Risk Management Policy including the House Rules
Alpha Phi chapter of Alpha Gamma Rho
Brookings, SD
Ungentlemanly conduct or boisterous actions which could potentially damage this House or our reputation are prohibited. This House is to be a home away from home and should be treated as one’s own house. The House Rules list is included along with the Risk Management policy because the two go hand in hand. The idea behind managing risky behavior is to reduce or limit liability. Abiding by the outlined Risk Management Policy should ensure that if for any reason a risky situation may arise, the liability of the chapter, its members, and anyone else present at the time of the situation, should be held to a minimum. The House rules following the risk management are in place to fine members of the house who break those rules. Actions violating the rules are considered improper or risky behavior.
Resolution
WHEREAS, morals are necessary possessions of the true gentleman and are basic standards of human conduct, divinely inspired to promote the dignity of man and the sanctity of the family relationship; and
WHEREAS, it is the policy of Alpha Gamma Rho to perform a positive role in the moral and spiritual development of our members; and
WHEREAS, the rights and privileges of all Brothers to standards of decency and behavior, becoming to a gentleman, are infringed upon when other members engage in habits, practices, and behavior in violation of the standards set by our Fraternity; and
WHEREAS, each Brother has rights and privileges of access and use of his own room and other areas of the Chapter house unencumbered; and
WHEREAS, Alpha Gamma Rho Fraternity is concerned about the consumption and potentials for abuse of alcoholic beverages in the Chapters, and
WHEREAS the dangers can erode the foundation of fraternalism and diminish the complete attainment of the goals and objectives of Alpha Gamma Rho and the educational community; and
THERFORE BE IT RESOLVED that Alpha Gamma Rho supports the highest ideals and standards of human conduct and does not condone the use of illegal drugs, illicit sexual relations, and indiscriminate use of alcoholic beverages. Each Collegiate Chapter and Alumni Corporation must follow the rules of conduct set forth as follows:
As to illegal drugs and controlled substances:
The possession, sale and/or use of any illegal drugs or controlled substance at the chapter house, sponsored event, or at any event that an observer would associate with the fraternity, is strictly prohibited.
As to alcohol:
The possession, use and/or consumption of alcoholic beverages, while on chapter premises, during an official fraternity event, or in any situation sponsored or endorsed by the chapter, must be in compliance with any and all applicable laws of the state, province, county, city, and institution of higher education.
No alcoholic beverages may be purchased through the chapter treasury nor may the purchase of same for members or guests be undertaken or coordinated by any member in the name of or on behalf of the chapter. The purchase and/or use of bulk quantity or such alcoholic beverage (i.e. kegs, party balls, mixed drinks made in bulk) is prohibited.
No chapter members, collectively or individually, shall purchase for, serve to, or sell alcoholic beverages to any person under the legal drinking age.
No chapter may co-sponsor or co-finance a function where alcohol is purchased by any of the host chapters, groups, or organizations.
All recruitment activities, or any activity aimed at promoting Alpha Gamma Rho to potential new members, must be alcohol-free functions.
Open parties, meaning those with unrestricted access by non-members of the fraternity without specific invitation, where alcohol is present shall be prohibited. Parties that are in compliance with all university, local authoritative, and fraternal regulations are allowed (i.e. ID’s are checked, no minors consume alcohol, a guest list is submitted, etc.).
No member shall permit, tolerate, encourage, or participate, in “drinking games.”
In regard to hazing:
The Alpha Phi chapter of Alpha Gamma Rho shall not conduct hazing activities. Hazing activities are defined as:
“Any action taken or situation created, intentionally, whether on or off fraternity premises, to produce mental or physical discomfort, embarrassment, harassment, or ridicule. Such activities may include but are not limited to the following: use of alcohol; paddling in any form; creation of excessive fatigue; physical and psychological shocks; quests, treasure hunts, scavenger hunts, road trips or any other such activities carried on outside or inside of the confines of the chapter house; wearing of public apparel which is conspicuous and not normally in good taste; engaging in public stunts and buffoonery; morally degrading or humiliating games and activities; and any other activities which are not consistent with fraternal law, ritual, or policy or the regulations and policies of the educational institution.”
Regarding sexual abuse:
The fraternity will not tolerate or condone any form of sexually abusive behavior on the part of its members, whether physical, mental, or emotional. This is to include any actions which are demeaning to women including but not limited to date rape, gang rape, or verbal harassment.
About Fire, Health, and Safety:
All chapter houses shall, prior to, during, and following occupancy, meet all local fire and health codes and standards.
All chapters must have posted by common phones emergency numbers for fire, police, and ambulance and must have evacuation routes from chapter houses, common areas as well as posted on the back of the door of each sleeping room.
