August 10, 2003

 

 

 

 

 

Dear Parent:                                                             

 

Your son, as an active or pledge brother of the Theta Theta  (Ann Arbor) chapter of Sigma Chi Fraternity will either be living in or accessing the Sigma Chi fraternity house at 548 South State Street in  Ann Arbor for the 2003-2004 school year.  The fraternity house is owned by Ann Arbor Sigma Chi Residence, Inc., a Michigan nonprofit corporation, which is made up of alumni members of Sigma Chi Fraternity (the “House Corporation”).

 

The purpose of this letter is to give you some background about Sigma Chi, and the workings of House Corporation and the Theta Theta Chapter at the University of Michigan.  So that we can all be on the same page as your son returns to campus, we would also like to remind all concerned what it means to affiliate with the chapter, and what opportunities and expectations await your son

 

 

Sigma Chi Fraternity

Sigma Chi Fraternity is based upon the ideals of friendship, justice and learning.  Sigma Chi Fraternity encourages its members to cultivate, maintain and accomplish true friendship, equal justice for all and to realize the fulfillment of learning as part of a member’s overall responsibilities.  Sigma Chi Fraternity accomplishes its purpose by developing, implementing and monitoring programs that foster leadership, build character and promote positive relationship skills among its members which allow them to become productive and caring participants in their families, colleges and communities. 

 

If you want more information about Sigma Chi Fraternity, please visit the fraternity’s website at www.sigmachi.org.

 

 

Relationship between the House Corporation and the Chapter

The House Corporation is responsible for maintaining the physical space of the chapter house.  It performs a stewardship function in the sense that the fraternity house is a space where decades of young men have lived and formed lifetime bonds.   It leases the Fraternity House to the Chapter.  The Chapter then subleases individual rooms in the fraternity house to active members of the Chapter.  The House Corporation pays its expenses from the rent received from the Chapter.  The Theta Theta Chapter of Sigma Chi has been generously supported by a committed alumni group, who wish to continue to enhance the campus experiences of young men who bring with them from home values consistent with those of the fraternity and an instinctive understanding of the opportunity for personal growth offered by Sigma Chi.  In 2002, the alumni and actives of the chapter gathered to celebrate 125 years of continuous presence on the campus of the University of Michigan.

 

Since the only asset of the House Corporation is the fraternity house, the House Corporation maintains nominal cash reserves and operates on a break even budget each school year.  Any year when the House is not well-occupied, or when alumni are hesitant to commit funds to benefit undergraduates, is a year which strains House Corporation’s ability to maintain and improve the House.

 

 

Renovations to the Fraternity House

The Fraternity House was constructed in 1913 and was one of the first houses in the United States designed exclusively as a fraternity house.  The House Corporation renovated the infrastructure of the Fraternity House during the 1999-2000 school year at a cost exceeding 1.7 million dollars.  The improvements included new electrical service, Ethernet wiring to the University of Michigan system, fire suppression system (the only such system in the campus Greek system), asbestos abatement, new bathrooms, renovated kitchen, new water line, new sewer line, and new windows on the second and third floors.  The fraternity house is structurally sound and is in compliance with Ann Arbor City Housing Codes.  Dining room chairs and living room furniture were purchased last year with House Corporation funds.  They will be replaced by House Corporation this year.  A new front door and washer/dryers will be installed in August.  Some lower floor improvements and repairs, particularly window replacements, have not yet been funded. 

 

Every summer the fraternity house undergoes a thorough cleaning.  Lately, the summer cleanings have been accompanied by an extraordinary amount of repair work, funded mainly by forfeited damage deposits. 

 

 

Local Property Management Agent

Your son’s elected officers are his primary contact for issues concerning the physical aspects of the chapter house.  The chapter elects a House Manager every year.  The House Corporation has engaged the services of Bren Tims Property Management Services for the 2003-2004 school year, to assist the House Manager and House Corporation in keeping the house maintained. 

Ms. Tims is a licensed real estate agent in Ann Arbor and her company is managing several fraternities at the University of Michigan.  She will be handling the collection of room, board and dues from your son.  She will also coordinate the signing of the Subleases between your son and the Chapter. 

