Purple Legionnaire Monthly Update

 - Check in with your Section Chief
 - Attend a chapter and/or cabinet meeting
 - All IHQ forms due are completed and submitted (Report of Annual Financial Review due by October 31 - see last week's Friday Letter)
- Check status of Member Experience Survey completion (no later than Nov. 2)
 - IRS From 990 submitted by November 15
 - Start planning for officer elections. Ensure chapter updates officers with IHQ, campus
 - Potential officers should be made aware of Fiji Academy dates (Jan 4-6, 2019)
 - Begin planning officer's leadership/transition retreat with cabinet and BCA - location, travel, materials, speakers
 - Check in with Pledge Educator(s) on program status and upcoming speakers
 - Check status of big brother/little brother program
 - Determine status of GreekLifeEdu completion. Contact Todd Rotgers with questions
 - Check on pledges' academic status and overall chapter academic performance
 - Check status of fall newsletter, Pig Dinner planning
 - Keep BCA, house corporation informed
 - Re-evaluate chapter calendar, adjust as necessary

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If you have not already done so, discuss the Fraternity's and your expectations regarding pledge education with your chapter/colony soon – specifically the prohibition of hazing and use of alcohol.

You could/should incorporate the following key points:

• Introduce/remind the undergraduate men of the Pledge’s Bill of Rights. This provides, in a common-sense approach, some guidelines for the proper treatment of our future brothers.

• Providing alcohol at any time, or involving alcohol in the pledge education program in any way, will not be tolerated. It has closed many chapters and has brought too many young lives to a tragic end.

• Connect the contradiction of hazing to the Fraternity’s values. Can anyone make the case that hazing enhances Friendship, Knowledge, Service, Morality or Excellence? That hazing enhances a pledge’s ability to learn about the history, values and customs of our Fraternity?

• The Fraternity’s Bylaws prohibit hazing and, among a variety of other things, speak to activities which involve physical exhaustion or abuse, interfere with a person’s ability to perform college work or reflect unfavorably upon the chapter or the Fraternity. Beyond activities, hazing begins with an attitude that engenders a subservient relationship of pledges to brothers.

• Educate the officers and the chapter on the Fraternity’s amnesty process. This process allows an undergraduate chapter to acknowledge previous hazing, commit to implementing the Fraternity’s Pledge Education program moving forward and avoid discipline to make changes in the chapter’s Pledge Education activities in a positive and productive way.

We encourage you to reference and utilize the pledge education / anti-hazing resources available to you and/or to reach out to your Section Chief or the Headquarters staff with questions.

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As was indicated in last week's Friday Letter, all nonprofit entities in the U.S., including undergraduate chapters, are required to file an annual tax return with the IRS. The return is some version of the Form 990 and is due by the 15th day of the fifth month following the close of the fiscal year. For those chapters that have adopted a fiscal year end consistent with the Fraternity's on June 30, this is due by November 15, 2018.

We ask Purple Legionnaires and/or appropriate BCA members to work with your Chapter/Colony Treasurer to make sure the 990 is filed on time. Most undergraduate chapters may file the 990-N (less than $50,000 in gross receipts) or 990-EZ (less than $50,000 in gross receipts). Chapters using Legacy Financial can file these for free using file990.org.

Nonprofit entities that fail to file the annual return for three consecutive years will have their tax exempt status revoked. The loss of tax exempt status means that the entity must operate as a for-profit entity, with its revenue, such as dues and rent, subject to income tax. To see if your chapter is on the revocation list, go to this page on the IRS website. The Fraternity may also be able to direct you to assistance if your tax exempt status has been revoked. Contact CFO Will Shier.

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The Fraternity has partnered with Dyad Strategies to measure the impact of the Phi Gam experience on our members. This data will help Phi Gamma Delta elevate the quality of the fraternity experience for our undergraduate brothers.

Cabinet officers, key committee chairmen and advisors can view these results, which will provide valuable insight. These brothers can then change existing programs and develop new opportunities and resources to strengthen each member’s experience.

The survey needs to be completed by November 2, 2018 and all chapters are expected to participate. We need your help to ensure this survey is completed.

For more information, contact Todd Rotgers.

