Charter
MemberTypes of Membership
There are 10 different types of membership opportunities available. They include:
Charter
Member
Alumni
Active
Alumni
Inactive
Alumni
Active
Veteran
Active
Associate
Sponsor
Pledge
Regional
Affiliate
Charter Member (C): A member who has signed the Charter for a local chapter, and paid the fees and dues required, when the local chapter was formed.
Alumni (A): A member who has served at least one (1) semester as an Active member, and has a degree. This individual may apply for acceptance as an Alumni of the local chapter. The chapter must vote in the affirmative by a simple majority plus one of the members present at a regular called meeting. The applicant must state if they desire an Active or Inactive status. Once accepted, another vote must be taken by the Alumni's original active chapter to change the status.
Active Alumni (Aa): An Alumni who is still active in the local chapter, pays dues at a reduced rate, and votes in the local chapter business. Cannot hold a Senior Position on the Chapter Board, but may hold a Junior position. May hold any position on the Regional Alumni Chapter Board of which they are members. Cannot hold positions in both at the same time. Must declare which Chapter they will actively participate in.
Inactive Alumni (Ai): An Alumnus who is not active in the local chapter, pays no dues, and has no vote in the local active chapter business. Cannot hold a position on Chapter Board, but may hold a position on the Regional Alumni Chapter Board.
Active Veteran (AV): An Active member who qualifies as a United States Military Veteran, as described in Section 1 of this Article. Shall have served a minimum of one (1) semester as a Pledge. Shall assume the responsibility of Sponsor for new Pledges. Has all the privileges and honors due Military Veterans in this fraternity. Pays dues as set forth in the By-Laws, and can hold any office in the local chapter or National Council as elected to. Has a vote.
Active Associate (AA): An Active member who does not meet the qualifications of United States Military Veteran, as described in Section 1 of this Article. Shall have served a minimum of one (1) semester as a Pledge. Shall assume the responsibility of Sponsor for new Pledges. Pays dues as set forth in the By-Laws, and can serve in local chapter and National Council offices, elected to, after the Military Veteran restrictions have been met. Has a vote.
Sponsors: Active Veteran and Active Associate members who have the responsibility of overseeing the new Pledges. The Sponsor is responsible to notify their Pledge about upcoming events and meetings. The Sponsor shall respond to any request for assistance from the Pledge that the Sponsor can reasonably do. For instance, if the Pledge needs help with a specific department, and the Sponsor knows someone in that department, the Sponsor would not send the Pledge, the Sponsor would take the Pledge to the department and introduce them to the person who could help.
Pledges (P): Also called "Calves" in the plural, "Calf" in the singular. This is a individual who has petitioned the fraternity for acceptance as an Associate or Veteran member. They serve a semester in this capacity, attending every function of the fraternity. The Pledge MUST attend every function during their Pledge semester unless they have a legitimate excuse. The order of responsibility of any member of this fraternity lies in the following order; your family, your job, your school, your fraternity. The Pledge cannot miss a function and then later provide the excuse except in extreme situations. The proper procedure is to first notify the Pledge's Sponsor. This must be done in actual one-on-one contact. The Pledge may not, "leave a message." If the Pledge cannot contact the Sponsor, the Pledge will follow the chain of command until they have informed the proper Active member of their upcoming absence. After one (1) semester as a Pledge, the Calf will petition the fraternity for acceptance as an Active member. It must be a unanimous vote of the Active members present at a regular called meeting. If the Pledge is not accepted at this vote, they can serve another semester as a Pledge. If not voted into active membership at the end of the second semester, they cannot be accepted into the
fraternity. Pledge has no vote.
Regional (R): A veteran or a non-veteran student attending a school other than the charter school. Will be required to pay dues of a regular member. Does not have a vote in the local chapter. Expected to open a chapter at home school at earliest time possible. Voted on and accepted through regular pledgeship process.
Affiliate (S): An immediate family member of an active member, within first degree (husband, wife, brother, sister, son, daughter, etc.). Not to include Uncles, Aunts, cousins, or in-laws. Family member connection must already be an Active member before Affiliate may petition as a Pledge. Must go through pledgeship process. Will be required to pay fees and dues of a regular member. Has no vote.
Honorary (H): Honorary membership is exactly that. Honorary memberships are offered to individuals who have done something extraordinary for the local chapter, the National Fraternity, or for Veteran's in general. Local chapters must submit the name of the individual they want to honor, along with a write up explaining the particulars of why they believe this individual deserves such an honor, to the Council. If the Council deems the individual deserving, the certificate will be offered. The local chapters may not tender more than one (1) individual per year for such recognition, except in extreme circumstances. Has no vote.
Minimum Eligibility Requirements
Minimum GPA of 2.0
Enrolled at the University of Houston
Good standing with the University of Houston
Note: You do NOT have to be a veteran to become a member. Our membership must, however, maintain a majority percentage of veterans. Membership will NOT be based on discrimination based upon race, handicap, age, gender, color, creed, religion, political persuasion, or national origin.
United States Military Veteran must also meet the following criteria:
Have served or are
serving in the Armed Forces of the United States. This includes the Army, Air
Force, Navy, Marines, Coast Guard, National Guard, or Reserve Units.
If no longer serving, must have been discharged
under Honorable Conditions.
Must have proof in form of a DD 214 or equivalent.
Have served 180 days Active Duty. The 180 days can be waived if the Pledge
has a Medical or Hardship Discharge, under Honorable Conditions.
No chapter, group, or individual member of Phi Chi Sigma, National Veterans Fraternity shall engage in or condone any form of hazing, including but not limited to physical abuse, harassment of any person by assigning unnecessary, disagreeable, or difficult work, by banter, ridicule, or criticism, or by abusive or humiliating acts.
We hope that you will become a part of our fraternity.
Please contact us via email or the on-line information request form below if you would like more information or are interested in founding a chapter at your school.
