Whether planning an event for the first time or planning an event that has been hosted many times in the past, it is important for Chapters/Associations to plan events that clearly align with Phi Sigma Pi's mission. 

Consider reevaluating the purpose of the event if it does not include activities related to at least one leg of the Tripod. Additional information about how to plan mission-aligned events can be found here.

Contracts

Before signing a contract with a third-party vendor, consider submitting the contract and all related documents to the National Office (riskmanagement@phisigmapi.org) for review.

This includes contracts signed for the following:

• Transportation services
• Rental property
• Security services 
• Food and/or alcohol service 
• Entertainment (e.g., band, DJ, performer)

Please allow up to 30 business days for the National Office to have the contract reviewed, consult legal and insurance resources and finalize a mutually agreeable contract.

Following the review of the contract, all concerns and recommended revisions to the contract will be shared with the Chapter/Association representative, who is responsible for communicating all revisions of the contract to the third-party vendor they have selected.

Evidence of Insurance

If an event requires evidence of insurance, the National Office will work with the Fraternity's insurance broker to determine what documentation should be provided. Requests for an additional insured to be added, which provides coverage via the Fraternity’s insurance policy, are subject to approval by the National Office. The current fee to process an additional insured request is $250 and must be paid directly to the insurance broker by the Chapter/Association. Requests may be submitted via this link.

NOTE: The National Office does not condone Chapters/Associations participating in events that include a vendor, rental property, animal shelter, etc. requesting to be added as an additional insured on Phi Sigma Pi’s insurance policy. The National Office will not approve any such entity being covered by the Fraternity’s insurance policy for an event hosted by a Chapter/Association or requiring their participation.

Inter-Chapter Events

Chapters and Associations hosting Inter-Chapter Events shall collect emergency contact information from all non-host attendees, via a method selected by the host Chapter or Association, no later than the beginning of the event, or at the time the attendee arrives, whichever comes later.

1. The host Chapter or Association shall maintain the emergency contact information for 24 hours past the completion of the Inter-Chapter Event. After 24 hours have passed, the host Chapter or Association shall promptly destroy the emergency contact information records, preferably by shredding the document(s), unless otherwise authorized by the attendee.
2. Initiates may only be in attendance at Inter-Chapter Events that are hosted by their Collegiate Chapter.

Sample liability waivers and emergency contact forms can be found here.

Alcohol

Phi Sigma Pi National Honor Fraternity discourages but does not prohibit, the use of alcoholic beverages at any Phi Sigma Pi sponsored event, function or meeting, with the exception of New Member and/or Initiate Events. If alcohol is present, Members must follow the proper event planning guidelines available in the National Risk Management Policy. Illicit use of controlled substances as defined by state and federal law, at any Phi Sigma Pi sponsored event, function or meeting, is prohibited. All Chapters must adhere to the Phi Sigma Pi Alcohol and Illegal Substance Policy. Additional alcohol policies and best practices can be viewed here.

A licensed third-party vendor must be used when alcohol is served during the event. 

Please allow up to 30 business days for the National Office to have the contract reviewed, consult legal and insurance resources and offer a mutually agreeable contract.

Following a review of the contract, all concerns and recommended revisions to the contract will be shared with the Chapter/Association representative, who is responsible for communicating all revisions of the contract to the third-party vendor they have selected.

NOTE: The review process must be repeated each time the Chapter/Association signs a new contract.

If there is no contract, Phi Sigma Pi's Third-Party Vendor Checklist, or one provided by the Sheltering Institution, may serve as the written agreement.

A third-party vendor must:

1. Be properly licensed by the appropriate local and state authority. This might involve both a liquor license to sell on the premises where the function is to be held.
2. Be properly insured with a minimum of $1,000,000 of general liability insurance, evidenced by a properly completed Certificate of Insurance prepared by the insurance provider. The COI must also show evidence that the vendor has, as part of their coverage, "off-premise liquor liability coverage and non-owned and hired coverage." The certificate of insurance must name as additional insured (at a minimum) the Chapter hiring the vendor, as well as Phi Sigma Pi National Honor Fraternity.
3. Agree in writing to cash sales only, collected by the vendor, during the event.
4. Assume in writing all responsibilities that any other purveyor of alcoholic beverages would assume in the normal course of business, including but not limited to:
   • Checking identification card of attendees upon entry.;
   • Not serving minors;
   • Not serving individuals who appear to be intoxicated;
   • Limiting service to beer and wine only (Hard liquor, mixed drinks and products such as Mike's Hard Lemonade, Smirnoff Ice, and the like, are not permitted.);
   • Maintaining absolute control of all alcoholic containers present;
   • Collecting all remaining alcohol at the end of a function (No excess alcohol, opened or unopened, is to be given, sold or furnished to the Chapter.);
   • Removing all alcohol from the premises.