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The 2019 Academy will be held January 4-6, 2019 in St. Louis, MO. The Academy is designed to give new chapter officers a strong foundation so they can dynamically and courageously lead their chapters. The Academy also provides an opportunity for in-person training for our Section Chiefs, Purple Legionnaires and other chapter advisors.

All chapters are automatically billed for 3 delegates with additional delegates encouraged to attend. Educational tracks are provided for Chapter Presidents, Chapter Treasurers, Recording Secretaries, Corresponding Secretaries, Chapter Historians, Recruitment Chairmen, Emerging Leaders and Graduate Volunteers.

Have your officers and/or potential new officers start planning to attend now and encourage the chapter to budget for attendees' travel to St. Louis. 

Section Chiefs and Purple Legionnaires are also strongly encouraged to attend. Registration for Chiefs and PLs is complimentary and travel subsidized. Additional / other graduates are encouraged but subject to the registration fee.

Additional information will be communicated and registration will open in the coming weeks.

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Is there a recent graduate or graduating senior from your chapter who has the personality traits and skills to be a Field Secretary? The Fraternity is now hiring for employment beginning June 2019 with applications due by November 1.

Field Secretaries are full-time employees of the Fraternity, typically serving for two years. After completing a 12-week training session during the summer in Lexington, Field Secretaries have the opportunity to visit 20-25 chapters and colonies per semester.

During these visits, Field Secretaries interact with undergraduate members, graduate volunteers and university officials to maximize the potential of each member, chapter, and the Fraternity-at-large. They have the resources and training to advise and counsel their chapters on all areas of chapter operation and play an instrumental role in starting and recruiting the first pledge class of a colony or new chapter.

Contact or refer candidates to Bryan Hartzell, Director of Chapter Services

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Last spring, the Fraternity launched the Phi Gamma Delta Learning Portal - a new Learning Management System (LMS) to supplement our written resources, in-person training and communication. This on-demand platform contains courses which are designed to better equip you to advise your chapter/colony, in addition to opportunities for you to discuss and interact with other advisors around this content.

Today, the courses on the Learning Portal are geared toward our graduate advisors and focuses mainly around health and safety. In the coming months, we will be adding content for our undergraduate brothers and expanding the offerings for our graduate advisors.

The LMS can be accessed from www.phigam.org/advisor. Note that you will be prompted to log into the Fraternity's website.

We hope you find this to be a valuable resource and look forward to your participation.

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Thank you for the important work you do to advise our chapters and colonies. If you have questions, or need assistance, please do not hesitate to contact us. 

Perge!

 - Check in with your Section Chief. Does he have current BCA / HC / Chapter Officer rosters and contact information?
 - Attend a chapter and/or cabinet meeting.
 - All IHQ forms due are completed and sent (see last week's Friday Letter)
 - Confirm the Chapter's roster is updated with college/university/IFC and IHQ (deadline is 9/14 for fall membership dues billing).
 - Work with Chapter Officers to identify/refine fall goals and create/refine fall calendar.
 - If the Chapter is planning a spring Pig Dinner, will there be another graduate or Homecoming event in the fall? Or a parents’ event?
 - Meet with Pledge Educator/Officers to review fall Pledge Education Program. Is the written program set? Have Purple Pilgrims and Pledge Pins been ordered?
 - Confirm all pledges are/will be registered and fees paid within 15 days of formal pledging.
 - Attend a recruitment event. Attend a pledge education meeting.
 - Has the chapter budgeted for appropriate fraternity and campus expenses for the academic year?
 - Is documentation being maintained for chapter activities this fall? These items may be of use as exhibits next spring when developing the year’s awards packet.
 - Confirm that an itinerary has been established for the fall Field Secretary visit. Refer to previous FS reports to check chapter follow-up.
 - Is the Chapter President getting important time with campus officials, including academic advisors?
 - Make a courtesy call to the university/college Greek Advisor.
 - Keep BCA, house corporation informed.
 - Re-evaluate chapter calendar, adjust as necessary. 

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With recruitment winding down and Pledge Education beginning on many campuses, now is an opportune time for you to discuss with your chapter/colony the Fraternity’s and your expectations regarding pledge education – specifically the prohibition of hazing and use of alcohol.

