Why Start Your Own Fraternity?
The college experience is filled with many opportunities! There are opportunities to pursue academic, athletic and social interests. However, these different opportunities, alone, are not always enough for most students. When Chi Phi was founded at Princeton University in 1824, the founding members united to form a group of men that were bound in a sacred friendship. They united because the other organizations, at the time, were lacking the outlet they needed to better themselves as men. So, they set out to fill the void and ended up starting what would become the nation’s first men’s social fraternity, Chi Phi. The Chi Phi Fraternity has proven to be an organization where men of like minds come together, bonding as they pursue their varying interests. If you, too, are looking for something different, something life changing, something that will define your college experience and allow you to build lifelong friendships, then look no further.
What is it like to be an Associate Chapter?
Being a member of an associate chapter is an exciting experience! Once the associate chapter has been started, your New Member Program will be approximately six weeks long; after which, all members of the founding class will be initiated at a nearby Chapter. The Chi Phi Fraternity is one of the only National Fraternities that initiate its Colony members; this means, if you are a senior looking to start an associate chapter, you will not miss out on any of Chi Phi Ritual. Over the course of its first year, the associate chapter will work to recruit more members, hold social functions, do community service and focus on obtaining their Charter. The associate chapter will complete the Chi Phi Accreditation Program each semester and strive for Accredited status. As an associate chapter, you will have voting rights at the annual Chi Phi Congress; therefore, you will be treated as equals on a National level, within the organization.
All associate chapters are under a three-year deadline to earn their Charter, although many fulfill their obligations sooner. So, no matter what year you are in school, you have the opportunity to start something real that will last beyond your tenure. For most associate chapter members, there is the opportunity to actually have your name on the physical charter that is granted, when the associate chapter becomes a fully recognized chapter.
Support for Associate Chapters
When it comes to dividing up our resources, Chi Phi places a high priority on its expansion efforts. On the National Staff, the Associate Director of Growth is the full time position that is dedicated to opening new Colonies and providing assistance to existing associate chapters, guiding them all the way through the Chartering process. A National Staff member will provide any assistance that is needed by visiting all associate chapters twice per year and communicating with associate chapter leadership on a regular basis. In addition to the visits, the National Fraternity holds numerous Regional programs and a national leadership school. Campus Greek Life professionals and Alumni Advisors also provide support.
Chi Phi and Expansion
Chi Phi is an organization that is proud of its rich history, which includes Chapters and members from around the world. At the same time, Chi Phi keeps an eye to the future, always looking for the next group of men that we will call Brothers and the next great Chapter that will be leaders on their campus. Perhaps you and a group of your friends are men who will go down in Chi Phi history as Chapter founders and leaders.
Chi Phi is proud of the success rate we have, when starting new Chapters or restarting dormant ones. Most of our recent expansions have quickly gone on to become award-winning Chapters in the Fraternity. This is due to the strong working relationships we establish with host institutions, the amount of time and energy we devote to Colonies and the strength of character in the men who start or join these Colonies.
So how do I get started?
To get started, you should email Chi Phi at [email protected] so we can begin a dialogue and get working on a plan for putting a Chi Phi associate chapter on your campus. If you are interested in starting a Chapter of Chi Phi and joining the oldest social Fraternity, then do not hesitate to contact the the National Fraternity Staff at [email protected] or 404-231-1824.