FarmHouse International Fraternity

Chapter Operations Manual

Preface

  1. Introduction
  2. Officer Qualifications
  1. Executive Officers
  2. Chapter Executive Committee
  3. President
  4. Vice-President – Finance
  5. Vice President – Recruitment
  6. Director of New Member Education
  7. Director of Alumni Relations
  8. Director of Administration
  9. Director of House Operations
  10. Director of Risk Management
  11. Director of Scholarship
  1. Support Officers
  2. Social & Brotherhood Chair
  3. Community Service/Philanthropy Chair
  4. Kitchen Manager
  5. Total Member Educator
  6. Chaplain
  7. Athletic/Intramural Chair
  8. Historian
  9. Song Leader
  1. The Chapter Support System
  2. Relationship With Association
  3. Responsibilities of Chapter Advisors
  4. Housemothers/RAs
  5. Greek Life Advisor
  6. FarmHouse Regional Directors
  7. FarmHouse International Staff and Board

PREFACE

The purpose of this manual is to serve as a resource to Chapters of FarmHouse International Fraternity. The manual requires critical thought on behalf of its reader to apply its suggestions and recommendations to the particular situations of the chapter. It is our hope the reader will find this manual quite useful as chapters are led and our FarmHouse International Fraternity progresses.

Leadership is a continual process and takes place as individuals work with one another. As the reader utilizes this manual, the principles presented should be understood as you become more aware of the functions, planning and control of a FarmHouse Chapter. At all times, the assistance of chapter advisors, university administrators and/or the International Headquarters Staff and Board is available and encouraged.

~The Editors

The Object of FarmHouse Fraternity

The object of our fraternity is to promote good fellowship, to encourage studiousness, and to inspire its members in seeking the best in their chosen lines of study as well as in life. Progress shall mark our every step; the spirit of congeniality shall reign at all times; and every member shall be honest with himself as with his brothers. Men elected to our membership are considered to be of good moral character, to be high in scholarship, to have the capacity for meeting and making friends, and to give promise of service to their fellow-men and to the world. To be and become such may at times require a sacrifice of time, pleasures and comforts.

  1. INTRODUCTION

The Chapter Operations Manual is prepared and updated frequently as a ready reference for answers to most questions concerning the organization, philosophy, policies and procedures of the FarmHouse International Fraternity. It is not, however, meant to be all-inclusive. More precise and detailed information may be secured from appropriate fraternity staff and/or volunteers and fraternity published resources.

The provisions herein are current only at the time of publication and may be reviewed, amended, or revoked following reasonable opportunity for consultation with the FarmHouse Fraternity International Executive Board or Conclave delegates.

Officer Qualifications

Those considered for any office should be qualified to hold positions of leadership within the chapters. They should be in good financial standing with the Fraternity and the Chapter and should not have experienced any disciplinary problems with the Chapter. They should have had the necessary experiences for the specific position of interest (i.e., a treasurer should know how to manage financial records, a president should know how to run a meeting, etc.). They should be available and able to hold the leadership position without negatively influencing their academic expectations with the host institution. And all Chapter leaders should be considered moral and ethical role models by their peers within the Chapter.

II.EXECUTIVE OFFICERS

Chapter Executive Committee

Article XVII, Section 1, of the International By-Laws states that “The President, Vice President of Finance, Vice President of Recruitment, Director of New Member Education and Director of Administration of the chapter, and such others as each chapter may designate, shall constitute the Executive Committee of the chapter, and the Director of Administration of the chapter shall be Secretary of the Executive Committee.” Some chapters have found it convenient and advantageous to enlarge the Executive Committee to include such officers as House Manager, Director of Alumni Relations, etc. The size and composition of the Executive Committee should depend upon the size and needs of the Chapter.

A quorum for Executive Committee meetings should be established. The Executive Committee provides a small policy-forming group that is easier to assemble for meetings, thus facilitating quicker decisions. It hears complaints, reviews and adjudicates fines (although some of this may officially occur through the Chapter judicial/standards board), prepares agendas for Chapter meetings, approves appointed positions and reviews the progress of the Chapter in all of its functioning areas.

The Executive Committee is simply a filtering mechanism which recommends certain courses of action to be voted on by the entire chapter. If too much power is accorded the Executive Committee, the membership may become bitter, lose interest in the decisions to be made, and will consequently become ambivalent or apathetic. The problems and tensions created by such a scenario should be avoided at all cost.

Duties as stated in the By-Laws (Article XVII, Section 2)

  1. To decide all questions of discipline and decorum.
  2. To act as a tribunal unto which all grievances shall be brought.
  3. To act on questions pertaining to the general welfare of the Chapter.
  4. To perform such other duties as may be provided by the members of the Chapter.
  5. To present to the Chapter a set of regulations that shall govern the conduct of the members of the Chapter. Such regulations shall become Chapter rules upon the approval by a two-thirds vote of the members of the Chapter.
  6. An auditing committee (made up ofalumni) and licensed professional auditor (optional) shall be selected at the beginning of each school year. The duty of the auditing committee and the auditor (optional) shall be to inspect and audit all financial records of Chapter officers at the end of each quarter or semester and report the findings to the Chapter, the Faculty Advisory Committee and the Executive Director.

