Treasurer's Role With The Chapter Budget

Proper financial management requires a budget setting reasonable estimates of income from dues, the chapter portion of initiation fees, and possibly from charges made for meals and lodging; and reasonable estimates of expenditures for national Fraternity dues and chapter activities, including maintenance of headquarters and possibly providing lodging and meals. The national Fraternity's portion of initiation fees, and payments for jewelry and other individual items ordered at cost through the chapter Treasurer by student members should result in equal income and expense entries and would not affect the budget balance.

Preparing an annual budget based on past chapter experience and reasonable expectations for the immediate future serves to point out to the Treasurer the necessity for balancing expenses with income [either through increasing fees and dues (and charges for lodging and meals) or through decreasing the expenses (and services provided its members)]. Great care should be taken to avoid unjustified optimism in estimating income, and ample allowance should be made for expenditures in the important areas of alumni relations, public relations, and rushing. Special assessments on members should be avoided whether for meeting general needs or for specific chapter activities. Group activities should be financed by the chapter and therefore included in regular fees and dues charged members.

In accordance with Bylaws, Chapter VII, Part B, Section 4, fraternity funds cannot be used to purchase alcohol for any Theta Tau activity.