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CONSTITUTION OF PHI ALPHA THETA HISTORY HONOR SOCIETY, INC.

PREAMBLE

We, the members of the Phi Alpha Theta History Honor Society, Inc., in order to
encourage the study of history and to recognize excellence in history, do ordain and
establish this Constitution for the government of our order.
 

ARTICLE I - NAME
 

This Society shall be known as the Phi Alpha Theta History Honor Society, Inc.
 

ARTICLE II - OFFICERS
 

Section 1. ELECTIVE OFFICERS
The officers of the Society shall be the President, the Vice President, the Executive Director
(who will also serve as Secretary/Treasurer), the Historian, the Chair of the Advisory
Board (the immediate Past President), seven Councillors, and six members of the
Advisory Board.
 

Section 2. THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
The Executive Committee shall consist of the President, Vice President, Executive
Director, and Chair of the Advisory Board.
 

Section 3. ELECTION OF OFFICERS
The officers shall be elected at a regular meeting of the Convention and shall hold office
until their successors have been duly installed.
The Vice President shall automatically succeed to the office of President. The President
shall not serve successive terms.
 

Section 4. NOMINATING COUNCILLORS AND THE VICE PRESIDENT
Nominations for Councillors and the Vice President shall be made by the Advisory Board
by May 1st prior to the Convention.
Additional nominations for Vice President may be made by petitions signed by at least 5
percent of the active chapters, provided that those nominated by petition agree to their
nomination in writing. Petitions must be received at National Headquarters no later than
October 15th. Election to the office of Vice President, in the case of more than one
nominee, shall be by a plurality vote of at least 40 percent of the Convention delegates. In
the absence of a plurality of 40 percent, there shall be a run-off of the top two candidates.
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Section 5. NOMINATING THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR AND HISTORIAN
Nominations for the office of Executive Director and Historian shall be by the Council,
upon recommendation of the Executive Committee, and election by the Convention.
When the Executive Committee or the Council are engaged in deliberations on
nomination of these offices, the current Executive Director or Historian shall NOT have a
vote in the deliberations of a successor, and the remaining members of the Council may
go into Executive Session for this purpose.
 

Section 6. ELIGIBILITY TO SERVE AS OFFICERS
Any member of the Society in good standing who has given five years of service at the
national or local level shall be eligible to hold office.
 

Section 7. TERMS OF OFFICE
The term of office for the President, Vice President, and Councillors shall be two years,
and the same shall not be eligible for immediate re-election.
The term of office for the Executive Director and the Historian shall be six years. The term
of office for the Executive Director and the Historian shall not be concurrent. (If both
should stand for election in the same year because of resignation or other circumstance,
the election shall only be for remaining years of the unexpired term.)
With the exception of circumstances of filling an unexpired term, the terms of office of all
officers shall begin January 1 of the even-numbered years.
 

Section 8. DUTIES
The PRESIDENT shall have full executive authority of the Society, shall be required to
authorize and sign all checks and documents of legal commitment for the Society, and
shall preside at all meetings of the Convention, the Council, and the Executive Committee.
The VICE PRESIDENT shall serve as a member of the Executive Committee and the
Council and shall perform other duties assigned by the Council or Executive Committee.
The Vice President shall act for the President when requested by the President. When a
vacancy occurs in the office of President, the Vice President shall assume the office of
President for the remainder of that term as well as the succeeding term when the Vice
President would have served.
The EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR shall direct the activities of all employees of the
headquarters, under supervision of the Council, and shall attend to all correspondence
incident to the working of the Society; shall keep an accurate record of all formal actions
of all meetings of the Convention, a copy to be transmitted to each chapter promptly upon
the conclusion of the Convention; shall keep similar minutes of the meetings of the
Council and the Executive Committee, transmitting a copy of these minutes to each
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member of the Council immediately following each meeting of the Council or Executive
Committee; shall act as custodian of all monies in the possession of the Society; shall
disburse the same as directed by the Convention or by the Council, all disbursements to
be made by voucher check stating the item or items for which payment is made; together
with the President shall sign all checks authorizing the expending of the funds of the
Society; shall keep an itemized account of all receipts and expenditures and shall report
the same to each meeting of the Convention, and shall also report to the Council as they
may require.
The financial accounts of the Executive Director will be subject to an annual audit review.
The Executive Director will give full cooperation for such audits or be immediately
dismissed by the Council. The Executive Director shall furnish a bond for an amount to be
determined by the Council, the cost of said bond to be paid by the Society.
The Executive Director shall also perform such other duties as may be assigned by the By-
Laws or the Council.
The HISTORIAN shall be Editor of The Historian and shall serve as an ex officio member
of the Council.
The IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT shall serve for a two-year term on the Executive
Committee and shall be Chair of the Advisory Board in that term. The immediate Past
President shall perform other duties assigned by the Council or Executive Committee.
 