All chapters shall comply with engineering recommendations as reported by the insurance company.
The possession and/or firearms or explosive devices of any kind of AGR premises is expressly forbidden unless stored in a locked compartment with limited access.
No member should be on the roof of the House at any time, unless the person has a valid reason (i.e. working with Christmas lights).
No member should slide down, in any way, shape, or form, any of the flights of stairs in the House at any time.
How to educate members on risk management:
Each member will read this document in its entirety during the new member education classes. Each semester the entire chapter will be quizzed over this document’s contents.
House Rules
Enforcing the rules:
The following rules will govern the Chapter House. However, this document is subordinate to any higher authority such as the rules and policies set before the chapter by the University, or its governing bodies, and the local, state, and federal governments. If any of the following rules are found to contradict any higher authorities, the higher power will rule, and the given House Rule should be ignored.
The House Rules herein will supplement the Constitution and by-laws of the Alpha Phi Chapter and in combination with them will replace any previous Constitution and/or by-laws and/or House Rules of the Alpha Phi Chapter which may have been in existence.
All active members of the chapter are able to levy fines that are to be enforced as stated in the Constitution and By-laws. The process for fining a brother is described in the Constitution and By-laws. Specifically, the fine must be given in written form to the Noble Ruler or announced at the regular chapter meeting. The rule number that was violated, the offender’s name, the date of violation, and the levier’s stud number must accompany the fine (stud number is only when the fine is issued in written form).
All fines shall be announced at the chapter meeting, and will be paid swiftly and promptly as it is described in the Constitution and By-laws.
Rules:
- Quiet hours will be maintained on the east side of the house (living area of the house, rooms, Bull Room, etc.) from 11 p.m. to 9 a.m., Sunday night through Friday morning. All TV’s, stereos, and other things, including actions and activities, which may disturb any brother must be contained to the point that the device or action is not able to be heard outside of the room the activity or device is in. Members are allowed to be in the Bull Room, but noise must be kept low enough so nobody is disturbed, and the door should be kept shut during quiet hours. A fine of $5 may be levied for a violation, but one warning should be given before a fine is issued.
- Proper etiquette is expected in the dining hall during all meals. Breach of any of the following topics should result in at least a $2 fine (these apply to both lunch and dinner meals): Swearing at any time during a meal, taking a seat somewhere other than the head table before it is fully occupied (especially at formal supper), having alcoholic beverages, eating after a meal and before clean-up is complete (especially for formal meals), discussing topics inappropriate for the dinner table, and not showing proper dining etiquette (towards guests, while eating, and with all other things involving eating).
- Alcohol can be consumed in the east side of the house, in the library, or outside. No person should have more than two opened beverages with them if they are not in their own room. Alcohol should be stored in a person’s room. Alcohol should not be consumed in the foyer, formal living room, or downstairs. Breaking any part of this rule should result in a $5 fine.
- Guests present at the house are the responsibility of the member who invited them to come over. The member will be held accountable for anything the guests might break, damage, throw up on, etc. Expenses will be paid by the guest’s host, and the host will be responsible for cleaning up after the guest. A fine of $10 will result if the host fails to restore the house to acceptable condition.
- Degradation of the feminine sex, racist remarks, personal insults, or the use of improper language which is offensive to anyone will not be permitted in the House.
- Scuffling or wrestling anywhere in the Formal Living Room is not permitted, $3.
- The removal of articles including papers, books, or magazines without approval, from living areas, the library, the bathrooms, or the computer room will result in a $3 fine. All articles must be returned to the proper area.
- Failure, by those responsible for use of dishes and kitchen utensils, to wash and dry them after use will result in a $3 fine. Any dishes used outside of a meal time when the dishes are to be done by the kitchen clean-up crew should be cleaned and put away by the person who used them.
- Missing a kitchen prep or clean-up without providing proper forewarning and a valid excuse, $5.
- Missing a mandatory all-house clean-up time (before graduation, after socials, etc.), $10. The clean-up time should be announced at the regular meeting before the clean-up time.
- Failure to do or complete a house duty, up to $5. If a house duty will not be done by the time designated for house check, the person must notify the VNR Management and Operations before house check, or an automatic $5 fine should apply. However, if proper notification is given to the VNR Management and Operations and they agree that the house duty will be completed sometime before midnight of that day, then no fine should be assessed. If a house duty is missed on Monday and missed again on Thursday, the fine should double for Thursday bringing the total to $15. If the area of the house a member is in charge of for cleaning for the week becomes particularly dirty between Monday and Thursday, the area must be cleaned. The VNR M & O should make sure the person knows the area should be cleaned again before assessing a fine of $3. The extra cleaning will not allow the person to skip cleaning the area for Thursday.
