The Hitchhiker’s Guide
to Being a District Counselor
A Supplementary Commentary to DC Resources
Don’t Panic
August 2008 Edition
I would like to thank Brother John Stipp for permission to use and reproduce all of the
DC resources that he has made available on the Web. Not to mention all the meaningful
advice and a friendly ear that he has given me over the years. In addition I would like to
thank Brother Pete Yochim for his witty and sometimes zany advice. I would like to
thank Brother Sherrie Settle for being patient with me as a collegiate and providing me
with wisdom and counsel over the years. Finally, I would like to thank my collegiate
Chapter Advisor, Brother John Adams, for his guidance, level-headedness, in-sight,
advice, and for being my positive role model over the years.
– Jonathan Wenzel, Delta 1996
Dear Brother,
You are probably reading this because you are a new District Counselor, a District
Counselor, or you are just plain bored and curious. At the time of this writing I have
been a District Counselor for just over six years. Over that time, I have been collecting
various documents, letters, and notes containing tidbits of advice relating to wisely
performing my duties as the Central District Counselor. Believe me, there was a lot to
learn and starting the job for me fortunately involved working very closely with a mentor
whose Fraternal wisdom I can hope to emulate, but will probably never surpass.
However, there still was much to learn both about the operations of the Fraternity and the
philosophy behind some of things that we do.
Being a District Counselor is at first overwhelming but with time and patience is a very
rewarding experience. I hope that your experience will be similar to mine with the
development of new leadership skills, insight gained into the inner workings of the
organization, and most importantly the development of lifelong friendships.
Yours in the Double Bond,
Jonathan Wenzel, Delta 1996
Table of Contents
Section
Page
I have just been appointed a DC so now what? ............................................................. 1
Responsibilities—By Constitution and Bylaws .......................................................... 1
Responsibilities—between the lines ................................................................................. 3
Chapter Advisors .............................................................................................................. 4
District Committee ............................................................................................................ 7
Visiting A Chapter ............................................................................................................ 8
Initiations ........................................................................................................................... 9
Mentorship-Leadership-Development .......................................................................... 12
When trouble occurs ....................................................................................................... 12
District/Regional Conclaves/Meetings .......................................................................... 14
Programming................................................................................................................... 14
Expansion......................................................................................................................... 15
Interaction With the National Office ............................................................................ 16
Fraternal Acronyms........................................................................................................ 16
I have just been appointed a DC so now what?
Congratulations! You are about to embark on one of the most exciting and tireless jobs
in the Fraternity. You are, in part, responsible for the well-being of the subordinate
chapters in your district as well as the health of the Fraternity as a whole. When first
starting out as a DC, go to the national website and download a copy of the Constitution
and Bylaws. You will need to become familiar with them. If you are fortunate, you will
also receive material and files from the previous District Counselor in your district.
Included in these files are the Ritual Book, MSDS Book, and current paperwork on the
chapters in the district. You will also want to familiarize yourself with how the National
Office works. The National Office staff does not mind phone calls, and can explain how
the various reporting mechanisms work for the Collegiate and Professional Chapters.
Also, thoroughly read the Risk Management Policy.
In addition to some reading, the first step is to familiarize yourself with the district and
introduce yourself to the Chapter Advisors, Master Alchemists, and Professional Chapter
Presidents. Find out where your chapters meet and when. Ask what their semester
schedules are. Consider making an appointment for a visit. The most important thing to
do, though, is to listen. Listen to the collegiate members and their problems and insights.
Do this likewise with the professionals. Listen to the National Office and any issues they
may have with your district. Listen to the Supreme Council. Listen to older and wiser
Brothers (and don’t confuse age with wisdom). Most important LISTEN TO YOUR
CHAPTER ADVISORS. The CA is the Chapter’s and your lifeline. They have the pulse
of the Chapter and the historical knowledge (hopefully) of the issues du jour as well as
longer-range problems to tackle, as well as insight on activities and attitudes to foster and
encourage. By listening, you will gain a better grasp of the health of the chapters in your
district as well as your district as a whole.
Begin considering members for your district committee and the role that you would like
the district committee to have for your district. Start planning your first visits to chapters.
Remember Don’t Panic, just as Rome was not built in a day, neither will building an ideal
district. Just as a car uses more fuel due to air resistance the faster it goes, so will you use
more and more energy to get things done at a fast past due to resistance from within the
district. Take things slowly and with patience, you will do alright.
One other piece of advice when starting out as a new DC in regards to your role within
the Fraternity comes from Pete Yochim, “The title is District Counselor, not District
Councilor. Living the difference could make or break your success as DC.”
Responsibilities—By Constitution and Bylaws
The position and responsibilities of a District Counselor are briefly and vaguely defined
in the Constitution and Bylaws in comparison to some of the other officers in the
Fraternity. There is a quite a bit of flexibility with the position which allows it to evolve
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with the needs of the Supreme Council, the Grand Chapter, the Chapters in the district,
and the individual holding the position.
Constitution Article VI, Section C, “The duties of the District Counselor shall be:
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To maintain close contacts with the chapters in the district, acting as an advisor on
behalf of the Supreme Council;
To visit each chapter in the district at least once each year or designate a
representative to make the visit;
To preside over district meetings; and to place on probation, subject to the
approval of the Supreme Council, any chapter in the district which fails to comply
with Fraternity requirements.
