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THE CONSTITUTION OF

ALPHA SIGMA LEX

Brotherhood & Sisterhood


Northwestern University
Laoag City, Philippines

PREAMBLE

We, the undersigned students and alumni of Northwestern University College


of Law, imploring the aid of the Almighty God, believing in the principles of
fellowship, honor, excellence and service, do hereby make a commitment to
create a brotherhood and sisterhood, contribute to the betterment of
Northwestern University College of Law as well as the community in which
we live and assist in upholding and defending the laws of the land, the honor
and ideals of Northwestern University College of Law, hereby promulgate and
develop this Constitution and By Laws.

ARTICLE I. OUR IDENTITY

Section 1. Name - The name of this brotherhood and sisterhood shall be


Alpha Sigma Lex or ASL and shall herein be referred to as the
Organization and shall be housed at Northwestern University
College of Law.

Section 2. Mission The Alpha Sigma Lex is a professional law fraternity


and sorority advancing honor and excellence through fellowship
and service to the student, the school, the profession and the
community.

Section 3. Vision The Alpha Sigma Lex Brotherhood & Sisterhood is the
premier law organization of students, graduates and professors
of law with members of the Bench and Bar, who are studying
and/or practicing in Ilocos Norte, promoting the bonds of
brotherhood and sisterhood in order to provide service to the
students of the law and the legal profession.

Section 4. The Founding Principles Bounded by tradition and common


interest of the law, the creation and perpetuation of the
brotherhood and sisterhood shall be founded upon the principles
of HONOR, EXCELLENCE AND SERVICE.

A. HONOR. He lives a life of personal integrity. An honourable


man lives up to promises made to others and to himself. A
man of honor is not vain. He is reliable, ethical, honest and
trustworthy.

B. EXCELLENCE. He strives for the highest quality and


professionalism in everything he does and a commitment to
the long-term health and viability of the brotherhood and
sisterhood.
C. SERVICE. He strives for a life of charity and service. He
sacrifices himself to help others and seeks no recognition in
return. He is humble, relevant and generous.

Section 5. Declaration of Purpose The purpose of this brotherhood and


sisterhood shall be to form a strong bond uniting students,
graduates and professors of the law with members of the Bench
and Bar in a fraternal and sororal fellowship designed to
stimulate excellence in legal education; advance ideals of honor
and excellence; to inspire the virtues of compassion and
courage; to foster integrity and professional competence; to
promote the welfare of its members; and to encourage their
moral, intellectual, and cultural advancement; so that each
member may enjoy a lifetime of honourable professional and
public service.

ARTICLE II. MEMBERSHIP & RECRUITMENT

Section 1. Qualification and Composition Any person who is enrolled or


has graduated from Northwestern University who successfully
completes the screening, pledgeship and has taken the Oath of
Initiation subject to Section 3 hereof shall be qualified to be a
member of the Organization. There shall be four (4) categories of
membership in this organization, namely: Law School, Alumni,
Honorary and Bench & Bar.

Section 2. Eligibility - Eligibility for membership shall be as follows:

a. LAW SCHOOL MEMBER. Any person who is regularly


enrolled and in good standing at Northwestern University
College of Law.

b. ALUMNI MEMBER. Any person who has graduated from


Northwestern University College of Law but not necessarily
taken the bar. A duly initiated law school member, upon
their departure Northwestern University College of Law,
who is in good standing and has no pending criminal case
before any Philippine Court, shall automatically become an
Alumni Member.

c. HONORARY MEMBER. Any person who has attained


unusual distinction in the legal profession or in the field of
law at least a statewide basis shall be eligible for honorary
membership. Honorary membership shall likewise extend
to law school faculty, staff, alumni and current students.

The term field of law shall embrace any person elected


or appointed to a legislature or engaged in the execution,
administration or enforcement of the law, whether or not
such person is a member of the legal profession or has a
law degree or has had finished units in law school.
d. BENCH & BAR. Any person who has been licensed to
practice law in any jurisdiction in the Philippines, who is not
subject to any disciplinary proceedings resulting in
temporary or permanent cessation or denial of his or her
license to practice law; and any lawyer or judge who
qualified in any of the preceding categories prior to
becoming a lawyer or judge.