- Smoking in the chapter house is prohibited, $5.
- Spitting at all in the drinking fountains, sinks, or urinals is prohibited, $3.
- Leaving a container used to spit tobacco in sitting anywhere in the house is prohibited, $5. The container should be thrown away!
- Eating in the TV carpeted area down stairs is prohibited; the head table should be filled first and overflow goes to the other dining tables, $5.
- Going in kitchen without shoes on, $3.
- Placing feet on the coffee table in the living room, $3.
- Failure to flush the toilet, $10, or the urinal, $3.
- The “you break it you bought it” rule applies to all house property and the property of the members who live here. Objects of equal or greater value must be purchased to replace the broken or damaged object. Objects which inadvertently break without the person performing any action to promote its destruction should be considered accidents and the obligation to replace the object should be relaxed. This rule especially applies to cookie sheets, pool cues, the lawn, fence, etc.
- An attempt should be made by all members to keep the house clean. If you see some garbage (especially in the foyer), pick it up. Wipe your shoes before entering the house.
- Missing mandatory activities such as the brotherhood retreat, elections, or initiation, $10.
- Two unexcused absences are allowed for each member per semester for regular chapter meetings. Each unexcused absence after that should result in a $5 fine. Being granted an excused absence is easy; just tell the Noble Ruler or VNR Planning what your valid reason for missing is before the meeting.
- Storage of oil or gas in the House, $5.
- If any significant changes are to be made to one’s room as far as construction goes, you should report it to the VNR Management and Operations.
- Blocking any portion of the entrance to the front sidewalk, $5.
- Missing an Executive Council meeting without a legitimate reason, $5.
- Tampering with fire alarms or fire equipment, $5. This rule applies particularly to the fire alarms (refer to rule #19 as well) and the unreasonable discharge of fire extinguishers.
- Rooms should be in the same condition and contain everything they contained on the day you move out as they did the day you moved in. Fines can be assessed for damaged or missing objects.
- Keeping a padded chair from the library in your own room for personal use, $5.
- Food and beverages are not permitted in the computer room, $3.
- Missing Study Table, $5.
- Storing firearms in the House, $10. It is permissible to bring a gun into the house to clean it or treat it in some way. Before the gun is brought into the house, you should let at least one other person know you are bringing it in. No ammunition can be brought into the house. Once the gun is cleaned and dried, it must be returned to your vehicle or other place of storage. This rule is aimed to ban all firearms from the house except when a brother happens to be out hunting, for example, in adverse weather conditions and feels it is necessary to treat his firearm before storing it in order to prevent its deterioration.
- Parking in the scholastic of the week’s parking spot without his approval, $5.
- Not turning in the grade contract on time or not meeting the standards set before yourself within the grade contract, $10.
- Each member must participate in one philanthropic event per semester provided that the VNR-Activities aligns at least two opportunities for members to participate. Failure to participate will result in a $20 fine. If the VNR-Activities fails to uphold his end of the deal, he should be fined $20.
The following rules are guidelines for living in the House. Breaking these Rules should not necessarily result in a fine.
- Noon meals are self serve; do your own dishes.
- Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday night meals start at 6 p.m. sharp.
- Monday and Thursday night meals are buffet style, fill the head table first.
- Tuesday night meals are formal. Wear a suit. Fill the head table first, as always. Remain standing behind your chair until everyone reaches their chair, and the head of the head table begins to sit down. Use proper etiquette. Don’t eat your dessert until the servers are seated, and the people at the head table begin to eat.
- Wednesday night meals are self serve between 5:00 and 6:30. Burgers, steaks, or chops are usually served. On weekends, anything in the fridge is fair game, unless marked. If you put something in the fridge that is yours and you don’t want anyone else to get into, mark it. Only ice cream should be taken out of the freezer.
- Our meeting is at 7:00 every Tuesday. Wear your suit.
- During meetings, all lights except basement are shut off. Phones are off. Drapes in the basement are closed. If you have to be late, come through the basement patio door. Roll call is taken by saying your AGR identification number when your name is read.
- If you make a mess (puke, or whatever), you clean it up.
- Answer the phones promptly. Answer politely, something like “Hello, Alpha Gamma Rho, how can I help you?” Call the person they are looking for over the intercom and look for them in their room. If you don’t find them, ask to take a message and write it on the message board.
- If you double park in the parking lot (don’t make a habit of it), leave you keys in the ignition.
- Don’t park in a parking spot where there is an extension cord during the winter.
- Don’t park in front of the gateway to the back lawn.
- No horseplay with the mower.
- No unnecessary driving on the lawn.
- Don’t throw garbage in the parking lot, on the lawn, or anywhere outside; put it in a garbage can or the dumpster.
Last Updated 2004