FARMHOUSE
QUESTIONS OF THE WEEK
(From recent Inside FH newsletters)
Conclave
- "I recall reading from the Fall Board Meeting Minutes that the International Board approved two dues increase proposals, which would be forwarded on to the chapters and associations. Could you provide some detail behind the plan that's being proposed?"
- "I know we are late sending in the name of our delegates for Conclave, but could you tell me more about their responsibilities?"
- "We received something in the mail earlier this month about a proposal to change Conclave voting. Could you provide some more info about this?"
- "I've heard there's some cool stuff happening at Conclave this summer. Is there something I can pass on to my guys that will help them decide to attend?"
- "I'm serving as the Conclave delegate for our chapter and see that I've been assigned to a committee at Conclave. What's expected of me with this?
- "Did I miss something letting us know what the dress code will be at Conclave and any other final things to remember for Conclave?"
QUESTION OF THE WEEK? --- "I recall reading from the Fall Board Meeting Minutes that the International Board approved two dues increase proposals, which would be forwarded on to the chapters and associations. Could you provide some detail behind the plan that's being proposed?"
RESPONSE --- Below is the text from the white paper that was presented to each delegate at the 2004 FarmHouse Leadership Academy in January and was distributed and discussed during a Conclave Town Hall Meeting at each of the four Regional Leadership Conferences in February. The proposals and supporting materials were also mailed to Association Presidents in late February. The proposals will be forwarded to the Finance Committee at Conclave for discussion and a possible recommendation. The FarmHouse International bylaws require a majority vote for a dues increase to pass (each chapter may seat 1 voting delegate, each association may seat 1 voting delegate and each International Board member has a vote).
1. Situation: FarmHouse International Fraternity has not had a chapter dues increase since the 1994 Conclave. During the period from 1994-2002, the US Department of Education reports a 53 percent increase in tuition at colleges and universities in the United States. The International Fraternity has managed to survive without a dues increase the past 10 years due to:
· the realignment of the Foundation and the Fraternity (with the Foundation now paying 100 percent of salaries/benefits for its employees and its share of split-time employees);
· continual cutting and trimming of budgets and streamlining office operations;
· maintaining a lean staff of two full-time employees in director and field positions (a third staff member in the field was hired this past summer).
The reality is that the Fraternity staff has trimmed as much fat as possible from our operations. One basic example of how our expenses aren’t keeping up with our revenues is looking at health insurance costs. The cost of premiums for our staff have seen double-digit percentage increases each of the past seven years – with premiums for FarmHouse increasing 154 percent in the past eight years alone. Not to mention standard cost of living increases we try to provide as an employer.
The 2002 Conclave unanimously approved action recommending the 2004 Conclave pass a dues increase. The question was not whether, but how much of a dues increase is needed and what it will look like.
2. History/Background: Following multiple successive biennial dues increases prior to the 1996 Conclave, the FarmHouse International Board determined that we must temporarily halt further dues increases and focus on growth as our primary means of revenue increases. As of the 1996 Conclave, FarmHouse had the highest 4-year chapter dues/initiation fee rates of any men’s fraternity (we’re moving more towards the middle of the pack now).
The 1997 decision to separate the Foundation and Fraternity staff and the gradual efforts by the Foundation to begin to cover its employees’ salaries and benefits helped the Fraternity offset its increasing operating costs.
The Fraternity’s ability to develop and fund desired new programs, modernize its technologies and achieve the kind of membership growth we desire has been difficult the past 10 years with a limited Fraternity staff and no increase in dues.
During a strategic planning retreat in April 2002, it became painfully clear that in order for the Fraternity to begin to achieve the vision that was being created, a significant increase in revenues was needed. However, the FarmHouse International bylaws requires that any chapter dues increase be proposed at least four months in advance of a Conclave. Thus, the recommendation from the 2002 Conclave to the 2004 Conclave.