Provided, that no distinction or discrimination shall be made on


the basis of sex, race, religion, disability, national origin, sexual
orientation, marital or parental status or veterans status.

Section 3. RECRUITMENT For the purpose of increasing the membership


of the Organization, the Lord Chancellor with the Brod Tribune
and Brod Liason shall be the Recruitment Committee, which shall
develop programs for the recruitment of prospects for
membership.

Students or Alumni shall be considered for their academic


achievements, talent and interest shall be invited to join and
apply for membership. The Recruitment Committee shall
deputize all members to search and recruit prospects for
membership. Recruitment shall take place throughout the year
and membership shall be open at all times.

Section 4. FEES & DUES The Organization shall have the right to collect
fees, dues and contribution from its members. The amount of
fess and dues to be paid shall be determined by the ______, as
the case may be, which shall be voted upon by the majority of
the members. The amounts set may later be adjusted for
inflation or in consideration of the economic conditions that
would prevail at the time the fees may be collected; in which
case that adjustment shall likewise be approved by majority vote
of the membership.

a. Membership Fee. There shall be a membership fee to be


paid upon application. This is refundable upon rejection
of such application.

b. Monthly Dues & Contributions. Monthly dues shall


likewise be collected and are payable on or before the
end of the month. Contributions for special projects,
activities or events shall likewise be collected if the
need arises.

Section 5. DUAL MEMBERSHIP No member of Alpha Sigma Lex shall also


belong to any society, membership, fraternity or sorority which
are inconsistent with the principles of the organization, nor shall
any member also belong to any other fraternity, except Honorary
or Bench & Bar members.

Section 6. MEMBER IN GOOD STANDING - A member is considered of


Good-Standing if he continues to meet his financial obligations to
the Organization and his chapter; is an active participant in the
Organizations activities.
Section 7. TERMINATION OF MEMBERSHIP Membership in Alpha Sigma
Lex shall be terminated as follows:

a. Suspension. For good cause, any member, by a majority


vote of the members present at a meeting duly called
for such purpose, in accordance with the procedures of
the ASL By-Laws, may temporarily suspend a member
from membership for a period not exceeding one (1)
year.

b. Automatic Forfeiture. Any member whose license to


practice law has been finally revoked by the Integrated
Bar of the Philippines or who has ceased to be licensed
to practice law by reason of misconduct, shall
automatically forfeit membership with the ASL, which
forfeiture of membership shall remain in effect for as
long as the disciplinary action shall remain in effect;

c. Expulsion. Any member charged with (1) violating the


Membership Oath, Constitution and By-Laws, or (2)
otherwise engaging in unworthy conduct tending to
bring disrepute on the organization shall be subject to
expulsion from ASL;

d. Resignation. Any member may resign from this


Fraternity by submitting his or her resignation to the
Executive Director, and the resignation shall become
effective sixty (60) days after such notification.

ARTICLE III GOVERNMENT

Section 1. THE OFFICERS The officers shall be composed of the Grand


Chancellor, Vice-Chancellor, Lady Chancellor, Brod Scroll, Brod
Coffer, Brod Tribune, Master Initiator, Whip and Liaison, to be
elected by the members of the fraternity in a general assembly
called for such purpose.

Section 2. TERM OF OFFICE

Section 3. DUTIES OF THE OFFICERS

Section 4. ADVISERS.

ARTICLE IV COMMITTEE ON INITIATION

Section 1. There shall be a Committee on Initiation headed by the Master


Initiator. The initiators for men and women members shall be
separate.

a. Law School Members and Alumni Members shall be


initiated by the law school chapter according to the
fraternity or sorority rituals. Provided that hazing or
any form of dangerous physical initiation rites shall
be imposed as a condition of membership in this
organization.

b. Law School Members who successfully completes


and graduates from Northwestern University College
of Law shall automatically become an Alumni
Member and shall be initiated by taking an Oath of
Initiation with a Pledgeship in the amount of not less
than P2,000.00 if such member successfully passes
the Bar Examinations.

c. Honorary and Bench & Bar members shall be


initiated by taking an Oath of Initiation with a Pledge
in the amount of not less than P2,000.00 and upon a
Petition of Membership filed or submitted by an
existing member of the organization to be ratified by
the Alpha Sigma Lex Executive Board. The

d. The Executive Board shall have the right to refuse


membership to any person based on justified
grounds and with a majority vote of the Executive
Board.