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Chapter Operations

The Chapter governs itself during the school year with minimal involvement by the House Corporation.  From intramural sports to the food service operations, the Chapter elects members to serve in leadership positions to make sure the Chapter runs smoothly and efficiently.  Every member of the Chapter must make a positive contribution to the Sigma Chi Fraternity.  We hope your son takes advantage of the many leadership opportunities that will be available to him as he completes his undergraduate studies at the University of Michigan.

 

 

Leadership and Scholarship

You should be aware that your son has leadership and scholarship opportunities available to him through the chapter.  There is a Leadership Training Workshop that is hosted annually by Sigma Chi Fraternity.  The House Corporation will pay for the workshop registration fees.  It is a great experience and we encourage your son to attend.  The chapter operates effectively when each officer has attended the Leadership Training Workshop. 

 

Each year, the House Corporation distributes to active members of the Chapter approximately $14,000 in scholarship funds.  These funds go to active members who contribute to the chapter and maintain good grades.  We encourage your son to apply for these scholarship awards.  No scholarship funds are awarded to actives in arrears in rent or other charges.

 

 

Policies on Alcohol and Drugs

The policies of the House Corporation and Sigma Chi Fraternity with regard to alcohol and drugs are attached to your son’s Sublease Agreement.  We encourage you to review these policies with your son.  The policies of Sigma Chi Fraternity are also on the Sigma Chi Fraternity website. 

 

The chapter maintains its own social budget and activities.  House Corporation has no responsibility or involvement in planning or managing Chapter social events, except those involving alumni.  Greek social events are subject to voluntary oversight and monitoring by the Interfraternity Council (IFC) and the Panhellenic Organization.  These are member organizations run by the undergraduate chapters.  It has been the policy of the IFC that admission to fraternity parties is controlled by guest lists.

 

 

Dates to Remember

Please place the following dates on your calendar:

 

  • August 15th: First month’s rent due.  Checks (payable to “Sigma Chi Fraternity”) should be mailed to Bren Tims at 1141 Chestnut St., Ann Arbor, MI 48104.  Please include a second check of one month’s rent for the security deposit.  Your son will be billed thereafter for rent by the chapter Treasurer.

 

  • August 27 (am): First date to move into the Fraternity House.  This is also the date that dorms open.  For security purposes, no early move-ins are available.

 

  • August 27 (4:00-8:00): Barbecue for parents and friends during your son’s move-in.  Members of House Corporation and Bren Tims will be available to answer questions.

 

  • September 4th (afternoon and evening):  Alumni interviews with each active member. Absences (and rescheduling) will be allowed by class conflicts only. 

 

Please note that your son’s ability to move into the fraternity house is conditioned upon a Sublease Agreement being signed along with payment of the security deposit and rent.  Monthly payments are due commencing October 1, 2003 and continuing on the first day of each month thereafter through March 1, 2004.

 

 

Fraternity House vs. Apartment

The fraternity house then, offers many advantages aside from the opportunities of a fraternal organization:

 

  • Rent for your son will not increase while he continues to reside in the fraternity house during his undergraduate studies. 
  • 8 month lease at competitive monthly rates (vs. 12 month)

 

  • Best location on campus

 

  • Ethernet

 

  • Fire suppression system

 

  • Full kitchen, with food service controlled by the actives

 

  • Parking.

 

 

Questions, Comments or Problems

The House Corporation meets once a month at the Fraternity House.  If you have any questions that you feel cannot be directed to the officers of the chapter, feel free to contact any one listed below.  Any concern that cannot be answered immediately will be taken up at one of our monthly meetings.

 

Personal Responsibility

The Fraternity House exists for the benefit of all alumni as well as the active members of the Chapter.  The House Corporation is obligated to protect the investment that alumni have made to the fraternity house, both in terms of time and money.  Damage to the fraternity house is a continuing issue with the House Corporation.  More consistent on-site management, in the form of a property management firm hired last year, has served only to expedite repairs, not to reduce the incidence of damage or improve basic cleanliness.  The actives tell us that at least 2/3 of the damage to the House is done “internally”, and that most of the rest appears at parties.  Little comes in the form of external vandalism.  There appears to be a tolerance of property damage, and a willingness to live in unclean conditions.

