Tau Beta Pi President's Book - Manual of Chapter Operations
Section B

Introduction

(2005 Edition - last update 01/24/2005)

No chapter operation is more important than the election of new members. Elections fulfill our first purpose: "to mark in a fitting manner those who have conferred honor upon their Alma Mater by distinguished scholarship and exemplary character as students in engineering, or by their attainments as alumni in the field of engineering." Chapter members should be encouraged to attend each initiation ceremony.

A person who meets Tau Beta Pi's scholastic requirements has automatically earned the right to be considered for membership. Election, however, is by no means automatic. It is contingent upon the chapter's evaluation of the candidate's character; it is the chapter's responsibility to measure each candidate against the Eligibility Code and then to either elect or reject on the basis of its evaluation.

The 1977 Convention amended Bylaw VI of the Association to give the chapters more freedom in the choice of procedures for electing new members to Tau Beta Pi. The amendments became effective January 1978 and made each chapter responsible to adopt its own election procedures, to have those procedures reviewed and approved by the Executive Council, and to write them into the chapter's bylaws.

Chapters may choose procedures for measuring the character of scholastically eligible candidates and may choose voting methods for holding elections suited to their own campus circumstances.

Specifically, Bylaw VI states: "A chapter shall have a procedure for the evaluation of the exemplary character of candidates as enunciated in the Eligibility Code of the Association;" and "Each chapter shall approve an election procedure consistent with its methods of measuring exemplary character." These procedures must be approved by the Executive Council through the office of the Secretary-Treasurer and must be written into the chapter's bylaws.

The procedure chosen by each chapter must accomplish three things. No short-cuts of these vital tasks are permitted:

• It must determine the scholastic eligibility of students;
• It must measure the character of the scholastically eligible students;
• It must elect new members by a vote of the entire chapter membership.

Because of the significance of elections in an honor society, the Constitution and Bylaws sections covering elections require special study and attention. These rules and procedures should be followed to ensure fair and equal treatment of all candidates. This section of the President's Book is designed to aid you in the conduct of elections and initiations. If you do not find the answers to your questions, do not hesitate to write or call the headquarters staff for assistance.