Additional duties as suggested:

  1. To prepare agenda for Chapter meeting.
  2. To report to the Chapter on action taken by the Executive Committee.
  3. To develop a program for the Chapter for presentation and adoption by the members of the Chapter.
  4. To work closely with the housemother, or resident director, so that she is/they are informed concerning the activities and operations of the Chapter.

Chapter President

The Chapter President occupies a position of opportunity and responsibility, and the member who is chosen by his peers to lead the Chapter should be proud of that fact. At the same time, he should realize that he can do as much or as little with this honorable office as he desires; he can bask in the accolades of his fellow members and maintain the status quo at his Chapter, or he can dedicate his term as President to the betterment of his organization through diligent, personal, innovative action and motivation. The choice is his.

Most chapters can survive on past laurels and accomplishments, but those Chapters that progress, grow and prosper are usually guided by a strong group of leaders. The Chapter President is responsible for cultivating that positive group attitude and leading to personal and group excellence through example. There are several functions and responsibilities, however, of which the President should be especially cognizant:

Duties as stated in the By-Laws:

  1. Preside at all meetings.
  2. Enforce discipline and the observance of the Constitution and by-Laws.
  3. Decide all questions of order.
  4. Appoint all committees not otherwise provided for.

Additional duties as suggested:

  1. Serves as the official representative and voice of the Chapter at all times.
  2. Provide direction and cause to be developed a clear-cut and positive program for the Chapter.
  3. Set the tone and provide dynamic leadership for the Chapter.
  4. Undergird the efforts of all officers and committees.
  5. Make certain other officers and committees carry out their duties and responsibilities. Work closely with the housemother, or residence directors, to obtain counsel, comments and suggestions for the betterment of the Chapter.
  6. Handle correspondence with the International Office promptly.
  7. Handle arrangements for consultation with a member of the International Executive Board or the International Staff.
  8. Work closely with officer of the Association and counsel with them frequently.
  9. Seek counsel of the faculty and chapter advisors.
  10. Serve as chapter liaison to outside publics, including the University and fraternity affairs administrator.
  11. Serve as chair of the chapter Executive Committee.
  12. Accept legal responsibility for the decisions and activities of the Chapter.
  13. Submit a detailed and chronologically arranged report to the person who succeeds as President.

Relationship with the Regional Director – Each Chapter is assigned a Regional Director who will conduct at least one biennial visit to the chapter, maintain monthly contact with the chapter, association and advisors and help provide resources, ideas and support to help the chapter achieve its goals and help meet the standards/expectations of the International Fraternity. This RD is the link with the International Fraternity and is an invaluable sounding board for the Chapter President’s problem situation decisions.

Relationship with Educational Leadership Consultant – Each Chapter is assigned a staff educational leadership consultant who is responsible for serving as a resource for your chapter. The consultant will make at least one consultation visit to your chapter annually, utilizing the FarmHouse Leadership Institute Blue Print as the focus of the visit and helping provide ideas, resources and support for the chapter to succeed. He will provide presentations on risk management and other areas of the chapter’s choosing during his visit. He will also maintain regular contact with the chapter to assist the chapter in whatever ways possible.

Relationship with Association – The Association is a group of interested FarmHouse members who usually hold title to the Chapter property and oversee the long-term running of the Chapter. The association exists to provide aid and counsel to the undergraduates. The Chapter President is responsible for reporting the state of the Chapter to the Association, and seeing that the rent is paid to the Association (if applicable). The legal relationship is often one of landlord and tenant, renter and rentee, but the Chapter President should establish an amicable working relationship with the Association officers; they can be valuable resources and provide important, seasoned guidance to the undergraduate officers.

Special Relationship between the Chapter President and Other Officers – While proper function of the Chapter will require responsible leadership and fulfillment of duties by all officers, it is ultimately the Chapter President who must ensure that everything is accomplished. He must lead the Chapter’s leaders. His job is to coordinate, not berate. It will be necessary for the Chapter President to be cognizant of the duties of each officer, as described in the following pages.

Vice President - Finance

Perhaps the most fundamental area of Chapter management and the one with which many Chapters seem to have the most problems is money management. Traditionally, some chapters have combined the role of Chapter Treasurer and Chapter Business Manager, while others have separated these into two offices. For purposes of this manual the two are combined and will be addressed accordingly as Vice President - Finance.

The Vice President - Finance has responsibility for all the financial affairs of the Chapter. His main responsibility is the preparation of a budget and maintenance of that budget. In order to maintain the budget, it is necessary that the Vice President - Finance work closely with the Director of House Operations, Director of Administration, kitchen manager, cook and housemother and other officers who are provided with budgeted funds to ensure prudence in the maintenance of their budgets. In particular, the VP - Finance, the Director of House Operations, Kitchen Manager and the cook must keep close tabs on the kitchen account as it is usually the largest account in the Chapter. Because of this, a large mistake in the maintenance of the budget of this account can have severe effects on the Chapter.

