Order of the Blue and White Constitution Article I – Name The name of this organization shall be the Order of the Blue and White of the National Residence Hall Honorary hereafter referred to as NRHH. This chapter shall be an active member in good standing with the South Atlantic Affiliate of NACURH, Inc. Article II – Purpose The purpose of this organization shall be to recognize those individuals who have demonstrated positive leadership and outstanding service to residence hall life at Georgia Southern University and to serve as a stimulus for developing residence hall involvement. NRHH will serve as the primary outlet for service and recognition initiatives for the Department of University Housing. Through these stated purposes, the NRHH strives to improve the quality of residence hall life on the Georgia Southern University campus. This organization is not a profit organization. Article III – Membership Section A - Types of Membership This organization shall consist of Active Members, Early Alumni Members, Alumni Members, and Honorary Members. Section B - Qualifications for Membership 1. Active Membership a. Possess minimum 2.5 GPA. b. Live in the residence halls for one year. c. Not currently be on conduct probation at Georgia Southern University. d. Have completed at least two semesters (including the current semester) of service to residence halls and/or Georgia Southern University community. e. Not be graduating during the semester of their induction. 2. Early Alumni Membership a. Early Alumni status is reserved for Active Members who reside in on-campus housing who can no longer maintain active status within the chapter. b. Active Members, or the Senior Vice President of Membership and Development, may request for the Active Member to be moved to Early Alumni status by submitting the appropriate paperwork to the Regional Associate Director of NRHH for approval. It is the right of the Regional AD-NRHH to deny requests for reasons including, but not limited to: i. The application form being incomplete. ii. The region’s AD-NRHH does not believe that sufficient measures were taken by the chapter to address the member’s inactivity with chapter business before submitting the application. iii. The chapter has exceeded its allotted early alumni membership approvals for the year. 3. Alumni Membership: Alumni Membership is for former Active Members who have moved off campus or graduated from Georgia Southern University. 4. Honorary Membership a. Honorary Membership is intended to recognize non-students members of the Georgia Southern University community who have actively contributed to Residence Life and/or the Georgia Southern University community. b. Honorary Members may also be current students who are inducted in the semester they are graduating. c. Honorary Members are chosen by the active members during the selection process. 5. All members inducted into NRHH shall be members of NRHH for life. Section C- Responsibilities of Active Membership 1. Must currently live on the Georgia Southern University campus in a residence hall. 2. Must be a full time student, as defined by the Registrar’s office. 3. Members must maintain a GPA of 2.5. 4. Members will adhere to all Georgia Southern University rules, regulations, and policies, as outlined in the Student Conduct Code. 5. Members shall be a participant in one of the three standing committees as outlined in Article VI, 1. 6. Members shall attend at least 75% of all general body meetings and NRHH sponsored events within each semester unless approved by the Executive Board through formal request. 7. Members shall participate in the two annual NRHH hosted service events, HALLoween and EGGstravaganza, unless absence is approved by the Executive Board through written request two weeks in advance.
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Members shall submit a minimum of 2 OTMs per semester while adhering to a 200 word minimum per OTM. Members shall commit to half of the semester NRHH sponsored service events.
