EMINENT CORRESPONDENT MANUAL
UPDATED FEBRUARY 2026
TABLE OF CONTENTS
This manual is intended to serve as a guide for brothers selected to serve as Eminent Correspondent. Please also review your chapter’s bylaws, as there may be differences between the duties outlined in your bylaws and in this course. Unless otherwise directly outlined in the Fraternity Laws, the responsibilities outlined in your chapter’s bylaws supersede what is outlined here.
03 MISSION, VISION, & THE TRUE GENTLEMAN
04
OFFICER CHECKLIST
Eminent Correspondent Checklist
06
POSITION RESPONSIBILITES
Role of the Eminent Correspondent
Position Responsibilities
MISSION, VISION, & THE TRUE GENTLEMAN
The Fraternity’s mission and vision guide our chapters and members in everything we do.
Advancing the highest standards of friendship, scholarship, leadership, and service for our
True Gentlemen making our global community better.
The creed of Sigma Alpha Epsilon is the True Gentleman. As a member of this Fraternity, it is important to exemplify the traits and values found within the TG in everyday life.
The True Gentleman is the man whose conduct proceeds from good will and an acute sense of propriety, and whose self-control is equal to all emergencies; who does not make the poor man conscious of his poverty, the obscure man of his obscurity, or any man of his inferiority or deformity; who is himself humbled if necessity compels him to humble another; who does not flatter wealth, cringe before power, or boast of his own possessions or achievements; who speaks with frankness but always with sincerity and sympathy; whose deed follows his word; who thinks of the rights and feelings of others, rather than his own; and who appears well in any company, a man
-John Walter Wayland
Our vision, mission, and the True Gentleman are guiding tools that make our Fraternity great. Think of our mission as our why - why are we members? The vision gives us direction in our actions.
Like you, we believe it is our duty to better ourselves, our brothers, and everyone around us by holding true to our beliefs while taking the next steps in our collective journey. Your journey as the Eminent Correspondent is just beginning, and you will be paving the way for the future members of your chapter and across the Realm. Now more than ever, the world needs True Gentlemen, and we will provide you with everything you need to know to leave your chapter better than when you
FRATERNITY GOVERNANCE
THE FRATERNITY LAWS
Sigma Alpha Epsilon Fraternity is governed by the following bodies, ranked in order: the Fraternity Convention, the Supreme Council, Province Conventions, Chapters Collegiate, and Alumni Associations as prescribed by The Fraternity Laws. The Fraternity Laws serve as the official governing document for Sigma Alpha Epsilon. Broken down into articles and further into sections, the laws are not determined by any one person. Instead, these laws are voted upon and accepted by the Fraternity Convention, composed of collegiate and alumni members, Province Archons, and Officers of the Fraternity, as it includes the ESR and Honorary ESA.
You will want to review the Fraternity Laws before the start of your term. The Fraternity Laws are available in The SAE Portal under “SAE Governing & Financial Documents.”
OFFICER CHECKLIST
EMINENT CORRESPONDENT CHECKLIST
Congratulations on your selection as Eminent Correspondent for your chapter! Below is a checklist to help prepare you for your role. Refer to this manual immediately after being selected for your chapter’s Eminent Correspondent. These items should all be completed within the first week of your selection.
● Review this Manual.
● Schedule a meeting with the previous Eminent Correspondent to facilitate a smooth transition, including a discussion of goals and future ideas.
● Ensure you have access to all the social media platforms your chapter uses.
● Review your role’s expectations and set clear communication expectations.
● Update your contact information in your profile and ensure you are listed as the Eminent Correspondent on The SAE Portal. It is important that you are accurately reported to receive information from the Fraternity Service Center related to your role.
● Review Minerva’s Shield
● Review your chapter’s constitution/bylaws.
COMPETENCIES, CHARACTERISTICS, & TRAITS OF AN EXCEPTIONAL OFFICER
TRAITS OF AN EXCEPTIONAL EMINENT CORRESPONDENT
Eminent Correspondent is not just a title but rather a leadership role filled with many opportunities to manage your chapter’s image locally and the fraternity nationally. Being selected for this position provides a chance to manage the chapter’s correspondence and promote your chapter positively. Doing so will enhance alumni, university, and community relations and positively promote your chapter’s image. You will manage the brand that your chapter advertises to the
The Eminent Correspondent must communicate effectively, directly, and indirectly. You will manage all of the chapter’s correspondences.
In this role, you must be personable and able to create positive and cohesive relationships. You will work with chapter members and other officers to promote your brand publicly. You will reach out to the university, alumni, and community members to promote and invite them to events that your chapter is organizing.
You will have to determine which stories, testimonials, and content in general to publicize. This takes strategic and analytical thinking when assessing what aligns with your chapter’s brand and what to release and post publicly.
You will be responsible for ensuring the chapter’s social media platforms align with your brand, reaching out to media outlets to promote events, and monitoring t-shirts, posters, and other designs of your chapter. This role will require organization to ensure you can manage all duties to the best of your ability.
WHAT YOU WILL GAIN AS EMINENT CORRESPONDENT
When you leave office as Eminent Correspondent, you should feel excited about the positive impact made during your tenure. You have the ability to rebrand or continue the positive brand that your chapter showcases to your community. This position is crucial to ensure that your chapter is creating a brand that aligns with the fraternity’s core values and to manage all publicity of the chapter. You will be the editor of all posters, t-shirt designs, flyers, event themes, etc., and may have to deal with pushback from the chapter if a plan does not align with the brand you’re creating.