 

A successful fraternity house is cleaned and maintained by the entire chapter.  It is a cooperative effort to maintain the fraternity house and each active member has a responsibility to do his fair share.  It is no different than being at home, in a dorm room or in an apartment.  If you break things, you fix them or pay for the cost of repair.  You do not tolerate others damaging or disrespecting common areas. You clean up after yourself, and at times, others. 

 

 

A focus on restoring the fraternity’s social structure

Your son is an integral part of the success of Theta Theta.   He has a tremendous opportunity to learn life skills in a cooperative environment.  To a great degree, however, the chapter has for the time being lost some of the key functions of fraternity life. This it is not for House Corporation to advise the undergraduates on how to perform the basic activities of a fraternity chapter.  The annual Leadership Workshops, chapter advisers, and departing upperclassmen have those duties. 

 

House Corporation’s commitment to alumni and undergraduate members requires us at this time however, to lay out very clear expectations of what it means to be a Sigma Chi, living in or out of the fraternity house.  Our purpose is two-fold:  1) to enlist your assistance in providing a roadmap and support for those undergraduates who want the experience of a real fraternity, and 2) provide fair notice to those who do not.

 

Men who join Sigma Chi make a decision to embrace the ideals and practices of the fraternity.  Ask your son to recite the Jordan Standard, found in his pledge book.  He has told us that he feels he has a deep sense of personal responsibility.  The fraternity’s practices, including officer functions, charitable events, ritual activities, social events, house maintenance, chapter meetings, scholarship activities, and meals have changed very little over the 125 years of Theta Theta.  They are designed, to a great degree, to enhance the university experience and provide skills and accomplishments that produce men better able to succeed and provide value in the world that awaits them. 

Below are listed some of the functions which form the core of the Theta Theta chapter.  This is what we expect to see this fall, and will, through mentoring and other guidance, facilitate where the knowledge has been lost by the chapter. If you and your son read the following and find it inconsistent with what you believe is appropriate, then you should examine your son’s membership in the group.  We will examine your son’s willingness to function as a Sigma Chi in the fall. 

 

 

Some of the basic fraternal functions

1) Conduct weekly ritual chapter meetings, where all the business of the chapter is voted on by the actives.

 

2) Elect a complete set of officers committed to learning and performing their tasks.  Commit all actives to supporting an officer in order to reduce the workload and prepare future leaders in the house. This is particularly critical for the Consul (President), Quaestor (Treasurer), Steward (Food Service) and Magister (Pledge Trainer);

 

3) Provide a nutritious and reliable meal program, with one meal taken together at a fixed time.  Paid clean-up crews are essential.

 

4) Raise money for charitable causes, such as effective Derby Days events.

 

5) Maintain a functioning Judicial Committee that enforces chapter and fraternity policies.

 

6)  Pursue a balanced social agenda that meets Interfraternity Council and chapter guidelines. 

 

7) Live together in the chapter house, treating the facility with respect and stewardship.  Group living is at the heart of a fraternity’s purpose. 

           

8) Support and celebrate academic achievement. 

 

 

Informal Membership Review

When your son returns to school, informal membership reviews will insure that the interests and expectations of actives and pledges are aligned with this traditional view of how Theta Theta functions.  Everyone will have the opportunity to recommit themselves to the notion of personal responsibility and group effort.  They will be required to affirm their commitment to a quality fraternity living experience by signing an affirmation of some specific existing chapter policies.  Undergraduates who are unwilling to embrace the opportunities and changes ahead may be placed on “alumni status” and released from their lease obligations if they are living in. 

           

We look forward to a positive experience for the Chapter and your son during

the 2003-2004 school year.  Please stop by the house during the barbeque on Wednesday, August 27 to meet the House Corporation members.  If you would like to share ideas or other input you may contact us at [email protected].

 

 

Theta Theta House Corporation

 

Dave Train                 President (’84)

Jerry Kocis                 Vice President (’94)

Mike Stearns             Secretary (’81)

Rick Miller                  Treasurer (’82)

Charlie Peters           Faculty Advisor (’   )

Josh Gordon              Chapter Advisor (’96)

Todd Halsted             Member at Large (’84)

Dan Page                  Member at Large (’85)

Ben Dolan                  Member at Large (’89)

Mike Pezzetti             Member at Large (’89)

 

Advisors

Tom ZurSchmiede    (’48)

Dick Swaney             (’70)

Don Lindow               (’70)