Final Minutes

 

Sigma Phi Delta Fraternity

Supreme Council Meeting

On

Fraternity Leadership

At

Kappa Chapter House

July 20, 2001

 

Roll Call: The following were present:

 

Supreme Council Members:

 

Grand President Paul Lindner

Grand Vice President Keith Hileman

Executive Director Bob Featheringham

Communications Director Burt Wagner

Eastern Province Councillor Mike Votaw

Central Province Councillor Mike Stelzner

Western Province Councillor Kevin Oldknow

 

Other SFD Members and guests:

 

Director for Canadian Expansion Rich Taylor

SFD Foundation Trustee Gary Ray

 

ZFS Members:

Meghan Dunwiddie

Mai Nguyen

Leah Lovell

 

Call to Order: GP Lindner called the meeting to order at 7:30 PM EST. There was a quorum present to conduct business.

 

By unanimous consent, the SC dispensed with the normal order of business to allow for a full discussion and consideration of items of business on the Grand President’s agenda.

 

Leadership Committee Efforts: GP Lindner provided an overview of the work of the new Leadership Committee.  It will look at many aspects of the Fraternity and recommend ways to make operations relevant to today and streamline where possible.  Some specific examples include:

 

a)    Engineers United Project

b)    Fraternity Reorganization

c)     Updating Constitution and Statutory Code

d)    Identifying Potential Officers Program

e)    International Expansion

f)      Fundraising

 

Engineers United.  This is the rubric used in SFD with regards to supporting women in engineering, as men and women are united in their common goal of advancing the engineering profession. 

 

GP Lindner described the background for this initiative.  “Several years ago our colony in Calgary was told by the Dean of Engineering to de-affiliate from us, because we were a single sex organization.  Later, we were told by the administration at Ohio Northern that there was no way they would support us in establishing a new male-only organization there.  Given that reality, and our own desire not to become co-ed, we were faced with the realization that we had to get women involved if we wanted to expand.  Once we began looking at the situation, we realized there would be great benefit to us by associating with a woman’s engineering organization to show how we help promote the same opportunities for women as men.  In the future we want to promote both types of engineering organizations in accordance with our Object: ‘To promote the advancement of the Engineering Profession and To instill a greater spirit of cooperation among engineering students and organizations.’  This was the basis for us establishing a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with AWE,  an engineering sorority.”

 

GP Lindner announced that with the tacit approval of a majority of the officers of SFD,  we had recently cooperated with a group of young women at Virginia Commonwealth University who, having been rebuffed by AWE  in their quest to be a recognized organization, were starting their own local engineering sorority ZFS.

 

Toward that end, a delegation from ZFS was invited to our General Convention to observe and make their case for further cooperation and (non-financial) support from SFD.  The young women from VCU then addressed the SC voicing their interests and goals.  They presented their fall 2001 Rush Plan of evidence of their sincerity in moving forward.

 

GP Lindner announced that the expectations from the relationship established six years ago with the AWE Engineering Sorority have not been realized.  The primary benefit to us was insight into their education foundation, but no assistance in expansion.

 

This led to a long discussion on the reasons, and in summary, SFD Expansion Chairman GVP Hileman cited that AWE essentially doubled in size as a direct result of our efforts in helping them establish four chapters; yet, AWE has not reciprocated.  The most glaring example is their recent installation of a Chapter at Ohio State, where we were not invited into their expansion effort, contrary to our understanding of our Memorandum of Agreement, he stated.

 

He also cited instances of un-returned telephone calls by their National Officers, and his observation that their organizational structure does not provide for as an effective expansion program as ours.

 

None of us knows for sure why the situation has been so one sided, he stated, but one reason for this could be AWE’s continuing allegiance to QT, a competitor engineering fraternity to SFD.

 

Considerable discussion followed on the manner in which we would terminate our agreement with AWE.  GP Lindner stated emphatically our actions to support ZFS did not mean our relationship with AWE was necessarily terminated.  The industry analogue is where companies form exclusive and non-exclusive agreements between themselves to pursue common objectives, he stated.  In this case AWE  continues its relationship with QT and   SFD,  and we will pursue our objectives.  When it is mutually beneficial, we will seek support of AWE. We need not be bound to the MOU exclusively, as they are not, he stated.

 

To ensure the membership is on board with this, GP Lindner said the SC needs to get the consent of the General Convention.

 

Accordingly, CD Wagner moved and GVP Hileman seconded a motion that the Supreme Council put forth a motion to the General Convention as follows:

 

SENSE OF THE CONVENTION: We move that the Supreme Council assist in establishing a local engineering sorority at Virginia Commonwealth University of like ideals with SFD. Furthermore we move that the Supreme Council bring back a formal proposal of partnership for General Convention approval.

 

The motion passed.

 

Fraternity Reorganization: With regards to reorganization, GP Lindner stated that, as he leaves office, he has come to the conclusion that the level of government at the Province level with its own bylaws and dues does not contribute to, and is in fact duplicative of, National’s project.  It contributes nothing, he believes, since there is nothing that occurs at the Province level that does not already exist at the National level. 

 

He stated that Province Councillors are important; having them elected in years opposite to those of the other National officers is also important since the Fraternity is not faced with having all new officers at the same time; and having them elected in the regions they represent totally makes sense.  But having a level of governance with its own by-laws and separate dues makes no sense; its added baggage that has no function.

 

There is no proposal at this time to deal with this, but the Leadership Committee will looking at this structure, together with any concomitant changes needed to the Constitution and Statutory Code.

 

Updating the Constitution and Statutory Code: GP Lindner announced that the Leadership Committee is reviewing the Constitution and Statutory Code to identify areas that just do not apply to the operation of the Fraternity anymore.  He categorized these as: things we don’t do (both things we don’t do that we should and things that we don’t do and don’t want to do but they’re there in our laws); things that are no longer applicable; and things that are stated in redundant strange language that shouldn’t be there anymore.

 

The committee has identified a number of issues, but will not taken any action until an exhaustive list is developed.  The focus at this convention has to be on more important items like women in engineering. Thus, these have been put on the back burner for now, but will be discussed in the future. 

 

We will need to educate the membership, he stated, about this so they can gain an understanding that our laws currently require us to do things that we don’t-- most we never plan to do.  So it begs the question, why are they still there?  Wouldn’t it be better if we amended our laws, he asked.  “Let’s say what we’re going to do, and do what we say.”

 

For example, the GP is required to write and edit the Star thrice yearly; in addition to chapter visits; expansion activities and visits as well as monthly SC meetings.  Some of it cannot get done; perhaps the Star could be assigned to the Executive Secretary, he suggested.

 

After discussion, GVP Hileman moved and CPC Stelzner seconded a motion as follows: The SC charges the Leadership Committee to review Constitution and Statutory Code for relevance and to report findings to the SC in November.

 

The motion passed.

 

Potential Officers: With regard to identifying potential National Officers and others who can head projects at the National level, GP Lindner announced that the Fraternity would emulate industry and develop a HIGH POTENTIAL or HI POT candidate list that would be managed actively by the Executive Director.  As a first step the delegates and guests to the 34th General Convention were asked to nominate candidates for the HI POT list.

 

International Expansion.  No new information has been developed; however, several overseas organizations have petitioned Sigma Phi Delta, and the Fraternity will work this more actively.

 

Fundraising.  Discussion: As a matter of background GP Lindner reviewed the current situation.  The revitalized Fraternity is on the verge of a major expansion of its programs and number of its chapters.  However, expansion activities are limited by the amount of funding available. Currently, the Constitution (Article IX, Section 3), Statutory Code (Title VIII, Article 28), and Tradition (What Fraternity) all prohibit assessing alumni members (and this is interpreted to also mean dues). Thus, a few hundred Active members must carry the entire expansion load, while several thousand Alumni carry almost no load. 

 

In addition to the need for additional expansion funds, regular operations sap the limited funds too. One glaring example is the Castle: the Fraternity sends a copy to each member, and the publication, printing, and mailing costs are $6,000 per issue, for a total of $12,000 annually. Actives underwrite the total cost (with exception of the dedicated Alumni who, from time-to-time, contribute to one of the general funds.)

 

The SC listed several ways to raise additional funds from the Alumni:

 

·        Amending the Constitution and Statutory Code to explicitly allow for charging dues

·        Forming an At-Large Alumni Chapter (North America Alumni, for example) to embrace Alumni who no longer have an Active Chapter with which to be associated and charge them dues, which would be used to fund National programs. (The Fraternity law permits organized sub-units of the Fraternity to charge their members dues.)

·        Reinvigorating the merchandise program to push sales at prices above cost and return the margin to Fraternity operations.

·        Establishing a Contributing Member classification, based on a graduated scale of gift giving or donations, and providing them additional benefit beyond that given to all Alumni members.

·        Establishing an organized fund raising program of all members to raise donations.

 

GP Lindner reported that he was in contact with a merchandising organization that seemed ready to maintain inventory of Fraternity logo material (including jewelry) and sell it through a Web ordering system.  An agreed upon margin would be returned to the Fraternity.  He plans to meet in Chicago on July 23 to explore this promising avenue in more detail.

 

GP Lindner set four rules that fundraising would have to meet, irrespective of the method chosen:

 

1.    It would have to be seen as fair

2.    It would have to be administered so as not to alienate, and thereby lose, members

3.    It needs to articulate an expectation of life-long financial commitment to the Fraternity

4.    It must not cannibalize Alumni or Housing Associations fund raising.

 

EPC Votaw stated Kappa’s experience got good response  ($4000) when they provided their alumni a premium, ala Public Broadcasting style.

 

Ideas to limit delivery of the Castle and/or Star to contributors were deemed to be unworkable.  CD Wagner stated Statutory Code Articles 55 and 56 require the Fraternity to provide all members copies of these publications.  There was some interest in the idea of making electronic copies available to all, but to limit paper copies to contributors, but Trustee Ray stated many older members do not have access to the Internet. (Editor’s Note: Article 56 requires the Star to be mailed to all members, but Article 55 does not require the Castle to be mailed to all.  In subsequent research GP Lindner found that members actually paid for the Castle at some earlier point in the Fraternity’s history.)

 

EPC Votaw and others discussed approaches to add to the Castle inserts concerning local chapter news and articles of general engineering interest to be contributed by alumni.

 

GP Lindner bemoaned the fact that the Fraternity does not collect information about alumni accomplishments, such as awards, patents, etc.  These could be used in marketing the fraternity to deans of engineering and other outsiders.

 

GP Lindner expressed concern that a new at-large alumni organization could become a powerful political force within the Fraternity that could start a new dynamic that worked contrary to the interests of the active chapters, Supreme Council, and General Convention.

 

GP Lindner made the distinction between expectation of dues as a minimum requirement and donations as doing something additional.  He emphasized that the Fraternity needs to begin right now with new members to set the expectation of life-long financial commitment. EPC Votaw stated that if dues are charged, then there has to be an expectation of representation in the Fraternity and a vote.  Trustee Ray stated that without penalizing non-payment of the theoretical Alumni dues, there would be inconsistent treatment as relates to other elements of the Fraternity.

 

EPC Votaw opined that there could be two classes of alumni, Contributing and Regular (Non Contributing).  Then Contributing Members would be granted added benefit beyond that given to Regular Members.

 

After some discussion by GP Lindner and CD Wagner on amending the Constitution to permit the Fraternity to assess alumni members, Trustee Ray stated that the Constitution is a sacred document, and amending it should be considered only after the entire membership has been informed of the need.  It should not be done casually, without a common understanding of the membership.

