PCCA

 

Preamble

 The Penn College Construction Association Student Chapter of the National Association of Home Builders is established to improve upon the learning experience of students and provide service to the college and community at large. As such, the members of the student organization agree with these principles as stated:

1. Penn College Construction Association strives for the improvement of the individual, the construction industry, and the nation.
2. Penn College Construction Association protects its members and does not discriminate against race, color, creed, age, gender, or sexual orientation.
3. Penn College Construction Association opposes violence, coercion, intimidation, and the denial of the rights of the club members and advisors.
4. Penn College Construction Association believes that membership in this club should be available to all of the people regardless of race, color, creed, age, sex, or national origin.

 Article I. Name

 The name of this organization shall be the PENN COLLEGE CONSTRUCTION ASSOCIATION, a student Chapter of the National Associations Home Builders.

 Article II. Membership

Any student who attends Pennsylvania College of Technology on a full or part-time basis may be a member of this organization. Membership and active participation in the club, including holding an office, will not be withheld from any student because of their race, color, creed, sex, age, or national origin.

 Membership term is one calendar year. The year will coincide with the college academic year.

 Members shall pay annual dues in the amount of 20 dollars and 00 cents. The amount for annual dues shall be subject to review at the initial meeting of the membership year. A simple majority vote of active members will be required to change the dues structure.

 An active member is any member of the chapter whose dues are paid and attends ¾ of the total meetings and participates in one club activity per semester other than scheduled meetings and social events. Members who do not pay their dues within three meetings following the first meeting shall be placed on an inactive list. Inactive members will not be able to take part in elections or any other club activities until these dues are paid. Full payment of dues will reactivate membership.

 The chapter shall have the power to suspend indefinitely any of its members for just cause. A 3/4 vote of active members shall be required to suspend a member.  

 Article III. Meetings

General meetings will be scheduled weekly, during college hour unless otherwise specified.

 Meetings are subject to change by vote of 3/4’s of the active members.

 Officer planning sessions are scheduled before the first meeting of each semester and additionally as needed throughout the semester. Meeting dates, times, and places are set at the discretion of the chapter president.

 Committee meetings will be scheduled as needed with the exception of standing committees which will meet once each month or as needed. Meeting dates, times, and places are set at the discretion of the chapter president or committee chairperson.

 Each officer should give a report at the beginning of each meeting and minutes will be kept on file.

 Article IV. Chapter Business

 A simple majority vote of the active members present at any meeting shall be required to conduct business.  Three current officers of the club must also be present to conduct chapter business.  All active members are eligible to vote on matters concerning chapter affairs.  Each voting member is entitled to one vote.  A member may not vote for another member.  A member must be in attendance to cast a vote.  Voting rights shall be forfeited with the non-payment of dues.

 Article V. Amendment to the Bylaws

 Bylaws may be amended only when 3/4’s of the active members vote in favor of the amendment.  Exception to this article is when voting to establish dues for the calendar year or changing the frequency of scheduled meetings.  A simple majority vote of active members is required to enact the change.

 All active members are eligible to vote on Bylaw amendments.  Each voting member is entitled to one vote.  A member may not vote for another member and must be in attendance to cast the vote.  Voting rights shall be forfeited with the non-payment of dues.

 Article VI. The Executive Committee

 The executive committee shall consist of the officers of the student chapter, the liaison with the National Association of Home Builders, and the advisor.  Officers shall consist of the president, the vice president, the secretary, the treasurer, and the historian.

 The executive chapter shall have the authority to plan and organize the activities of the chapter.  The committee shall have the authority to create and disband ad hoc and standing committees to carry out individual activities of the chapter.

 Duties of the Executive Committee:

 The president shall: 

1. preside at all meetings of the general assembly and the executive committee

 

2. act upon the business of the executive committee by appointing committees and committee chairman

 

3. be an official member of all committees

 

4. act as the official student liaison between the student chapter and the National Association of Home Builders

 

5. have the authority to delegate official responsibility to the vice-president as necessary

 

6. keep one copy of business and activity transactions including activity planning, execution, and control documents

 

7. maintain weekly communications with the chapter advisor on an informal basis

 The vice-president shall: 

1. preside over meetings of the general assembly and the executive committee in the absence of the president

 

2. be an unofficial member of all committees

 

3. monitor and report the progress of committees to the executive committee

 

4. take charge of filling out all paperwork and sending in the membership registrations for the NAHB

 

5. make sure deadlines are met on club projects

 

The secretary shall:   

 

1. prepare and maintain a list of active and inactive members

 

2. record the proceedings of all meetings of the general assembly and the executive committee

 

3. maintain a current copy of the Bylaws

 

