Get Involved

Are you a Sigma Chi alumnus? Find ways to stay involved, reconnect with the Fraternity and make a difference. Check out the opportunities below for more information.

 

Join an Alumni Chapter, Association or Club

 

The Alumni Chapter

Alumni chapters are duly chartered organizations and designated by the name of the city, county or region in which they are located. Membership is open to all brothers regardless of their undergraduate chapter affiliation. Each chapter must have a minimum of 10 or more alumni brothers who participate in the Life Loyal and/or alumni programs.
 
The main goal of an alumni chapter/association/club should be to provide alumni with an option for staying involved with the Fraternity after the completion of their undergraduate years. The ideal chapter will strive to strike the right balance betwen social activities, supporting the local undergraduate chapter(s), and hosting family and philanthropic events.
 
In order to remain in good standing, alumni chapters must meet at least six times per year and file an annual report of their membership, officers and meeting schedule with Headquarters by Feb. 15 per annum. Alumni chapters in good standing are entitled to a Ritual book, a charter, one vote at Grand Chapter, and one vote regarding petitions submitted for granting prospective undergraduate chapter charters.
 
Sigma Chi's first alumni chapter was established in Indianapolis, then called the Alpha alumni chapter, in 1872. Presently, the Fraternity has more than 130 active alumni chapters in the US and Canada.
 

The Alumni Association

Alumni associations are organized similarly to alumni chapters. They must meet six times a year, but they do not receive a Ritual book, charter, a vote at Grand Chapter or a vote on petitions submitted for granting prospective undergraduate chapter charters. Most groups designated as alumni associations are in the preliminary stage of becoming an alumni chapter and must be in operation for one year before petitioning the Executive Committee for an alumni chapter charter.
 

The Alumni Club

Alumni clubs are a stepping stone on the road to becoming an alumni association, and are only required to meet semiannually. They do not receive a vote at Grand Chapter, a Ritual book, charter. Although it is encouraged, alumni clubs are not obligated to ever change their status to association after a period of time. In order to be recognized as an alumni club, the group must fill out the annual report form and submit a membership roster with all updated information.


Alumni Ambassador Program

The alumni services team at Headquarters is currently searching for volunteers for our alumni ambassador program.

In short, the alumni ambassador program aims to identify and train alumni to be effective alumni chapter officers and leaders by giving them the tools and resources to impact their alumni chapter and local Sigma Chi communities. A more detailed overview of the program and expectations are attached for your review.

Through specific instruction and training, an ambassador will become a great resource to hist Grand Praetor, undergraduate chapters and the Fraternity's 200,000 living alumni. For detailed information on the alumni ambasador program, click here. 

You can click here to view the Fraternity's current alumni ambassadors and the areas that they represent. You will notice that there are still some provinces that are in need of ambassadors. If you are interested in volunteering your time in this role, please contact Reece Schenkenfelder, Alumni and Volunteer Services Coordinator, at (847) 869-3655, ext. 227.

 

Serve on an International Committee

During this biennium, Sigma Chi will continue to focus on the empowerment and utilization of the Fraternity's volunteers, providing additional resources for our undergraduate and alumni chapters, and ensuring that our Headquarters continues its "member service" focus. We will strive to commit the best possible execution, enhancement and integration of all of our various programs. With these educational and leadership programs, we will strive to integrate each operation to ensure consistent and complimentary programming and provide the benefit of efficiency with resources. We will seek to utilize technological advances where economically plausible, and we will be fiscally responsible in every manner. A special focus will be made on our pledge education program, as well as our communication channels and messages to our various constituents and the general community.
 
If you would like to serve on a committee during the next biennium, please complete the Committee Interest Form.
 

Alumni Big Brothers

By working with the alumni big brother program, you will help: 
 

  • Cultivate meaningful, lifelong relationships between undergraduates and alumni. 
     
  • Further educate undergraduate brothers about their responsibilities to Sigma Chi and its role in their lives, and assist alumni brothers in the development of personal mentoring skills. 
     
