Each candidate for office in the Province must submit a written application to the Province Nominating Committee signed by the Polemarch and/or Keeper of Records of his local Chapter. The application shall contain the following:
1. Financial status with local Chapter and Middle Western Province.
2. Chapter office(s) held.
3. Elective and appointive office(s) held in the service of the Grand Chapter and
the Middle Western Province.
4. Current status of the member in terms of scholarship and suspensions or
other disciplinary action by the Fraternity or college, where applicable.
Section 3. On-site applications for Province offices or positions shall be restricted to only those offices or positions for which no written applications have been received by the Province Nominating Committee at least fifteen (15) days prior to the Province Council.
Section 4. No member shall be eligible for office who is under suspension or other disciplinary action by the Fraternity or college, who is scholastically deficient with a cumulative grade point below 2.3 on a 4.0 scale or the equivalent thereof, who is financially delinquent with the Fraternity at any administrative level, or who is not in attendance as a registered delegate at the Middle Western Province Council.
Section 5. The slate of nominees for elective offices submitted to the Province Council shall be determined by a majority vote of the Province Nominating Committee.
Section 6. The Province Council shall submit at least 3 recommendations for the office of Province Polemarch to the Grand Polemarch.
Section 7. All elections for officers in the Province Council shall be by secret ballot.
Section 8. Officers of the Middle Western Province shall be elected by majority vote.
Section 9. No member shall occupy more than one elective Province office or position.
Article V - Duties of Officers
Section 1. The Province Polemarch, who is appointed by the Grand Polemarch, shall be the chief administrative officer of the Province Council. He shall preside at all meetings and have general supervision of its affairs. He shall serve as chairman of the Province Board of Directors and shall call all regular or special meetings of the Province Council, after consultation with the Province Board of Directors. He shall appoint and remove all committees that are not otherwise provided by the Bylaws. The Province Polemarch shall see that the officers of the Province Council, the Undergraduate Chapters, the Alumni Chapters and the Alumni Associations discharge their duties faithfully and impartially, accurately and promptly; and he shall enforce strict observance of the laws and policies of the Fraternity. He shall sign all warrants for payment of money authorized by the Province Council and perform such other duties as may be imposed upon him by The Constitution and Statutes of Kappa Alpha Psi, such other regulations established by the Grand Board of Directors, and the Bylaws of the Middle Western Province.
Section 2. The Senior Province Vice Polemarch shall be an Alumni member of the Province. He shall assist the Province Polemarch and serve in his absence. He shall engage in such other related duties as may be required of him.
Section 3. The Junior Province Vice Polemarch shall be a member of the Province from an Undergraduate Chapter. He shall assist the Province Polemarch and serve in the absence of the Province Polemarch and the Senior Province Vice Polemarch. He shall engage in such other duties as may be required of him.
Section 4. The Province Keeper of Records shall:
A. Be responsible for providing supervision over and the maintenance of all records of the Province except fiscal records. He shall supervise and record the proceedings of the Province Council, Board of Directors meetings and others directed by the Province Polemarch. He shall permanently maintain such minutes and other Province documents. He shall sign and issue warrants to the Province Keeper of Exchequer for the payment from Province funds upon the order of the Province Council, Province Polemarch or the Province Board of Directors.
B. Maintain such books as are required by the Province Council, and make such reports as are required by the Bylaws of the Middle Western Province. The books may be subject to inspection by any member, Chapter (Alumni or Undergraduate), or Alumni Association in good standing with the Province.
Section 5. The Province Keeper of Exchequer shall:
A. Be responsible for providing supervision over and the maintenance of all fiscal records and financial accounts of the Province. He shall sign and issue payments from Province funds in his custody upon the order of the Province Polemarch and the Province Keeper of Records.
B. Maintain such books required by the Province Council, make such reports as are required by the Bylaws of the Middle Western Province, and make fiscal records available for audit. The fiscal records may be subject to inspection by any member, Chapter (Alumni or Undergraduate) or Alumni Association in good standing with the Province.
Section 6. The Province Assistant Keeper of Records shall assist the Province Keeper of Records and serve in his absence, and shall engage in such other related duties as may be required of him.
Section 7. The Province Assistant Keeper of Exchequer shall assist the Province Keeper of Exchequer and serve in his absence, and shall engage in such other related duties as may be required of him.
Section 8. The Province Historian shall collect and compile historical and biographical material annually for the use of the Province Council and shall direct its publication in the manner prescribed by the Province Polemarch.
Section 9. The Province Reporter shall perform the primary function of gathering information and forwarding same to the Editor of the Province Council newsletter entitled the MIDDLE WESTERNER and to the Editor and appropriate Associate Editors of the KAPPA ALPHA PSI JOURNAL. He shall gather and forward to these Editors all newsworthy achievements of Chapters and individual members of the Province in accordance with Fraternity policy.
Section 10. The Province Strategus shall have charge of the approaches to the Province Council, preserve order and decorum. He shall see that only duly qualified members of the Province Council shall enter. He shall perform such other duties as may be required of him.
Section 11. The Province Lieutenant Strategus shall assist the Province Strategus and serve in his absence. He shall perform such other duties as may be required of him.
Section 12. The Province Parliamentarian, who is appointed by the Province Polemarch, shall assist in the interpretation of The Constitution and Statutes of Kappa Alpha Psi, such other regulations as may be established by the Grand Board of Directors, The Bylaws of the Middle Western Province and Robert's Rules of Order. He shall perform such other duties as may be required of him.
Section 13. The Province Editor, who is appointed by the Province Polemarch, shall perform the primary function of publishing the Province Council Newsletter entitled the MIDDLE WESTERNER. He shall publish all newsworthy achievements in the Province and the public press in accordance with Fraternity policy. He shall perform such other duties as may be required of him.
Article VI - Revenues
Section 1. For a Chapter to become financial with the Middle Western Province, dues shall be paid at the rate determined in accordance with Section 8 of this Article.
Section 2. All Chapters must pay their yearly dues in order to be active and recognized for participation in all Fraternity functions.
Section 3. A reinstatement fee for each delinquent Chapter shall be assessed in an amount determined in accordance with Section 8 of this Article.