ARTICLE III - COUNCIL AND ALLIED COMMITTEES
 

Section 1. COUNCIL
A. COMPOSITION
The Council shall be composed of the four executive officers, one ex officio officer, and the
seven elected Councillors.
B. DUTIES
The Council shall have general supervision and direction over the Society at all times
when the Convention is not in session. Additional powers and duties of the Council may
be set forth in the By-Laws of the Society.
C. MEETINGS
The Council shall meet just prior to and immediately following each meeting of the
Convention, as well as at least once in the intervening year at a time and place to be
determined by the Council at a previous meeting. The President may call meetings of the
Council for extraordinary reasons and with at least one month of prior notice. By written
petition from a majority of members of the Council, the President is required to call a
special meeting of the Council after providing a one-month notice. Notice of meetings of
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the Council shall include a proposed agenda of items of consideration, but any
appropriate other items may be included at any meeting of the Council.
D. QUORUM
A majority of the members of the Council shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of
business at any meeting of the Council. If a quorum is not present, the Council may
transact business of an emergency nature, but must submit through the Executive
Director, to all absent members immediately following the meeting, the opportunity to
vote on any issues decided by the group present. The opportunity shall include a
summary of deliberations held at the meeting.
E. VACANCIES
The Council shall fill by election all vacancies in its own membership occurring between
regular meetings of the Convention. Any member so chosen to fill a vacancy shall assume
all the duties and privileges of the said office and may be eligible for election to the full
term.
F. LOCATION OF RECORDS
All official records of the financial transactions and the minutes of meetings shall be
maintained at the headquarters of the Society and shall be open to all members of the
Council at any time.
 

Section 2. EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
The Executive Committee shall have delegated authority between Conventions for the
Society on any issue. The Executive Committee may be delegated any other specific
powers deemed necessary by the Council or the Convention.
 

Section 3. ADVISORY BOARD
There shall be an Advisory Board of seven members. The outgoing President shall
automatically become one of the seven members and serve as Presiding officer of this
Board. The term of office for the six other members of the Advisory Board shall be four
years. At each Convention, the three senior members of the Board shall cease office, being
replaced by three of the existing Councillors nominated by the Advisory Board and
approved by the Council. The Advisory Board shall usually only meet when it serves as a
nominating committee, though additional duties may be assigned by the Council.
 

ARTICLE IV - ESTABLISHMENT AND GOVERNMENT OF CHAPTERS
 

Section 1. PLACE
An active chapter of the Society may be chartered and established in any regularly
incorporated and properly accredited four-year college or university granting the
Bachelor's degree or higher degrees, subject to such restrictions as may hereinafter be set
forth in the By-Laws of the Society.
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Section 2. NAMES
The chapters of the Society shall be named by the letters of the Greek alphabet in the order
of their establishment as chapters but will generally be called by the name of the college
or university.
When the letters of the Greek alphabet shall have been exhausted, they shall then be used
in pairs, triplets, etc., as Alpha-Alpha, Alpha-Beta, Alpha-Gamma, etc., and then Beta-
Alpha, Beta-Beta, and Beta-Gamma, etc.
 

