TBS Districts

V. Districts 1. ORGANIZATION AND
MEMBERSHIP

5.101 The Sorority shall be divided into seven (7) geographical areas to be known as “Districts.” The Districts shall be labeled according to their geographic regions and shall comprise the following states or areas:

Midwest District

Colorado      Montana
Iowa             Nebraska
Kansas         North Dakota
Minnesota     South Dakota
Missouri        Wyoming

North Central District

Illinois        Michigan
Indiana       Ohio
Kentucky   Wisconsin

Northeast District

Connecticut        New York
Delaware            Pennsylvania
Maine                 Rhode Island
Maryland            Vermont
Massachusetts     Virginia
New Hampshire   West Virginia
New Jersey          District of Columbia

Southeast District

Alabama    Mississippi
Florida       North Carolina
Georgia      South Carolina
Tennessee

Southwest District

Arkansas   New Mexico
Louisiana   Oklahoma
Texas

Western District

Alaska         Nevada
Arizona        Idaho
California     Oregon
Hawaii          Utah
Washington

International

All chapters outside the U.S.A.

5.102 Each District shall be comprised of all the chapters located within its state or areas, and those recognized pursuant to 5.103.

5.103 Any chapter desiring to participate in the activity of another District can petition the National Council and be assigned to the neighboring District on a majority vote of the National Council. The transfer would grant them the same rights and privileges as any chapter in the District.

2. DISTRICT COUNSELOR

     5.201 Each District shall be under the jurisdiction of the District Counselor(s). The District Counselors shall be appointed by the National President and approved by the National Council. The District Counselors shall serve a term of two (2) years. District Counselor appointments will be announced at District Conventions of even numbered years with terms beginning on July 1. The District Counselors shall serve without compensation. Expenses incurred on behalf of the Sorority shall be paid upon presentation of a written statement to the National Executive Director, subject to approval by the National President.

     5.202 The District Counselor shall be the Administrative Officer of the District and shall be a nonvoting member of all District Committees which the District President shall appoint. The District Counselor shall act in an advisory capacity to the National Council, the District, and to the Chapters in the assigned District. The District Counselor shall be designated as the official representative of the District whenever such representation shall be required and shall, when requested by the National Council, act as the Official Inspecting Officer of the Sorority of all chapters within the District.

5.203 If a vacancy occurs in any of the District Counselor positions, the National President, with the approval of the National Council, will appoint a replacement. A District Counselor may be removed from the position by unanimous vote of the National Council.

5.204 The District Council and District Counselor will be notified prior to the addition or replacement of a District Counselor.

3. OFFICERS

5.301 Each District shall have a District President, District Vice President, and District Secretary-Treasurer or other Officers as deemed advisable by the District Counselor. These Officers shall be elected by the chapters assembled at District Convention. The District Officers shall serve from District Convention to District Convention.

5.302 Each District Officer shall be at least a sophomore student and an active member of the Sorority in good standing, at the time of election. Officers elected during their final year of college may serve out their current term of office, provided that they are a Life Member. Each District Officer shall have more than an ordinary business or professional ability and shall be capable of representing the Sorority and District when called upon to do so. Each District Officer shall have the best interest of the Sorority at heart and be willing and able to devote the necessary time to execution of the duties imposed by the office and shall be actively participating in or serving bands during their term of office. All District Officers shall serve without compensation.

5.303 A Committee on Nominations at each District Convention shall carefully investigate the eligibility of candidates for election. The committee shall nominate one member for each office and present the names to the Convention. Additional nominations may be made from the floor of the Convention by Official Delegates. A majority of all votes cast shall be necessary for election.

5.304 The District President shall preside at all meetings of the District and shall be a nonvoting member of all District Committees which she/he shall appoint and shall render all possible assistance to the District Counselor. In the absence of the District Counselor, the District President may be designated as the official representative of the District whenever such representation shall be required.

5.305 The District Vice President shall, in the absence of the District President, preside at the meetings of the District. The District Vice President shall also be in charge of expansion within the District as set forth by the guidelines of the District Expansion Committee.

5.306 The District Secretary-Treasurer shall record, publish, and distribute to all chapters in the District, the District Counselor, and all members of the National Council, the minutes of all meetings of the District and shall, as necessary, control the receipt and disbursement of all monies of the District.

5.307 District Officers shall not have a vote, except the President whose vote shall only be counted to break a tie.

5.308 In the event that both the President and Vice President are no longer active members and are not Life Members or are otherwise unable to attend the next District Convention, the chapter to which the officer belonged shall appoint a member to act in said officer’s place.

