Found a Chapter of FCS at Your School

The following has been excerpted from the combined National Constitution & Bylaws. A complete copy 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 XIII

AFFILIATED CHAPTERS
  13.1 ORGANIZATION.

The Fraternity may grant Affiliate status to various local organizations that wish to become affiliated with the Fraternity. These organizations will normally be located at approved institutions of higher learning. These organizations must sign a document agreeing to abide by and be governed by this Constitution and Bylaws, and the Rituals of this Fraternity. Each Affiliate chapter is granted one position on the National Board of Directors, provided they are qualified and are accepted by the National Board of Directors. This position will be filled by the current President of the Affiliate Chapter. A representative from the Affiliate Chapter may substitute for President, at a National Meeting, if so elected by the Affiliate Chapter members. If accepted by the National Board of Directors, the Affiliate Chapter will be granted a Charter giving it authority to operate a local chapter of the Fraternity.

  13.2 RESPONSIBILITIES.

All Affiliate Chapters will be responsible for filling their own taxes, paying their own insurances, and they will provide a copy of such filling and proofs to the National Board of Directors. All Affiliate Chapter petition-filing fees, charter fees, and annual fees shall be paid as set forth and described by this document as well as other fees decreed by the National Board of Directors. All Affiliate Chapters shall set and collect their Chapter membership dues within bounds as set forth by the National Board of Directors. The dues schedules and any later proposed changes shall be approved by the National Board of Directors. All Affiliate Chapters shall collect and forward National Dues at the rate and at the times prescribed by these Bylaws.

  13.3 TYPES.

Types of Affiliate Chapters shall be Active, Associate, Alumni, and others as may be determined by the National Board of Directors.

  13.4 CHAPTER DIRECTORS AND OFFICERS.

Affiliate Chapters shall hold elections for Directors and Officers at the end of the Spring semester and those elected to positions shall be installed to take office at the beginning of the Fall semester. Persons running for any Affiliate Chapter office shall be Active members in good standing with the chapter as well as with the Fraternity. Each member in good standing of the Affiliate Chapter shall be allowed to vote for the election of Directors and Offices of the Affiliate Chapter.

  13.5 NUMBER.

Affiliate Chapters shall have a Board of directors, which shall consist of a minimum three (3) members (the exact number to be established by the individual Chapter), President, a Vice-President, and a Treasurer/Secretary. Affiliate Chapters may have such other officers as may be elected by the members. Any two or more offices may be held by the same person, except the offices of President and Secretary.

  13.6 ACTIVE CHAPTER.

An Active Chapter shall be chartered at a college, university, or other two (2) or four (4) year degree granting institution accredited by a national accrediting agency. The interested organization shall submit for Active Chapter status with the prescribed Petition for Affiliation. The National Board of Directors shall accept or reject the Petition for Affiliation on a case-by-case basis after the review of the petition. If accepted, the Active Chapter shall have one position on the National Board of Director, which is a voting Director position. The Associate Chapter President shall fill this position unless the Chapter votes otherwise.

  13.7 ASSOCIATE CHAPTERS.

Any college, university, or other degree granting institution that is NOT accredited by an approved agency may apply for an Associate Chapter status. The interested organization shall submit for Associate Chapter status with the prescribed Petition for Affiliation. The National Board of Directors shall accept or reject the Petition for Affiliation on a case-by-case basis. If accepted, the Associate Chapter shall have one position on the National Board of Directors, which is NOT a voting Director position. The Associate Chapter President shall fill this slot unless the Chapter votes otherwise.

  13.8 REGIONAL ALUMNI CHAPTERS.

When a sufficient number of Alumni desire to form a Regional Alumni Chapter, they will follow rules similar to the forming of regular Active Chapter. The National Board of Directors will determine the geographic regions for Alumni Chapters. The interested organization shall submit for Regional Alumni Chapter status with the prescribed Petition for Affiliation. The National Board of Directors shall accept or reject the Petition for Affiliation on a case-by-case basis. If accepted, the Regional Alumni Chapter shall have one position on the National Board of Director, which is a voting Director position. The Regional Alumni Chapter President shall fill this slot unless the Chapter votes otherwise.

  13.9 PETITION FOR AFFILIATION.

Any organization petitioning for Affiliation must be capable of maintaining the standards of the Fraternity and spreading its scholarly spirit and ideals. The petitioning organization must furnish a Federal Tax ID # and must be incorporated in the State in which it resides. To Petition it must submit a document with the following:
  (1) The Petition for Affiliation shall have at least five students at the institution eligible for membership.
  (2) The Petition for Affiliation shall list the names of the proposed charter members, their status of membership, and the initial Directors and Officers of the submitting organization.
  (3) In the case of Active or Associate Chapters, the five initial members shall be United States Military Veterans as described in this document.
  (4) In the case of Regional Alumni Chapters, the Petition shall have at least five alumni of the Fraternity.
  (5) The Regional Alumni Chapter may be associated with an Active Chapter in its geographic region.
  (6) In the case of Active Chapter status, the Petition shall contain one faculty member to act as advisor. This Advisor does not need to become a member, nor do they need to be a veteran as herein described.
  (7) In the case of Associate Chapter status, the Petition shall have the endorsement of an executive officer of the institution, if any.
  (8) All chapters, with the exception of Regional Alumni Chapters, shall maintain a simple majority of members that qualify as United States Military Veterans as described in this document.
  (9) If through attrition, Veteran membership drops below a simple majority, no new non-veteran Pledges may be accepted until Veteran membership is again a simple majority.

  13.10 ELECTION.

The candidate organization shall file its Petition for Affiliation with the National Board Secretary. The Petition shall include the information herein requested and the National Board of Directors may request additional information. The National Board of Directors shall consider whether the institution fulfills the requirements set forth in this article. The National Directors shall have a period of up to two (2) months, summer vacation not included, in which to submit their vote to the National Board Secretary. The votes may be submitted electronically, by telegram, or by United States Mail. At the point where the National Board Secretary has received a majority of votes from the National Board of Directors, or upon termination of the time limit, the National Board Secretary shall announce the decision. If the majority of votes are in the affirmative, the Petition for Affiliation shall be granted upon receipt of payment of all assessed fees, and a Charter will be granted. If the majority of votes are in the negative, or if the time period for voting by the National Board of Directors expires without the receipt of a majority of affirmative votes, the request shall be denied and another petition shall not be considered from the same institution for a period of one (1) year.

  13.11 INSTALLATION.

When an organization has been granted a Charter, there shall be an Official Installation Ceremony. The President of the National Board of Directors, or such other person so designated, shall act as the installing officer. The Installing Officer shall select a date for the ceremony, which is convenient for the organization and for the installing officer. At the ceremony, there shall be a brief account of the history of the Fraternity, information about its ideals, and explanation of its symbols. Those charter members that are not already members of the fraternity shall be initiated. The charter shall be presented to the chapter along with an Official copy of these Constitution and Bylaws. The organization shall thus become an Affiliated Chapter of Phi Chi Sigma, National Veterans’ Fraternity, Inc., and shall be designated by the name of the Institution at which they are established and the Arabic number in which they were chronologically granted a charter. As a reminder and a part of our history, there will be no chapter designated by the Arabic number two (2). The date of the charter and the charter members shall be those so designated on the charter. The newly established chapter shall be responsible for the expense of transportation, meals, and lodging for the Installing Officer, unless other arrangements are made. If the expense of having an Installing Officer creates a financial burden for the new chapter, the Official Installation Ceremony can be delayed or forgone, and the new chapter will become official by a letter of endorsement from the National Board President.