4. prepare and post notices of the meetings of the general assembly

 

5. announce the clubs activities and school wide events

 

6. maintain a file of all written documents such as arise in the normal course of the chapters operation

 

7. perform all other usual duties pertaining to the office

 The treasurer shall: 

1. prepare and maintain all financial records of the chapter in compliance with university or college regulations which shall include but not be limited to an accurate record of receipts and disbursements of the funds of the chapter

 

2. issue membership cards and pins

 

3. disburse funds as authorized by the executive committee

 

4. deposit receipts from membership dues, grants, and fund raising activities

 

5. give weekly report to membership of financial changes in the club

 

6. present budget for next school year to SGA and advisors

 

7. prepare an operating budget for the coming chapter year for review by the executive committee

The historian shall: 

1. maintain a record of the chapter activities that are not a part of the business documents.  This record includes but is not limited to slides, photographs, and video-tapes of the chapter activities, news articles, posters, and any documentation which reveals the activities of the chapter.

 

2. be responsible for photographing either personally or delegating to other members

 

3. manage website and bulletin board and keep both up to date with chapter activities.

 The advisor/co-advisor(s): 

1. 1.      offer their ideas and suggestions to the chapter

 

1. 2.      monitor chapter member behavior

 

1. 3.      attend all meetings of the general assembly and the executive committee

 

1. 4.      shall be present as required by school policy at all club events and functions

   Election of Executive Committee

Nominations will be accepted for the officer positions beginning on the second to last Tuesday in February during the general assembly meeting.  Nominations will be closed just prior to the election of officers.

 Election of the officers shall occur during the general assembly meeting of the chapter on the last Tuesday of February.  Election shall be by separate ballot vote.  The candidate receiving the largest number of votes shall be elected in each case.  Only those active members in attendance may vote.  Each member may cast only one ballot.  If only one candidate for an office is nominated, then the candidate may be elected by affirmation.  The advisor will be selected at the first executive committee meeting of the new chapter year.  The newly elected officers and the outgoing executive committee will participate in the selection process.  The advisor’s immediate supervisor must approve the selection of the advisor.

 In the event that a tie for an office would occur, whoever has the accumulated the most points during the current year will receive the position.

 Vacancies

 If a vacancy occurs in the office of president, the vice-president shall succeed.  If vacancies occur in any other office, the president (or vice-president if acting as president) shall call a meeting of the general assembly to elect officers to the vacant positions.

 Article VII. Finances

 Chapter fund may be disbursed for any purpose that promotes the chapter and the activities of its membership.  These funds shall be disbursed in accordance with university and college regulations.  These funds may be used for but not limited to monthly publications, special functions such as field trips and guest speakers, and to help defray the cost for student chapter members to attend meetings, conventions, and other functions of the National Association of Home Builders.

 Any expenditure of the club’s funds must be presented to and approved by the members at a weekly meeting. 

 Article VIII. Parliamentary Authority

 All meetings will be run in a professional, but informal manner.  Each elected president may determine how formally he or she will run the meetings.

 Article IX. NAHB Competition Members

 All members of the 2-year and 4-year teams must be club members in good standing.  In the event that members in good standing within the club are unwilling to fill all the positions on the teams, students may fill the remaining positions from the college community at large.

 One spot will be reserved for an architecture student on the 2-year team and one spot for a civil engineering student on the 4-year team.

 Positions will be reserved on each team for a member(s) who competed on the previous year’s team.  In addition to repeating team member(s), students whom actively shadow the previous year’s competing team will have the first right to refusal for the reserved position(s) the following year.

 The student who shadows the team will be appointed and approved by the team members.  The student will work with the team members throughout the working phase of the project and also accompany the team to the International Builders Show.

 If there are no candidates, who fulfill the previous requirements, all members in good standing will have an equal opportunity at those positions.  Once the required positions are filled, all members will have an equal opportunity to hold a place on the team regardless of prior involvement in the competition.

 The members who desire to compete on the competition teams will be automatically placed on those teams as long as there is no more than the required number showing interest for each team.  If there are more members showing interest than spots available, those showing interest will be required to give a speech during a scheduled meeting the date of which is to be determined by the president.  An impartial panel of three persons chosen by the Executive Committee and the advisor/co-advisor will judge the speeches.

 The interested members will be given an opportunity to speak about their background information, experiences, and any other information they feel is pertinent to the competition.  The panel will then have an opportunity to question the perspective team members.  The panel will judge the speeches based on criteria determined by the Executive Committee and the advisor/co-advisor.

 Article X. Enactment

 These Bylaws shall be enacted upon approval of the governing body of student organizations at Pennsylvania College of Technology.