The third-party vendor is responsible for verifying the age of all attendees served alcohol. The use of hand stamps, wristbands, etc. to identify persons of legal drinking age is required.

It is required that the Chapter/Association designate, in advance, Members who will remain sober for the duration of the event and will be responsible for contacting the appropriate authorities (e.g., security guards, police, paramedics/medical services, fire department) if the need for assistance arises. There should be no fewer than one (1) sober Member for every 10 attendees at any event where alcohol is permitted/present.

The Fraternity prohibits Designated Driver Programs hosted or operated by a Chapter/Association, and a host Chapter/Association should not be responsible for coordinating or paying for transportation for attendees via apps like Uber or Lyft.

The Chapter/Association must have procedures in place for addressing a situation in which minors are observed drinking. 

Alcohol service must conclude at least one hour before the end of the event. The host Chapter/Association is responsible for communicating this expectation with the third-party vendor ahead of time and ensuring that alcohol service ends on time.

It is required that the host Chapter/Association provide food of substantial quality at events with alcohol. Foods that are high in protein, like cheese, meats and unsalted nuts, must be made available to everyone in attendance free of charge. 

Non-alcoholic beverages, including sufficient amounts of water, must also be provided free to all attendees.

Anticipated Attendance

Regardless of who is invited to attend an event, the host Chapter/Association is responsible for ensuring that admission be controlled. Utilizing a guest list and having entrance monitors is highly recommended.

Thought should be given to the size of the event based on the venue and other considerations.It may be required that the host Chapter/Association engage a third-party security company or utilize campus or third-party venue (e.g., hotel, theater, restaurant) security services.

For events where Members are permitted to bring guests, Members are responsible for the behavior of their guests for the duration of the event.

 

Housing
Any Member who agrees to house Members of the host Chapter/Association or Members of other Chapters/Associations related to an event must complete the Volunteer Housing Statement.

Transportation

Chapters/Associations are encouraged to engage third-party transportation service providers (e.g., a bus company) for all events. If the host Chapter/Association will not be providing transportation via a third-party transportation company, attendees should be made aware of other available transportation options (e.g., shuttle bus, taxi, ride-sharing).

If a third-party transportation company will be used, the contract and all related documents can be submitted to the National Office (riskmanagement@phisigmapi.org) for review prior to signing.

Please allow up to 30 business days for the contract to be reviewed, consult with legal and insurance resources, and offer a mutually agreeable contract.

Following a review of the contract, all concerns and required revisions to the contract will be shared with the Chapter/Association representative who is responsible for sharing all required revisions of the contract to the third-party vendor they have selected.

NOTE: The review process would need to be repeated each time the Chapter/Association signs a new contract.

The Fraternity prohibits Designated Driver Programs hosted or operated by a Chapter/Association, and a host Chapter/Association should not be responsible for coordinating or paying for transportation for attendees via apps like Uber or Lyft.

Any Member who agrees to drive their own vehicle for a purpose related to the event must complete the Volunteer Driver Statement.

Property Rented, Borrowed or Used

The Chapter/Association is responsible for securing any required licenses or permits for use of the following:

• Real property (e.g., conference room, hotel, campus facilities, camp, cabin)
• Personal property (e.g., furniture, props, instruments, party equipment)

NOTE: Coverage is not provided under the Fraternity's insurance policy for property damage to the following:

• Property loaned directly to a Member;
• Property a Member owns, rents or occupies; or
• Personal property in a Member's care, custody or control.

