Alumni Association

An individual’s desire to be a friend, to of service, and to be a leader seldom stops with the completion of one’s days in college. An association of alumni provides an opportunity for alumni to promote the principles and extend the program and fellowship of Phi Sigma Chi throughout their lifetime.

The reasons an individual participates in a local alumni association often include the same reason for joining a chapter of Phi Sigma Chi. The opportunity to mentor a chapter or chapters one additional service opportunity available to a member of an alumni association that is not accessible to an active brother of a chapter. This can be done by providing counsel, based on experience or special skill knowledge, by furnishing specific resources, and by financial support.

What is the Alumni Association?

During the March 22, 2008, meeting of Phi Sigma Chi Multicultural Fraternity alumni the following definition of the Alumni Association was adopted:

The Alumni Association is a group of Phi Sigma Chi Multicultural Fraternity alumni organized for the purpose of furthering the aims, goals and mission of the fraternity. The mission and purpose of the alumni program of the fraternity shall be to encourage support of the Phi Sigma Chi Multicultural Fraternity; to service, inform, and involve alumni of the Fraternity so as to foster interaction and friendship among Phi Sigma Chi Multicultural Fraternity members of all ages; and to promote civic and professional service by Phi Sigma Chi Multicultural Fraternity alumni.

Who may be members?

Membership in the Alumni Association shall be granted to:

1. Persons who are formerly active members of any Phi Sigma Chi chapter;
2. Persons who served as duly registered advisory members of a chapter; and
3. Persons granted honorary membership in Phi Sigma Chi Multicultural Fraternity pursuant to the National Bylaws.

The Fraternity can be a lifetime activity and the brotherhood does not end with the college experience. If there are alumni in a member?s living area he should start a local alumni association.

Structure and Program of the Alumni Association

The programs of the Alumni Association are the activities undertaken by the association. The structure is the officers, committees, and the Bylaws and Articles of Association. The program dictates the structure which in turn regulates the conduct of the program.

The basis of program development is the organization type and the desires and demographics of the current membership, as well as the identified potential membership. The activities programs of the association will most probably differ from that of a chapter. In a chapter?s membership there are the bounding aspects of a constricted age group, generally eighteen to twenty-two; a singular general goal, that of earning a degree; a populace that is predominantly not married or maintaining a household; and an individual financial position that hovers at the subsistence level and is typically underwritten by the parents, loans, and scholarships. In an association, the membership demographics are very broad in scope and often, they are just the opposite of those of a chapter. There is no minimum program participation requirement prescribed to each member of the Association. Therefore, the Association?s programs should be diverse and may place less emphasis on maximum membership participation for each activity than do the chapters. Lastly, the program should reflect both the long and short-term objectives of the group. The scheduling of a fund-raiser for the next month would be short term, but to use the money raised to build future scholarship fund reflects a long-term objective.

The Alumni Association should select its activities based on the time and interest of its members. Additionally, the needs of the chapter(s) should, when possible addressed in the program.

Examples of possible activities include:

Leadership Activities like instructing fraternity conference workshops, sponsoring career days, mentoring chapter officers and committees, and assisting with anniversary dinners;

Service Projects like community development, organizing new chapters, and helping reactivate chapters; and

Social Functions such as camping trips, rafting trips, picnics, sports events, alumni brunches, movie nights, etc.

In addition to these activities, does the Region have a need which the group can assist in satisfying? No matter what the members desire to include in the program, the membership size and the financial status of the Association will always influence what types of projects and events the Association will be able to undertake.

The Association should have some formal rules by which it governs its programs. These should set forth its name, purpose, association officers and committees, and operation of the general program. The group shall also prepare “Article of Association” to identify it as a voluntary, nonprofit association formed by alumni brothers of Phi Sigma Chi, Inc. to further the ideals of Phi Sigma Chi Multicultural Fraternity. The rules governing the group shall be incorporated in the Bylaws and shall also contain a provision for amending or revision the document. See Bylaws.

Meetings

The frequency of meeting will be determined by the plan of operations and the nature of the group. All meetings should have a purpose. Formal meetings are necessary for the membership to formulate and participate in its programs; to respond to requests from chapters or National Council; and to determine areas of participation in community activities as involved citizens. Committees that meet frequently may reduce the required number of general membership meetings.