Section 3. QUALIFICATIONS
To qualify for consideration, a group of petitioners must seek establishment of a chapter
at a regionally accredited senior college or university with a qualified history faculty and
must have a petitioning body of at least nine persons.
Any petition for establishment of a chapter received from a group so qualified shall be
submitted to the members of the Council. To be accepted, the petition shall be approved
by at least two-thirds of the members of the Council.
Councillors must have a period of at least thirty days to consider a petition. Any
Councillor who does not return a ballot shall be counted as voting affirmatively. Balloting
shall be by mail or email, unless the petition is presented at a regular Council meeting.
 

Section 4. INSTALLATION
It shall be the duty of the President to conduct the installation of each new chapter
whenever possible. In the event of being unable to perform this duty, the President shall
designate some other member of the Society to serve in this capacity. Each incoming
chapter shall be required to pay a charter fee set by the Council. The traveling expenses of
the installing officer shall be borne by the Society Treasury.
 

Section 5. CHAPTER BY-LAWS
Each active chapter shall adopt its own By-Laws (which shall conform to the provisions of
this Constitution and its By-Laws) and shall submit a copy of the same to National
Headquarters.
 

Section 6. CHAPTER OFFICERS
Each chapter shall elect officers annually, according to its By-Laws, and the newly-elected
chapter secretary shall notify National Headquarters promptly of the results of the
election.
Each chapter shall have a faculty advisor, chosen according to regulations of the host
college or university, who shall be responsible for the conduct and well-being of said
chapter.
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Section 7. SUSPENSION OR FORFEITURE OF CHAPTER
The Convention shall have power to place on probation, suspend, or dissolve any chapter
whenever the welfare of the Society will be served by such action. Similar action may be
taken by the Council if it is deemed advisable, but any such action by the Council shall be
subject to approval by the next Convention, and shall not be permanently binding without
such approval. No chapter shall be placed on probation, suspended, or dissolved without
the privilege of presenting its case before the body ordering said probation, suspension, or
dissolution.
 

ARTICLE V - MEMBERSHIP
 

Section 1. ELIGIBILITY
Any person of good character who shall have met the requirements set forth in the By-
Laws of the Society shall be eligible for membership in the Society.
 

Section 2. CLASSES OF MEMBERS
There shall be two classes of members: active and honorary.
An active member is one duly initiated at the institution where the student is a candidate
for a baccalaureate or advanced degree. Members who pursue graduate work or later
affiliate with another institution may continue as active members.
All members continuing active status must fulfill all relevant requirements for active
membership. Any chapter may also initiate a faculty member at the rank of instructor or
higher who is teaching at the host college or university.
An honorary member shall be a person who has made conspicuous contributions to the
field of History and is designated an honorary member by a majority vote of the Council.
Individual chapters may propose notable local persons for such consideration by the
Council.
 

Section 3. INITIATION
All persons brought into new membership in the Society should be initiated in accordance
with the initiatory services prescribed by the Council.
 

Section 4. EXPULSION
By formal request from a chapter under regulations presented in the By-Laws, any
member of the Society may be expelled by formal action of the Council, after opportunity
for due process, presented in the By-Laws. Grounds for such expulsion might be
plagiarism, malfeasance, etc.
 

ARTICLE VI - THE CONVENTION
 

Section 1. POWERS
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The power of legislation for the Society shall be vested in the Convention except as
exercised by designated bodies during the interim between Conventions.
 

Section 2. COMPOSITION
The Convention shall be composed of the elected officers of the Society and one delegate
from each chapter in good standing. Each chapter represented shall have one vote
(although additional delegates may attend the Convention), and each member of the
Council present shall have one vote.
(In the absence of any duly elected delegate or proxy representing any active chapter, the
Convention shall have power to seat as the delegate from said chapter any member of the
chapter who may be in attendance at the Convention. In event such substitution is made
and the regular delegate or proxy then arrives, the said delegate or proxy shall assume the
rights and privileges as delegate or proxy.)
 

