Physical Facilities/Programs

• Establish a tentative date and location for the chapter installation and induction ceremony. By coordinating with the institution’s president, dean, and other appropriate administrative heads, attempt to establish a date allowing their attendance and participation.
• Notify the Central Office of the tentative installation date. The Central Office will then apply to the IRS for the chapter’s employer identification number (EIN). This EIN will be needed by the chapter to establish a bank account. The Central Office will also work with the chapter to identify an installing officer. According to date of the ceremony and location/availability of possible installing officers, the Central Office will coordinate for an on-site installing officer or as an alternative, a conference call to install the chapter and induct the chapter officers prior to the official ceremony. Assistance by the chapter in covering financial expenditures of the installing officer is encouraged.
• Develop a specific timeline for activities necessary to establish your chapter. Allow those invited to membership an appropriate time period to accept their invitation (7-10 days) while allowing sufficient time (2-3 weeks) for the Central Office to process and ship your order (i.e. certificates, membership insignia, charter and banner).
• Confirm details for the ceremony as appropriate for your chapter (i.e. date, location, time, speaker, program agenda, photographer, certificates, and insignia ordered, publicity, refreshments, decorations, honorary members and/or friends and family of the inductees invited). Induction into Sigma Beta Delta is not a secret. Members should be encouraged to invite their friends and family to the ceremony. We encourage you to have a videographer at the ceremony to film the event. The Central Office would appreciate a file copy of the video and photo for possible use in promotional efforts.
• Confirm institution president’s or other campus dignitary’s availability for the ceremony and his/her participation (i.e. charter membership and providing the institutional response).
• Confirm arrangements for other appropriate campus and off-campus dignitaries (program participation, transportation, lodging, meal arrangements, etc.).
• Confirm program participants and assign duties.

Publicity

• Schedule professional/campus photographer and videographer and provide with list of photos needed (i.e. group photo, presentation of charter, installing officer with officers and with president of institution, speaker with officers, honorary members, special inductees); appropriate lighting and backgrounds selected.
• Arrange pre-event publicity and event coverage (i.e. campus, student and faculty newspapers, community newspapers, other media as available).

Printed Materials

• Following your deadline for invitation acceptance, send completed order form(s) to the Central Office by email, mail or fax. Certificates of membership will be printed as shown on the chapter’s official order form. Make sure spellings are accurate. Lapel pin insignia will be provided to each new member as part of the membership fee. A window envelope appropriate for presentation of the certificate will also be provided for each certificate ordered.
• The Central Office will provide to the chapter prior to the installation date and at no charge program covers (sample included) for the chapter’s ceremony. Upon receipt, the chapter should print local program information on the inside or on an insert (i.e. program agenda, names of inductees and program participants, date and location).
• Obtain completed personal data cards from each new member. Chapters send the white copy to the Central Office and file the green copy. The information from these cards is included in a permanent database of Sigma Beta Delta membership. Chapters are required to file personal data cards for each new member so we suggest that the local chapter require the completed card be turned in with the membership fee as part of the acceptance of membership.

Final Preparations

• Proof membership certificates for accuracy and place in presentation envelopes. Verify that membership insignia (and honor cords if applicable) are ready for distribution.
• Verify receipt of chapter’s charter and the Sigma Beta Delta banner, which are provided to the chapter. The charter is to be presented by the installing officer. The Sigma Beta Delta banner should also be displayed during the ceremony.
• Confirm that program arrangements are in place.

Sample Installation/Induction Ceremony

 (List Chapter Officers here)