Increased Fees for 2016
The NEC voted to increase the insurance fee and initiation package costs at its Fall face-to-face meeting in Evansville.
In response to increases in the Fraternity’s General Liability Insurance over the past two years, the National Executive Committee voted at its latest meeting to increase the Insurance Fee $2.00 per collegiate member, effective January 1, 2016. This increase brings the Insurance Fee to $12.00 per member per semester. Per Capita Tax remains unchanged at $70 per member.
Per Capita Taxes and Fees: $82.00 per semester
See the Liability Fee Increase section below for further details
The initiation package costs have also been changed due to increases in the cost of the materials passed on from our suppliers. New total initiation fees per package option, reflecting the increased materials fees, are as follows:
Basic Package: $150.00 Upgrade #1: $225.00 Upgrade #2: $310.00
The new fees apply to all new probationary membership classes beginning in the Spring academic term of 2016. Probationary members who were pledged before December 31, 2015 will be charged the materials fee that was in effect at the time of pledging.
See the Increased Initiation Package Costs section below for further details.
Liability Insurance Fee Increase
In response to increases in the Fraternity’s General Liability Insurance premium over the past two years, the National Executive Committee voted at its latest meeting to increase the Insurance Fee $2.00 per collegiate member, effective January 1, 2016.
This will raise the Insurance Fee from $10.00 to $12.00 per member, per semester. Per capita tax remains unchanged, at $70 per member, per semester. The fees are combined and assessed as “Per capita taxes and fees” on the chapter report. The per member cost, per semester, is now $82.00, effective with the Spring 2016 chapter reporting period, which begins February 15.
Per capita taxes and fees can be paid for one of two ways. An individual brother can submit payment directly to his chapter for his per capita taxes and fees, to be paid to the Fraternity on his behalf by the chapter through that semester’s chapter report. A brother may also pay the Fraternity directly online, through his personal my.sinfonia.org account.
Note: Brothers who opt to pay online should not be marked as paying through the chapter report by the chapter president.
Spring chapter reports become available February 15th and are due March 15 of each year, The chapter report is prepared by each chapter president using the MySinfonia online chapter reporting tool, which can be accessed through his my.sinfonia.org account.
For more information on the Liability Insurance Fee, see the National Constitution & Bylaws, Title I, Article X, Section 2.
National Constitution and Bylaws, Title I, Article X
Section 2. Insurance fees.
The NEC annually determines a pro rata insurance fee which is added to the national per capita tax of collegiate members. The NEC may assess additional liability insurance fees to chapters with increased risk exposure, including but not limited to chapter house ownership and past loss history. If the combined amount of chapter insurance fees and member insurance fees collected by the Fraternity exceeds 110% of the cost of the corresponding year’s liability insurance premium, the NEC applies funds in excess of 110% of the cost to the next year’s premium prior to the determination of the member insurance fee.
Initiation Package Cost Increase
Facing mounting increases in the cost of initiation materials over the past five years, the Fraternity has been absorbing the shortfall between fees collected and the costs of initiation materials. After a comprehensive review of current trends and projected increases by our suppliers, the National Executive Committee voted reluctantly to increase the initiation materials fee, effective January 1, 2016.
The total cost of an individual initiation consists of a $100.00 initiation fee, plus a materials fee which covers, at cost, the membership certificate, membership card, governing documents and official membership pin.
The Basic Package materials fee increased from $40.00 to $50.00. The Upgrade 1 package increased $10.00, and the Upgrade 2 package increased $8.00.
Total Costs of the packages are as follows:
Basic Package: $150.00 Upgrade #1: $225.00 Upgrade #2: $310.00
The new fees apply to all new probationary membership classes, beginning in the Spring academic term of 2016. Probationary members who were pledged before December 31, 2015 will be charged the materials fee that was in effect at the time of pledging. For more information, please refer to the National Constitution & Bylaws, Title I, Article I, Section 10.
Fraternity Education Officers are advised to direct any questions regarding the increase to the Province Governor or the National Headquarters.
National Constitution and Bylaws, Title I, Article I
Section 10. Initiation fee.
Before election to collegiate membership, a PM pays an initiation fee of $100.00 plus a materials fee which covers, at cost, his membership certificate, membership card, songbook, governing documents, and official membership pin. A member may purchase an upgraded official membership pin for an additional fee.
