You have decided to join and become a candidate for membership at your chapter of Sigma Chi on your college or university campus (“Chapter”). Chapter possesses a charter to function as a fraternal component of The Sigma Chi International Fraternity (“Fraternity”). This Fraternity is composed of a large number of similarly-situated chapters throughout North America to which hundreds of thousands of previously-initiated members belong. When you are initiated as a member into your chapter, you become an initiated member of the Fraternity.

You are a high school graduate and have been admitted to a college or university of higher learning. In making your decision to join and have the opportunity of becoming an initiated member, you have consented to certain terms and conditions of your relationship with your chapter and with the Fraternity. The following are the terms and conditions:

1. Your Chapter and the Fraternity believe that your participation can provide you with opportunities to learn to work with your peers; to set and to achieve laudable and worthy goals; to accept and discharge responsibility; to seek positions of leadership among your peers; to serve your Chapter and your peers in performing needed functions; to participate in organized athletics; to participate in social functions; to enjoy brotherhood and camaraderie with your fellow members; to form firmer and more lasting friendships; and to broaden your experience at your college or university.

2. Your Chapter and the Fraternity may provide guidelines and advice to you as you grow intellectually, socially and morally. These guidelines and advice are available to new members and initiated members on the Fraternity’s website, its online educational programs, in its publications, and at seminars and educational programs conducted by Fraternity volunteers and staff. The degree to which you achieve such growth is largely dependent upon the time and effort that you expend towards such growth. But, you are not an employee or an agent or a servant of your Chapter or the International Fraternity. Your Chapter and the Fraternity do not supervise, manage, oversee or attempt to control or direct your day-to-day behavior.

3. Your Chapter is locally self-managed, self-operated and self-financed. You and the Chapter are not supervised, managed, overseen or subject to control or direction by the Fraternity or any of its employees or volunteers. However, as a condition of being a chartered chapter of the Fraternity, you and your Chapter are required to follow the lawfully adopted rules and regulations of the fraternity as enumerated in the Governing Laws and its various policies.

4. You, as a new member, shall not allow yourself to be subjected to any hazing and you have the right and obligation to refuse to participate in any activity which you think is demeaning to you, is unsafe in any respect or would hinder your mental or physical wellbeing.

5. You are expected to abide by the Fraternity’s standards and policies, which include abiding by applicable local, state and federal laws as well as your Chapter’s complementary and additional policies.

6. 6. You grant authorization and permission to the Fraternity to use your image and likeness for promotion and marketing purposes, unless you opt out in writing with Sigma Chi Headquarters.

7. You agree to receive all forms of electronic communication from the Fraternity, including emails and text messages among others, unless you notify the Fraternity in writing of your desire to the contrary.

8. You agree that the Fraternity may disclose information you provide to third parties that may offer goods and/or services, unless you opt out in writing with Sigma Chi Headquarters.

9. 9. Your financial obligations are between you and your Chapter with regard to all dues and fees, including by way of example, joining fees, initiation fees, membership dues and similar charges. In turn, the Chapter is responsible to the Fraternity for all membership fees and chapter assessmen You understand that any balance you owe to the Chapter may be assigned to the Fraternity upon suspension of the Chapter’s charter.

10. Membership in Sigma Chi is lifelong in duration. You can be expelled for good cause, but you cannot resign or disaffiliate. Once you accept the invitation to membership and proceed through the Fraternity’s ritualistic initiation, you cannot resign for any reason or circumstances. You agree to pay to your Chapter the dues and fees owed to it as specified by the International Fraternity’s Governing Laws as well as any additional dues or fees as prescribed by the Chapter. These dues, once obligated, are non-refundable and cannot be cancelled.

11. As a further condition of your affiliation, you agree to indemnify and hold the Chapter and its officers and members, as well as the Fraternity and its officers, members and employees and other fraternally-affiliated entities, harmless from any and all costs, expenses and damages which are caused by you, either individually or in combination with the conduct of others.