A budget and current financial statement of the Chapter should be posted at the appropriate times - the budget at the beginning of the year, and the financial statements at the close of every month. Along with this, the VP - Finance should explain to the members of the Chapter what moneys are being appropriated for, and how they are being spent. This is especially important at the beginning of the year when the VP – Finance presents his budget and projected house bill for approval by the Chapter members. The Brother who is informed and knowledgeable about what his moneys are going for will be more inclined to pay his Chapter bills on time. Another advantage of doing this at the beginning of the year, at the time of membership recruitment, is it may be a good time to push for additional members so that the Chapter bills could be reduced.

There is no secret to maintaining a budget; it only comes through close supervision of all accounts. A problem that has become increasingly more common with Chapters is the growth in Accounts Receivable owed to the Chapter by the undergraduates and sometimes recently graduated brothers. This problem affects the Chapter in a number of ways, both fraternally and financially. It is the duty of the VP - Finance, then, to create a policy for dealing with Accounts Receivable, obtain approval for the policy from the Executive Committee and Chapter, and enforce it.

Duties of VP of Finance as stated in the By-Laws:

  1. To receive and hold all funds of the Chapter and to disburse them upon order of the Chapter.

  1. To render monthly to the Chapter, to the Chapter Advisory Committee, a summary report of his collections, disbursements, accounts receivable and bills payable. To furnish similar information to the Business Manager (if a different officer) at any time upon request.
  2. Shall remit annually payment for chapter’s portion of blanket bond/crime policy protecting the chapter in the event of embezzlement or misappropriation of funds.

Recommended duties:

  1. Work closely with successor and provide him a complete schedule of the activities of the Treasurer.
  2. Submit books to Auditing Committee and/or auditor for yearly audit.

Duties of Business Manager as stated in the By-Laws:

  1. Make all purchases for the Chapter.
  2. Employ all help needed.
  3. Make a report at the call of the President.

Additional duties suggested:

  1. Purchases for the Chapter.
  2. Items to purchase.
  3. Place of purchase; name and place of business.
  4. Where there is a House Manager, outline work with housemother and cook in planning meals.
  5. Information for prospective initiates.
  6. Rules of the Fraternity and Chapter.
  7. General house operating procedure.
  8. House Clean-Up
  9. General clean-up work items.
  10. Assignment of jobs.
  11. Repair and maintenance jobs to be performed in spare time.
  12. Items for the business meeting.
  13. When retiring from office, leave a complete work schedule and report for the new Business Manager.

Vice President - Recruitment

The very first step to a successful recruitment is the election of a competent Vice President-Recruitment. Recruitment is possibly the single most important program of the Fraternity and should be denoted as such by including the Vice President-Recruitment on the Executive Committee and making this office one of prestige and honor. Without a competent Vice President –Recruitment, the Chapter may not do as well as anticipated in membership recruitment. This is a key position for the success of any Chapter. Several traits that one should look for in a Vice President-Recruitment are:

  • Well-organized, friendly, sincere and a respected leader.
  • A diplomat, a self starter, a man who truly desires to do the job and one who pays attention to details.
  • Able to communicate and express himself clearly.
  • Able to devote ample time to his recruitment responsibilities throughout the year, especially during the summer.
  • One of the most responsible brothers in the Chapter.

Obviously this list is not all inclusive and each Chapter needs to decide for themselves what characteristics they feel their Vice President-Recruitment needs to possess.

Duties of the Vice President-Recruitment:

  1. Chair the committee to conduct all recruitment activities by the Chapter. He should be responsible for conducting a 365-day recruitment program.

  1. Responsible for enforcing University and FarmHouse rules and policies as they pertain to recruitment events.
  2. Keep in contact with alumni for recommendations of potential recruits.
  3. Determine a potential recruit’s grade point, his activities, and college interest before any action is taken. The recruit should be invited to the Chapter as often as necessary to determine this information and for the Chapter members to get to know him.

Once the Vice President-Recruitment is selected the second stop in organizing a successful recruitment campaign is to provide the Vice President-Recruitment with assistance and input. A staff must be formed to create and implement the recruitment program. As two heads are better than one, so are four better than two, and so on. The recruitment program must appeal to a diverse group of recruits; it therefore must also appeal to the entire Chapter and reflect many thoughts. Recruitment is the responsibility of the whole Chapter – it is simply the VP of Recruitment’s job to coordinate the effort.

Chapters vary widely in the ways they meet these needs. After selecting a Vice President-Recruitment some appoint several co-recruitment chairs; others coordinate recruitment through their executive committees; still others have the Vice President-Recruitment appoint a Recruitment Committee. Whatever style of the organization you implement, the basic idea is to utilize hard-working men who represent the diversification of your Chapter and who will be able to influence and activate the entire organization. Keep the committee small enough to avoid confusion, but large enough to insure individual members are not over-loaded. Divide the work and assign someone to each area. But remember this: the Vice President-Recruitment has the ultimate responsibility for organizing, coordinating and implementing the total program.