THE CONSTITUTION BYLAWS ALPHABET Evelyn Larson, F, 1967 B-5 The words "constitution bylaws" total 18 letters--which, by the way, is quite a coincidence since the first requirement of a P.E.O. is that she be 18 years of age. So, with the number 18 in mind I will proceed to tell you what each of the 18 letters in constitution bylaws stand for--as applied to P.E.O. C You can find answers to all your P.E.O. questions in the Constitution. The first constitution and bylaws were adopted in the state of Iowa on the 21st day of February, 1893, and they were reincorporated on the 13th day of February, 1943. I can't forget the courage and confidence Virginia Alice Cottey had when she opened her school in Nevada, MO. Special meetings may be called by the president. Only the business specified in the call shall be transacted. These meetings are usually for initiation, to present a name(s) for membership, or for the report of convention. They are not called for balloting on a name or extending an invitation to transfer. All children, except infants, are excluded from the room during exemplification, including the initiatory ritual, or the practice of the ritual. The purpose of this corporation shall be only educational and charitable. O Any new member of a chapter will receive postinitiation counseling to understand chapter procedures and practices, so we can use the letter O to be our obligation to ourselves and to others to observe at our chapter meetings the procedures that are exercised at each meeting. At the first meeting in March, each chapter installs officers for the ensuing year. Their election may occur by or at the first meeting in March and may occur by nominating ballot or a nominating committee as specified in local chapter bylaws. Delegates to State and International Conventions are also elected this day. Local chapter officers may succeed themselves, but no state chapter officer shall succeed herself. N Each P.E.O. chapter needs members of all ages as well as those who can conduct as well as support a chapter. We all have need for one another. 1 Revised 4/2012
A chapter needs 7 active members to constitute a quorum for a meeting. If a chapter has fewer than 12 resident active members, 4 shall constitute a quorum. A petition to form a local chapter shall be signed by not fewer than 15 women. A member may be termed nonresident only if she resides outside the city or town in which the chapter is located, at a distance which makes impractical her attendance at regular meetings of the chapter. We need encouragement from our older members who have vision and enthusiasm from our younger members who dream. S The Convention of Texas State Chapter shall be held annually in May. International Conventions are held biennially in September or October. To conform with the Bylaws of Texas State Chapter, each chapter shall be entitled to one delegate at Convention of Texas State Chapter. The method for International delegates is somewhat varied. They shall be chosen in rotation from groups of chapters arranged geographically and according to previous representation. The president or vice president of her chapter may be required to give the Special Work or the unwritten words within the Special Work, depending on the Ceremony of Initiation option determined by the chapter, to the organizer or her proxy during visitation or at the state chapter convention. T Talent is a word we hear at every meeting when we recite our Objects and Aims. Also, in the initiation ritual we promised to give of our talents. This doesn't mean we are committed to make a speech, sing, dance, etc., but attending meetings, being a hostess, being on time, sharing in each other's gladness and sorrows, a smile, a word of thanks, a gesture of kindness, are all talents, don't you agree? I Show interest in your chapter by attending meetings regularly. If you can't attend the meeting, notify the hostess or co-hostess. Show interest in the programs. 2 Revised 4/2012
Don't leave the indoctrination of a new member to the president. Show some interest in her by visiting with her and make her more acquainted with the P.E.O. ideals, traditions, and responsibilities. The Insignia of the P.E.O. Sisterhood is a 5-pointed star with the letters P.E.O. across the center. Chapter letters, state and year of initiation are engraved on the reverse side. It is worn on the left side above all other emblematic pins. P.E.O. is love, thus our emblem is pinned over our heart. A member initiated prior to October 14, 1915, having the larger emblem than is used presently, shall be permitted to wear same and, if desired, may have also the current official emblem. T In our local bylaws we are required to state the day and place we meet as well as when. The hour or time of our meetings shall be specified in our standing rules. Each chapter must meet at least 15 times a year. There must be a minimum of 12 business meetings and up to three social meetings may be scheduled. U Unwritten laws concerning P.E.O. A member never wears a hat during a meeting. We answer roll call with the word "present" rather than "here." We never copy any part of the initiatory ritual. We are honored to call each sister by her first name and know that we show no lack of respect in doing so. T If a member who belongs to a chapter in another city or state has moved to our area, we may extend an invitation to transfer to our chapter. We may also extend an invitation to reinstate and transfer to an inactive P.E.O. not a member of our chapter, but living in our area. Another time element is noted when we are thinking of presenting a name for membership. The one in mind must have been a resident of the city at least 6 months, or a community close by. 3 Revised 4/2012
