Colorado Gamma Chapter Meetings
This page defines the official standard for running chapter meetings at Sigma Phi Epsilon Colorado Gamma. It applies to the President, Executive Board, committee leaders, and any member who brings business before the chapter. When questions arise about procedure, authority, voting, or scope, this standard controls.
Governing Authority
Colorado Gamma chapter meetings are governed, in order, by:
Colorado Gamma Chapter Bylaws and Administrative Policies
Sigma Phi Epsilon Grand Chapter Bylaws
Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised (RONR)
Robert’s Rules provide the procedural framework for motions, discussion, and voting. Officers are expected to understand and apply the basic rules required to run orderly, fair, and legitimate meetings.
Detailed procedural language, examples, and guidance are provided in the companion standards listed below.
Purpose of the Chapter Meeting
A chapter meeting exists to conduct official chapter business and make binding decisions on behalf of the fraternity.
It is not an information session, a brainstorming forum, or a working meeting. Items that do not require a decision should be handled outside of chapter.
What a Good Chapter Meeting Looks Like
A good chapter meeting is defined by outcomes, not length.
Chapter meetings exist to make binding decisions that affect the direction, standards, operations, and obligations of the chapter. Members attend because decisions made in chapter are final, legitimate, and acted upon.
When meetings are run correctly:
Decisions are clear, legitimate, and properly voted
Votes are accurately recorded
Officers leave with authority to act
Members know exactly what was approved and who owns next steps
Meetings respect members’ time. Preparation happens in advance, discussion is limited to the pending motion, and debate is structured to reach a decision efficiently.
The meeting starts on time, stays on agenda, and ends with purpose using the approved agendas.
Quorum and Authority to Act
A quorum of two-thirds (2/3) of members in good standing is required to conduct chapter business.
Without quorum, discussion may occur, but no binding decisions may be made.
Voting Standards (Majority vs. Two-Thirds)
Once quorum is present:
Most motions pass by a majority of members present and voting
A majority means more than half of votes cast
Abstentions and absent members do not count
A two-thirds (2/3) vote is required only when explicitly stated in the bylaws.
Examples of properly framed motions are provided in the Motion Examples standard.
Matters Requiring Chapter Approval
The chapter votes only on matters assigned to it by the bylaws, including:
Adoption of the annual budget and required allocations
Officer elections, removals, or confirmations (when specified)
Bylaw and administrative policy amendments
Appeals of Standards Board decisions
Expulsions, reinstatements, and defined disciplinary outcomes
If authority is assigned elsewhere, the chapter is informed—not asked to approve.
Roles During the Meeting
President (Chair)
Presides over the meeting, recognizes speakers, maintains decorum, states motions, calls votes, and announces results. The Chair manages process, not outcomes.
Vice President of Communications
Distributes the agenda, records minutes, captures exact motion language and vote outcomes, and preserves the official record.
Executive Board
Prepares chapter-ready business. Decisions are not developed live in chapter.
Executive Board Standard: Chapter-Ready Business
An item is chapter-ready only when:
The decision requested is explicit
Scope and limits are clear
Consequences are understood
The motion can be stated in one complete sentence
If this standard is not met, the item remains with the Executive Board.
Decorum and Control
Chapter meetings are conducted with professionalism and order.
Members speak only when recognized. Side conversations, interruptions, and disruptive behavior are not acceptable. The Chair has authority and responsibility to enforce decorum and keep discussion focused on the pending motion.
Specific procedural tools—including Point of Order, Calling the Question, Tabling, Appeals, and Adjournment—are defined in the Common Meeting Language & Procedures standard.
Special Meetings
A special meeting is an official chapter meeting called for a specific, limited purpose that cannot reasonably wait until the next regular meeting.
Special meetings may be called only by the authority defined in the bylaws. Advance notice is required and must clearly state the time, place, and sole purpose. Business is strictly limited to that purpose.
All quorum, voting, decorum, and motion standards remain the same.
Related Standards & Reference Documents
This standard is part of a coordinated set of Colorado Gamma governance documents. The following companion standards provide detailed procedures, examples, and guidance referenced throughout this page:
Appendix A — Motion Examples
Properly framed examples of motions used in Colorado Gamma chapter meetings.Appendix B — Chapter Meeting Agendas
Approved agenda structures for regular, decision-heavy, and special chapter meetings.Appendix C — Common Meeting Language & Procedures
Standard parliamentary phrases, procedural tools, and meeting controls.Appendix D — Robert’s Rules of Order Guide
A plain-English explanation of how Robert’s Rules of Order are applied in Colorado Gamma chapter meetings, including common and restricted parliamentary terms.
These documents are authoritative supplements to this standard and are intended to be read together. In the event of conflict, the Colorado Gamma Chapter Bylaws and Administrative Policies govern.
Parliamentary Procedure Video Guide
For members who prefer a visual and practical overview of basic parliamentary procedure, the “video link" below is recommended as a supplemental learning aid that aligns with Colorado Gamma’s meeting standards: