General Information 1.1 Fraternal Organization The organizational units of Alpha Phi Alpha are Alumni and College Chapters. These chapters and the members thereof are subject to the rules and regulations of the General Organization of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., as determined by the Constitution & By-Laws and mandates of the General Convention, which is composed of delegates from all Chapters apportioned on the basis of active Chapter membership. The Board of Directors of the Fraternity works to develop and recommend policies to the General Convention as well as to provide for the well being of the Fraternity when the convention is not is session. This Board consists of the General President, elected by mail ballot; the Immediate Past General President; five (5) Regional Vice Presidents and five (5) Regional Assistant Vice Presidents (college brothers), elected at the Regional Conventions; the Comptroller and the General Treasurer, elected at the General Convention; the General Counsel, appointed, and the Executive Director employed on a contractual basis. All Past General Presidents serve as Ex-Officio Members. Supervision of the activities of the Chapters is designated to the respective Regional Vice President. This Brother in turn, appoints District/Area Directors to act in their stead and under his authority. Conflicts within regions should be referred to the Regional Vice President. Finally, the administrative hub of the fraternity is the Corporate Headquarters Office, which employs a professional staff under the supervision of the Executive Director. This office serves as the center of Fraternity activity on a day-to-day basis. The Corporate Headquarters Office is located in Baltimore, Maryland. Written communications may be directed to: Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., 2313 St. Paul Street, Baltimore, MD 21218-5234. The telephone number is (410)554-0040 and the facsimile number is (410)554-0054.1. 1 1.2 Fraternal Emblems and Insignia The symbols of the Fraternity are the Greek Letters: The official colors of the Fraternity are Black and Old Gold. The Fraternity's official flower is the Yellow Rose. The official seal of the Chapter shall bear the words ALPHA PHI ALPHA FRATERNITY, INC. on the margin with the name of the Chapter and the year of establishment in the center. The Fraternity Pin (Official Badge) is as described in the Constitution & By-Laws. The official pin is to be worn by members of the Fraternity only. The Fraternity Shield is the official emblem of the Fraternity and should only be used by members of the Fraternity on official documents and jewelry. The Coat-Of-Arms (Fraternal Design) is approved for usage on unofficial items (for example, pins, shirts, hats, etc.) and can be used by members of the Fraternity and authorized licensed vendors. Brothers must ensure that the current symbols are used on the appropriate items.
All of these symbols, including the name Alpha Phi Alpha, the letters AA, 06", and "The Sphinx" are registered and trademarked symbols of the National Organization. Anyone wishing to use these symbols for any purpose must receive written permission from the Corporate Headquarters Office. Any reproduction of these symbols must include the registered marks "TM" or "R." In the case of use on items for sale, a licensing agreement must be obtained from the Corporate Headquarters. Copyright Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. 2006. All rights reserved. 3 Chapter Management 2.1 Chapter Mandates _ Organize and operate in accordance with Fraternity rules; _ Provide safeguards for important Fraternity documents; _ Conduct all affairs in a manner which will reflect favorably upon the Fraternity. Each chapter is governed by the following regulations: *Chapter Certification: By mandate of the 80th Anniversary Convention (1986), no Chapter may function in the name of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. unless all of the constitutional officers of that Chapter have been certified via the Risk Management Seminar. Failure to provide for the certification of Chapter Officers, as identified in the Constitution, will lead to declaring the Chapter "inactive." *Chapter Authority: As units of a national organization, Chapters of Alpha Phi Alpha derive their authority to act from the General Organization and that authority is limited to those functions set forth by the rules and regulations of the General Organization. Chapter authority is predicted upon its being "in good standing" - that is, having fulfilled obligations and not being under disciplinary restriction for violation of regulations. *Official Chapter Address: Each Chapter is required to establish and maintain a permanent address (Fraternity House) or Post Office Box in the location of its jurisdiction. *Inactive Chapters: Chapters which fail to meet the minimum requirements set forth by the General Organization shall be declared "inactive" for failure: to have designated chapter officers "certified" via the Risk Management Seminar; to pay Grand Tax and/or Chapter Tax; to be represented at any of two consecutive General Conventions; or other violations of the rules and regulations of the Fraternity. See Article XIII of the Constitution, Discipline in Relation to Chapters, for further information in this regard. *Chapter Programs: Alpha Phi Alpha Chapters are expected to be "Servants of All" and to provide important community service and support programs within the limits of Chapter resources. All Chapters are expected to give first priority to those programs mandated and recommended by the General Organization. Participation in national programs is a key component in judging for all fraternal awards. 2 Chapter Representation at Conventions: Each Chapter is required to send its designated number of delegates to the General Convention, Regional Convention, and District
