Article III. Chapters

Section 1. Any accredited California community/junior colleges that grant an Associate Degree may apply for charters for campus chapters of this society.

Section 2. Application for a chapter shall include:

A statement that a provisional chapter has been formed by students who meet the membership requirements as set forth in Article II, Section 1;
A statement that the state AGS, Inc. Bylaws have been accepted by the provisional chapter;
A copy of the chapter constitution/bylaws providing for the organization of the chapter, the holding of local meetings, and for any suitable activity, provided that all such provisions be compatible with the state Bylaws of AGS, Inc.

This application shall be signed by (a) the chief administrative officer of the college; (b) the faculty advisor of the provisional chapter; and (c) the president of the provisional chapter.

Section 3. Application for an alumni chapter for alumni members shall include the same provisions as for campus chapters. This application shall be signed by a chapter advisor in any nearby college and the president of the provisional alumni chapter.

Section 4. A chapter may relinquish its charter at any time.

Section 5. An initiation fee, as determined by the Advisory Board, shall be paid to the treasurer of the State Advisory Board before a charter is granted.

Section 6. A reactivation fee, as determined by the Advisory Board, shall be paid to the Treasurer of the State Advisory Board by any chapter reactivating after having been inactive for more than one year.

Section 7. Annual Dues consisting of two amounts, one a fixed sum per chapter, regardless of membership count, and the other an amount per chapter member, both to be determined by the State Advisory Board, shall be paid to the Treasurer of the State Advisory Board by each chapter by June 30th of each year. Membership counts shall include the total number of members enrolled in the chapter in the Fall and Spring of the academic year. There shall be a grace period of four months during which chapters may pay their dues and still meet the criterion for good-standing status, but the fixed sum per chapter shall be increased by 20 percent. Advisors and student members of chapters paying dues after October 31st may debate at Advisory Board meetings or General Assemblies of Delegates, and their delegations may vote; but such chapters shall not be eligible to submit candidates for Alpha Gamma Sigma scholarships and awards at the immediately following spring State Convention. Amendments to this section shall be initiated only by members of the State Advisory Board.

Section 8. Chapters in Good Standing in the spring of a given year are those that have been certified by the Treasurer of the State Advisory Board and Secretary of Extension and Eligibility as having met all the following criteria in the immediately previous calendar year:

The chapter had a charter and its bylaws on file with the Secretary of Extension and Eligibility.
If newly reactivated, the chapter paid its reactivation fee.
The chapter paid all bills owed to Alpha Gamma Sigma, Inc.
The chapter satisfied its minimum calendar year requirements in one of the following two ways:
1. The chapter was represented at the spring State Convention AND submitted its annual dues form, dues payment, and Permanent Member Report by June 30th (or by October 31st with a late fee). A Permanent Member Report must be filed even if no permanent memberships are awarded.
  
  OR
2. The chapter (a) was represented at a Regional Conference, AND (b) was represented by an advisor or proxy at the Fall Advisors' Meeting, AND (c) submitted its annual dues form, dues payment, and Permanent Member Report by June 30th (or by October 31st with a late fee). A Permanent Member Report must be filed even if no permanent memberships are awarded.

If, during the academic year, a chapter has been newly chartered or newly reactivated or if all its advisors have newly assumed this responsibility, such chapter shall be given a one-year grace period before being required to fulfill the criteria for good standing stated in Paragraphs "d.(1)" and "d.(2)" above. The State Advisory Board may, by majority vote, suspend the provisions of Paragraphs "d.(1)" and "d.(2)" of this Section in cases where a chapter advisor presents to the Advisory Board good reason why it would be temporarily impossible for the chapter to comply with these provisions. These provisions shall not be suspended for the same chapter two years in a row.

Section 9. The term "active chapter" as used in these bylaws shall be defined as any chapter that (1) fulfills the criteria stated in Section 8, Paragraph "a" above and (2) has fulfilled, during the previous two years, at least three of the last six criteria for good standing listed in that section.