Section 2. Membership. The Committee shall be composed of the Master


Initiator, the Grand Chancellor and the Brod Scroll as members.
The Committee may consult or seek advice from the other
officers of the fraternity. The members may be deputized to
participate in the initiation and likewise, any member may be
kept from such participation in the event that the safety of the
neophytes may be put at risk.

Section 3. Duties. The Committee shall set rules and regulations in the
conduct and manner of initiation. Hazing or any form of
dangerous physical activities shall not be tolerated. It shall set a
period, date and time of initiation taking into consideration and
purpose the studies or work of the initiates will not be
jeopardized, instead that good study habits and discipline be
developed. All rules and regulations shall be enforced only upon
approval of the body.

Section 4. Neophytes. Any person who is a member of the Organization for


less than one (1) year, in good standing and having completely
passed the pledgeship and initiation rites shall be considered a
Neophyte.

Neophytes shall be required to address with great respect any


member of the Organization as Lord or of the Sorority as Lady.

ARTICLE V MEETINGS

Section 1. GENERAL ASSEMBLY. There shall be a General Assembly


annually, one month after every opening of every school year,
wherein elections of a set of officers shall be held.
Section 2. REGULAR. There shall be one regular meeting to be held every
first Friday of every month.

Section 3. SPECIAL. There shall be a special meeting to be called upon by


the Grand Chancellor on matters of essential importance to the
Organization.

ARTICLE VI PENALTIES

Section 1. FINES. Failure to attend any meeting or activity the Organization


by a member without sufficient cause shall be subject to a fine,
the amount of which shall be agreed upon by the members.
Failure of a member to attend three consecutive meetings
without sufficient cause will subject him to a disciplinary action
to be administered by the body.

Section 2. OSTRACIZING. Any member found guilty of deliberate violation


of the Constitution and By Laws of the Organization or any of its
rules and regulations shall be ostracized by the members of the
Organization by three-fourths (3/4) vote of the members present
in a meeting duly called for such purpose if the gravity of the
offense do warrant.

Section 3. SUSPENSION. Any member of the Organization shall be


suspended upon majority vote of the body, upon
recommendation by the officers or upon the registering of
complaint by a member before the body for acts of
embarrassment or inimical to the purpose and ideals of the
Organization.

ARTICLE VII ELDERS AND GRAND ELDERS

Section 1. COMPOSITION. There shall be a body of Alumni Members of the


Organization who shall constitute as the Elders who shall
volunteer their time to provide advice, assistance and guidance
to the Organization.

Section 2. GRAND ELDERS. There shall be from the Elders a select of 12


Grand Elders who shall be vested with the authority to approve
changes in the Constitution. They shall be selected by consensus
of the Elders and their replacements will be made when they
expressly withdraw or when they shall have been considered
unable to serve as such.

ARTICLE VIII CHAPTER RECOGNITION

Section 1. Chapters in other campuses, university and colleges may be


organized. Their organization shall be subject to the approval and
recognition by the Alpha Sigma Lex of Northwestern University,
which shall serve as the controlling and Parent Chapter. Chapters
to be recognized must have been organized at the initiation of a
Lexan and must adopt the same Creed and Constitution,
except for the change necessary for the name of the school and
the domicile of the chapter.

Section 2. The basic elements of the Seal, Logo, Banner, Stationary and
such other labels and indications to be used for the identification
of the Chapter must be substantially consistent with that of the
Parent Chapter, which shall likewise have the approval of the
Grand Elders.

ARTICLE IX AMENDMENT AND EFFECTIVITY

Section 1. There shall be a special gathering to adopt an amendment of the


Constitution based upon a proposal passed by the body of the
Parent Chapter, and endorsed for approval by the Elders to the
Grand Elders of the Fraternity, Proposals coming from other
chapters shall be coursed through the Parent Chapter for
endorsement to the Elders, who shall present the same for
approval by the Grand Elders. The Elders may likewise propose to
the Parent Chapter changes to update the Constitution, for
adoption of the body of the Parent Chapter, which shall likewise
have the approval of the Grand Elders.

Section 2. This Constitution shall be effective immediately upon ratification


by three-fourths (3/4) of the body. The Chapters shall be bound
to the Constitution immediately upon their recognition.

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