New Member Education - Theta Chi Beta Sigma
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Theta Chi Fraternity
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New Member Education Plan
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As New Member Educator of Theta Chi Fraternity, it is my duty to oversee the education of the
New Members on all aspects of fraternity life. However, it is not sufficient to merely ensure the
activities are done and the appropriate discussions had, but I must also make sure that each New
Member fully understands the purpose of each. This will be accomplished with full chapter
participation and an emphasis on the expectations, ideals, and traditions of Theta Chi Fraternity,
both nationally and locally. !
The Constitution and Bylaws of Theta Chi Fraternity prohibit all forms of hazing.
The Fraternity prohibits absolutely all physical hazing, paddling, uncalled-for humiliation, and public
displays in connection with pledging and pre-initiatory activities, and subscribes to the National
Interfraternity Conference resolutions and the Fraternity Executives Association’s “Statement of Position on
Hazing and Pre-Initiatory Activities” which condemn all forms of hazing in connection with New
Member education and pre-initiatory activities. The active chapters shall carry out the Fraternity’s policy
and conform strictly to this policy, not only to escape the danger of bringing discredit to the Fraternity and
injuring the entire fraternity cause, but also to build higher respect for the chapters and the Fraternity in the
minds of New Members and to instill a finer type of loyalty thereby. The Fraternity prohibits all forms
of public initiation, and pre-initiatory and initiation activities shall not be permitted to interfere in any
way with the scholastic obligations or class attendance of those involved.
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The Brotherhood follows national no hazing policies and fully understands that any action
considered to be hazing is intolerable.
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The Constitution and Bylaws of Theta Chi Fraternity define the role of the Marshal in this way:
The Marshal shall be responsible for the education of the New Members. His responsibilities shall
include development of the educational program and conduct of the entire educational process, and shall
continue until the New Members have been properly prepared for initiation. He shall assist the treasurer
and the secretary in the collection of fees and the filing of forms required by subsections 4(c) and 4(e) in
connection with the registration of New Members and the initiation of members. He shall at all times
serve as an example for New Members and members to follow, and shall make certain that no hazing
practices are allowed to take place in the educational program or otherwise, or tolerated under any
circumstances. He shall make certain that every New Member is assigned an undergraduate member as a
big brother or other mentor to assist him in learning about the Fraternity.
New Member Education - Theta Chi Beta Sigma
Ideally, the Marshal shall act as the ideal brother and role model for all New Members. The
Marshal shall set the example for all New Members to strive towards. As Marshal I will provide
all New Members with a calendar that includes all new member meeting dates, all due dates for
fees and forms, all chapter events and the date of their initiation. I will also be responsible for
informing the New Members of the responsibilities of a fraternity member.
Scholastic Responsibility: The well-being of the chapter, fraternity, and the entire college
fraternity system depends upon achieving and maintaining a high degree of scholarship. It is the
duty of every member to give his best efforts to his studies to enhance the academic record of
Theta Chi Fraternity.
Character Responsibility: The moral conduct and personal behavior of each member affects
the total chapter image to the college administration and to the public. This makes it imperative
that each individual member acts accordingly and to the highest standards of integrity, propriety,
and good taste. It also means that you will not tolerate any acts of hazing.
Leadership Responsibility: Since the continued existence of the chapter requires a regular
succession of leaders, it is the obligation of every member to seek office and prepare for positions
of service and authority. This includes being ready to accept leadership roles when needed and
to serve to his best ability at all times.
Membership Responsibility: Policies and regulations are established by the college and the
Fraternity for the good of all. It is expected of every member to comply with all such rules and
practices including the elimination of hazing, the legal and responsible use of alcohol and an
active stance against the use of illegal drugs. Every member shall attend all chapter meetings,
official functions, and participate fully in chapter activities. It is also the responsibility of each
brother to “replace himself ” by actively recruiting New Members. A member must realize that
brotherhood does not end upon graduation but lasts a lifetime. Financial Responsibility: Each member shall promptly meet all bills presented to him from
the Fraternity expenses in conformity with the chapter requirements; he shall avoid incurring
debts with the Fraternity.
