What is a Section? 

"A Section shall be a unified geographical area within a region established to facilitate Chapter administration,, inter-Chapter conferences, leadership training, the formation of new Chapters and the utilization of National Office and National Staff services." (National Bylaws Article X Section 1)

What does a Section Chair Do? 

The role and responsibilities of a section chair are not clearly written anywhere. That is because the Section Chair plays many different roles and it varies by year and location.  For instance, a Section Chair whose closest chapter is 3 hours away is not expected to visit chapters as often.  Also each year there are different agendas set forth by the National Board and Region Staff that the chair may be involved in.  The physical location of the region director also plays a role in that a chair may be more empowered to facilitate extension if they can be more "hands on" than the Region Director.  The roles and responsibilities listed in this document are not hard and fast rules, rather they are based upon the experiences of three former Section 92 Chairs whose terms have spanned a total of 10 years.   

Informally, the Sectional Chairman is responsible for dozens of other duties necessary for the continued operation of the section, region and fraternity as a whole.  These duties, while not formally listed, are just as important as those listed below.

In short, the Sectional Chairman is the administrator of the section, the facilitator of communication, and is responsible for giving direction to the efforts of the section.  It is the most personally rewarding (and demanding!) volunteer role in the Fraternity.  As stated by former chairs, remember that there are no problems, just opportunities. 

National Responsibilities:

• Help the chapter's maintain good standing by notifying them when paperwork or fees are overdue

• Encourage chapters to apply for awards such as the H. Roe Bartle Award and awards given at National Conventions

• Educate the chapters regarding national service initiatives such as National Service Week,  

• Inform the chapters and encourage them to attend National Convention, Leadership Development Workshop (LDW), Chapter Program Workshop (CPW), and Team Development Workshop (TDW)

• Respond to the requests of alumni who wish to be involved in the section (this does not mean that they will automatically be on staff)

• Uphold the Bylaws and Standard Chapter Articles of Association of Alpha Phi Omega (including the alcohol and risk management policies)

• At some point during your term as section chair, attend the Section Resource Workshop held annually near Independence, MO

• Utilize National Office Staff

• Respond to the questions and inquiries of members of the National Board of Directors

• Attend National Convention and serve as a voting delegate

Region Staff Responsibilities

• Maintain a working relationship and establish a mutual trust with the Region Director
• Prepare a report regarding the state of the section for the Region Director before each Board of Directors Meeting
• Encourage communication between the students and staff within the region.  This means that you are expected to attend and encouraged to bring other representatives from your section to:
  • Joint Sections 88/89 Fall Conference 
  • Section 90 Conference
  • Joint Sections 88/89 Spring Conference
  • Chapter Program Workshops held within your region
  • Region I/II Conference held on years that end with an odd number (2001 in Syracuse, NY,1999 in Portland, ME)
• Attend the summer region staff planning session/staff meeting called BLAST 
• Foster communication between region program development chairs and your chapters by providing them with the necessary contact information
• Think of the Region Director's schedule when working with chapters who are hosting important events (i.e. recognize that the region director would like to attend anniversaries but can not be in two places at once)
• Update the Region II on-line calendar
• Work as a team with other members of region staff

Section Responsibilities

• Section Staff

  • Recruit and appoint members of section staff such as:
    • "Sectional Vice Chairs may be appointed by the Sectional Chair to serve concurrently wit the term of the Sectional Chair. The duties of the Sectional Vice Chairs shall be assigned by the Sectional Chair." (National Bylaws Article X, Section 2 (2)
    • Section Chapter Representatives: Appointed by Section Chair to work with at least one chapter in the section
    • Section Representatives at Large: Appointed by Section Chair to be a resource to the chapters and region staff.
  • Advertise the election of the Section 92 Council Chair ~ the undergraduate representative to section staff (with other duties too)
  • Host Section Staff Training 
  • Effectively communicate the Section Chair and Region Director's expectations of staff regarding risk management 
  • Support staff and their assessment of chapter activities
  • Use staff's experiences to help build a better section
  • Work closely with staff members who are working on extension efforts in the section
  
  Chapter Responsibilities (the hardest part to outline)
• • Ensure that a sectional conference occurs a least annually and work with the host chapter as a resource and support system
  • Establish goals for the section in accordance to the needs of the chapters, section, region and fraternity as a whole
  • Establish and maintain an active relationship with every chapter president and other chapter officers
  • Educate the student leaders in the area of risk management, anti-hazing and alcohol use
  • Foster communication between the chapters
  • Personally visit each chapter at least once each academic year
  • Notify chapters of specific programs that could benefit them
  • Communicate the concerns of the chapters to the Region Director and the National Board of Directors
  • Assist the chapters with resolutions of specific problems, as required
  • Posses an up-to-date copy of each chapter's bylaws and standing rules/chapter operations in order to assist them 
  • Encourage each chapter to set goals for themselves (for instance, encourage each chapter to have a Chapter Program Planning Conference a.k.a. a CPPC)
  • Respond to the needs of chapters by providing programming and additional resources where needed
  • Empower them to be active brothers in our national fraternity

Characteristics to look for in selecting a Sectional Chairman

• Excellent inter-personal skills
• Strong communication skills (the ability to spell is not required, but is helpful)
• Available time (between 15 to 20 hours per week for Section 92, more if there are extension efforts)
• Ability to travel (visit 2 or more chapters per week plus at least 7 conferences per school year)
• Available financial resources (around $1,000-$4,0000)
• Understanding of the section and individual chapters
• Knowledge of the fraternity's bylaws and policies
• At least 1 year of section staff experience
• Ability to lead
• Ability to direct
• Ability to coach
• Ability to establish and achieve both short term (up to 1 year) and long term (1 to 3 years)
• Good record keeping skills
• Professional demeanor and comfortable interacting with school administration
• Access to email