Section 3. ELECTION OF DELEGATES
Delegates shall be elected by each chapter promptly after official receipt of the formal call
of the Convention.
The Chapter shall notify the Executive Director of the results of the election at least thirty
days prior to the opening of the Convention.
 

Section 4. OFFICERS
The President, Vice President, and Executive Director shall serve ex-officio as the officers of
the Convention.
In the absence of any of these officers, the Convention shall have power to fill the vacancy
during the absence of the regularly elected officer. In case that all of these officers should
be absent, the By-Laws shall provide for temporary officers.
 

Section 5. MEETINGS
Regular meetings of the Convention shall be held every two years at such times and
places as shall be fixed by the Council or as may have been directed by a previous
Convention. A special meeting of the Convention shall be called by the President upon
the written demand of at least three-fourths of the active chapters or upon the demand of
at least three-fourths of the members of the Council.
Each Chapter must be given at least thirty days’ notice of any meeting of the Convention,
and in case of a special meeting, the notice shall state the business to be transacted at such
meeting (provided, however, that nothing in this Constitution shall prevent the
consideration of any business of importance as designated by the Council at any meeting
of the Convention).
January 17, 2004 Revision Page 8
 

Section 6. QUORUM
Delegates or proxies from ten percent of the active chapters entitled to representation by
delegates shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business at any session of the
Convention.
 

ARTICLE VII - INSIGNIA OF THE SOCIETY
 

Section 1. COLORS
The colors shall be madonna red and madonna blue.
 

Section 2. EMBLEM
The emblem of the Society shall be of gold in the form of a disc forty-eight hundredths of
an inch in diameter, with the edge milled to represent a serpent's body, the forepart of the
serpent's body being on the right side of the badge, and the eye shall be represented by a
red jewel. Within and extending to the coil of the serpent shall be a raised six-pointed star
faced with black, and bearing in gold the Greek letters Phi Alpha Theta horizontally
across the middle, and the points bearing the Greek letters psi, pi, alpha, lambda, upsilon,
and psi in clockwise rotation beginning at the uppermost point. The emblem may or may
not be jeweled.
This emblem may be mounted upon a gold key, which shall be in the form of a rectangle
nineteen by twenty-one millimeters, and the corners of which shall be cut along the arcs of
circles having a radius of four millimeters, the centers of said circles being at the corners
of the key, and the edges of the key shall be beveled to a distance not to exceed one
millimeter from the edge. Projecting from the center of the upper edge shall be a
cylindrical stem surmounted by a ring. The combined stem and ring shall project a
distance of eight millimeters above the edge of the body of the key. Projecting from the
center of the lower edge of the key shall be a cylindrical stem eight millimeters in length.
The emblem of the Society shall be worn only by duly initiated members of the Society,
and shall not be used on any key, pin, or device without the approval of the Council or
Convention.
 

Section 3. FLOWER
The flower shall be the red rose.
 

Section 4. CERTIFICATE OF MEMBERSHIP
A certificate of membership approved by the Council shall be issued to each initiate upon
the receipt of the initiation fee. This certificate shall bear the seal of the Society and the
signatures of the President and Executive Director.
 

Section 5. SEAL
The official seal of the Society shall be a circle thirty-one sixteenths inches in diameter. In
the center shall be the reproduction of an open book with a ribbon drawn vertically across
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the right-hand page, the said ribbon bearing in a vertical column the letters, Phi Alpha
Theta. At the top of the seal shall be the reproduction of the six-pointed star and at the
bottom shall be the date 1921. This seal shall be kept by the Executive Director, and shall
be used on all proper occasions when the business of the Society demands it.
 

Section 6. MOTTO
The motto of Phi Alpha Theta shall be Seek Truth.
 