Self-Responsibility: Each Member owes it to himself to uphold these responsibilities not only
for his own sake but for the sake of his brothers as well. He must take care of his personal health,
well-being and appearance. He must also do all in his power to understand the meaning of the
Ritual of Theta Chi Fraternity and follow its oaths and ideals to the utmost of his ability.
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bLUeprint Program
Lehigh University is “committed to producing students of the highest intellectual caliber and
personal ability.” We believe that Fraternity life should bring out the best in young men. In
essence, Theta Chi Fraternity holds “Alma Mater first, and Theta Chi for Alma Mater.” In this
spirit of member development, we commit to a framework set up by the University to aid Firstyear students in their core competencies. The following foundations will be used throughout this
plan to highlight the expected outcome from agenda items in terminology that is familiar to FirstYear students through the Lehigh Orientation program.
New Member Education - Theta Chi Beta Sigma
Creative Curiosity- Students will develop a creative and curious outlook to guide and shape
every aspect of their lives.
Identity Development- Students will develop into their own unique person, living out their
carefully chosen values and beliefs.
Collaborative Connections- Students will shape collaborative relationships and communities,
utilizing their personal values, as well as their creative and curious outlook as a guide.
Inclusive Leadership- Students will develop the skills to guide their decision, actions, and
contributions to a diverse community.
Professional Growth & Success- Students will create and live out a person definition of
success based on their interests, who they are, and what they want to contribute to the world.
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Agenda Description
All events are to take place at the Chapter House, Building 91, unless otherwise specified. The only
off-site events are the Death of a Fraternity event which will be held outside Building 109, and
the Optional Brotherhood Trip to NYC which will be held in NYC.
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Pledging Ceremony: President and Marshal
New Members will report to the house on the fist day of the New Member Education program
for a formal Pledging Ceremony into the Beta Sigma Chapter of the Theta Chi Fraternity.
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Pass the Gavel - Marshal
Brothers and New Members will gather in the chapter room for a round table discussion.
Members will take turns sharing their feelings of Theta Chi, including why they chose to be a
brother of Theta Chi Fraternity, what they have learned so far, what they hope to learn, and their
personal goals as brothers. We seek to develop “Creative Curiosity” through insightful questions
on fraternity life and personal goals to stimulate inquisitive thinking by our New Members—a
valuable quality of a successful brother, leader and student.
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Introduction to the Brotherhood: President
A presentation from the New Member Educator, President and Vice President will take place to
share with the New Members what it means to be a brother of Theta Chi, what we do for our
campus and Lehigh community, and what we expect from the New Members. They will receive
a written handout of the expectations of being a New Member, a Brother and an Alumnus. New
Members will write a short paragraph on what they hope to get out of the New Member
program, and this letter will be returned to them at the end of the program to see if these hopes
and expectations were achieved.
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Throughout this evening, New Members are expected to record their expectations in order to set a
benchmark for success. We will develop “Creative Curiosity" as New Members reflect on questions
such as “what do they want to do?”, “who do they want to become?”, “what do they want to make of
their experience?” In addition, New Members will work on their “Identity Development” as they
New Member Education - Theta Chi Beta Sigma
grow in self-awareness through this self-abasement exercise that allows one to set concrete goals that
motivate implementation and execution of ideas.
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Chapter Introductions: Marshal
This is a gathering with the purpose of an ice-breaker for both the New Members and brothers.
With everyone present, each person will have a turn to share their name, hometown, major, and
interests for anyone that may not already know. Also, each brother must answer one of the
following questions:
• Why did you join Theta Chi?
• Best Advice to a new member?
• Most positive Theta Chi experience?
• How has Theta Chi helped you?
The emphasis of this event is to create “Collaborative Connections” through the identification of
brothers with similar interests and passions in order to foster an environment of collaboration
among brothers. New Members are encouraged to seek those brothers who they associate with
for advice and mentoring on all aspect of school and fraternity life.
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Chapter Meeting: President
One of the few mandatory events for Brothers and New Members which takes place each week
in the Theta Chi Chapter room. House Meetings are a necessary part of the Fraternity life so
that the executive board members can announce any weekly events or brotherhood obligations,
and house decisions can be made through a democratic process.
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Through these weekly meetings, we wish to develop New Members’ “Collaborative Connections”
and “Inclusive Leadership” foundations by giving them an opportunity to voice their opinions,
give constructive input, and shape the direction of the Chapter.