This residency requirement does not apply to a lineal descendant. We may present the name of a woman who is a daughter, granddaughter or stepdaughter of a member of our chapter who is active, inactive, living or deceased, even if she is not a resident in the city or area of the chapter. I There is only one method by which one can become a P.E.O. and it is by invitation and then initiation. A name is presented by one member at a regular or special meeting and sponsored for by two additional members who also know her well. At the next regular meeting, the name is balloted upon. Any container may be used when balloting. We use a written ballot marked with the words pro and con. A member may abstain. If two con votes appear, a second ballot shall be taken immediately, and the second ballot is final. Two con votes shall be sufficient to defeat the ballot. When inviting someone to become a member of the P.E.O. Sisterhood, a formal invitation is sent by the Corresponding Secretary. A candidate must be initiated by the chapter to which she was invited. She shall be initiated within six calendar months from the date of balloting. The initiation fee of $35 shall accompany the acceptance of an invitation to membership. If the candidate is not initiated, the fee shall be returned. The Ceremony of Initiation shall be memorized by the officers, unless the chapter has decided to read the ceremony using the Officially Printed Booklets. The president always has the option to do her part by memory. During initiation all officers wear white. O Up to three candidates may be initiated in one ceremony. There is an exception and that is when a new chapter is being formed, and then all new initiates, called charter initiates, will be initiated in one ceremony. Local chapters shall exemplify once during each year the Ceremony of Initiation. Every two months, we receive the official P.E.O. magazine, THE P.E.O. RECORD. You might like to know that this magazine is in many public libraries. According to the bylaws of the state chapter, we are scheduled an official visit by the state organizer or her proxy. 4 Revised 4/2012
N Necessary programs we are required to have include: Founders' Day; Election and Installation of Officers; Exemplification of the Ceremony of Initiation; and Reports of Convention of Texas State Chapter and Convention of International Chapter. If a member is considering presenting or sponsoring a name for membership she cannot do so until she has been a member of a chapter for one year. One must never ask any member to sponsor a candidate. Members shall do so voluntarily. B The principal place of business of P.E.O. shall be at Des Moines, Iowa. The president has a most interesting box that holds her supplies. The guard has a special box that contains the Chapter's Initiatory Emblem, which is used only for initiation or exemplification. We have three types of ballots, the written ballot, the voice ballot, and the membership ballot. Each chapter meeting ends with the P.E.O. benediction. A woman recommended for membership in the Sisterhood must acknowledge her belief in God. Y Yearbooks are essential for a well-organized chapter. The official forms for local chapter yearbooks and bylaws shall be followed by each chapter. The ayes and nays on a question shall be expressed by the words pro and con. Yellow is one of our colors and the other is white. They are colors of our flower the marguerite. L We can't pass the letter L without mentioning love because without it our chapters would fail. The president shall send an annual typewritten letter to the president of state chapter in February, informing her of the work of the chapter. This letter shall be read at a chapter meeting as part of the business and a copy sent to every nonresident active member. 5 Revised 4/2012
A Each chapter is known by a letter of the alphabet. The first in a state is known as A, B, etc. and then AA, AB, etc. The first chapter organized in Mount Pleasant, Iowa, January 21, 1869, shall be known as Chapter Original A. We never put a period or a dot after the chapter letters since it is not an abbreviation. W Ways and Means seems like a good time to mention our annual dues of Texas State Chapter. The annual dues per member are: local dues of $( ), dues to Texas State Chapter shall be $10.00, and dues to International shall be $26.00, which includes $6.00 for Cottey College. All dues are payable in February and delinquent by March 1. S That concludes the letters, but I didn't mention our six International projects or our two state projects: Texas Star Oaks Fund, Inc., Texas Cottey College Scholarship, as you have committee reports about them. One last reminder - The Rules contained in "Roberts' Rules of Order Newly Revised" shall govern all meetings in matters not covered by this constitution. Now aren't you happy there were only 18 letters rather than 26. 6 Revised 4/2012