For PDF of the Constitution and the Points Rubric Click Here

 Preamble (top)

We, the members of the Zeta Psi Chapter (hereafter called Zeta Psi Cast) of Alpha Psi Omega, in order to develop dramatic talent and the art of production and performance, to cultivate a taste for the best in drama, to foster the cultural values, which we believe dramatics develop, and to unite the dramatic forces of several colleges and universities, members of this order in mutual brotherhood and service, do hereby form and establish this constitution and by-laws of the Zeta Psi Cast of Alpha Psi Omega.


Article I (top)

Name, Symbols, and Purpose

Section 1: The name of this honorary dramatic society shall be the Zeta Psi Cast of the Alpha Psi Omega.

Section 2: The flower shall be the African violet.

Section 3: The colors shall be light blue and amber.

Section 4: The motto shall be “Seek a Life Useful”.

Section 5: The purpose of the Zeta Psi Cast of Alpha Psi Omega is to stimulate interest in theatre activities at Tri-State University, and to secure for the university all the advantages and mutual helpfulness provided by a large national honor society. By electing students to membership, the Cast provides a reward for their participation in drama activities of the university. The Cast is not intended to take place of the Tri-State University Drama Club.


Article II (top)

Member Requirements

Section 1: In order to be considered an active member, Alpha Psi Omega members must fulfill Cast membership and point obligations in addition to national membership obligations.

Section 2: Cast membership obligations 

  • To be considered a member of this Cast of Alpha Psi Omega the student must be enrolled at Tri-StateUniversity.  
  • Each member is expected to take an active part in the work of the organization, to serve in any capacity they can, and to accept a sense of responsibility for the welfare of the organization. 
  • To be considered active, member must attend 75% of regular Cast meetings and participate in any Alpha Psi Omega production in any capacity.  
  • Members who are in danger of being inactive will be notified by the secretary and urged to increase their involvement.

Section 3: Inactive members 

  • Any member who is deemed inactive forfeits all voting privileges. 
  • In order for any inactive member to be reinstated, they must follow the following procedure:
    •  Inactive members must explain their absences and lack of involvement to the Executive Council for reinstatement.
    •  Inactive members will then be recommended, to the Cast, for reinstatement by the executive council. 
    •  The Cast must vote on the status of the inactive member for reinstatement. A vote of two-thirds majority is necessary for reinstatement.

Section 4: Honorary Membership may be bestowed on persons who have made special continued contributions to the Tri-State University Drama Club.

 

Article III(top)

Election to membership

Section 1: The active members of the Zeta Psi Cast will elect candidates to membership.
  • The induction process may be conducted a maximum of twice an academic year, once in the fall and again in the spring. 
  • A committee established and headed by the vice president will determine the eligibility of each suggested nominee according to the eligibility requirements for members
  • All active members will vote on the acceptance of each nominee. A two-thirds majority vote is necessary for acceptance.
  • The initiation ceremony will follow National organization guidelines.

Section 2: Eligibility requirements.

  • In addition to fulfilling the minimum requirements of the Grand National Cast, in order to be eligible for nomination the following requirements must be met.
    • Must be an enrolled student at Tri-StateUniversity.
    • Must have a G.P.A of 2.50 on a non-weighted 4.0 scale.
    • Due to requirements from Tri-StateUniversity, honors cords may only be worn at graduation by members with a G.P.A. of 3.0 or above.
    • Accumulate thirty-five points or more, based on the following point outline and rubric.
    • Involvement with at least one main stage production is required to be nominated/ accepted into Alpha Psi Omega. 
    • In general, a major role is defined as a part which has more than 15 pgs in a full length play.  A walk-on role is considered to be a part which has less than 2 pgs in a full length play.  Major, minor, and walk-on roles for productions shall be determined by the director and stage manager of each show and confirmed by the faculty advisor.
    • All points are awarded by a committee consisting of the advisor and 2 other Cast members.  Points listed below are given for average effort.  
  • Wild Card:  Any person who does not meet one of the acting or technical requirements, but does meet all other requirements and would be deemed as an asset to the Cast may become a candidate by a nomination of a current Cast member with reason and a majority vote of active members. 

 

    Article IV (top)

    Executive Council

    Section 1: The executive council of this Cast will consist of the offices of President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, Student Senate Representative, and the Advisor. 

    Section 2: The President will call meetings, preside at all meetings, appoint committees, and provide general supervision of all affairs of the society. To avoid a possible voting tie, the President shall be given a 1-½ power vote.  The president also resides over the initiation ceremony. 

    Section 3: The Vice President will assist the President and assumes the responsibilities of the President in the case of his/her absence. Also the VP will be responsible for keeping track of all nominee points, activities related to nominees and nominee procedures. The VP shall establish and preside over the committee during election of new members. 

    Section 4: The Secretary will be responsible for all record keeping pertaining to Cast business and member involvement. The Secretary will also maintain notes from all official Cast meetings. The Secretary will also be required to make sure that the constitution and the policies outlined within it are upheld.  The Secretary will also inform members of any activities and meetings. 

    Section 5: The Treasurer will keep all financial records and make sure they are up to date at all times. These records must be a matter of public record and provided at the request of any active member. The Treasurer is to oversee the submission of the yearly budget. 

    Section 6:  It will be the responsibility of the Student Senate Representative to serve as a liaison between the Student Senate and the Cast by attending all senate meetings or to appoint a replacement.  The Representative must also inform the Cast, through the Secretary, of all Senate Decisions.  Also, the Representative must carry proposals to the Senate from the Cast.