The District Counselor shall attend conclaves and vote on Grand Chapter
legislation, and shall be an ex officio member of all policy-determining
committees of each Collegiate Chapter in the district.”
As a District Counselor you are appointed by the Grand Master Alchemist and serve at
the pleasure of the Supreme Council. Which logically means that your appointment can
and will be revoked if necessary. In other words, a District Counselor is unique in the
Grand Chapter, we are the only appointed voting members, which means that a District
Counselor is easily relieved of responsibility as needed. Hence a District Counselor has a
very distinct burden to bear and does not have to respond to the pressures of election to
fulfill his or her responsibilities.
Job Requirements: Be an Active Professional member. An Active Professional member
is an individual who has contributed in the annual solicitation.
Rights, Responsibilities, How Organized.
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To reiterate, a District Counselor serves at the pleasure of the Supreme Council
A District Counselor is a corporate voting member of Alpha Chi Sigma,
Incorporated.
A District Counselor is a voting member of the Grand Chapter.
The GCA supervises a DC in relation to their activities with the collegiate
chapters, the GPA supervises a DC in relation to their activities with the
professional chapters. A DC makes reports to the GMC in issues regarding
initiation and ritual. By practice the DCs fall under the GCA in the
Organizational Chart of the Fraternity.
A District Counselor may make inquires and request reports of the subordinate
chapters in the district. It is further specified that the collegiate chapter treasurers
shall report to the DC when requested. DCs receive a copy of the audit and other
reports usually through the National Office.
DC appointments are made biennially.
The DC presides over district meetings.
A District Counselor or Chapter Advisor helps resolve disputes regarding
membership in the collegiate branch and report to the GCA about such disputes.
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A District Counselor may, as needed, assign a designee to act as the District
Counselor in his/her absence. This is great if you need to be at two places or
more places at once and allows for flexibility in your professional and Fraternal
life.
A District Counselor (or designee) is required to visit each chapter in the district
once a year.
A District Counselor may appoint a committee of active professional members
who can provide assistance and advice. A member of the District Committee acts
as an advisory board for the District Counselor. District Committee members
serve at the pleasure of the District Counselor. For further information see
District Committee.
A District Counselor appoints the Chapter Advisors in his or her district.
The District Counselor is an ex officio member of Collegiate Chapter’s Advisory
Committee and Budget Committee.
All of this being said, to effectively do your job and strengthen your District, you will
need to rely on your Chapter Advisors, eventually build a District Committee who in turn
will provide advice and perspective, listen, and be a positive role model. When it comes
to change, do things slowly. If circumstances dictate that something must be changed
swiftly, be clear in what you must do, take time to follow-up on the issue, and try to
smooth over ruffled feathers.
Responsibilities—between the lines
There are many things that by convention and precedent that is part of a District
Counselor’s job that is not in the Constitution and Bylaws. These responsibilities fall
under the Three Objects of our Fraternity, common-sense, and Risk Management.
District Counselors need to be positive role models for the collegiate and professional
Brothers in the Fraternity. Remember, most of our Brothers will probably never go to the
National Office and many will not get to personally know a member of the Supreme
Council. It is in your capacity as a District Counselor, that often your actions within the
chapter room and more often outside of the chapter room, will leave a lasting impression
to our members. As a District Counselor, your actions and reactions could be viewed by
some as the attitude of the Fraternity as a whole. Therefore, remember that when you
meet with the chapters in the district you need to represent the Fraternity professionally.
In your function as a liaison between the Grand Chapter, the Supreme Council, and the
subordinate chapters in the district, it is important to be a neutral broker. Not only do you
represent the needs of your chapters to the Grand Chapter and the Supreme Council, but
the reverse also applies. As such, you may find it necessary to sit on the fence, so to
speak, even though your more passionate inclinations would drive you one way or
another. One thing that I had to learn and am still learning as a District Counselor is how
to make my point clear and to stick to that point, even though it may, hopefully only
temporarily, cause passions to run high.
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Another function as a District Counselor is to foster communications within your district.
This encompasses communications between your chapters and is done pretty well by
having regular district meetings, posting information on the National website, and
providing advice for planning for travel. Quite often you will need to help the National
Office and the Chapters in getting reports and necessary paperwork to flow back and
forth. If the National Office copies you on an e-mail to a chapter, generally they have
attempted to contact the chapter once or twice and are having trouble reaching
individuals in the chapter. At this point, I would recommend a personal e-mail to the
Chapter Advisor to see if she or he might be able to help. If the problem continues to
drag, a message to the Master Alchemist will usually do the trick. If the problem persists,
a phone call is a great way of getting someone’s attention, if they are not responding.
Keep in mind that plenty of times there is a cause for communications to shut down,
usually due to family emergencies, exams, illness, etc.
As District Counselor, you are also, in part, the eyes and ears for Risk Management, as
well as the Chapter Advisor. Be mindful of developing issues and work with your
Chapter Advisor to address any potential problem that may come up. Watch for
irregularities at initiation and gradually work with the chapter to eliminate mischief as
needed. If something really bad is happening, try to tactfully put a stop to it. Definitely
at initiation, check for fire hazards, and promote safe practices.