3. Proposal #1: The International Board proposes to the 2004 Conclave a 2-year incremental dues increase that will raise international chapter dues from $170 to $200 per year (semesterly dues would increase from $85 per semester to $92.50 per semester for the 2004-05 school year and $100 per semester for the 2005-06 school year).
4. Proposal #2: The International Board additionally proposes to the 2004 Conclave that beginning in Fall 2006, chapters be assessed international dues of a $6,000 flat fee per chapter for international dues or $200 per man (whichever is greater).
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QUESTION OF THE WEEK? --- "I know we are late sending in the name of our delegates for Conclave, but could you tell me more about their responsibilities?"
RESPONSE --- The deadline for chapter delegates was April 15, so we need that information from any chapter/association that hasn't sent it in as soon as possible. The role of a chapter delegate will be to act as the voice of the chapter during the Conclave committee meetings and business meetings.
Each chapter delegate will be assigned to one of the seven Conclave committees - Bylaws and Ritual Review, Finance, Programming, Membership Growth, Chapter Health and Enhancement, Resolutions and Credentials.
The official voting delegate from each chapter and official delegate from each association will need to be ready for committee meetings starting at 1 pm on Thursday, August 12th. Conclave will kick off Thursday morning with a keynote leadership program and training for Board Members, volunteers, advisors and association leaders (more details coming soon on this). We'd recommend you consider arriving into Des Moines (Downtown Des Moines Marriott is host hotel) some time Wednesday, Aug. 11th, so you won't miss anything. Depart no earlier than noon on Sunday, Aug. 15th (the Ruby Cup, Outstanding Association Award, several Master Builder speeches and retiring Board addresses will take place at the Closing Brunch on Sunday).
Among the legislation that delegates will be discussing and debating - two proposed chapter dues increases, a proposed association dues increase and a number of proposed bylaw changes. More details on the bylaw changes that have been proposed will be sent to chapters and associations by May 1st.
Official Voting Delegates will receive notebooks by mid-July with the proposals before Conclave, information about candidates for the International Board and committee assignments.
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QUESTION OF THE WEEK? --- "We received something in the mail earlier this month about a proposal to change Conclave voting. Could you provide some more info about this?"
RESPONSE -- Delegates at the 1996 Conclave passed a proposal that would change the voting structure at Conclave to give more votes to chapters with larger membership (essentially moving FarmHouse from a US Senate style of governance to a US House of Representatives style of governance). However, the proposed bylaw change failed in the ratification process as less than 2/3 of the chapters ratified the change to the bylaws that fall. The proposal was discussed further at the 1998 Conclave, but no action was taken by delegates.
At its Spring 2004 meeting, the FarmHouse International Board decided to forward a modified version of the '96 Conclave proposal on to the 2004 Conclave for consideration. If the proposal passes and is ratified afterwards by 2/3 of the chapters and 2/3 of the associations, this change would not come into effect until the 2006 Conclave.
In forwarding the proposal to the '04 Conclave, the Board sees an opportunity to expand the number of Conclave voting delegates from 68 to approximately 118, while at the same time reducing the power that the International Board has at Conclave from 14.7 percent of the votes to 8.5 percent of the votes. The Board also sees this as an opportunity to provide our chapters (customers) that provide the majority of our operating revenue with more of a say.
Below is the change that's proposed:
Article VIII, Section 2
It has been proposed to amend this article and section as follows:
The official body of the Biennial Conclave shall consist of the members of the International Executive Board and representation from each chapter and association based on the size of each chapter’s undergraduate membership (actives, pledges and hold-overs) as determined by the average of the most recent Fall and Spring Term Reports for your chapter on file with the International Office prior to each Conclave on the basis of the following formula:
0 – 29 men = 1 chapter vote, 1 association vote
30 – 59 men = 2 chapter votes, 2 association votes
60 - 89 men = 3 chapter votes, 3 association votes
90+ men = 4 chapter votes, 4 association votes
An undergraduate chapter member must be present to cast each chapter vote. Each association will have the same number of votes as their respective chapter and an alumnus, associate or honorary member must be present to cast each vote.
