The Constitution contained below is the most current copy available to us. It was last revised in 1981. Some of the requirements and articles have been updated, modified, or removed, due to regional and time differences.

ARTICLE I

The Name

The Name of this National Honorary Fraternity of the Theatre Arts shall be "Theta Alpha Phi."

ARTICLE II

Declaration of Purpose

The purposes of this fraternity are to increase interest, stimulate creativeness, and recognize excellence in all of the allied arts and crafts of the theatre.

ARTICLE III

Membership

SECTION I. ACTIVE MEMBERS. Any person who is an undergraduate or graduate student in actual attendance in good standing at any college or university where a chapter of this fraternity is located and who has fulfilled the requirements specified in the by-laws of this organization as well as any faculty director of theatre in such school may be initiated as an Active Member of this fraternity.

SECTION II. ALUMNI MEMBERS. All active members of this fraternity in good standing shall become, upon termination of their active membership, Alumni Members.

SECTION III.  HONORARY MEMBERS.  Any person who shall in some artistic manner have contributed to the success of the stage and who shall have first been approved by the local chapter may be initiated as an Honorary Member of any active chapter of this fraternity.

ARTICLE IV

National Officers

SECTION I.    MEMBERSHIP.

(A)       Official Members. The National Council shall consist of the President, the Vice-President, the Historian, the Editor, the Immediate Past President, and the Secretary-Treasurer.

(B)              Ex-Officio Members.  The ex-officio membership of the Council shall consist of the Regional Directors, who are appointed by the National Council.          

SECTION II.   METHOD OF SELECTION.

(A)       National Election. A national election of "he President, the Vice-President, and the Historian shall be held every two years.  Procedures for election of these officers shall be determined by the National Council and shall include, when possible, (1) the appointment of a nominating committee, and (2) participation in the election by vote of active chapters.

(B)              Designation by National Council. The National Council shall appoint the Editor and Secretary-Treasurer.

SECTION III. VACANCIES.  Should any vacancy occur in any national office through the disqualification or inability of the incumbent there­of to act, then such vacancy shall be filled by the National Council.

SECTION IV.  TENURE.  The election of the President, the Vice-President, and the Historian is to be held every two years. No officer, with the exception of the Editor and the Secretary-Treasurer, may serve more than two consecutive terms in any one office.

SECTION V.  POWER,  The supreme power of this fraternity shall be vested in the National Council which shall meet annually.

SECTION VI.  EXPENSES OF NATIONAL OFFICERS.  The necessary travel expenses of all national officers attending the annual National Council meeting may be subsidized by action of the National Council, such subsidy not to exceed fifty per cent of said travel expenses.

ARTICLE V

Powers and Duties of National Officers

SECTION I. THE NATIONAL PRESIDENT.  The President shall be the chief executive and administrative officer of this fraternity and shall at all times represent and act for the fraternity in all matters, by and with the consent of the National Council.

SECTION II.  THE NATIONAL VICE-PRESIDENT. The Vice-President shall perform all the duties of the President in case of the latterfs absence, inability to act or resignation, and shall be in charge of regional affairs and expansion activities.

SECTION III.  THE NATIONAL SECRETARY-TREASURER.  The Secretary-Treasurer shall keep all administrative and financial records of the fraternity;  shall be the keeper of the Constitution, By-laws and Great Seal of this fraternity; shall have charge of all fraternity funds; shall provide to the National Council a definitive financial statement of all fraternity income and expenses for each fiscal year which shall be published in the fall issue of THE CUE or in a special letter to all active chapters;  and shall perform such other duties as may be assigned by the President or National Council.

SECTION IV.  THE NATIONAL HISTORIAN.  The Historian shall collect, compile and preserve all the available data pertaining to the history of this fraternity.

SECTION V.  THE NATIONAL EDITOR.  The Editor shall publish the official fraternity magazine, THE CUE, under the direction of the National Council.

ARTICLE VI

Conventions

SECTION I. NATIONAL CONVENTIONS. National Conventions may be arranged under the direction and supervision of the National Council when deemed appropriate or desirable.