 

Trustee Ray said a general fundraising appeal would not be unconstitutional, and that such an appeal could allow for check-off of dues to be paid to the donee’s local Alumni chapter. This approach would preclude the National appeal from cannibalizing sources of alumni funds.

 

Trustee Ray summarized the issue as follows: Is it a stronger inducement to ask someone to part with money based on a invoice that says “Dues” on it, or to put out a good reason of why they should send money?  If the Fraternity just asks for money, it doesn’t have to deal with the implied obligation of providing representation.

 

Trustee Ray stated that a compromise could be to send out a convincing appeal and asses the result.  If Alumni, after hearing of the momentum being built in Fraternity programs and the involvement of people in the Fraternity willing to work for it, then a Constitutional change could be considered.  He said it was premature to classify payments as dues in direct conflict to the Constitution and that the SC was not remotely ready to recommend such a change.

 

EPC Votaw stated that the Fraternity would need to make a big deal of the Contributing Member: Listing in the Castle; stating the specific programs that the contribution funded; relate specific costs to contributions.  (At Kappa, after an appeal is made, the newsletter says: the carpet is in, the furniture is here, the house is painted, and the gutters are fixed.  There are tangible benefits tied to contributions.) 

 

Trustee Ray stated there should be graduated levels of giving, and they should be acknowledged.

 

GP Lindner stated that alumni should be willing to donate to the Fraternity because of what it contributed to him as an Active and because they want to support the programs the Fraternity.  However, there should be an obligation to contribute at a minimum level in order to sustain membership.  If Alumni feel there is no obligation, then they can withdraw from membership.

 

Trustee Ray stated that the Fraternity does not have a track record with Alumni in terms of showing benefit to Alumni, and some would withdraw as an emotional reaction, rather than as a result of deliberative thought.

 

CD Wagner stated that the sense of direction was moving to a fundraiser than to change the Constitution.  GP Lindner said he’d support a fundraiser done in an organized way, with a Motion to the Convention expressing the sense of the SC.  GP Lindner stated an appeal should not be limited to Alumni, as some Actives have the resources and desire to make a contribution.

 

ED F’ham read a motion to be offered to the General Convention, seeking its endorsement.

 

SENSE OF THE CONVENTION: Recognizing the need for additional revenues to fund the key programs of the Fraternity and recognizing the expectation of life-long financial commitment to the Fraternity, the 34th General Convention charges the Supreme Council to initiate a general fundraising of all members.

 

Next Province Conventions: GP Lindner announced that he and the Province Councillors have agreed not to have a Joint Province Convention in 2002.  The overall cost of individual Province Retreats focused on training should be less to the Fraternity and, hopefully, more productive.

 

Nominating Committee Report. The Nominating Committee reported that there were no nominees to present to the General Convention for the following officers:

 

Board of Trustees Member to replace Roger Fischer whose term is 01/01/99 through 12/31/02.

 

Sigma Phi Delta Foundation Board Member to replace Gary Ray whose term is 01/01/96 through12/31/01.

 

GP Lindner stated that, unless there are nominations from the floor of the convention, the offices will have to be filled by mail ballot.

 

Response to AWE. The Fraternity is in receipt of an invitation from AWE Sorority to attend the National Convention in August.  After some discussion on the approach to take, GP Lindner agreed to attend the Convention to inform the sorority leadership of our decision to also work with ZFS. (Editor’s Note: GVP Hileman actually attended dur to travel issues.) GP Lindner also agreed to write a letter to the National Officers with copies to each of the local chapters, explaining the reason for our actions so as not to jeopardize good relations between SFD and AWE local chapters.  Our desire is to help all engineering organizations.   He stated that he would address the Convention on this matter to clarify our position.

 

Close:  There being no other business before it, the SC adjourned at 10:25 PM EST.

 

Respectfully submitted,

 

Robert R. Featheringham.

Executive Secretary

 

Approved for publication: 20010925

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