Chapter Advisors
The role of a Chapter Advisor is that of a guide for a chapter, a professional role model
for a chapter, and the individual that provides a crucial link between the chapter of times
past to the chapter of times present. The Chapter Advisor is one of the most vital links
between the institution and the chapter, and he or she is invaluable for the success of a
chapter in both times of trouble and in times of triumph. The Chapter Advisor is one of
the first lines of defense for the chapter should trouble arise. You should include the
Chapter Advisor on most of your communications with the chapter, between the chapter
and the National Office, and between the chapter and the Supreme Council. You must
support your Chapter Advisors in their tireless efforts, especially since those efforts
regretfully go unrecognized by the chapter and sometimes by the Fraternity. Be sure to
thank them when you get the chance, for you are truly in their debt. Listen to them and
keep them in the loop of any crucial developments.
Below is the typical order of visibility of professionals in the Fraternity to the collegiate
chapters:
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SC
DC
Area Professionals
Chapter Advisor
Note that the Chapter Advisor makes the base of the pyramid and also the most area.
This is because the Collegiate Chapter sees the Chapter Advisor the most out of all of the
Professional members of the Fraternity. Above the Chapter Advisor is the District
Committee, area professionals, and alumni. Above that is the District Counselor and
filling the top and least amount of area is the Supreme Council. That is not to say that the
Supreme Council and the District Counselor are unimportant, but most collegiate
members will not see the DC or the SC that much. Many chapters do not get a visit from
the SC in a period of two years.
Now to go briefly on a tangent, what if you reside in a locality that has a chapter and
perhaps it is your initiating chapter. Well, first off, do not over-shadow the Chapter
Advisor. This could and most likely will erode the Chapter Advisor’s position and role
for that Chapter and also create much more work for you. Pay particular attention to this
and try to make a very good working relationship…try to think of yourself as a very
junior co-Chapter Advisor. If you happen to live in the same locality as your initiating
chapter, things can get messy. For starters you might not have much, if any, professional
separation from the collegiate members of the chapter. You are “one of the gang” and it
will take a long time to grow out of being “one of the gang.” In the meantime, behave
yourself and work with your Chapter Advisor to develop a better professional rapport.
When you were appointed District Counselor, hopefully all of your chapters have a
Chapter Advisor. However, what to do if one of your chapters does not have a Chapter
Advisor? Well, a couple of things happen, first as the DC you will act as the Chapter
Advisor in some capacity until a replacement is found, hence a big incentive to find one.
As District Counselor one of your responsibilities is to appoint Chapter Advisors at the
recommendation of the chapter. Do not take the task of Chapter Advisor appointments
lightly, since your Chapter Advisor appointee is going to hopefully have a long and
productive relationship with the chapter. An ideal candidate for Chapter Advisor should
be a Brother who is a tenured or tenure-track faculty member, someone with a good
rapport with the department, someone who can get along with the chapter and vice versa,
someone who can be a positive professional role model for the chapter, and someone who
is willing to learn and advise not dictate and manage.
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Sometimes the Chapter will have an ideal and willing candidate in mind and you just
have to formally appoint them and be sure to e-mail a copy of the Chapter Advisor
Manual of Procedure. Other times, however, life is not so easy. On occasion, a weaker
chapter will lose its Chapter Advisor and there will be no faculty member who is a
Brother that is willing to take on the position. Sometimes there might not be a faculty
member who is a Brother. In this case you need to work in tandem with the chapter and
start working on recruiting. First thing, in a pinch, if the institution where the chapter is
located allows, you may appoint a staff member or an irregular faculty member (such as a
post-doc or an instructor) as Chapter Advisor. Staff and irregular faculty can make great
Chapter Advisors, but they do not have tenure and may not have much pull within the
institution. However, these individuals are very helpful in getting the chapter through a
tough time and also very helpful in recruiting a regular faculty member.
Recruitment of a tenured faculty member can be a long and frustrating task and cannot
usually be handled overnight. In the circumstances that I have had, it is usually the
collegiate members who find a faculty member, recruit him or her, and initiate him or
her, and then say “Hey, we want this person as our Chapter Advisor.” Recruiting faculty
in that way is a lot like expansion, working from the inside is much, much easier than
working from the outside.
Another thing you may want to consider is seeing if the chapter and Chapter Advisor
would be willing to have a co-Chapter Advisor. There are a couple of compelling
reasons for co-Chapter Advisors. Chapter Advisors, like everyone else, have lives
outside of the Fraternity, they may need to take off for maternity or paternity leave, they
may go on sabbatical, their career might take a much larger bite of time (especially
around tenure), they may change jobs, or they may retire. This is where having a coadvisor is a great idea, if it is amenable to the chapter and the Chapter Advisor. Then, if
the CA needs to take a break, leave, or retire there is someone available to fill their shoes.
One excellent working relationship is between Br. Anne Moody and Br. Eric Patterson at
Gamma Theta. When Br. Moody needed to dedicate more of her time to family or
profession, Br Patterson stepped up as Chapter Advisor. This relationship is purely
reciprocal and the two have switched spots on a couple of occasions.
