The IEEE Student Branch Bylaws should be used as the definitive guide
for rules and regulations concerning the operation of student branches.
Below is a rough guideline that simplifies the bylaws and contains a few
basic hints on starting and maintaining a student branch.

Basic Requirements:

1.  Need a minimum of 20 students to have a student branch (grad students
are allowed to be members).

2.  20 students are needed to petition to have a student branch at a 
college, along with the signatures of 3 faculty members.

3.  Need 1 Branch Counselor who is an IEEE and faculty member.

4.  Branch needs its own constitution and a normal elected set of officers.
The student ExCom is chairman/vice chair/secretary/treasurer.

5.  Can have joint branch with other technical societies.  An IEEE student
branch should attempt to attract students from EE/CS/CompE departments
to 1 branch.  This helps in getting the required 20 students together to 
remain active and it is easier to organize activities.

6.  MUST fill out the following forms (required annually):
    a.  Annual branch activity plan (due before Nov 1).
    b.  Officer election form (due after officer elections, generally spring).
    c.  Annual report and financial statement (due before May 1).

These MUST be mailed to the manager of student services, region and section
SAC chairs.

7.  How to avoid probation/dissolution:
    a.  Maintain a minimum of 10 members.
    b.  Must have 3 meeting a year (document attendence at all meetings
	and the minutes).

The basic idea is to have 4 officers and 6 additional members.  They should
have at least 3 meetings, one to elect officers, one to fill out the
annual plan, and one to fill out the annual report/financial statement.

8.  Doing the reports and turning them in before the deadlines gets 
rebates based on the number of members for each Student Branch Treasury.

9.  Should maintain a regular account with either a bank (have multiple
co-signers) or the college to conduct all financial transactions in the
name of the student branch.