Conclave’s legislative landscape:
Where Fraternity business is born By GENE SCHURG, Davis and Elkins ’7 7
Running a general chapter meeting takes planning. Imagine what it takes to run the largest SigEp chapter meeting every two years. It may not be the U.S. Congress but the discussions are just as passionate as those on the Hill.
The legislative backdrop This grand chapter meeting consists of nearly 300 delegates with order kept by Dr. Ed Hammond, Emporia State ’66, as parliamentarian, and the legislative team behind the scenes planning the agenda. Ed runs a tight ship and only had about nine hours to get the work done and elect a Grand President as the final order of business in 2009. If we fail to complete our job on time, our 1,500 guests have cold steak for dinner Saturday night since we must complete elections before we can go to the alumni awards dinner. Sigma Phi Epsilon brothers first assembled at Conclave during the Christmas holidays in 1903, where four of the nine chapters authorized the publication of the Sigma Phi Epsilon Journal and redistributed legislative power to all of the chapters, authorizing the 1903 constitution. Some major changes in the collegiate fraternity system were started on the legislative floor at a Sigma Phi Epsilon Conclave. Some of our peer fraternities have interesting quirks in their process that SigEp never adopted. Many of them give former Grand Presidents a vote for
life. One national fraternity gives each chapter two votes, one for the undergraduates and another for the chapter advisor. Another national fraternity gives large chapters two votes, and chapters smaller than 50 men receive only one vote. In SigEp, the undergraduate delegates overwhelmingly control the direction of the Fraternity by design. They represent 85 percent of the vote with one vote for each chapter.
Life at the microphone The brothers in the room are some of the brightest men from each of our chapters. The pressure not to say something stupid when you approach the microphone to address the chairman is intense. I remember my first Conclave as a delegate, when I was a young district governor. After sitting on my hands, afraid for two days, I found the courage to address the Conclave. Sweating, I approached the microphone and all I remember is the sound of the gavel and Ed saying, “Brother, you are out of order.” I crawled back to my seat. Fortunately, Brother Hammond gives more latitude to undergraduate delegates than he does to the alumni.
Behind the scenes The key to running the largest SigEp chapter meeting is getting the work done in committee. Prior to the start of the Conclave, each delegate is assigned to a committee responsible for reviewing legislation and thoroughly discussing the
Delegate Asha Jamzadeh, Indiana ’10, takes the floor at the 2009 Conclave legislative session. Above, the delegation as a whole establishes and modifies the bylaws of the Fraternity.
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pros and cons to report to the full assembly of delegates. Committees are chaired by undergraduate leaders who get valuable experience conducting committee meetings throughout the Conclave. Anyone interested in the resolution can address the committee to discuss the merits of implementing the change. On the legislative floor only the seated delegates or alternate delegates may address the resolution. Resolutions proposed by brothers of Sigma Phi Epsilon leading up to the Conclave are logged, assigned to a committee, and placed on the agenda. These powerful decisions are proposed, discussed, and decided by our undergraduate members. Alumni only represent 15 percent of the vote and we trust the younger delegates to guide the Fraternity’s future.
Installing the National Board Two committees are closed to visitors. The alumni nominations committee and student nominations committee meet with candidates who have nominated themselves for positions on the National Board of Directors. Undergraduates and alumni may selfnominate for open director positions by filling out an application available on the Fraternity’s website or at the Conclave. The last and most important action of the Conclave is to reconstitute the National Board of Directors and charge them with the operation of the Grand Chapter until the next assembly of the Conclave. So when guests in Phoenix are sleeping late or lounging by the pool, a core group of young men will be meeting and discussing the policies and the future of Sigma Phi Epsilon. The legislative session is the reason we have Conclaves, and we will make sure there’s no cold steak. Legislative proposals should be submitted to the Executive Director and sent to legislation@sigep.net by July 27, 2011. Gene Schurg has served as the legislative manager for the last five Conclaves.