The thing to keep in mind however is that co-advising has to work for the chapter and
more importantly for the professors involved. If it is something that the chapter and
Chapter Advisor is willing to do, then great! However at that point you should probably
let them figure out for themselves the best working relationship. Another circumstance
where co-advising works is when a staff member has been filling in as Chapter Advisor
until a faculty member can be recruited. In this circumstance, the faculty member
becomes a co-advisor and then a working and mentoring relationship will follow.
Another structure is a senior and junior Chapter Advisor, which follows the mentoring,
leadership, and development objectives of the Fraternity. The key as a DC is to provide
counsel and advice when needed and trust your Brothers on the Faculty to sort out what is
right.
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District Committee
One of your functions as a positive role model as a District Counselor is to have a District
Committee. The composition and number of Brothers on your district committee is
completely at your discretion, with one caveat, the committee members must be active
professional members. What I have found to work well in the Central District, which
may not work in others, is to have the Chapter Advisors, Professional Chapter President,
and a group of young professionals on my District Committee. The size and composition
of the district committee is a balancing act, you want to have it be big enough to function
well, but small enough to function as a cohesive group. I try to keep a geographic
balance and have one young professional that is an alumni from each chapter in the
District on the committee. Of course life sometimes doesn’t work the way you want it, so
only 3/5 of my chapters have young professionals on the committee at this point.
I have several very compelling arguments for the composition of my district committee.
The Chapter Advisors are a logical choice, it gives them an additional opportunity to
provide input to the district and further emphasizes their integral role in the smooth
operations of the Fraternity. As needed, the Chapter Advisors function as the DCdesignee, which is extremely useful both for the CA and the DC. Chapter Advisors are
also invaluable as mentors to the young professional members on the Central District
Committee.
Having your professional chapter president and professional group contacts on the
committee also makes logical sense, since they can readily provide the professional
chapter’s input for the district committee. Having young professionals on the district
committee is actually something I stumbled into, but in the end it is a very good fit. As a
District Counselor visiting chapters at chapter meetings or initiations, I found over the
semesters a couple of familiar faces. These individuals did not necessarily hold an office,
but came to the chapter events and receptions when I visited. Quite often these
individuals would ask questions such as how the Fraternity works, how initiation works,
what the significance behind the ritual is, how they can participate on a district-level,
what is life like in the Fraternity after graduation, etc. These Brothers would also provide
their insights and opinions, even when not asked! (Trust me it is sometimes a hassle to
get collegiate members to volunteer their opinions.) So if these individuals happened to
live in-district after they moved on to their professional life and continued to express
interest, I would appoint them to the District Committee and give them a creative outlet,
before the Fraternity would have the unfortunate circumstance come up where this
individual’s spark of interest would fade out. This group of young professionals is quite
often a pool for other committees in the Fraternity as well as potential Professional
Representative candidates and even future DCs.
If you have a district that does not have an active district committee, do not fret. It can
take a couple of biennia to set up a great working group and to get some communication
going. If you have a district committee, as always, be sure to listen to their input, and
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carefully judge any decision you might make. People will interact in their own way on a
district committee, just as they do with the Fraternity as a whole. Some committee
members will have a passion for travel. Some committee members have special pet
projects that should be nurtured. Some committee members like giving presentations or
holding forums at district meetings. Other committee members will quietly observe and
volunteer invaluable input during times of need.
Remember, that every member of your district committee is your Brother and hopefully a
friend. Help them help themselves, be a positive role model and help them grow. Foster
and encourage their interests. This relationship is completely reciprocal as well…not
only does a district committee act as a sounding board, but they are an advisory
committee, and will help you grow in your position and as a Brother as well. Also
remember that one day, when you step aside to live in another facet of your Fraternal life,
that it is likely that a member of the district committee will succeed you to become a
District Counselor.
Visiting A Chapter
So you have decided to visit a chapter, great! Before you hit the road there is a little bit
of ground work to cover. First contact the Chapter Advisor and the Master Alchemist for
a good date and time. If it is immediately following National Conclave, then you might
consider including the Chapter’s former Delegate on the list. The best first visits as a DC
are to regular chapter meetings or events, NOT initiation. Ask for some time to meet
with the Chapter Advisor one on one and other chapter officers as well. If the chapter
schedule permits, perhaps suggest going out as a group for a meal. If your travel involves
an overnight stay ask about a good hotel to stay at for the evening. ASK FOR CLEAR
DETAILED DIRECTIONS. Before you go you will also want to check with the
National Office to see if there is any pending paperwork or issues to be resolved. You
might also want to check with the GCA if there are any pending issues.
A good chapter visit is where you mostly get to listen, put in a little bit of advice, and at
the chapter meeting be sure to tell the chapter how good of a job they are doing. Get a
feel for the lay of the land, if there is an area for the chapter to grow, first tactfully
suggest it to the Chapter Advisor and the Master Alchemist. In chapter meetings, avoid
drawing comparisons between chapters in the district, nothing will turn away Brothers
from advice faster then by saying, “This is how they do it at this chapter, you must do it
this way too.” Take plenty of notes. At chapter meetings the Master Alchemist will
usually give you a little time to speak, during this time advertise the events going on at
other chapters, such as initiation, and district meetings. Also provide your contact info to
all of the Brothers and let them know that they can contact you as needed. Also, don’t be
surprised if the chapter thinks they are in trouble because you are there, assure them they
are not, unless they are.