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Academic Mentor Groups: Assigned brothers; contact Marshal
Small groups of 2-3 will be assigned to an academic mentor in the house. The mentors will be
the brothers in the house with good academic work ethics. This will allow the new members to
work with a brother to keep their grades up during new member education while developing
good work habits. The new member will now have someone they can easily go to when they
need help studying or with any other issues they may have. The mentors will be assigned new
members with a similar major when possible. This educational opportunity allow New Member
to connect with brothers and develop their work ethic. Namely, this focuses on “Collaborative
Connections” and “Professional Growth and Success.”
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Introduction to New Member Education: Marshal
The New Member Educator will disclose all information regarding each of our mandatory
weekly events such as lunch and dinner kitchen duty (KD), house meetings, and house cleans.
Each New Member will print out a copy of his class schedule as well as his exam schedule for the
New Member Educator, and then decide as a group when are the best times to meet to fulfill
those duties alongside the Brotherhood.
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House Cleans: House Manager
New Member Education - Theta Chi Beta Sigma
Brothers and New Members are put on a rotational schedule with every member being assigned
a house task. Tasks include, but are not limited to, cleaning kitchen appliances, cooking grill, and
grease trap; sweeping and mopping when necessary; rover-duty (i.e. house walk-through to check
for dishes, trash, or any misplaced items); taking out the trash; organizing the Chapter room.
After House Meeting every week we come together as a Brotherhood to clean and maintain the
house. The Chapter is split up into pledge classes, and the rotational schedule is our way of
ensuring that each New Member learns how to maintain all parts of the house properly and
efficiently. Note that members that fail to comply with this obligation are sent to the Standards
Board—our Chapter’s Judicial Board—and may be assigned additional tasks as a consequence.
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With the recent transition from a Theta Chi owned facility to a Lehigh University owned facility,
our Chapter has been able to focus much more on keeping a clean house than addressing various
facility related issues that are now handled through Residential Services. We believe that this
responsibility enables brothers and New Members alike to grow “Collaborative Connections”
within their pledge classes and promote stewardship—a quality that is characteristic of a member
of Theta Chi.
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Lunch and Dinner Kitchen Duty: Steward
Similar to house cleans, Brothers and New Members will work side by side forming kitchen duty
teams to ensure that lunch and dinner are properly set up as well as cleaned up. The Steward
will offer incentives for KD Team of the Week, with such prizes as a free dinner on the house, to
promote kitchen cleanliness for our chef.
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The kitchen duty schedule is determined by the Steward at the beginning of New Member
Education taking into account class schedules and other commitments of active brothers and
new members. The frequency of this commitment varies based on pledge class size and
availability.
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Death of a Fraternity: Marshal
The purpose of this exercise is to make the new members aware that actions, attitudes, and
carelessness can destroy a chapter. The Marshal will lead the New Members to the site of a
former fraternity. When they arrive they will read an article and tell the story of the closing of
that chapter. Then they will walk back to the house and discuss what must be done to ensure that
our fraternity does not have the same fate.
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The Marshal will also review Theta Chi Code of Conduct violations and Lehigh University
imposed sanctions to bring this topic to relatable terms in order to stress the importance of good
conduct as an individual and as a Chapter. This activity focuses on “Creative Curiosity” and
“Identity Development.”
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Time Management Presentation: Scholarship Chair; Marshal
With the added responsibilities of being a New Member, it is extremely important that they find
the right balance of spending time on their studies as well as spending time at the house getting
to know the Brothers on a more personal level. We will have a handful of our more studious
Brothers talk to the New Members about the benefits of proper time management.
New Member Education - Theta Chi Beta Sigma
New Members will be encouraged to set up Google calendars that may be shared with the
Marshal for greater time-management efficiency as well as a clear channel of communication for
school and extracurricular commitments. We believe that this in an important aspect of
“Professional Growth and Success” as our New Members plan their schedules and are held
accountable for keeping up with their commitments.
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Explanation of Fraternity Dues and Expenses: Treasurer
Early in the program, the Treasurer will review and explain all the costs of fraternity
membership to ensure there is full transparency on the issue, and to allow the New Members to
speak with their parents in advance about the issue if necessary. The current fees for New
Members are a $60 fee for their pins and handbooks, and a $250 initiation fee, both due by the
10th day of the program. Please note that the Chapter will arrange for exceptional circumstances
on a case-by-case basis.