Section D - Maintenance of Active Membership 1. It is an expectation to abide by requirements as outline in Article III, Section C within each semester of membership. Within the last month of each semester, the Senior Vice President of Membership shall verify the standings of each Active Member. 2. Failure of Active Members to meet requirements shall result in a probationary period of no less than one semester and will take effect immediately. If placed on probation, he/she will be notified by the Senior Vice President of Membership through email and shall have voting rights suspended until the requirements are met. 3. Active Members may be relieved of probation by meeting Active Member requirements within the probationary period. 4. If a member fails to meet Active Membership requirements within two consecutive semesters, he/she shall be notified by the Senior Vice President of Membership through email and considered for Early Alumni Membership. 5. Upon the second notification of the Active Member’s probationary status, The Senior Vice President of Membership or the Active Member may complete and submit the appropriate paperwork to the Regional Associate Director of NRHH for approval to transition the Active Member into Early Alumni status. 6. If the member and/or chapter wish to appeal the decision of the region’s AD-NRHH to place them in Early Alumni status, he/she may appeal to the entire NNB. The decision of the NNB shall be final. a. Each AD-NRHH shall have one vote. b. A simple majority shall be necessary, with the National Associate for NRHH casting the tie-breaking vote when necessary. 7. Temporary leave from on-campus housing such as, but not limited to, co-ops, internships, or study abroad, will not affect an individual’s active membership within NRHH. In the case of a temporary leave, the NRHH member should notify the President in writing detailing the reason for and duration of the temporary leave. Section E - Membership Cap 1. Membership in NRHH is limited to 1% of the total resident population at Georgia Southern University as determined by University Housing. This limit shall apply only to the sum of Active Members. This limit shall determine the number of spaces open to the selection process. 2. There is no limit to the total number of Alumni or Honorary Members. 3. Should a person who is a member of a NRHH chapter at another NACURH NRHH affiliated school transfer to Georgia Southern University and live on campus, they shall be automatically declared a member of NRHH. Should this person cause the cap to be exceeded, special dispensation must be sought according to the terms of the National NRHH Policy Book. 4. The number of Early Alumni shall not exceed 15% of the membership cap. 5. The number of Honorary Members a chapter shall be able to induct per academic year will not exceed 10% of the chapter's membership cap. 6. Students currently living in the residence halls and students not meeting the GPA requirements may not be considered as Honorary Members. Section F – Meetings 1. The Executive Board shall decide the frequency of meetings for the executive membership and general membership at the beginning of each year with approval from the NRHH Advisor. 2. The general membership should meet, at a minimum, of once per month to conduct regular business. 3. The executive membership should meet, at a minimum, of twice per month to conduct regular business. Article IV - Selection of New Members Section A - Selection Committee 1. Formation of Committee a. The Selection Committee shall be composed of any interested Active Members of NRHH. b. The Senior Vice President of Membership shall chair the committee. 2. Powers and Duties The Selection Committee shall be responsible for: a. Creating the advertising process. b. Distribution, collection, compilation, and destruction of all selection materials. c. Enforcing the rules and procedures for selection as described in Article IV, Section B. Section B - Selection Process 1. Selection Process
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Once the Selection Committee sets the schedule, it must be approved by the NRHH Executive Board by a majority vote. b. Once the schedule is set, it may not be deviated from, without advance notification by NRHH Executive Board. Nomination Forms a. Nomination forms shall be distributed to: i. Active NRHH Members ii. Honorary NRHH Members iii. Housing Professional Staff iv. Housing Graduate Staff v. RHA Executive Branch vi. Hall Council presidents vii. Any other person as deemed appropriate by the Selection Committee b. Nominations shall be made in concurrence with the form(s) approved by the Selection Committee. c. The due date of the nomination forms must be more than one week after the date of distribution. Eligibility for Selection In order to be selected into NRHH, a nominee must: a. Possess minimum 2.5 GPA. b. Live in the residence halls for two semesters. c. Not currently be on conduct probation at Georgia Southern University. d. Have completed at least two semesters (including the current semester) of service to residence halls and/or Georgia Southern University community. e. Not be graduating during the semester of their induction. Application Forms a. Application forms shall be sent to all eligible nominees. b. Applications must be submitted on a form approved by the Selection Committee. c. All forms must be turned in by the deadline established by the Selection Committee. Any exceptions must be approved in advance by the Selection Committee. Selection Meeting a. Selection shall be held at a special meeting chaired by the Senior Vice President of Membership. b. Quorum for this meeting shall be 50% of the Active Members of NRHH involved with the Selection Committee. c. A nominee must receive at least a simple majority vote of all voting members at the selection meeting to be inducted. d. Voting procedures shall be left to the discretion of the Senior Vice President of Membership. e. In the event that more nominees apply than seats are available, those nominees with the highest vote ratio (Affirmative/Negative) shall be inducted. In the event that there are still too many nominees, there shall be a revote on those who created the tie. f. No more than 75% of the open seats shall be filled in the fall selection process, to ensure a spring process. Selection Notification: Nominees for selection will be notified of their status within one week of the completion of the selection meeting.