Convention. These meetings provide valuable information which can assist Chapters in their operations as well as involve all Brothers in the decision making process. Delegates to General and Regional Conventions are apportioned on the basis of chapter membership, as outlined in Article II, Section 4 of the Constitution. Active membership for these purposes means those who have paid national obligations, as recorded in the Corporate Headquarters database. The membership count for Regional Conventions is made on the first day of the month preceding the month in which the convention is held. The count for General Conventions is computed on May 1st of the convention year. Only chapters in good standing are eligible for full voting rights. To insure that only Brothers chosen by the Chapter act on it behalf, Convention Delegates must be certified at each convention. This involves (a) the registration of the individual Brother; (b) the completion of a Delegate Credentials form certified by the chapter, attesting that the Brother was chosen to represent the Chapter; and (c) certification by the Committee on Rules and Credentials at the convention. At General Conventions, delegates may be pre-certified (prior to arrival at the convention site) by returning the delegate certification form on or before June 1st of the convention year. 2.2 Basics for Chapter Operation Chapter Charter: The Chapter Charter is issued by the General Organization as evidence that permission has been granted for the establishment and functioning of a Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. at the Chapter Seat designated on the Charter. The Charter records the name given to the Chapter, its date of establishment, Charter (founding) members, and Charter location. The Charter also formally declares the subsidiary relationship of the Chapter to the General Organization. *Chapter Seal: An instrument used to emboss the imprint (and indicate the sanction) of the Chapter on official documents. Initially provided to the Chapter at its establishment, duplicate seals may be obtained from the Corporate Headquarters Office. Chapter Seat: The location of Chapters is established by the General Organization and is known as the "Chapter Seat." The rights of Chapters are limited to functioning within those jurisdictions, unless prior permission is gained from appropriate Fraternity officials. *Chapter Key Number: At the time of establishment, each Chapter is assigned a Key Number. This does not necessarily reflect the exact order of establishment. *Chapter Constitution: Each Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha is a unit of, and subject to the rules and regulations of the General Organization of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Incorporated. Constitutions of Chapters should not conflict in any way with the Constitution and By-Laws of the General Organization. The Chapter must forward that Constitution (and all amendments to it) to the Executive Director for review and approval by the General President or his designee. *Chapter Officers: Each Chapter is required to provide for the following officers: President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, Associate Editor of "The Sphinx," Chaplain, Historian, Director of Educational Activities, and Intake Coordinator. In addition to a Director of Educational Activities, the Chapter may form a free-standing educational foundation, qualified and approved by the Internal Revenue Service as a tax-exempt, non-profit corporation under the Internal Revenue Code, Section 501 (3), for the purpose of awarding scholarships for and on behalf of the Chapter and otherwise to satisfy the charitable commitment to the Chapter
2. Chapter Management5 Chapter identifiable from time to time. Other officers may be elected or appointed at the discretion of the Chapter. 2.3 Membership Chapter Membership: The Chapter is required to collect Grand Tax or Life Membership fees from all Brothers located at the seat of the Chapter as a prerequisite to their participation in any Chapter or Fraternity function. No Brother can be active with any Chapter without first being active with the General Organization. Chapters are directed to collect Grand Taxes and other financial payments on behalf of the General Organization and to forward them immediately to the Corporate Headquarters Office for processing. Fees associated with the Intake Process should be collected by the Regional Vice President or his designee prior to conducting the initiation and transmitted directly to the Corporate Headquarters Office. The Remittance of Funds Report form can be used to transmit payments to the Corporate Headquarters. Some payments can be made online through AlphaNet. Generally, all materials submitted on the Remittance of Funds Report form are returned to the Brother designated thereon to receive the materials. It is the responsibility of this Brother to immediately distribute these materials to the member(s) of the Chapter. 2.4 Required Chapter Officers President: The President is the Chief executive officer of the Chapter. He is responsible for developing the Chapter program of activities for the year, monitoring the implementation of that program and most importantly, for insuring that Chapter actions are consistent with the rules and regulations of the Fraternity and the university (if applicable). He must be thoroughly familiar with all fraternity regulations and administrative procedures. He chairs meetings of the Chapter and appoints committees. He assumes primary responsibility for the proper implementation of the Intake Process. *Vice President: The Vice President shall assist the President in the performance of his duties, performing special assignments that might be given to him. He shall preside at the Chapter meetings in the absence of the President. *Secretary: The secretary shall faithfully record the minutes of the Chapter meetings and keep all official records of the chapter. He shall work with the President to insure that all official documents and other forms are filed in a timely manner. *Treasurer: The Treasurer shall maintain an account of Chapter funds, handle deposits to and payments from that account and provide full and complete records of financial transactions. *Associate Editor of "The Sphinx": This officer should provide news of interest from the Chapter to the Editor of "The Sphinx" at the Corporate Headquarters Office. He shall follow the guidelines set forth in this regard. *Chaplain: This officer should provide spiritual guidance to the Chapter. In many cases the Chaplain is designated to ensure that expressions of sentiment on behalf of the Chapter are communicated in a timely manner. *Historian: The Chapter's Historian shall collect and provide a safe place for the storage of Chapter paraphernalia, publications, and other items of historical interest.