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QUESTION OF THE WEEK? --- "I've heard there's some cool stuff happening at Conclave this summer. Is there something I can pass on to my guys that will help them decide to attend?"
RESPONSE -- We understand that several chapters are planning to send a huge group of guys to Conclave. The host Iowa State Chapter has made a commitment to have its entire chapter in attendance, Kentucky has at least 33 guys signed up at this point and others are planning on bringing a big group of guys to attend.
We'd suggest you forward the Conclave '04 link to your brothers at http://www.FarmHouse.org and have them take a look at the updated schedule, activities, links to activities, events, speakers, entertainers, etc. The main page contains a great deal of information about the many fun activities being planned.
We like to think of Conclave as not only our biennial business meetings of the Fraternity, but also a celebration that brings us back to the basics:
PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT: 3-on-3 basketball tournament; Conclave golf tournament; and Conclave Olympics (tug and more).
INTELLECTUAL DEVELOPMENT: 7 Habits of Highly Effective People leadership program; values-based leadership program by one of the most sought after speakers in the US and Canada, Will Keim, and FarmHouse alumnus and top presenter Rick Barnes; roundtable chapter issues discussions
SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT: Top Hypnotist Dr. Jim Wand, who has hypnotized more than a million people; Iowa Cubs game or ticket to the 150th Iowa State Fair (the largest state fair in the US); Chapter Mocktail Contest (you'll create your chapter's own unique non-alcoholic drink); tours of Iowa State and FarmHouse Chapter House; visiting with brothers throughout at meals, events, workshops and meetings; and interaction with the ladies of Ceres.
MORAL DEVELOPMENT: A workshop on sex, marriage and relationships is being organized plus sessions on career development, interviewing and career etiquette.
SPIRITUAL DEVELOPMENT: Vespers prayer service, spiritual development roundtable; spiritual devotion
It'll be a great opportunity to meet guys from other chapters, pick up new ideas and be recognized for your outstanding work (Ruby Cup and other awards presented on Sunday). Make sure your brothers get registered by July 1st to save $40.
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QUESTION OF THE WEEK? --- "I'm serving as the Conclave delegate for our chapter and see that I've been assigned to a committee at Conclave. What's expected of me with this?"
RESPONSE -- Conclave voting delegates (1 per chapter, 1 per association, each International Board member) will begin their work at Conclave during the committee meetings from 2-5 pm on Thursday, Aug. 12th (credentials committee will begin at 1 pm). Delegates should review the Official Conclave Delegate Notebook that was mailed to you on July 1st. Please be sure to bring the notebook with you to Conclave.
Delegates should thoroughly review the items before the committee that you've been assigned, and jot down notes for what your chapter or association's position might be on them. Feel free to draft alternative proposals to those that have been forwarded as your committee begins to discuss and debate the legislation that has been proposed. Delegates will also want to be review and be familiar with the legislation other committees will be discussing.
It's very important that Conclave voting delegates be in your committee meetings by 2 pm on Thursday. You should have plenty of time to get back from the golf course, 3-on-3 basketball tournament or Living History Farm and get changed before the committee meetings begin.
During the committee meetings, delegates will be discussing and considering the proposals before the committee. Ultimately, each committee will report back to Conclave with its recommendations. The committee may vote on whether to forward proposals with the committee's recommendation, may forward proposals on without a recommendation or may vote against forwarding proposals on to the floor of Conclave. In that case, proposals that weren't brought forward by the committee may be proposed during new business by any voting delegate.