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Study Hours: Marshal
Our optional study hours for Brothers and New Members go hand in hand with the time
management plan. Theta Chi encourages New Members and brothers to log all study hours into
a GoogleDocs spreadsheet as well as including this time commitment in their schedule. It is
highly encouraged to take advantage of the three hours set aside every weekday to stay on top of
academics. Furthermore, any member whose previous semester GPA is below the all men’s
average is required to log at least 15 hours a week to ensure academic improvement.
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While the Chapter allocates 3 hours for study every day, members are encouraged to allocate as
much time as needed for their academic success. It is an important part of “Identity
Development” and “Professional Growth and Success” to identify one’s strengths and weakness
and set up a course of action to growth as a student and a brother of Theta Chi. Through
mentorship and time-management, the Marshal will enable New Members to get the most out of
their time and use it most efficiently.
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Risk Management Presentation: Vice President and VP of Health and Safety
All members are encouraged to attend a presentation on risk management given by the Vice
President and the VP of Health and Safety. They will discuss the importance of risk
management and go through the risk management plan to clarify any questions the Brothers or
New Members may have. Each member will be provided a copy of the Theta Chi risk
management manual (source: http://www.thetachi.org/resources/constitution-and-bylaws/) and
the Vice President will highlight the most important aspects of this document.
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Wednesday Night Shirt & Tie Dinner: Marshal
All members, especially New Members, are encouraged to attend dinner every Wednesday night.
These dinners will sometimes be accompanied by a speaker from the University. This allows our
Chapter to maintain relations with university staff and faculty, as well as improve our knowledge
about the happenings of our campus community. Sometimes a local alumnus will be invited,
allowing the brothers to reconnect with past generations of our brotherhood. The dinners will
also serve to increase Brotherhood bonding and shirt and tie dress code is required.
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New Member Education - Theta Chi Beta Sigma
This event develops “Collaborative Connections” and “Professional Growth & Success” by
encouraging a sense of community in the Chapter and by reaching out to the University
community.
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Trivia Night: Marshal
Teams of four consisting of a member from each class will compete through a series of random
trivia questions. Winning team gets bragging rights as well as a small free dinner on the house.
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Brotherhood Lock-In: Marshal
All Theta Chi members will dedicate a weekend day to complete specific house improvement
projects assigned by the House Manager. This opportunity focuses on “Collaborative
Connections” and “Inclusive Leadership” as it foster an atmosphere of collaborative respect for
the house and the brothers.
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Movie Night in America (Formerly ‘Pizza and a Movie Night’): Marshal
The Brothers and New Members will decide on an appropriate movie to watch and the
Brotherhood will meet in the chapter room to spend some valuable time together. Movies will be
selected on the basis of promoting intellectual thought, and a discussion will follow the movie as
part of our intellectual development program. This is an opportunity that focuses on “Identity
Development.”
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Code of Conduct Exercise: Marshal
This activity serves to provide a written code of conduct and have it on display. The New
Members will discuss and draft their own code of conduct which will then be posted in the
chapter room for all to see and follow.
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New Member Meeting: Marshal
These meetings will be conducted by the New Member Educator and will occur immediately
following the house meeting every week. The weekly New Member meetings will help facilitate
the program by having a standard meeting time, and we will go over the Theta Chi Manual, the
Creed, and other pertinent important information at these times. The Beta Sigma Chapter of
Theta Chi Fraternity shapes its NME plan around the national program “I Believe” that is
structured on the Creed of Theta Chi.
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Historian Presentation: Gary Tilles and Historian
The Historian will conduct two presentations during the New Member program to reveal the
history of Theta Chi, both on a national and local level. Last year, the Alumni Board President
also attended and presented details of our local chapter history. All members are encouraged to
attend as all general history of Theta Chi will be discussed. In addition, a representative of the
alumni board will participate to present information about the history and traditions of the
chapter and the role the alumni play in supporting the chapter as a financial, educational,
mentoring and networking resource.