  • Provide an outlet for undergraduates to gain relevant advice, and for alumni to share life experiences and assist in a younger brother's development.
     
  • Create opportunities for all brothers to fulfill their lifelong commitment to Sigma Chi.

 

To find out more about the alumni big brother program, please contact Reece Schenkenfelder, Alumni and Volunteer Services Coordinator, at (847) 869-3655, ext. 227.
 

Horizons Faciltator

As an alumnus member of Sigma Chi, you are eligible to serve as a Horizons facilitator. Facilitators are immersed in the same interactive learning experienced by undergraduate participants. You will be highly trained to inspire and share the Horizons journey with the undergraduates of Sigma Chi. If you are interested in being trained as a Horizons facilitator, you can request an application by clicking here.

 

Chapter Advisor's Board

Alumni and community support is critical to the long-term success of any Sigma Chi undergraduate chapter. Those chapters with consistent and extensive alumni involvement tend to be our best chapters. To ensure that every Sigma Chi chapter realizes its full potential, local area alumni are needed to help set a solid foundation for success now and into the future. To learn more about participating on a chapter advisor's board, please click here.

 

The Chapter Advisor

The chapter advisor is appointed by the Grand Praetor and serves as the chairman of the chapter advisor's board, working directly with the chapter officers and executive committee. Along with the Grand Praetor, the chapter advisor serves as a liaison between the chapter and community alumni, university officials and the General Fraternity. He oversees the submission of required reports, forms and fees, particularly in areas associated with financial operations, pledging and Initiation ceremonies.
 

The Faculty Advisor

The faculty advisor, not necessarily a Sigma Chi, is a faculty or staff member of the chapter’s college or university. He or she provides guidance for the chapter’s educational program and assists brothers and pledges with their academic responsibilities. The faculty advisor also serves as a liaison between the chapter and college or university administration and as an advisor to the scholarship chairman.
 

The House Corporation

Each undergraduate chapter should have a functioning house corporation. The principal purpose of most house corporations is to serve as owner and manager of the chapter house and its property. At some chapters, however, the house corporation leases the land or chapter house from the college or university, or another third-party owner. In most cases, the undergraduate chapter or its individual members lease the chapter house, a room and/or property from the house corporation. In this capacity, the house corporation serves as the landlord to the chapter. A house corporation typically pays the mortgage, real estate taxes, and property insurance and provides for capital improvements to the chapter house.
 
The General Fraternity has no authority over house corporations, nor does it prescribe the manner in which they are formed or operated, although membership typically includes chapter alumni. These members are in a role analogous to that of shareholders of a for-profit corporation. Depending upon the house corporation's articles of incorporation and bylaws, other interested Sigma Chis can also serve as members. Typically, a board of trustees that is elected by the house corporation's members oversees the business of the house corporation. The board of trustees elects the officers of the house corporation to handle the details of the house corporation's business. It is unwise for any undergraduate member of the chapter, the chapter advisor or any Grand Officer of Sigma Chi to serve on the house corporation's board of trustees, as doing so endangers the house corporation’s assets should there be a liability claim arising out of chapter activities. This does not mean that communication should not take place between the chapter and the house corporation, just that such communication should be an arms-length dealing and be limited to landlord/tenant matters. In general, the house corporation is a non-profit corporation established under the laws of its state or province. In the United States, a house corporation will typically be exempt from the payment of taxes under IRC Section 501 (c)(7) if the appropriate filings have been made. In most circumstances, contributions to a house corporation are not considered charitable donations; therefore, donors cannot claim the value of their contributions as a deduction on their tax returns.
 
Neither the house corporation nor its individual trustees or officers may serve as advisors, supervisors or managers of the chapter's activities or operations. Additional information regarding house corporations can be obtained from the Grand Trustee assigned to the province. A list of the Grand Trustees is provided in the directory of each issue of The Magazine of Sigma Chi.