The following has been excerpted from the National Constitution dated April 1999. A complete copy of the Constitution can be obtained from the National website. Additionally, anyone interested in establishing a student organization must first meet their institution’s requirements. Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions.
ARTICLE III
Organization and Government
Section 1
Chapters and General Statement
Phi Chi Sigma, National Veterans Fraternity is a professional/social fraternity consisting of active chapters, affiliate chapters, and alumni chapters at various approved institutions of learning. Each such chapter derives its existence either directly from the Act of Incorporation of the Fraternity, as in the case of the parent chapter, or else from a charter granted in accordance with the Constitution of the Fraternity by virtue of the powers conveyed in the said Act of Incorporation.
Section 2
Qualifications for Chapters
Section 2.1
Active Chapter
An Active Chapter of Phi Chi Sigma, National Veterans Fraternity may be chartered only at a college, university, or other degree-granting institution that is accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Institutions of Higher Education. The institution must be capable of maintaining the standards of the fraternity and spreading its scholarly spirit and ideals.
2.11 The Petition shall have at least five students at the institution eligible for membership and they shall become charter members.
2.12 The Petition shall contain one faculty member to act as advisor.
2.13 The five charter members shall be United States Military Veterans as later described by this document.
2.14 The chapter must maintain a simple majority of members that qualify as United States Military Veterans as later described by this document.
2.15 If through attrition, Veteran membership drops below a simple majority, no new non-veteran Pledge may be accepted.
2.16 Chapter petition-filing fees, charter fees, and annual fees shall be set forth in the Bylaws.
2.17 The local chapters shall set chapter membership fees.
Section 2.2
Affiliate Chapter
Any college, university, or other degree-granting institution that is NOT accredited by the North Central Association Commission on Institutions of Higher Education may apply for an Affiliate Chapter standing. The following requirements must be fulfilled:
2.21 At least five persons of the organization shall be eligible for affiliate or regular membership and shall become charter affiliate members. These five must meet the requirements of United States Military Veterans as described later in this document.
2.22 The petition shall have the endorsement of an executive officer of the institution, if any.
2.23 The petition-filing fee, charter fee, and annual dues for affiliate chapters shall be the same as for active chapters.
Section 2.3
Alumni Chapters
When a sufficient number of Alumni desire to form a Regional Alumni Chapter, they will follow rules similar to the forming of a regular Active Chapter.
2.31 A Regional Alumni Chapter shall have a minimum of five founding members.
2.32 The Regional Chapter may be associated with a particular Active Chapter but it will represent a geographic region.
2.33 The National Board of Directors shall have the responsibility to determine these regions and to bring to the member chapters its recommendations.
2.34 The petition-filing fee, charter fee, and annual dues for Alumni chapters shall be one-half that for active chapters.
Section 3
Election of New Chapters
The candidate organization shall petition the fraternity through the Board of Director's Secretary, submitting the names of its proposed charter members together with a statement of information as to its qualifications for chapter. The National Board shall consider whether the institution fulfills the requirements set forth in Section 2 of this article. If a majority of the National Board decides in favor of the institution, the petition shall then, upon payment of the petition-filing fee, be submitted to the chapters together with majority and minority reports from the National Board of Directors.
The chapters shall be allowed a period of two months, summer vacation not included, in which to report their vote to the National Board Secretary. If, during that time, a majority of the active chapters have voted in the affirmative, and less than one-fourth of the chapters have voted in the negative, the petition shall be granted; otherwise, the petition shall be rejected, and another petition shall not be considered from the same institution for a period of one year.
Please contact us via email or the on-line form if you are interested in founding a chapter at your school. We would be happy to help.
Copyright© 2001 Phi Chi Sigma National Veterans Fraternity, Inc.