CONSTITUTION AND BY-LAWS OF THE
WESTERN REGIONAL HONORS COUNCIL

(PDF Form)

 ARTICLE 1: Name

This organization shall be known as the Western Regional Honors Council (WRHC).

ARTICLE 2: Objective

The objective of this Council shall be promotion and advancement of honors and similar programs in western colleges and universities.

ARTICLE 3: Membership

Membership in the Council shall be institutional membership. Institutional membership shall be open to institutions of higher learning as well as to foundations and government agencies interested in honors and similar programs. Each institutional member shall be entitled to one vote.

ARTICLE 4: Voting Body

One representative of each institutional member shall be entitled to vote in all transactions of the Council.

 ARTICLE 5: Officers

The officers of the Council shall be a President, a Vice President and an Executive Secretary/Treasurer. The President shall hold office for one year or until his/her successor is installed. The President, or in her/his absence the Vice President, shall preside at all meetings of the organization, shall appoint committees, and shall perform such duties as pertain to the office of President.

The chair of the following annual WRHC conference will assume the position of vice-president and succeed automatically to the office of the president and shall hold office for one year or upon the death or incapacity of the President, whichever occurs first.

The Executive Secretary/Treasurer shall be elected at an annual meeting for an indefinite term. The headquarters of WRHC shall reside at the home institution of the Executive Secretary/Treasurer.

The Executive Secretary/Treasurer shall keep minutes of the meetings of the Council and perform such other duties incidental to the conduct of his/her office as may be required of her/him.

S/he shall collect and manage all fees and dues owing to the organization and shall be the custodian of the Council’s funds.S/he shall make an annual report to the organization as secretary and submit annually a complete and verified statement of the financial condition of the organization.

S/he shall serve as liaison with the headquarters of the National Collegiate Honors Council.

Ordinarily, new officers shall be installed at an annual meeting.

ARTICLE 6: Meetings

The Council shall hold two annual meetings: one in conjunction with the annual meeting of the National Collegiate Honors Council and one in conjunction with the annual meeting of the Western Regional Honors Council at a time and place to be determined by the membership at an annual meeting.

ARTICLE 7: Mail vote

Between meetings, any question or item of business shall be submitted by the Executive Secretary/Treasurer to a vote of the Council membership by mail.

ARTICLE 8: Amendments

Any proposal to alter or amend this constitution shall be submitted in writing to the Executive Secretary/Treasurer for suitable wording which clearly expresses the intent of the proposal and which is consistent with the other sections of the Constitution. The Executive Secretary/Treasurer shall distribute a copy of the proposed alteration or amendment to each institutional member prior to the annual meeting. Such alterations and amendments shall, upon receiving at a regular annual meeting a two-thirds majority of those present and voting, become a part of the Constitution.

 BY-LAWS

 ARTICLE 1: Dues and voting rights

Section 1. The annual dues for institutional membership shall be fifty (50) dollars.

Section 2. Only those institutional members whose dues are paid by the time of the annual conference are entitled to a vote in the Business meeting of the Council.

Section 3. Any member in arrears for one year shall be dropped from the rolls.

 ARTICLE 2: Annual Conference

 Section 1. The conference chair will plan the budget such that the conference will not end in deficit.

Section 2. Fees for the spring annual conference will be approved by majority vote at the fall meeting.

Section 3. Conference surplus revenues shall be transferred to the WRHC funds.

Section 4. Refunds for members unable to attend the conference for a valid reason, will be considered by the officers after the conclusion of the conference depending on funds available less 1%.

Section 5. The host institution will reimburse itself for conference costs incurred including administration, copy and publication costs, and travel.

Section 6. Student conference fees will be lower than faculty and administrators fees.

Section 7. The conference chair will submit a written financial report to the executive secretary/treasurer no later than two months after the conference.

Section 8. WRHC will provide seed money to those institutions that need it for the initial costs associated with planning a WRHC conference. It is expected that the seed money will be recovered from conference fees and returned to WRHC.

ARTICLE 3: Scribendi, WRHC forum

Section 1. The WRHC will support Scribendi financially annually for publication which is done by students in the Honors Program at the University of New Mexico.

Section 2. The WRHC will provide awards to students who win the competitions in each category.

Section 3. The WRCH will provide judges for the Scribendi contests.

ARTICLE 4: Special initiatives

Section 1. The WRHC will provide stipends for WRCH students participating in an NCHC Honors Semester.

Section 2. The WRHC will provide travel awards for regional students who are elected to an NCHC position.

ARTICLE 5: Amendments

Any proposal to alter or amend these by-laws shall be submitted in writing to the executive secretary/treasurer who shall distribute a copy of the proposed alteration to institutional members prior to the annual meeting. Such alterations shall, upon receiving, at a regular annual meeting, a simple majority of those present and voting, become a part of the by-laws.

Revised 11/18/06