Section 7. SCHOLARSHIP AWARD
Each chapter may award to members of the Society at its discretion a gold scholarship
key, the design of the key to be as herein stated. The body of the key shall be in the form
of a Greek letter phi, the vertical portion of which shall be twenty-one millimeters long,
six millimeters wide at the ends, and 2.75 millimeters wide throughout the remainder of
its length, and the circular portion of which shall be fourteen millimeters in diameter. The
spaces between the vertical and the circular portions of the phi shall be closed.
Superimposed upon the circular portion shall be milled the figure of a serpent, the
forepart of the serpent's body being to the right, and the eye being represented by a red
jewel. Diagonally across the center portion of the key shall be superimposed a scroll two
millimeters wide and extending one and one-half millimeters on each side of the phi. The
right end of the said scroll shall be five millimeters above the left end of the scroll and
across the entire scroll shall be engraved the words "SCHOLARSHIP AWARD." Within
the circular portion of the key shall be the following: in the upper left hand portion, the
Greek letter alpha; in the lower right hand portion the Greek letter theta; and on each of
the other portions shall be represented a tripartite leaf. At the top of the vertical portion of
the phi shall be a cylindrical stem, and a ring, the combined length being eight
millimeters. Suspended from the lower end of the phi shall be a cylindrical stem six
millimeters in length, and one millimeter from the base of the phi shall be a disc one
millimeter in thickness, the circular surfaces of the disc being at right angles to the length
of the stem.
 

ARTICLE VIII - AMENDMENTS
Amendments to this Constitution shall be made upon the affirmative vote of three-fourths
of the active chapters or by three-fourths of the delegates of the active chapters and
members of the Council at any duly constituted Convention.
January 17, 2004 Revision Page 10
 

BY-LAWS OF
PHI ALPHA THETA HISTORY HONOR SOCIETY, INC.
 

Section 1. COMMITTEES
A. SCHOLARSHIP COMMITTEE
There shall be a Scholarship Committee of five members, appointed by the Council at the
time of the Convention. These members will be selected by the Council. One of the five
appointees of the Council shall be designated to serve as Chair of the Scholarship
Committee.
The Scholarship Committee shall examine credentials submitted by applicants for the
annual scholarships and send to the Council the names of persons to receive scholarships.
The Scholarship Committee shall report to each Convention upon its actions in the
intervening years and may suggest changes in the criteria and nature of the scholarships.
B. JOURNAL AND EDITORIAL BOARD
There shall be a history journal published by Phi Alpha Theta, this periodical to be called,
The Historian. An Editorial Board nominated by the Editor with the approval of the
Council shall be charged with assisting in the selection of appropriate articles for
publication and of carrying out such other policies of publication as may be determined.
There shall also be a Book Review Editor chosen for a six-year term by the Executive
Committee after a national search.
Membership on the Editorial Board shall be through nomination as cited above and by
election at a business meeting of delegates at the Convention.
C. NELS ANDREW N. CLEVEN FOUNDER'S PAPER PRIZE AWARD COMMITTEE
There shall be a Nels Andrew N. Cleven Founder’s Paper Prize Committee. This
committee shall determine the winners of the George P. Hammond prize, Lynn W. Turner
prize, and four Nels Andrew N. Cleven Founder’s prizes (two for graduate and two for
undergraduate students at the discretion of the committee).
This committee shall consist of six members appointed by the Council upon
recommendation of the President for four-year staggered terms and a Chair similarly
appointed for a six-year term.
Members of the committee may be appointed for no more than two terms in succession.
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D. BOOK AWARD COMMITTEE
There shall be a Book Award Committee. This committee shall read all books submitted
to National Headquarters for consideration for the annual book award.
Using a procedure determined by the Committee Chair and the members of the
committee, the committee shall determine the winners of this book award.
This committee shall consist of four members appointed by the Council upon
recommendation by the President for four-year staggered terms and a Chair similarly
appointed for a six-year term.
Members of the committee may be appointed for no more than two terms in succession.
E. MANUSCRIPT AWARD COMMITTEE
There shall be a Manuscript Award Committee. This committee shall read manuscripts
submitted to the Executive Director for consideration for the biennial manuscript award.
Using a procedure determined by the Committee Chair and the members of the
committee, the committee shall determine the winner of the manuscript award each
biennium or shall recommend that no manuscript be published.
This committee shall consist of four members appointed by the Council upon
recommendation of the President for four-year staggered terms and a Chair similarly
appointed for a six-year term.
Members of the committee may be appointed for no more than two terms in succession.
F. THE PUBLICATIONS COMMITTEE
There shall be a Publications Committee of three to five members. Former editors of The
Historian shall ordinarily serve to maintain the institutional memory of the journal.
The Publications Committee shall advise the Executive Committee on all the publications
of Phi Alpha Theta, support the publication of The Historian and Phi Alpha Theta's The
News Letter.
G. THE GERALD D. NASH HISTORY JOURNAL PRIZE COMMITTEE
There shall be a Gerald D. Nash History Journal Prize Committee. This committee shall
read all print and electronic student history journals submitted by Phi Alpha Theta
chapters for consideration for this prize.
Using a procedure determined by the Committee Chair and the members of the
committee, the committee shall determine the winners of this journal prize.
January 17, 2004 Revision Page 12
This committee shall consist of three members appointed for two-year terms and a Chair
appointed for a similar term.
Members of the committee may be appointed for no more than two terms in succession.
 