If a chapter is in trouble, there is a lot of work to do, dependent upon the trouble they are
in. Trouble ranges from faltering membership numbers, poor recruitment, problems with
initiation, lack of turn-over in chapter leadership, lack of responsibility, Risk
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Management Issues, chapter probation issues, poor communication etc. A whole section
can and will be devoted to chapter trouble. If you have a chapter in trouble, it is
emotionally difficult, but it is also an opportunity. It is when a chapter is in trouble that it
is hopefully the most receptive for positive change. Resolving problems may take
awhile, but if people learn from their mistakes then something good will come of it.
Once you return from your chapter visit, you will need to write a visitation report. Your
visitation report is a confidential document submitted to the Grand Collegiate Alchemist
and the National Office staff for evaluation of the Chapter by the Supreme Council. It is
also the basis of information for writing your annual and biennium reports. Be frank in
your visitation report, point out the great things that the chapter is doing, since it may be
something that is worthy of duplication and dissemination. Also detail any trouble areas
or potential trouble areas if needed. Detail what needs improvement. Outside of
paperwork submission and word of mouth, a DC Visitation Report is a vital document for
the Supreme Council to assess the health of a chapter.
When you complete and submit your visitation report, fill out and submit your expense
report to the National Office. Your travel and lodging expenses are reimbursable for
your required annual chapter visits. Of course, you can always gift-in-kind all or part of
your travel expenses to the Fraternity. If you are not seeking reimbursement, reporting
your gift-in-kind contributions is a good habit to get into. Alpha Chi Sigma is a 501 c 3
non-profit organization and you can write these expenses off on your taxes. The
Fraternity will even provide you a letter before January 30 of your gift in kind
contributions for tax purposes. Why do this? Well, first it gives the Fraternity a better
gauge of the actual cost of conducting its operations. Second, it is a good habit to get into
if you don’t itemize your taxes, since it improves your record keeping for when you
might start itemizing your taxes.
Initiations
Initiations are typically a bad time to visit a chapter if you expect to handle any pressing
business. You will probably get a chance to talk to many Brothers in passing, but
probably not any single Brother for a considerable length of time. However, do not be
discouraged about visiting a chapter at initiation, just understand that you might have to
visit with a different expectation in mind. If you do plan on visiting at initiation, also
plan on visiting at another time as well. Visits to initiations are good to get a grasp as to
how the chapter is handling the ceremony and also an excellent opportunity to visit with
the pledges and initiates, since they will have plenty of free time during the ceremony.
You can get a very good feel for how the chapter is handling pledge education by visiting
the pledges at initiation.
There are a many items to keep in mind when you visit a chapter for initiation. First be
sure to arrive well before the initiation start time. Just as each chapter is different, so
does each chapter structure their initiation differently to accommodate the unique
character of their chapter history, culture, and locality. Some chapters will have a dinner
prior to initiation, some chapters will have food brought to initiation, some chapters will
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go out to eat after initiation. Initiations are typically held when the facility is nearly
vacant, so typically on a Friday night or a Saturday. Some chapters have elaborate sets to
set-up and it is often very informative to see the sets as they are being assembled. Be
sure to take notes, because you are sure to see many great ideas to share.
Also don’t be surprised if the whole chapter seems edgy. This is due to the fact that the
chapter as whole is stressed and might have a little bit of stage fright since you are there.
It might also be indicative that they may be doing something that is irregular, a topic
which will be addressed later. When at initiation, be attentive and observant. Be sure to
walk through all the stations and check for safety and provide pointers if there is a safety
concern. If open flames are used, make sure that there is at least one fire extinguisher.
Preferably there should be two, one within reach of the actor and the other within reach
of the guide. When flame is used make sure it is an effect that the candidate can see, not
something pretty for the active’s amusement. Quite often too many candles are used and
it particularly troublesome to find a large number of candles burning unattended. Pointer
on candles: you must stress, reiterate, and scream to world if necessary that there shall
not be unattended flames. The Fraternity has experienced a few fires and almost all of
them attributed to inattentiveness. It is also worthwhile to mention gradually moving to a
flame free alternative.
At initiation, take note of the regalia and what condition it is in. If the Master of
Ceremonies has time after initiation, it may be good to go through the regalia with her or
him and assist in completing the CRRI (Charter, Ritual, Regalia Inspection). During
initiation, take note if whether there is cross-over between stations, unnecessary lagging,
or any other issue that might be of determinant to the ceremony. Also take note of
exceptional performances and effectively delivered parts of the ceremony. At the end of
initiation be sure to congratulate the new initiates and praise the cast for what they are
doing right. Also remember, the end of initiation is not the time to point out areas where
corrections need to be made or offer constructive criticism, this can wait for a written
report to the chapter.
What I personally find is that when I visit a chapter during initiation, I have spent most of
the evening walking around and visiting with chapter members. Initiations are typically
the visits where I write the most notes, mostly because I try to be more of an observer and
try to avoid getting in the way. If you get a chance to go through a chapter’s performance
of the entire ceremony stopping at each part, it is a great opportunity and very
informative. Also remember that when you are observing initiation you are also being
observed. Be a positive role model, if you see someone misbehaving a little bit, shake
your head and maybe whisper something in their ear. The chapter will get the point.