A few takeaways and lessons from your time as Eminent Correspondent may include:
POSITION RESPONSIBILITIES
ROLE OF THE EMINENT CORRESPONDENT
The Eminent Correspondent serves as the guardian of the chapter’s reputation and public image. This vital role ensures that all chapter communications and member activities reflect positively on both the local chapter and SAE nationally. Key responsibilities include providing content to the Fraternity Service Center, managing public relations efforts, overseeing how the chapter presents itself to the campus and broader community, and guiding members to represent the organization with distinction and as True Gentlemen. The Eminent Correspondent works to ensure that everything the chapter puts into the world, from social media posts to community engagement, builds a positive perception of SAE and its members.
1. Manage and develop the chapter’s social media pages.
2. Monitor members’ social media pages to ensure proper brand representation.
3. Reach out to local newspapers and other media outlets to promote upcoming events.
4. Track and monitor all news coverage related to your local chapter, both following a purposefully publicized event and in general.
5. Send content to the Fraternity Service Center.
6. Send formal invitations for initiations and events to alumni and guests.
7. Maintain an electronic officer folder to save all your records and pass them down at officer transitions.
POSITION RESPONSIBILITIES
1. Manage Chapter Communications & Branding
● Oversee all chapter social media platforms and ensure content aligns with SAE’s mission, values, and brand guidelines
● Approve external media (flyers, t-shirts, videos, press releases, event materials) before publication to maintain brand consistency.
● Uphold professionalism in all communications, both online and offline.
2. Promote Chapter Success in Local Media
● Notify campus and local news outlets before service and philanthropy events for potential coverage in local and national media cycles with stories that reflect positively on SAE.
○ Best practice is to notify outlets 1-2 weeks in advance, plus again the day or two before your event.
● Use the provided Press Release Template to share professional, consistent media stories.
○ Use the Press Release Example as a guide
● Utilize the Local Media Guidelines document for how and when to share items.
● Maintain an up-to-date press list. As local reporters move around, be sure to include the newsdesk email.
3. Submit Chapter Media to the Fraternity Service Center (FSC)
Chapters and Correspondents must submit high-quality images and short videos to the for potential national use.
Submissions may include but are not limited to images and videos of recruitment, service, philanthropy, brotherhood, sports, song, and holiday activities.
Collect Chapter Footage for National Use
Gather b-roll or short clips from chapter events to aid in creating national SAE advertising campaigns and national recruitment videos
Clean, high-quality clips can be taken from the chapter’s own recruitment videos and
Follow Brand and Social Media Guidelines
Brand Guidelines and Social Media Guide
Encourage all chapter members to maintain personal and chapter social media accounts that reflect the values of the True Gentleman. and graphic templates in Adobe Express.
Maintain an electronic officer folder to save all your records and pass down at officer
Organize all your records and documents in a central location so you can easily find and reference them as needed.
Organize your transition folder and materials to streamline the transition process for
Where are these resources located? Google Drive, Dropbox, etc.?
How are these resources shared?
How often are you updating your transition folder?
Am I upkeeping these records throughout my term so I don’t have to compile everything at the end of my term?
When do you hold our elections, and when should this be completed?
Utilize the Fraternity Service Center’s resources to aid you in this process.
Officer Transitions Resources
Officer Manuals & Resources
General Officer Resources
CHECKLIST FOR SUCCESS
Weekly
● Review and post approved content to your chapter’s social media platforms.
● Monitor posts and tag Sigma Alpha Epsilon national accounts where appropriate.
○ Instagram: @sigmaalphaepsilon
○ Facebook: Sigma Alpha Epsilon
○ X: @sae1856
○ LinkedIn: Sigma Alpha Epsilon Fraternity
● Make sure to share your good news by sending it through social media, emailing to communications@sae.net, or utilizing the Good News Reporting form
● Collect photos or short clips from events and store them for future submissions.
● As you and your chapter take and collect images and videos, utilize the Reporting form to submit quality photos or short video/b-roll clips to the Fraternity Service Center.
Monthly
● Submit good news from your chapter or chapter brothers to the Fraternity Service Center for spotlights on Social Media, The Record Online, and The Record.
● Review all public-facing materials (event flyers, t-shirts, etc.) for brand alignment.
● Share at least one story or highlight with local media or campus outlets.
● Building out a monthly schedule is always a good idea. Knowing what events are coming up allows for you to market them in advance and generate outside interest.
Each Semester
● Meet with the Eminent Archon and Executive Council to align messaging and chapter image goals.
● Review SAE’s current Brand Guidelines and Social Media Guide
● Update and organize your digital officer folder for transition and record-keeping.
Annually
● Submit materials for national awards and publications when requested.
● Train the incoming Eminent Correspondent on chapter branding and communication practices.
Key Takeaway
● The Eminent Correspondent shapes how the world sees your chapter. Through thoughtful communication, responsible content, and adherence to SAE’s values, you will build a strong, positive image for your chapter and the Fraternity as a whole.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
There are many Important dates and deadlines the Eminent Correspondent should know and pass along to the rest of the chapter. You can find this year’s event dates, fee deadlines, and more.
The Fraternity Service Center has compiled a Fraternity Resources list, so you have all the necessary resources in one place. Please click here and save the document to have them whenever you need to reference it.
WHO TO CONTACT
The Fraternity Service Center has created a Who to Contact resource so you know who to contact for questions or concerns.