    Section 7: Requirements that Executive Council members shall be expected to fulfill in order to retain position on the board.

    • Members of the Executive Council must maintain an overall G.P.A. of 2.7 or above. Any officer failing to do so may be removed from office.
    • Members of the executive board should attend all Cast meetings. Any officer absent from a total of three (3) meetings, without proper excuse, may be subject to removal from office.
    • Members of the executive board should fulfill all duties with skill and consistency.
    • Members of the executive board should consistently demonstrate a commitment to the mission and goals of the Cast. (Article I, Section 5)

     

    Article V (top)

    Other Offices

    Section 1: Other officers of the Cast include Historian and Public Relations Officer

    Section 2: It will be the responsibility of the Historian to keep an accurate record of productions, which take place at the university. The Historian shall also be required to keep an accurate record of all activities that the Cast is involved in throughout the year including photographic documentation.

    Section 3:  It will be the responsibility of the Public Relations Officer to oversee all P.R. activities, including advertising, Cast pamphlets, posters, programs.

    Section 4: The Public Relations Officer will also report to the National Business Manager, who edits the annual Playbill, the annual productions and activities of the Cast no later than June 1st of each year. Photographs, programs, and other supporting materials may be included and will be featured in Playbill at the discretion of the National Business Manager.

     

    Article VI (top)

    Election of Officers

    Section 1: Officers for the following year will be nominated at a regular spring meeting by current members of the Cast.

    Section 2: Officers will be elected by a majority vote of active members.

    Section 3: Only active members may be elected to office. 

    Section 4: All officers shall hold office for one academic year (May to May).  

    Section 5: If any officer does not return to college, an election shall take place at the first meeting of the year to fill the vacancy.

    Section 6:  Each officer shall take an oath pledging him to carry out the duties of the office conferred upon them to the best of their ability, and always with the decorum and dignity worthy of the cast.

     

    Article VII (top)

    Removal of Officers

    Section 1: Any officer failing to fulfill the requirements outlined in Article IV, Section 7 shall be subject to removal from office. Members of the Cast will be given the opportunity to present testimony concerning the behavior of the officer in question. The decision to effect removal from office shall require the endorsement of two-thirds of the, then present, Cast membership.

    Section 2: Should an office be vacated between elections, the vacancy may be filled through an election duly called and held for such purpose. In the event that the vacant position is that of the presidency, the vice president shall automatically become president and an election may be held to fill the vice presidency.

     

    Article VIII (top)

    Funds and Dues

    Section 1: New members must pay a one-time duty of $40.00 ($30 National Membership and $10 Local Membership) before they can be initiated as a member of the Zeta Psi Cast of Alpha Psi Omega.

    Section 2: Special emergency assessments may be levied upon member only by a two-thirds vote of active members.  

    Section 3: The use of any Alpha Psi Omega funds shall first be approved by the Treasurer and President.

     

    Article IX (top)

    Committees

    Section 1: The standing committee of the Cast shall be as follows:

    • The Executive Council (Article IV)
    • Initiation Committee
    • Play Reading Committee

      Section 2: The Initiation Committee is headed by the Vice President and chooses candidates which meet the criteria for membership.  This committee will keep accurate records of each member with accomplishments in the field of theatre. They also preside over the induction ceremony with the President. 

      Section 3: The duty of the Play Reading Committee is to select a number of plays that would be appropriate for the TSU Drama Club.  The committee then presents the Drama Club with aforementioned plays and a brief synopsis of each in order for the Drama Club to select a play for the forthcoming semester.

      Section 4: The President may form temporary committees at any time deemed necessary to oversee a specific activity. Temporary committees are to be dissolved after the activity is complete.

       

      Article X (top)

      Meetings

      Section 1: There shall be at least two meetings per semester of active Cast members and at least one additional meeting for the executive council.  

      Section 2: Special meetings may be called at any time by the President, or at the request of the faculty sponsor.

       

      Article XI (top)

      Advisor

      Section 1: The Faculty Advisor has no term limit and must be a current TSU Faculty or Staff Member.  

      Section 2: The Faculty Advisor shall act as a liaison between the faculty and Cast and shall serve as a mentor to the organization, providing guidance to the officers and members.

      Section 3: The Faculty Advisor is expected to be updated on the state of the organization, and is expected to attend all Executive Council and attend other meetings as desired.  

      Section 4: The Faculty Advisor shall have access to the cast account in case of an emergency.  

      Section 5: In the event that the Faculty Advisor resigns, the Executive Council shall ask a different faculty member to become their advisor as soon as practical.

       

      Article XII (top)

      Amendments

      Section 1: The articles of this constitution may be amended revised, or altered in whole or in part at any regular meeting by a two-thirds vote of the active members of the Cast, provided such an amendment and a notice of the proposed vote is given to each member in writing at least one week prior to the vote.

      Section 2: Grammatical Errors may be corrected by a majority vote of the Executive Council.

       

      Article XIII (top)

      By-Laws

      Section 1: Additional by-laws may be adopted at any meeting by a two-thirds vote of the active membership.

       

      Article IXV(top)

      Ratification

      Establishment of this constitution as the governing document of the Zeta Psi Cast of Alpha Psi Omega shall require the unanimous decision of the then-elected, qualified, and acting members of the Executive Council as well as the endorsement of two-thirds of the then-standing Cast membership.