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Short History Quiz: Marshal
Following the Historian’s presentations, the New Members will be offered a short quiz on the
information they received. The quiz is optional, but the New Member who receives the highest
New Member Education - Theta Chi Beta Sigma
score will be awarded a small prize. The test is comprised of various short answer and fill in the
blank questions, covering both national and local history. For example, a short answer question
may be “In what year was Theta Chi Fraternity founded?” or “Who wrote the Creed of Theta
Chi?” while fill in the blank questions will most likely be questions such as “Who is the current
Treasurer of the Beta Sigma chapter?” or “What year did Theta Chi become a recognized
fraternity at Lehigh University?”
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Guidelines Meeting: Marshal
The House Manager will assist a representative from Residential Services in explaining the rules
and expectations of living in a university-owned building. Each attendee will be given a copy of
the housing contract to work through with the presenter. As this is the second year our house has
been owned by the university, Brothers will be expected to attend as well.
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University Social Regulations Meeting: Marshal
A meeting will be held for the Brothers and New Members to walk through and discuss the
University’s social regulations. A representative of the University may be invited to lead the
discussion, and all members are encouraged to attend.
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Scholarship Presentation:
The Scholarship chairman will meet with the New Members and explain the chapter’s
scholarship plan, as well as review the importance of time management and how it is tied closely
to successful academic standing. An emphasis will be placed on how individual academic
performance impacts the chapter as a whole. A scholarship liaison from the New Member class
will be elected at this time.
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Big Brother Introduction: Marshal
The New Member Educator will meet with the New Members and explain Beta Sigma’s Big
Brother program. This meeting will happen closer to the beginning of the program so that the
New Members have ample time to create a strong bond with a mentor figure.
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Best of ΘΧ: Marshal
About halfway through the New Member program, the Brotherhood and New Members will
reconvene in the chapter room and discuss their most memorable experiences to date in Theta
Chi, as well as any things that can be changed or improved at the present time. We hope to fully
engage the New Members in this open conversation to gain new insight on how to keep making
Theta Chi Beta Sigma better every day.
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Analyze the Creed of Theta Chi: Marshal
The New Members will each have a written copy of the creed. They will be instructed to take
five minutes reading and analyzing what they believe the creed means and what it means
individually to them. Then they will split into group and discuss the meaning. Then each group
will share what they came up with. In essence, the Marshal aims to build on members “Identity
Development” as they align their values to the values expected from a brother of Theta Chi.
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New Member Education - Theta Chi Beta Sigma
By-Laws Presentation:
The By-Laws chairman will meet with the New Members to present and explain the importance
of both the national and local Theta Chi Fraternity By-Laws. He will also clarify how we as a
chapter go about changing, improving, and adding to the by-laws.
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Big Brother Ritual: Marshal
After the New Members have had some time to choose the brother they respect and admire most
as their big brother, there will be a ceremony in the chapter room revealing the new Big and
Little Brothers. The Big Brother program at Theta Chi Beta Sigma is one of the most important
aspects of our fraternity. As mentioned earlier, we take pride in being mentors for our New
Members and we strive to do our best to guide them into our Brotherhood.
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Family Dinner Outing: Big Brother; Marshal and President may be contacted
Sometime after the Big Brother ritual, each family will spend some time together out at a dinner
on a day of their choice.
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President and VP Presentation:
The President will explain the responsibilities and duties involved with being the leader of our
chapter. The Vice President will explain the responsibilities and duties involved with his position.
In closing, the officers will conduct a “What if…” exercise that will challenge New Members to
make decisions similar to those faced by top positions of the Executive Board.
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Sacred Purpose, VP of Health and Safety Presentation:
The Sacred Purpose initiative is a program unique to Theta Chi—it “is a movement that will do
more than assist and protect members—it will help every member live his very best life. By
offering programmatic support at the chapter and international levels, and by creating new
leadership positions that will help us better care for and understand one another, we can live up
to our highest calling (http://sacredpurpose.thetachi.org/about-sacred-purpose/).”
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New Members will watch a six part video with the VP of H&S and discuss how the Fraternity’s
goal to instill these values among undergraduates throughout the country can be implemented at
the Beta Sigma chapter. This “Identity Development” and “Collaborative Connections” exercise
will identify problems the men in our chapter face today as well as brainstorm solutions to these
eminent threats to the well-being of those who we care for so deeply.