Article V - Executive Board Section A - Overview The officers of NRHH, in line of succession, shall be the President, Senior Vice President of Membership, Vice President of Administrative Services, Vice President of Recognition, and Vice President of Service. Section B - Qualifications 1. Must be an Active member in NRHH. 2. Must possess a 2.55 GPA upon election. During tenure in office, the Executive Member shall maintain at least a 2.5 to meet probationary status as an Executive Officer. The advisor will check the GPA’s in August and December. 3. Must meet all requirements of Georgia Southern University and University Housing for leadership positions. 4. Officers shall not hold any office in the Residence Hall Association or Community Leaders United without a letter of approval from both the current NRHH Advisor and from the advisor of the other organization; NRHH President shall not hold another presidential position in RHA or CLU. 5. Executive Officers shall not be a full time staff member or Housing Graduate Assistant. Section C - Officers 1. President of NRHH The duties of the president shall be:
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To uphold this constitution. To preside at all regular, special, and executive meetings. To represent NRHH and coordinate communication with University Housing, Georgia Southern University, the community, SAACURH, and NACURH. To serve as the primary liaison to the regional and national NRHH officers. To serve as, or to appoint, the NRHH representative to all state, regional, and national conferences. To ensure NRHH maintains good standing with NRHH, SAACURH, NACURH, and Georgia Southern University. To be non-voting ex-officio member of all committees. To appoint, remove, or oversee committee chairs. This duty can be delegated to another Executive Board Member at the discretion of the President. To coordinate Executive Board transition process.
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Senior Vice President of Membership The duties shall be: a. To act in the capacity of the President in their absence. b. To coordinate communication with various committee Vice Presidents. c. To coordinate the constitutional revision process. d. To serve as parliamentarian at all meetings. e. To coordinate leadership development activities (i.e. team builders and development programs). f. To coordinate the election process for the Executive Board. g. To act as or appoint the NRHH photographer at NRHH functions. h. To coordinate the member selection process and induction ceremonies. i. To provide developmental activities for inductees. j. To coordinate an inductee service project with the help of the Vice President of Service.
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Vice President of Administrative Services The duties shall be: a. To record and make available minutes at all meetings. b. To attend or to find a proxy as NRHH representative at bi-weekly RHA meetings. c. To maintain an accurate listing of all members. d. To handle all financial matters of NRHH. e. To update membership on budget on an as needed basis. f. To work with the NRHH Advisor on reconciling the budget. g. To keep records of all NRHH programs, functions, meetings, etc. h. To coordinate NRHH advertising and promotion materials. i. To coordinate any delivery of officer or committee reports to the President. j. To coordinate website development and maintain website. k. To attend all RHA general body meetings as a voting member to communicate NRHH updates and receive RHA updates. l. To attend NRHH meetings and communicate RHA updates including but not limited to fundraising, leadership, and programming initiatives.
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Vice President of Recognition The duties shall be: a. To coordinate the campus OTM process. b. To submit winning OTMs to regional level by the 10th of each month. c. To be responsible for recognition items for members of NRHH, University Housing, and the local community. d. To coordinate or assist with all recognition efforts within University Housing. e. To coordinate award and bid writing.
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Vice President of Service The duties shall be: a. To coordinate community service opportunities, including, but not limited to: EGGSstravaganza and HALLoween. b. To work with local non-profit organizations and agencies to provide service opportunities to students of University Housing and Georgia Southern University. c. To organize and oversee at least one service project per month. Advisor of NRHH a. The advisor shall be appointed by University Housing on a yearly basis.