Be forewarned, at a few initiations that you will visit you might see something unusual.
Use your own judgment, but in several instances you might not want to put an immediate
stop to it. The reason is, if you put your foot down too hard, you will encounter extreme
resistance the next time you need to put your foot down. In many circumstances, you
will want to practice John Stipp’s “meet me half-way” method, where you gradually seek
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for odd behavior to be phased-out. Trust me, it works, but it will take a year or two to
accomplish what you need to get done.
Unfortunately, but not often, there can be an instance where you will have no choice but
to address a certain behavior. If this is the case, see if the Chapter Advisor and/or a
Brother on the Faculty, a professional member, or the Master Alchemist is present.
Explain to them what is going on and try to get him or her to back you up. If you can’t
get some of these individuals on board then you are in a very lonely spot. Some
examples of situations that cannot be tolerated:
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obvious Risk Management Policy issues
someone showing up to initiation intoxicated or drinking during initiation
any set, prop, or behavior that might cause physical or emotional injury
any set or prop that is an obvious fire or chemical hazard (we do not always have
happy experiences with fire).
anything that compromises or circumvents a building’s emergency or security
systems (i.e. covering exit signs, removing emergency lighting, interfering with
fire alarm and sprinkler systems, propping open fire doors, propping open doors
that a meant to be locked, etc.)
anything that opens the Fraternity to a lawsuit
additional stations
performing parts out of order
If you have to address these types of situations, try to do it in the least confrontational
manner possible. Remember to stay calm, think before you speak, and give very good,
logical reasons why something has to stop. Quite often common-sense prevails and the
problem easily goes away. If common-sense does not prevail, try to keep your emotions
in check and remain calm, try to appeal to your Brother’s sense of Fraternal obligation
and the possible consequences to the Fraternity for their actions. If things continue to be
a problem, call another District Counselor or a member of the Supreme Council for
advice and help. There are examples where things have gone wrong at an initiation, if
you need advice don’t hesitate to ask because someone in Fraternity may have dealt with
it before.
Be sure once you are done with you initiation visit, to write a visitation report just as if it
were a regular chapter visit. An initiation visit report is especially informative to the
GCA and GMC as to how well a chapter is performing the ceremony. Also, if
appropriate, write a tactful critique of the ceremony for the chapter to use. Be sure to
mention the good things that the chapter is doing and offer advice on some areas that
need improvement. If you are inclined to write a critique, first ask the chapter if they
would like one, prior to your visit. This will help motivate the chapter to take a good
look at their performance of the ceremony before you show-up. This will also make the
chapter more receptive of a critique afterwards. To re-iterate our chapters do many,
many good things at initiations and only a few things need improvement, be sure that
your critique reflects that and you don’t de-motivate them.
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Mentorship-Leadership-Development
As mentioned earlier one big part of being a District Counselor is fostering the leadership
and development aspect of our Fraternity. In your position this is done in many ways:
mentoring young professionals on the district committee, soliciting help from collegiate
chapters in planning a district meeting, encouraging Chapter Advisors, promoting a
Brother’s good idea, taking Collegiate Brothers with you on your travels, and by being a
positive role model in your visits. However, it is sometimes in our nature to try to help
too much and provide too much advice.
While our hearts are in the right place, our good intentions may sometimes do more harm
than good. Why? We may be denying our Brothers the opportunity to make mostly
harmless mistakes and to learn from them. This is especially so for Collegiate Chapters.
A chapter and its officers are going to make mistakes, it is part of the learning process.
As long as a mistake is not going to bring harm to an individual, to the chapter, or to the
Fraternity, you should let a Chapter, or Brother, or officer make their own decision and
learn from it. Provide advise and counsel, help and assist, but avoid temptation. Allow
some of the best lessons that can be taught in our Fraternity, be taught, by allowing some
mistakes to be made so people can learn and grow from them.
When trouble occurs
Some mistakes will happen and problems will arise. It is when the problem is a big one
or a situation gets out of hand that proactive measures need to be taken. Below is a
pyramid which illustrates how most problems are handled in a Collegiate chapter.
SC
DC
Chapter Advisor
Chapter & Chapter Officers
Note that the chapter officers make the base of the pyramid. This is the first level of
engagement to handle most problems and most problems are successfully tackled by the
chapter officers. Hence the chapter officers make the base of the pyramid, which has the
greatest area, since this is where most problems are solved. This goes in following with
our leadership and development philosophy.
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However, some problems are too big or of a certain nature that a chapter and its officers
are unable reach a resolution. This is when the Chapter Advisor steps in. Depending
upon the issue the Chapter Advisor may provide advice and counsel and let the problem
resolve. Other issues may require the Chapter Advisor to proactively get involved to
reach a resolution. Hence, the Chapter and the Chapter Advisor make most of the area of
the pyramid since most of the problems are handled by this group. Please note that at this
level in the pyramid everything has been handled locally.