We anticipate four key issues being heavily debated and discussed at Conclave. Recognizing that a variety of opinions and viewpoints exist regarding these issues, International Board Dwight Raab has set aside time immediately following the Opening Business Meeting on Friday morning for Focus Group discussions on these four key topics (more key issues/proposals may emerge after the committees meet). This open forum discussion will enable each chapter and association to get its voice heard on the topics/proposals that it feels most passionate about. Delegates and other chapter/association members who are not voting delegates will get a chance to join in and discuss the merits of the issues during these free-flowing open forums (we anticipate 2 tables per issue - with the Chair and Vice Chair of each of the related committees serving as moderator of discussion). We expect further recommendations may possibly come from these discussions.
The four issues we anticipate being the focus of these Focus Group discussions include:
1) Dues Proposal #2 (which would set an annual base dues rate of at least $6,000 per chapter or $200 per man in dues, beginning in Fall 2006) - moderators to be the chair and vice chair of the Finance Committee;
2) Bylaw change that would change the way voting is done at Conclave (providing chapters/associations with more members more votes at Conclave) - a similar proposal passed at Conclave in 1996, but failed in the ratification process - moderators to be the chair and vice chair of the Bylaw and Ritual Review Committee;
3) Chapter Award of Excellence and Chapter Excellence Challenge (program was revamped in 2003-04 - putting more emphasis on scholarship and membership numbers, resulting in 7 chapters being placed on Chapter Excellence Challenge program) - moderators to be the chair and vice chair of the Chapter Health/Enhancement Committee;
4) NIC Standards requirements (including reducing all new member education programs to no more than 12 weeks) - moderators to be the chair and vice chair of the Programming Committee.
We'll be prepping the moderators in the next few weeks on how we envision this free-flowing discussion working. The moderators will be asked to present recommendations and/or feedback from the discussions back to delegates at the closing business meeting.
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QUESTION OF THE WEEK? --- "Did I miss something letting us know what the dress code will be at Conclave and any other final things to remember for Conclave?"
RESPONSE -- We sent a postcard mailing earlier this week to everyone who is registered to attend Conclave next month (Aug. 11-15) in Des Moines. All attendees should receive it by early next week.
With less than 2 weeks until the 43rd Biennial FarmHouse Conclave, here are some helpful notes:
1. What to wear:
* Pizza reception (Wed.), committee meetings (Thurs.), Fri. AM meetings, Fri. luncheon & IA State outing - neat casual (shorts, button-up polo shirt OK)
* Opening Banquet (Thurs) & Alumni Dinner Program (Sat) - coat & tie for men
* Saturday sessions and Sunday closing awards banquet - slacks/khaki pants with collared shirt
2. Don't forget about the Alcohol-Free Housing Policy at FarmHouse Conferences. No alcohol allowed in hotel rooms, parking lot, pool, etc. Please don't bring alcohol with you - violators sent home w/o refund.
3. Downtown hotel parking is $14 per day. Complimentary shuttle available from airport to hotel.
4. Registration begins at 6 pm on Wednesday night. We'll have a pizza reception from 6-9 pm. You can also register from 1-5 pm on Thursday. We'll be accepting 3-on-3 BB teams until 9 pm on Wed. night.
5. Voting Delegates - committee meetings begin at 2 pm Thurs. (credentials at 1 pm). Bring your Delegate Notebooks. All dues, fees and bills with FarmHouse International must be paid in full to be able to seat a voting delegate at business meetings. We will be able to accept check or credit card payments if needed.
6. Foundation Speech Contest - Winner gets $500. Call Allison at (800) 722-1905 to get registered today.
7. Bring copies of your recruitment booklets and materials to display so other chapters can learn from you. Bring your Chapter Scrapbook for that contest. And also bring your resumes for visits with alums on Sat.
8. Don't forget to bring along extra FarmHouse t-shirts from your chapter for our T-shirt Exchange on Thursday night after the Conclave Opening Banquet.
9. Remember to bring an item or two from your chapter and/or from individual alums or members to donate in the Conclave Benefit Auction on Friday night. Proceeds go to help with keeping the costs down for Conclave by sponsoring educational portions of Conclave.
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