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The duties of the advisor shall be: b. To keep GPA records and to coordinate all probationary actions. c. To advise all officers of NRHH. d. To evaluate the actions of NRHH to ensure compliance with all applicable regulations. e. To hold meetings with the president on a biweekly basis. f. To hold one on ones on an as needed basis with all Executive Board Members. g. To oversee the NRHH annual budget and communicate updates to the budget with the Vice President of Administrative Services. h. To provide a historical perspective. i. To attend all general and Executive Board meetings. j. To attend, when practical and possible, state, regional, and national conferences to assist the NRHH representative or to assign a Professional Staff member to attend in the same capacity. Section D- One on Ones 1. The President shall hold one-on-ones with the NRHH Advisor at least once every other week. 2. Officers of NRHH shall hold one-on-ones with the President at least a minimum of once a month. 3. All other officers of NRHH shall hold one-on-ones with the NRHH Advisor on an as needed basis. Section E – Election Process 1. The Executive Officers shall be elected during any general meeting prior to spring induction, before the end of the semester. 2. Officers shall take office at the last meeting of the semester. 3. The term of office shall be from the last meeting of the spring semester in which officers are elected to the last meeting of the following spring semester. 4. Election Process Elections shall take place in the following order, based on the order in Article V, Section C: a. Interested Active Members shall submit a letter of intent at least one week prior to the election meeting, but according to the established elections schedule set by the Senior Vice President of Membership. Should no qualified candidate submit a letter of intent for an office, its election shall move to the end of the process. b. Officers must be elected by simple majority of all voting members present at the elections meeting. c. All votes will be taken by secret ballot. d. In the event of a tie, an immediate run-off election shall be held between the top two candidates. Should a tie occur between two candidates, each candidate will have two minutes to make a statement and answer any remaining questions while the opposing candidate is absent. e. Elections shall begin with the President and continue in descending order. f. Elections shall be chaired by the current highest ranking officer not running for an office. 5. Should no qualified candidate accept nomination from the floor for an empty office by the end of the election process, the new Executive Board shall hold interviews and appoint an officer. 6. If all current Executive Board members are running for an office, the Executive Board shall designate an election chair. Section F- Voting Rights 1. All active members have voting rights. 2. All proposals exceeding $100 must be approved by the Executive Board by a simple majority. 3. The general membership must be notified at the following meeting of any funds the Executive Board approved. Section G- Vacancy of Office 1. Should the office of the president become vacant, the remaining members of the Executive Board and the advisor will appoint a new president. 2. Executive Board Appointment a. In the event that an officer leaves office, the Executive Board shall appoint an Active Member to finish that officer’s term. b. This appointment shall be made within two weeks following the vacancy. c. Approval of this appointment shall be made by the membership, with a vote of 50% plus one of the voting members present. d. In the event that the approval is not granted, the floor shall be opened for nominations, and an election shall be held. e. This election shall be governed by the election code in Article V, Section E. Section H- Removal and Resignation of Officers 1. Grounds for impeachment of the officers of NRHH shall be:
a. Failure to perform the assigned duties. b. Failure to maintain a 2.55 GPA. c. Missing more than one meeting without notifying either the president or advisor of NRHH d. Violation of the Student Conduct Code 2. Any Active Member may move for the impeachment of an Executive Officer. 3. The member recommending the impeachment of an Executive Officer must submit a written statement to the president, or the highest-ranking officer not accused, consisting of reasons for removal and the signatures of 20% of the current Active Membership with voting rights. A copy of this statement shall be delivered to the Executive Officer in question and the advisor at least one week prior to the statement’s presentation at the next general meeting. 4. In order for the impeachment proceedings to proceed, the matter of impeachment must be presented at the next general meeting. The president, or the highest-ranking officer not accused, must call a special meeting. This meeting must be approved by a simple majority of the voting membership. The meeting must occur within one week of the general meeting and may be held concurrently with the general meeting. 5. The Executive Officer in question may speak to the general membership on his/her behalf and may present any witnesses he/she desires. 6. A two-thirds majority of Active voting members present is required to remove a person. 7. Any impeached officer can be reinstated by a four-fifths vote of the Active Membership. 8. Unanimous consent of the Executive Board shall be sufficient grounds for impeachment based on failure to perform assigned duties. 9. The advisor may remove any Executive Board member from office for failure to maintain GPA or violation of Student Conduct Code. 10. Resignations shall be: a. Defined as a written letter, given to the NRHH Advisor or President. b. Final and effective immediately. Article VI - Committees 1. 2. 3.
