Advice For Officers About Your Advisors

• Keep the advisor posted as to your activities — including financial, academic, and social — and ask the advisor when needed, but do not expect the advisor to become involved in the day-to-day making of decisions.

• Learn what the word "advisor" means and expect no more or no less of your advisor.

• If you don't use your advisor, it's your choice, but your advisors are here of their own volition, and it's because they want to give back a little of what they took out. Use your advisors.

• The brothers should give the advisor a chance to help them.

• Tell your advisor that you want him to attend meetings (regular and associate); an advisor's counsel can be valuable.

• Make sure they get educated about their role and develop a relationship with the Domain Director.

• Keep your advisor informed, and develop rapport with him. It is hard to offer unsolicited advice, and it is impossible to help if one is not acquainted with the fact that a problem exists.

• The advisor should be encouraged to be present occasionally for dinner, at many of the chapter meetings, at most of the executive meetings, and, above all, to know each of the brothers personally.

• Respect your advisor for the amount of time, whatever it may be, that he has to spend with Phi Tau. Appreciate the time element especially because it is one man's way of saying thanks for what Phi Tau has given him.

• Don't ever take your advisor for granted for it is the fastest way of losing him and his interest and involvement.

• Be attentive to exactly what the advisor does and doesn't do. Understand the role of your advisor to take and understand those bounds, making sure that the chapter holds up its end of the contract.

• Constantly be aware of your advisor's involvement, invite him to functions you want him to attend and don't assume he will be there, and don't assume anything else.

• Be considerate and establish ground rules for office visits, telephone calls and other communications. And, most of all, never expect your advisor to do a job someone else should be doing —it happens too often and never should.

• Find your advisor's special interests and use his talents in that field. You have many advisors with diversified interests to assure that you have someone to go to in time of need.

• Make your advisor and his family feel a part of the chapter by noting anniversaries and celebrations and making sure that the entire family is included in as many functions as possible — this simple cordial act will help make up for some of the sacrifices that the family is making to allow your advisor to spend time with you.

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