SECTION II. REGIONAL CONVENTIONS. Regional Conventions or meetings may be arranged under the direction of each Regional Director.  The National Council may authorize an annual budget for each region to use for such conventions, meetings, or other activities within the region approved by the National Council. A report of these conventions, meetings, or activities shall be made to the National Vice-President within the thirty days following the event.

ARTICLE VII

Active Chapter

SECTION I. HOW FORMED. Active chapters may be established upon petition to the National Council by a typical organization composed of at least six (6) eligible candidates and one Faculty Advisor in a college having a rating comparable to that of Class A in the North Central Association of Colleges and Universities.

SECTION II.  SUSPENSION AND REVOCATION OF CHAPTERS.  The National Council, by a unanimous vote may, for good cause shown, as prescribed in the by-laws of this fraternity, suspend or revoke the charter of any chapter of the fraternity.

SECTION III.  CHAPTER OFFICERS. Each active chapter shall elect annually the following officers from among its active members, viz.: President Vice-President Secretary Treasurer Historian Faculty Advisor or Director

SECTION IV.  DUTIES OF CHAPTER OFFICERS.

(A)       President.  The President shall preside at all meetings of the chapter and shall coordinate the activities of the officers and the chapter.

(B)       Vice-President.  The Vice-President shall perform the duties of the President in his absence and shall assist the President.

(C)       Secretary.  The Secretary shall keep a true and complete record of all matters pertaining to the chapter, and shall be the custodian of the by-laws of the chapter. He shall keep a complete and accurate list of the members of his chapter, active and alumni, together with their addresses, and shall furnish such information to the National Secretary-Treasurer as shall be required.

(D)       Treasurer. The Treasurer shall have charge of all chapter funds.

(E)       Historian. The Chapter Historian shall collect and keep a record of all chapter activities, including pictures of members, pictures of play productions, program mementoes and other data which should be preserved by the chapter. He shall also assist the National Historian in any practicable manner possible.

(F)       Faculty Advisor. The Faculty Advisor shall be the representative of the National Fraternity at each chapter, shall supervise, direct and manage the activities of the chapter, and shall be responsible for reporting these activities to the fraternity.

SECTION V.  CHAPTER BY-LAWS.  Each chapter may adopt for the govern­ment of the chapter any by-laws which shall not conflict with the constitution and by-laws of this fraternity.

ARTICLE VIII

Oath and Ritual

SECTION I. OFFICIAL RITUAL.  The initiation of members and the installation of all chapters and all officers of local chapters shall be conducted in accordance with the provisions of the Ritual of this fraternity.

SECTION II.  RESTRICTIONS.

(A)       Chapters in arrears in the payment of chapter dues are not permitted to conduct initiations.

(B)       Chapters shall not hold initiations until membership cards have been received from the National Secretary-Treasurer.

(C)       Chapters shall not receive pins and other initiating materials until all initiation fees have been paid into the national treasury.

ARTICLE IX

Associate Membership

SECTION I.  ELIGIBILITY.  Upon petition of a local organization composed of at least six candidates and a faculty advisor in any two-year college offering the equivalent of the freshmen and sophomore years with a rating comparable to that of Class A in the North Central Associa­tion of Colleges and Universities and with a substantial theatre program as judged by the theatre facilities and by the number and quality of the faculty, the curriculum, and the co-curricular productions, the National Council may grant a charter to the college establishing an Associate Chapter of Theta Alpha Phi.

SECTION II.  PRIVILEGES AND RESPONSIBILITIES.  Associate Chapters have the same obligations, such as chapter dues and initiation fees, and the same privileges, such as participation in regional programs, as designated in the Constitution and By-Laws of the Fraternity for Active Chapters in four-year colleges and universities.

ARTICLE X

Amendments

SECTION I. Amendments to the constitution may be initiated by the National Council or submitted to the National Council by any active chapter.  Such amendments, if approved by the National Council function­ing as constitutional study committee, are to be submitted, with rationale, to all active chapters for approval by majority vote.