Section 2. FEES AND ASSESSMENTS
A. INITIATION FEE
To become an active member of the Society, one must pay such initiation fee as shall be
set forth in the By-Laws as well as any fees established by the active chapter. All members
retain lifetime membership in the Society, once initiated. Active members subscribe to The
Historian and/or The News Letter and – if a member of a local chapter – pay the dues of
that chapter as well.
B. ASSESSMENTS
Special assessments upon the members of the Society or upon the chapters shall not be
levied except by the Convention, or by the Council with the approval of a majority of the
active chapters entitled to representation at the Convention. This section shall not be
construed to forbid the collection of a Convention attendance fee, nor to forbid the levying
of assessments by chapters upon their own members.
 

Section 3. THE COUNCIL
A. EXPENSES
The Treasury shall bear the expenses of the individual members of the Council incurred
by them by reason of their attendance at any meeting of the Council, Executive
Committee, or Convention.
B. VOTING BY MAIL
In all cases involving the voting of the Council by mail, the members of the Council shall
be given a period of thirty days for registering their votes, except as otherwise specified in
the Constitution and By-Laws, and any votes not received by the Executive Director
within thirty days after the mailing or emailing of the ballot from the office of the
Executive Director shall be counted for the affirmative.
 

Section 4 - OTHER DUTIES OF THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
In addition to the duties prescribed in the Constitution, the Executive Director shall
receive petitions for new chapters and dispose of the same as directed by the Convention
or by the Council; shall issue to all initiates of the Society certificates of membership; shall
require each chapter to furnish, upon forms provided for the purpose, such information as
shall be considered desirable by the Council; shall keep on file a list of all members of the
Society, past and present; and shall keep a complete file of all correspondence and
records.
January 17, 2004 Revision Page 13
 

Section 5. NOMINATING PROCEDURES
A. The call for submitting recommendations to the Advisory Board/Nominating
Committee of persons to be nominated for office will be published in the first issue of The
News Letter after the Convention, in subsequent issues of The News Letter, and in
appropriate issues of The Historian.
B. Recommendations to the Advisory Board/Nominating Committee may be made by
any member of Phi Alpha Theta in good standing. Recommendations must include the
written consent and curriculum vitae of the person recommended.
C. The Advisory Board/Nominating Committee will make a serious attempt to maintain a
regional balance of officers.
D. A nomination for Vice President by petition must be accompanied by the written
consent and a curriculum vitae of the person nominated.
 

Section 6 - SPECIAL PROCEDURES AT A CONVENTION
If no duly elected officers shall be present when a Convention is held, it shall be the duty
of the delegate of the oldest chapter represented to preside as temporary presiding officer
until proper officers shall have been elected to perform the duties of those not present. In
case the oldest chapter is represented by more than one delegate, the several delegates of
said chapter shall choose by lot one of their number to serve as temporary presiding
officer.
 