The next level is the District Counselor and not many problems will reach this level. At
this level there is no catch-all solution for a problem, these problems are handled case-bycase. Some problems especially major Risk Management violations or major issues that
engages the administration of an institution, typically bypass the pyramid and go directly
to the Supreme Council. In this type of instance where the District Counselor is informed
first, immediately alert the Supreme Council. If you are called by the Provost’s office or
the police calmly listen, take down all the information, GET their contact name and
number, and inform them that you will be informing a member of the Fraternity’s Board
of Directors as soon as possible. Be apologetic, be understanding, be attentive, be
respectful, but do not be confrontational, evasive, or assume any responsibility, because
you are not in the position to do so. Likewise if you are contacted by the media, politely
refer them to the National Office, then alert the Supreme Council and the National Office
It is important to note, outside of this friendly advice, use your own judgment and Don’t
Panic.
So what are some different scenarios that a problem may reach the District Counselor
level of the pyramid or where the District Counselor has original jurisdiction? As District
Counselor, you might have to mediate a dispute between a chapter and its Chapter
Advisor. If a problem were to happen at a Fraternity event between two Brothers from
the same district but in a different chapter or branch of the Fraternity, the District
Counselor is sometimes called in to mediate. Likewise, the District Counselor may be
expected to handle a dispute between two collegiate chapters within the same district.
Also, if there is an issue at a Professional Chapter that the Professional Chapter is having
trouble with, the DC may be called in. There are other possibilities as well. However, if
you do encounter a minor problem, calmly listen to each party and try to find an equitable
resolution. Usually as emotions calm, common sense will prevail. When a problem is
passed to you or someone asks you for advice please realize that it may be a sensitive and
emotionally charged topic. Please do not make matters worse by adding to the rumor
mill or letting slip confidential information.
Whatever the problem, please keep the GCA informed, it may not seem important at the
time, but it might be important later. Also it is usually better that problems are resolved
at the lowest level possible and only the major problems should percolate up the pyramid.
The last thing as a District Counselor that you want to establish in your district identity is
that all problems come to you and circumvent the learning process of resolving mistakes.
Many problems that come to you simply need to be referred to the Chapter Advisor.
Otherwise the Chapter Advisor’s position is undermined, and you get stuck helping in
arguments such as “Shouldn’t the Chapter pay for a new toaster for the House since a
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non-member guest of a non-house Brother put a VHS tape in the toaster and turned it
on.”
District/Regional Conclaves/Meetings
District Conclave or Meetings are an excellent opportunity for Brothers in the District to
get together. District meetings are typically held annually or semiannually on a weekend.
They serve to develop a sense of district cohesion and give many collegiate members a
sense of Alpha Chi Sigma as a national organization instead of a campus club. Quite
often District Conclaves will have many attendees from out-of-district making it a
regional event with a district-flair. It is an excellent opportunity for collegiate and
professional members to discuss issues and exchange ideas of local importance and some
of these topics serve as a spring board for forums at the National Conclave. Having a
District Conclave is an exceptional event for the chapters and professional members
within the district, especially since there is less distance to travel and less time
commitment than the National Conclave. This allows some Brothers to have a Fraternal
networking experience that they couldn’t otherwise afford in terms of time or money.
In addition to the District Counselor Info Packet and the District Committee Info Packet,
there is a Hosting a District or Regional Conclave Info Packet available on the National
website. It is an excellent resource for planning a District Conclave, especially for
Districts that don’t regularly have a conclave. If your district already traditionally holds a
Conclave, great! Try to keep that tradition alive, because helps maintain the vitality of
the district. If your district doesn’t have a conclave, consider it. Visit with your Chapter
Advisors and District Committee to see if a Conclave would be helpful and feasible and
what type of programming would be appropriate. And remember, just as each chapter
has its own identity, so does each district. Each District has its own very unique District
Conclave and what works for one district might not work for another. However, the best
business at a District Conclave is sometimes conducted during the unstructured times of
the event, so try to integrate fun activities. If you choose to have a traveling trophy for a
competitive event, I personally recommend something big and heavy and maybe a little
obnoxious which will make it difficult to loose.
Programming
Programming and professional activities are an important service that our Fraternity
offers to our profession and our communities. Events such as the Boy Scout Merit
Badge, Chemistry for Girl Scouts, Chemistry Magic Shows for elementary and secondary
schools, T-shirt tie dye, events for National Chemistry Week, study sessions, and a
multitude of others is what puts the a capital P in our Professional Fraternity. Most
chapters have their own unique professional activities that they pursue and many also
participate in some of our national programs. These activities are important to our
Fraternity because it promotes the Three Objects of our Order by giving us a sense of
common Brotherhood, by promoting Chemistry as a science, and by giving our members
networking opportunities.
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As a District Counselor you are to strongly encourage each chapter to have a couple of
professional/community service events a year. Also keep an eye out for unique and
innovative events and help encourage and nurture new ideas. Many of these activities are
exciting and great for our local chapters. Some of these activities may have a broad
enough scope that they can be duplicated at other chapters and warrant being advertised
nationally. Be sure to keep the Supreme Council informed of the professional events,
especially since we do have good chapters doing good activities that do poor jobs at
reporting what they do.