5.309 Any District Officer who leaves the District permanently during the term of office shall automatically resign, and other District officers shall follow constitutional procedure to fill the vacancy.

4. FINANCES

5.401 District revenue shall be derived from a per capita allotment provided by the National Organization. The National Active Membership Dues will include an additional fee which will be returned to the District. No further fees are to be assessed by the District. 5.402 Money delegated for District accounts shall remain in the National account until requested by the District Counselor and the District Secretary-Treasurer. The request shall be in writing, signed by both aforementioned representatives of that District. Each District shall set its own guidelines regarding the use of District funds.

5.307 District Officers shall not have a vote, except the President whose vote shall only be counted to break a tie.

4. FINANCES

     5.401 District revenue shall be derived from a per capita allotment provided by the National Organization. The National Active Membership Dues will include an additional fee which will be returned to the District. No further fees are to be assessed by the District.

     5.402 Money delegated for District accounts shall remain in the National account until requested by the District Counselor and the District Secretary-Treasurer. The request shall be in writing, signed by both aforementioned representatives of that District. Each District shall set its own guidelines regarding the use of District funds.

5. MEETINGS

5.501 A regularly called meeting of the District shall be held on a yearly basis or during the even numbered year of the biennium. The exact date is to be determined by the host chapter subject to approval of the majority of the District Counselor and Governors. In the absence of a decision by the close of the convention, the District Counselor and Governors will determine the location for the next convention.

5.502 All chapters bidding to host a district convention must adhere to the National Guidelines for Bidding and Hosting a District Convention. Each bid submitted must contain at least two (2) available dates. The National Officers in attendance at the convention must approve any exceptions.

5.503 Special Conventions of the District may be called upon a favorable vote of seventy-five (75) percent of the chapters of the District in good standing or upon recommendation of all the District Officers.

5.504 A ninety (90) day written notice prior to the date of all District Conventions shall be given to all National Officers, District Officers, and Chapters in the District by the National Executive Director and the District Secretary-Treasurer.

5.505 Official Delegates or Proxies from a majority of the chapters of the District in good standing together with at least two (2) of the District Officers shall constitute a quorum at all District Conventions.

     5.506 In general, the order of business of all District Conventions shall be:
a. Invocation
b. Seating of Delegates
c. Appointment of Committees
d. Report of District Officers
e. Report of Chapters
f. Unfinished Business
g. New Business
h. Report of Committees
i. Selection of Convention Site
j. Installation of Officers
k. Closing
     The general order of business may be changed by the District Counselor or District President.

6. DELEGATES AND PROXIES

5.601 Each active chapter of the District shall be represented at regularly called District Conventions by an Official Delegate.

5.602 In the absence of a Delegate and an Alternate Delegate to a District Convention, each chapter may designate the Alternate Delegate of another chapter in attendance at the Convention to serve as its Proxy. The written proxy must be submitted to and approved by the District President prior to the opening session of the Convention. The chapter issuing the proxy and the chapter designated as the proxy holder must be active and in good standing with the National Headquarters. All Proxies not meeting the above requirement are void. All seats of chapters in good standing with the National Headquarters that are vacant after seating of delegates and written proxies shall be filled alphabetically with proxies from the Chapters present, beginning in the alphabetical listing of chapters with the chapter following the last one seated at the prior convention. Alumni members may not sit as written Proxy Delegates for undergraduate chapters.

     5.603 Each Official Delegate or Proxy must have a current membership card and shall have one (1) vote at District Conventions. Each Official Delegate shall serve the duration of the District Convention to which appointed.

7. COMMITTEES

5.701 The Standing Committees of the District shall be: Committee on Nominations, Committee on Convention Site, Committee on Colonization and Membership, and such other Committees as may be considered necessary by the District Counselor or by the District President.

5.702 All Committees shall be appointed by the District Counselor or District President and shall consist of the number of members deemed necessary. Members of all Committees shall serve until relieved of their appointment by the District Counselor or District President.

8. REPORTS

5.801 All reports of District Officers and committee chairpersons shall be submitted typewritten in triplicate to the District Convention. One copy of each report shall be forwarded to the National Executive Director by the District Secretary-Treasurer to be included in the minutes of the convention.

5.802 A report of the activities of the office held shall be submitted in triplicate by each District Delegate at regularly called National Conventions.

Return to the Constitution