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Treasurer and Secretary Presentation:
Both the Treasurer and Secretary will meet with the New Members to explain their role on the
executive board.
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House Manager and Steward Presentation:
The House Manager and Steward will explain the responsibilities and duties with their position s
in the house.
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Brotherhood Trip to New York City: Marshal and President
There will be an optional trip later in the program open to all members to travel to New York
City and meet up with a handful of young alumni of the Beta Sigma Chapter. The Brotherhood
New Member Education - Theta Chi Beta Sigma
will purchase round-trip bus tickets to the NY Port Authority, and the group will travel there with
a list of local alumni to try to contact and meet up with. This event helps the Brotherhood to
keep in touch with our local alumni and is a fun way for New Members to meet the recent
graduates of Beta Sigma.
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Social Graces and Social Chair Presentation*: Social Chair
Social Chair(s) will meet with the New Members to explain their responsibilities in the chapter. In
addition, the Special Events chairman will meet with the New Members in the dining room and
go over the process of helping the Brotherhood set up for events held in the fraternity house such
as faculty dinners, parents’ weekend dinners, etc.
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*New Members will interact with other organizations though dinners, philanthropic and community service events, and other
social events to be scheduled throughout the semester
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Accreditation Presentation: Accreditation Liaison, TBA
The Accreditation chairman and his committee will explain exactly what the Accreditation
process is at Lehigh and why it is so important for us as a fraternity. Here we will invite New
Members to join the committee. This year we plan on continuing the “Theta Chi Challenge”
created by OFSA’s former Assistant Director Jessica McPherrin. We will assign new members to
the existing teams (divided into accreditation metrics), and encourage them to take part in the
accreditation process from event planning, implementation, and documentation and record
keeping.
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New Member Initiation Ceremony: President and Marshal
New Members will meet at the house for the initiation ritual. Alumni representatives will be
present for this ritual.
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Statement of Purpose
My new member education program is designed to educate and assimilate my new brothers into
the proud and honored ideals and ways of Theta Chi.
My goals are:
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Instill the values and ideals of Theta Chi into the New Members
Teach the New Members to take pride in and care for their house
Educate the New Members to take care of Beta Sigma so I can return to my house in later
years
Teach the New Members to trust and rely on their pledge class and all the brothers in Theta
Chi
Help build bonds of friendship between existing Brothers and the New Members that will last
a lifetime
Educate the New Members on how to keep Beta Sigma as one of the top Fraternities at
Lehigh University and chapters of Theta Chi
New Member Education - Theta Chi Beta Sigma
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Expectations of New Members and Brothers
Theta Chi fraternity sets high and meaningful expectations of both its new members and
brothers. During their time as new members the brotherhood will teach them everything they
need to know to grow into contributing brothers of Theta Chi fraternity. First and foremost
Theta Chi is a fraternity at an educational institution, and as such the success of our future
brothers is integrally connected to their academic success. We expect our new members to
attend the library regularly as well as take advantage of the knowledge of older brothers by
recognizing them as vital educational resources. Our fraternity also feels that it is important that
we acknowledge that we are a part of the local and school community; as such the chapter’s
participation in philanthropy is part of its core beliefs. New members, since they will be expected
to organize and run our future philanthropy events, will be expected to help the brothers
organize and run all philanthropy events that occur during the Fall semester. One of the benefits
of being a part of a fraternal organization is the many leadership opportunities and workshops
that the chapter is involved in. Our fraternity has the policy that at least one new member attends
with brothers any leadership conference offered during the new member process. As a
brotherhood we also have every member of the executive board as well as various other chair
positions give presentations to expose the new members to many leadership opportunities that
they might get involved in, as well as offering a shadowing program for new members to gain a
deeper understanding of the daily responsibilities of those positions.
During the new member process the active members recognize their duty to teach and
help the new members in their success of the program. This is done by acting as role models,
answering questions, giving presentations and offering advice. Many of the older brothers act as
tutors and help new members prepare for tests and answer questions on challenging homework
assignments.
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Big Brother Program
The new program is a three part program to help turn the relationship between the big
and little brother into a more meaningful and helpful one. The three parts are;
1) An Alumnus brother will come to the chapter house to talk to the brothers about the role of
the big brother and how to become a good and supportive mentor
2) After the talk there will be an open discussion amongst the brothers to discuss how their
future roles and practices are meaningful to the chapter. This is also a time to discus each future
big brothers individual goals and concerns about their role.