Athletic Activities or Other Activities with the Potential for Injury

The Chapter/Association must have each participant complete a liability form with emergency contact information, in accordance with the National Risk Management Policy. The emergency contact information shall be maintained for 24 hours after the event, at which time it shall be promptly destroyed. Sample forms can be found here.

It is automatically required to have emergency services onsite for events that include any athletic activity involving an element of competition and/or time-keeping.

NOTE: There is no medical insurance coverage provided to participants of athletic events. The Chapter/Association must notify participants that they are responsible for securing and maintaining their own medical coverage.

Animals

Since animals can be unpredictable, leading to possible unexpected injury to those handling them, the National Office does not condone Chapters/Associations participating in events with animals.

A Chapter/Association that has planned an event involving animals is responsible for ensuring that both the National Fraternity and the Chapter/Association are listed as additional insureds on the insurance policy of a  partnering organization (e.g., The Humane Society). A copy of the Certificate of Insurance must be kept on file by the Chapter/Association.

NOTE: It could take up to 30 business days, or longer, for the partnering organization’s insurance broker to issue a Certificate of Insurance that complies with Phi Sigma Pi requirements. 

Alternatives to service events involving contact with animals, include, but are not limited to:

• Collecting donations of food or supplies;
• Making toys, beds or blankets for shelter animals;
• Volunteering at a shelter in areas where the animals are not (e.g., cleaning out empty pens, filling food containers, doing laundry).

Water Activities

The National Office does not condone Chapters/Associations participating in activities that take place on the water (e.g., kayaking, tubing, boating, dinner cruise, yacht).

The Fraternity's insurance broker has shared the following regarding insurance coverage for events taking place on the water:

Please be advised that the insurance underwriter has notified our office that claims resulting from activities on watercraft, including dinner cruises, will not be covered.

Special Events Coverage will need to be purchased from a separate carrier for this type of event, and the event must be alcohol-free. The carrier currently willing to provide coverage will deny an application if the event includes alcohol, even if it is served by a licensed third-party vendor. Each special events application will be considered on a case-by-case basis and coverage is not guaranteed. This coverage could also become unavailable without notice.

A Chapter/Association interested in securing a quote for Special Events Coverage should email riskmanagement@phisigmapi.org for the application. The Chapter/Association will need to request that Phi Sigma Pi National Honor Fraternity be listed as an additional insured on any Special Events policy.

Concessions

The National Office does not condone Chapters/Associations participating in concession stand fundraisers that require a contact including any of the following:

• Clauses that set high expectations of Member's knowledge of laws (e.g., requiring Members to have knowledge of how to appropriately prepare and serve food or beverages within state regulations);
• Requests to be added as additional insureds on Phi Sigma Pi’s insurance policy (the National Office will not approve any such request); 
• Indemnification, or hold harmless, clauses, which stipulate that participants/volunteers cannot pursue legal action against the organization/company as a result of injury, especially in the case of negligence on the part of the organization/company. 

Please allow up to 30 business days for the National Office to have the contract reviewed, consult legal and insurance resources and finalize a mutually agreeable contract.

Following a review of the contract through the National Office, the following steps shall be taken:

1. All concerns and required revisions to the contract will be shared with the Chapter/Association representative who is responsible for sharing all required revisions of the contract to the third-party vendor they have selected;
2. A revised contract will be submitted for final approval to the National Office.

NOTE: The review process must be repeated each time the Chapter/Association signs a new contract.

Tax Identification Number

The National Office has specific guidelines regarding the use of tax identification numbers and application of the National Fraternity’s non-profit status. Additional information relevant to this can be found here.

History of Incident

If there have ever been injuries or incidents as a result of this event when held in the past, please email riskmanagement@phisigmapi.org to arrange to discuss steps to ensure that all risk management requirements are met.

None of the Above

For all Chapter/Association events that do not meet the above criteria, the planning process should still ensure that an event:

• Has been approved by the Chapter/Association and is included on the Event Calendar;
• Adheres to the approved Chapter/Association budget;
• Aligns with policies and procedures outlined by the Chapter/Association, Fraternity and Sheltering institution, as well as the venue where the event will be held;
• Falls within the scope of the Fraternity’s insurance coverage as it extends to Chapters/Associations;
• Reflects the values of the Chapter/Association in alignment with the Fraternity’s mission.