Section 7 - PETITIONING TO ESTABLISH A CHAPTER
The petition to establish a chapter of Phi Alpha Theta will include:
A. A report of the accreditation status of the college or university and its library.
B. Letters of support from the President, the Dean, and the department Chair.
C. An exact listing of all full-time and adjunct history faculty with full curriculum vitae.
D. Copies of pertinent pages from the institution's catalog indicating the school's history,
its grading system, the degree(s) offered in history, and all active history course listings.
E. A statement from the department indicating its reasons for seeking a chapter and its
plans for participating in the activities of Phi Alpha Theta.
F. A list of petitioning members and the basis for their admission to the Society.
January 17, 2004 Revision Page 14
 

Section 8 – MEMBERSHIP
A. REQUIREMENTS
A vital interest in history is a basic requirement for membership; additionally the
prospective member must demonstrate high achievement in history courses and in
academic work in general.
UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS shall qualify for membership when they have
completed AT LEAST TWELVE SEMESTER HOURS (or its equivalent) in collegiate
history courses, with an average grade ratio in ALL college level history courses taken, of
ABOVE the second highest grade (usually a B -- 3.1) on the institution's scale, and shall
have an overall average on all collegiate work of at least the second highest grade (usually
a B - 3.0) on the institution's scale, as well as ranking in the highest 35% of the class where
such rankings are available.
GRADUATE STUDENTS to qualify for membership shall have completed approximately
30% of the residence requirements for the Master's Degree in History, with an average in
all courses completed for graduate credit of at least midway between the highest and
second highest grade on the institution's scale, and NO grade in graduate courses of
"failure" or its equivalent.
If unusual features of an institution's grading scales make it difficult to apply these
standards, the chapter advisor, shall in conference with the Executive Director, develop
IN WRITING an equivalent basis for membership which shall apply to that institution
until a change occurs in its grading bases.
At each Convention, the Executive Director shall report the specific variances allowed
since the previous Convention. In the interim between Conventions, the Council shall be
informed of agreements after they are made.
In order to begin the implementation of this provision, in 2004 each chapter shall report to
National Headquarters the exact system used for selecting members qualified for its
chapter, if the system in any way varies from the one presented above.
FACULTY MEMBERS above the rank of graduate assistant, who are teaching in the field
of history, shall be eligible for membership without being required to satisfy provisions of
the foregoing paragraphs of this section.
A chapter may invite into its membership ALUMNI who attended the institution prior to
the chartering of a campus chapter of Phi Alpha Theta, and who have so distinguished
themselves in the field of history that they would have qualified for membership.
B. FEES
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All individual membership fees shall be determined by the delegates at the Convention
upon recommendations of the Executive Director and the Council. Such fees remain in
force until changed by Convention action.
There shall be an initiation fee for each initiate. These fees shall be promptly submitted to
National Headquarters by the Faculty Advisor by one check made payable to “Phi Alpha
Theta.”
Initiates become lifetime members. Active members subscribe to The Historian and/or
The News Letter. Some make donations to our award and scholarship fund.
C. TRANSFER OF MEMBERSHIP
An initiate of any chapter who transfers to another institution with a chapter may transfer
membership to the latter chapter, provided that before such affiliation is effected, an
authentication of the membership is checked with National Headquarters.
 

Section 9 - FINANCES
No money shall be expended by any officer for Society purposes unless authorized by the
Council, or the Executive Committee, acting in its interim capacity. This regulation shall
not prevent payment of routine expenses of staff, supplies, travel, and prizes if such were
approved as part of the annual budget.
Section 10 - AMENDMENTS TO THE BY-LAWS
Amendments to these By-Laws will be made by an affirmative vote of two-thirds of the
active chapters or by two-thirds of the delegates of the active chapters and members of the
Council at any duly constituted Convention.