3) Lastly the big and little brothers will set aside time during the program to informally hang
out. This opportunity, while seemingly minor, deepens the relationship as well as offering a facet
for the big to offer advice and encouragement while also gaining feedback from the new member
New Member Education - Theta Chi Beta Sigma
about our successes and failures to allow for continuous editing and strengthening of the
program.
A Big Brother should represent the values of a brother of Theta Chi and serve as an
exceptional role model. In order promote to most effective mentorship program, a brothers is
required to express his intent to serve as a Big Brother in writing to the President and Marshal.
The President and Marshal will examine each petition individually. Big brothers must be full-time
students, in good academic standing, and in good standing with the chapter and IHQ.
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Anti-Hazing Protocol
The Beta Sigma Chapter of Theta Chi complies with Fraternal Information &
Programing Group (FIPG: http://www.fipg.org) anti-hazing policies as well as the policies of the
International Headquarters outlined in the Constitution and By Laws and the Risk Management
Standards and Insurance Manual (http://www.thetachi.org/resources/constitution-and-bylaws/).
The New Members will be clearly informed at the start of the New Member Education
process about Lehigh’s and Theta Chi’s anti-hazing policies through a group meeting with the
President. This will be a confidential open discussion between the President and the New
Members, during which they will be informed of the abundant resources afforded to them by
both the school, the fraternity, alumni, and International Headquarters. This meeting will
hopefully facilitate more discussions periodically throughout the process about any concerns the
New Members might have about the program. This constant feedback about the success and
failures of the program can help us continuously revise and strengthen the program. Lastly, New
Members will be instructed in the protocol to make reports on the Theta Chi Anti-Hazing
hotline (855) 824-4840 and the Lehigh reporting system (https://www.lehigh.edu/~indost/greek/
hazingeducation.shtml). Furthermore, New Members will be learn to use the Office of Fraternity
and Sorority Affairs as a resource in this matter as well.
Furthermore, New Members will be given contact information for at least two members
of the Alumni Board who they can contact regarding any issues of hazing or anything else about
the NME program or the fraternity about which they have concerns. In addition, at the
commencement of the NME program the New Member Educator will obtain contact
information for the parents or guardians of all New Members and supply that to the Alumni
Board which will reach out to the parents or guardians with information about the fraternity.
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Alcohol Policy
First, and foremost, The Beta Sigma Chapter of Theta Chi Fraternity abides by state law
prohibiting the possession and consumption of alcoholic beverages by underage New Members
and initiated brothers alike. Our chapter does not condone forced alcohol consumption for any
new or current members, especially if it is done in such a way as to put a member’s health and/
or safety at risk. As members of the Fraternity, we believe it is our duty to provide a brotherly
environment in which to interact with the new members while ensuring their safety at all times.
Upon the arrival of the new members on the first night of education, the New Member
Educator will clearly state his expectations of the new members and then inform them of their
New Member Education - Theta Chi Beta Sigma
right to refuse alcohol, no questions asked, at any time during the process. It is not enough to
simply tell our new members this, however, and so the brothers are also made aware that they are
to never pressure the new members into a forced alcohol consumption situation. To ensure the
brothers fully understand their responsibility in this matter, they will attend presentations
pertaining to alcohol consumption and hazing prevention. We believe the current members
should act as role models and advocates at all times for our new members and as such, they will
be held accountable for any actions that violate the Fraternity’s stance on alcohol and/or hazing
policies. During the first weekend of education, the President and Vice President will meet with
the new members to discuss their role as new member advocates. They will inform them that if
at any point during the process a new member is put into an unwanted or forced drinking
situation, that they are to notify the President, Vice President, or New Member Educator
immediately so that the proper and necessary action can be taken. The big brothers will be a
critical asset in these efforts as well. All big brothers will go through a three step process which
educates them of their positions as mentors for the new members, and they will in essence be a
first resource for the new members if there is ever a problem. Overall, the new members will
have a safe and enjoyable environment in which to learn about our Fraternity while not being
pressured into any situation unbecoming of a gentleman.