Also when you visit a chapter, give a few words to the chapter membership about some
of the great programming and other activities being offered by the Fraternity and by the
Educational Foundation. The Educational Foundation sponsors the Alpha Chi Sigma
Scholar award which is a cash award and a free trip to National Conclave with almost no
strings attached. One award is given out each year, collegiate Brothers just need to apply
to be considered. In addition the Educational Foundation administers the Matthews Loan
program which has very competitive interest rates for college expenses. The Foundation
also funds the ACS Pure Chemistry Award and the Alpha Chi Sigma Award in Chemical
Engineering Research presented at the AIChE National meeting. There are several other
national programming opportunities and Educational Foundation opportunities, check out
the National website and look under programming on the Fraternity side and browse the
Educational Foundation side.
Expansion
The Fraternity is constantly looking for expansion opportunities. In fact, we get so many
expansion inquiries a year, we have an expansion director to sort through all of them and
check and see which would be viable as a potential expansion effort. There are many
things that are necessary for an expansion effort to become viable, which includes but is
not limited to department size, school regulations, receptiveness of the faculty to having
an Alpha Chi Sigma Chapter, interest, etc. If you get an e-mail from the Expansion
Director about an expansion opportunity then most of these issues have been vetted out
and there is a potential for expansion in your district! Trust me it is an exciting effort! So
how does expansion work once the District Counselor gets in the loop? Well, first don’t
panic, expansion is a long process and will not get done in one or even possibly two
biennia. You will be working with the Supreme Council, the expansion director, and
several other individuals and Brothers.
To briefly outline the expansion process: first there is an inquiry made to a Brother or the
National Office. The inquiry is investigated and checked to see if a Chapter is possible at
the institution in question. If there is enough interest, the Supreme Council, at the advice
of the District Counselor, will grant a neighboring chapter permission to initiate
individuals of the institution for the possible expansion effort. If there is a large enough
pledge class initiated and enough new Brothers stick around, then the Supreme Council
will designate that institution a Colony and the initiating Chapter as the Colonizing
Chapter. Then begins a system of mentorship between the Colonizing Chapter and the
Colony where a nascent form of organization is set-up, pledge classes are recruited,
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trained, and initiated. If a Colony appears to be stable after several academic semesters,
then the Colony may petition for a charter. If it is at an institution where a chapter had
previously gone inactive, it takes a Supreme Council vote to reinstate the chapter and
return the charter. If there has never been a chapter at the institution, then the Chapters of
Alpha Chi Sigma vote whether or not to grant the Colony a charter.
Expansion efforts require some elbow grease but are very rewarding. At any point in the
process the expansion effort can fail. As a DC it is a tight rope act between giving just
the right amount of help to the colony and the colonizing chapter. Colonies require a
watchful eye to make sure that they are developing their own distinct culture and
traditions so that one day they are independent of their mother chapter. There are
numerous challenges and advice regarding expansion and a detailed discussion would be
a document in and of itself. Just remember if you have an expansion effort in your
District, it is a distinct privilege. Foster the effort, help the colonizing chapter out, keep
the path of communication open, and ask for advice and help as needed.
Interaction With the National Office
As a District Counselor you need to keep in close contact with the National Office. A
DC is the National Office’s right hand in many instances. A DC serves as a vital link of
communication between the National Office and chapters, especially when the NO is
having trouble reaching chapter officers or chapter officers don’t understand how various
processes work. You need to be in contact with the National Office to make sure that the
chapter’s have all of their paperwork, which includes initiation related paperwork and
various reports. (Check the active logs and delinquency list online each Thursday
afternoon to see which chapters owe reports, fees and more to the National Office.) Offer
your assistance and contact problem chapters and chapter advisors personally to see how
to help with the snafus in paperwork or communication. In addition, the National Office
distributes replacement regalia, administers the national website, handles member
services and handles most of the day to day operations of the Fraternity.
Be sure to copy the National Office staff on all relevant communications. It is helpful if
you submit a copy of your visitation reports, annual reports and biennium reports to the
National Office as well as the Supreme Council. The National Office also handles travel
reimbursements. If you have any questions, the National Office staff is happy to provide
answers and they do like phone calls! Also be sure to thank our National Office staff
whenever you get a chance for all of their hard work. They are an awesome group!
Fraternal Acronyms
DC—District Counselor
SC—Supreme Council
CA—Chapter Advisor
CRRI—Charter, Ritual & Regalia Inspection Report
NO—National Office
C&B—Constitution and Bylaws
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GC—Grand Chapter
GMA—Grand Master Alchemist
GCA—Grand Collegiate Alchemist
GPA—Grand Professional Alchemist
GMC—Grand Master of Ceremonies
GR—Grand Recorder
GH—Grand Historian
GE—Grand Editor
GV—Grand Vizier
OA—Order of Altotus (previous GMAs)
GVD—Grand Venerable Degenerate
OC—Order of Cirrhosis (previous GVDs)
DCC—District Counselor Chair
MA—Master Alchemist
VMA—Vice Master Alchemist
MC—Master of Ceremonies
MOP—Manual of Procedure
PRC—Professional Recognition Ceremony
PIC—Professional Induction Ceremony
PBI—Professional Branch Induction
RMP—Risk Management Policy
AXS or AXSigma—Alpha Chi Sigma (We are not AXE. That is Alpha Chi Epsilon.)
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