The standing committees of NRHH shall be Membership and Development, Recognition, and Service. Any interested Active Members shall have the opportunity to serve on the Selection Committee. Ad-Hoc committees may be appointed at any time by the president, or by a majority vote of the active membership.
Article VII – Budget 1. 2. 3.
All budget divisions shall be discussed and voted upon by the Executive Board in conjunction with the Advisor. All divisions shall be percentages allocated to given causes for the academic year. The Vice President of Administrative Services shall oversee and carry out the divisions set forth by the Executive Board for the year. The Executive Board has the right to approve funds and notify the general body at the following meeting.
Article VIII - Parliamentary Procedure 1. 2.
All rules of parliamentary procedure shall be decided by the chair’s interpretation of Robert’s Rules of Order, Newly Revised. Quorum for all meetings, except where otherwise noted, shall be 30% of the Active Membership.
Article IX – Ethical Considerations 1.
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The National Residence Hall Honorary shall not haze any prospective, current or previous member for the purpose of admission into or affiliation with the organization. NRHH shall follow the guidelines set forth in student conduct code at Georgia Southern University. Members of the NRHH are free to leave or dissociate without fear of retribution or harassment. NRHH shall not discriminate based on race, gender, age, ethnicity, able-bodiedness, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, or religious affiliation. The National Residence Hall Honorary will not initiate, participant in, or be witness to any act that inflicts or intends to inflict physical or mental harm or discomfort or which may demean, disgrace, or degrade any person, regardless of location, intent, or consent of participant(s). Hazing is defined in the Georgia Southern University Student Code of Conduct as: an act which endangers the emotional, mental, or physical health or safety of a student, with or without their expressed permission, or which destroys or removes public or private property, for the purpose of initiation, admission into, affiliation with, or as a condition for continued membership in a group or organization. Hazing includes acts that are intended to or actually cause physical discomfort, embarrassment and/or ridicule of another person for the purposes mentioned above or are violations the Student Code of Conduct.
Article X – Affiliations 1. 2.
NRHH shall be a dues-paying member of NACURH, Inc. NRHH shall remain in good standing with the National Association of College and University Residence Halls [NACURH].
Article XI - Amendments 1. Any amendments to this constitution must be announced and presented to the NRHH membership at least one week prior to the meeting at which it will be voted on. 2. Amendments must be presented in writing at the meeting. 3. Any amendments must pass by a simple majority vote of Active Members present. Article XII - Graduation Honor Cords Section A- Purpose 1. Graduating Active and Alumni Members of NRHH shall have the opportunity to receive NRHH honor cords in recognition of continued dedication and service to the Order of the Blue and White chapter. Section B- Honor Cord Eligibility 1. To receive an honor cord upon graduation Active Members must meet the following eligibility criteria: a. Recipients must be Active Members of NRHH for at least one full semester. b. Recipients must have fulfilled Active Member requirements, as outlined in Article III, Section C, in their semester of induction and all subsequent semesters of active membership. 2. Alumni Members are eligible to receive honor cords if they graduate having fulfilled a minimum of half of active membership requirements as outlined in Article III, Section C, during their term(s) of Early Alumni membership. 3. Early Alumni Members are not eligible to receive honor cords. Section C- Distribution of Honor Cords 1. Graduation honor cords shall be distributed by the Advisor upon confirmation of the Executive Board of the NRHH member’s satisfactory completion of requirements. 2. NRHH honor cord recipients shall be invited to attend the induction ceremony held during the spring semester, where they shall be presented with the honor cords. 3. In circumstances in which recipients graduate during the fall semester or unable to attend an induction ceremony, honor cords shall be distributed to the NRHH member by the Advisor. Article XIII - Constitution 1. 2.
This constitution shall replace and supersede all previous constitutions of the Order of the Blue and White Chapter of NRHH at Georgia Southern University. This constitution shall be ratified upon a simple majority vote of the Active NRHH members present and shall take effect at the beginning of NRHH officer elections.
Revised: Spring 2013