You could/should incorporate the following key points:
 - Introduce/remind the undergraduate men of the Pledge’s Bill of Rights. This provides, in a common-sense approach, some guidelines for the proper treatment of our future brothers.
 - Providing alcohol at any time, or involving alcohol in the pledge education program in any way, will not be tolerated. It has closed many chapters and has brought too many young lives to a tragic end.
 - Connect the contradiction of hazing to the Fraternity’s values. Can anyone make the case that hazing enhances Friendship, Knowledge, Service, Morality or Excellence? That hazing enhances a pledge’s ability to learn about the history, values and customs of our Fraternity?
 - The Fraternity’s Bylaws prohibit hazing and, among a variety of other things, speak to activities which involve physical exhaustion or abuse, interfere with a person’s ability to perform college work or reflect unfavorably upon the chapter or the Fraternity. Beyond activities, hazing begins with an attitude that engenders a subservient relationship of pledges to brothers.
 - Educate the officers and the chapter on the Fraternity’s amnesty process. This process allows an undergraduate chapter to acknowledge previous hazing, commit to implementing the Fraternity’s Pledge Education program moving forward, and avoid discipline to make changes in the chapter’s Pledge Education activities in a positive and productive way.
 - We encourage you to reference and utilize the pledge education / anti-hazing resources available to you and/or to reach out to your Section Chief or the Headquarters staff with questions.

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In a message sent on August 22, we outlined the major items your chapter or colony should plan for when budgeting this year. Below is a quick reminder for you as you work with your Treasurers this year:
 - WITHIN 15 DAYS OF PLEDGING: Pledges must be registered at www.phigam.org/newpledge and pay their $70 pledge fee (paid by the pledge upon registering).
 - WITHIN 30 DAYS OF INITIATION: New Initiates must be reported and their $252.50 initiation fee / first year dues are due (billed to the chapter upon reporting Initiates).
 - SEPTEMBER: Annual Dues are billed ($105 per man). Rosters must be updated by Friday, September 14.
 - OCTOBER/NOVEMBER: Academy registration fees are billed for 3 delegates (budget $1,425, or $475 per delegate - this is subject to change). The chapter should also consider budgeting for attendee travel to St. Louis.
 - JANUARY: Liability insurance is billed (budget $175 per man).

Follow this link for a full listing of mandatory forms and fees.

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Chapter Officers or other brothers may be contacted by reporters/media at any point during the school year - whether in response to a chapter incident, a positive story that the chapter is promoting, or other reasons.

As a Purple Legionnaire, the chapter should be, and will be, looking to you for guidance in these situations. We suggest you review our tips for handling media inquiries and review these with your cabinet.

By working with headquarters staff, Purple Legionnaires, Chapter Presidents and chapters can more easily navigate the potentially challenging media waters. For additional information, reference the Fraternity's Undergraduate Chapter Emergency Response Tips.

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The Fraternity staff is here to help you. Here is a reminder of some of the key staff members you may need to contact:
 - Bill Martin, Executive Director, is your key contact for chapter emergencies.
 - Bryan Hartzell, Director of Chapter Services, is your key contact for most chapter-related matters, including Field Secretary visits. He also remains your key contact for most colony-related matters.
 - Todd Rotgers, Senior Director of Undergraduate Services, is your key contact for our educational programming, risk management and discipline concerns, as well as alcohol-free housing exemption questions.
 - Rob Caudill, Senior Director of Graduate Development & Operations, is your key contact for questions related to volunteer training, recruitment and support, as well as graduate event (Pig Dinner) planning and questions regarding the Fiji Academy and Ekklesia.
- Amy Watson, Membership & Financial Records Coordinator, is your contact regarding membership records, forms, fees, chapter accounts and billing.

A full staff listing is available here, and all staff members may be reached at 859-255-1848.

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In February 2017, the Archons passed a policy stating: “Consistent with Section 19.3 of the Bylaws, all undergraduate chapters and colonies are to join with other fraternities on their campus in an interfraternity council (IFC) and shall support the IFC’s affiliation with the North-American Interfraternity Conference (NIC)."

Please advise your chapters appropriately and contact Bill Martin with questions.

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Thank you for the important work you do to advise our chapters and colonies. If you have questions, or need assistance, please do not hesitate to contact us. 

Perge!