*Director of Educational Activities: This officer shall spearhead the Fraternity's efforts to promote excellence in education and provide leadership in the development of outreach programs to achieve this aim. In addition to a Director of Educational Activities, the chapter may form a qualified and approved 501(c) (3) foundation to assist in implementing educational programs. *Intake Coordinator: The Intake Coordinator should provide leadership in the development of and Intake Process consistent with the rules and regulations of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., and shall insure that intake activities conform to said regulations. He should be thoroughly familiar with The Standing Orders and other regulations of the Fraternity. With the Chapter President he assumes primary responsibility for the correct implementation of the Intake Process and the responsibility for complete adherence to all of the rules and regulations associated with the Standing Orders. *Advisor: Each College Chapter is required to have a "Alpha Advisor" who is a member of the Fraternity in good standing. This requirement applies even with college/university regulations provide different requirements for a "Campus Advisor." The Alpha Advisor is required to supervise the Chapter's Intake Process and thus must be certified via Risk Management Seminar and the Intake Process. 2.5 Elections Each Chapter must hold elections consistent with provisions of the Constitution & By-Laws. College Chapters must hold annual elections at the first regular meeting in April, and the newly elected officers must take office by the first regular meeting in September. Alumni Chapters should hold annual elections at the first regular meeting in May, with the newly elected officers taking office no later than the first regular meeting in September. The names and account numbers of elected officers shall be submitted to the Corporate Headquarters Office within ten (10) days of the election of officers using the Directory and Chapter Report form or Chapters can update/renew Chapter officers online through AlphaNet. Non-compliance with this mandate will place your chapter in the "not in good standing" category. 2.6 Chapter Delegates Delegates to Regional and General Conventions are assigned on the basis of Chapter membership as outlined in Article II, Section 4, of the Constitution & By-Laws. Only chapters that have been deemed "in good standing" by the Corporate Headquarters Office are eligible for participation and representation at Regional and General Conventions. Active membership is computed on the basis of those members who have paid national obligations and are registered in the Corporate Headquarters Office as of the date used for computation. Partial payments or payments which have been paid to the Chapter but not transmitted to Corporate Headquarters Office are not included in the membership count. For a Regional Convention the number of active financial members for each Chapter is computed as of the first day of the month preceding the month in which the Regional Convention is held. For a General Convention the number of active financial members for each Chapter is computed as of the convention year. Furthermore, for a General Convention Chapter 2. Chapter Management 7 each Chapter is required to submit the name and passcard number for each delegate to the
Corporate Headquarters Office on or before June 1st of the convention year. The National Office will send to all Chapters the form used to record the delegates for the convention. 2.7 Chapter Inactivity By fraternal statue, inactive status may be declared for Chapters that refuse to pay grand taxes and chapter fees (including insurance premium); for failure to be represented at any of two successive General Conventions; and/or for violation of the Constitution & By-Laws or the Ritual of the Fraternity. Any chapter that has been inactive for three (3) or more consecutive years can be recommended for de-chartering if the Regional Vice President believes the Chapter is unlikely to reactivate. 2.8 Inactive Members Those members who have not paid all required General Organization fees and/or who are not in good standing with their local Chapter are considered "inactive" and are not eligible to participate in Fraternity affairs. General Organization Fees include any dues and taxes mandated by the General Convention or the Constitution. In order for a member to reactivate his membership after a period of inactivity, he must pay Grand Tax and National Housing and Building Fund (if applicable). Any Life Member who has not paid the NHBF will need to do so to be deemed an active member.