The following changes to our governing documents were adopted by the National Assembly (the bullet points below are summaries of the effect of each change; the specific language will be provided in official proceedings):

• Attendance and financial obligations are restricted to collegiate members while the other responsibilities of membership apply to all members. (NC, II, 11)
• Chapters must be registered as an official organization on their campus. (NC, XI, 10)
• Vacating a suspended member.s office is mandatory. (NC, II, 10)
• A chapter is not required to pay per capita tax for a member who fails to remit per capita tax to the chapter. (NC, XII, 6)
• Chapters are placed on suspension when, after sufficient notice, they remain financially delinquent due to bounced checks, unpaid convocations tax and other such obligations. (NC, XVI, 2)
• The maximum period of suspension for a chapter does not include days occurring during summers, academic breaks, and periods of closure of the sheltering institution. (NC, XIV, 2)
• The list of topics for province workshops is no longer mandatory. (NC, XIX, 3)
• The National Constitution explicitly states the authority under which membership is restricted to males. (NC, II, 2)
• The NEC is permitted to transact business via conference call. (NC, IV, 12)
• The National Constitution explicitly states which national officers are elected by the national assembly. (NC, XVII, 3)
• The constitutional reference to the Sinfonia Foundation is eliminated. (NC, old XXII)
• The policy prohibiting PMs and non-Sinfonians from wearing the Greek letters and coat-of-arms is stated in the National Constitution. (NC, XX, 4)
• A member placed on suspension by the COS is exempt from paying per capita tax during the period of suspension. (NC, XV, 2) NOTE: This does not apply to members suspended by the chapter for non-payment of per capita tax or any other reason.
• The appointment date for Province Governors is changed from June 1 to September 1. (NC, IX, 1)
• Province Governors are required to visit each Fraternity entity within their province once each triennium. (NC, IX, 4)
• A CPRs duty to file chapter visit reports and semi-annual reports is mandatory. (NC, X, 3)
• The role of Province Alumni Coordinators is formally acknowledged in the National Constitution. (NC, new X)
• The initiation fee is raised from $117 to $120. (GR, IV, 2)
• Per capita tax is raised from $120 to $126 annually. (GR, VIII, 1)
• The office of alumni secretary is renamed .Alumni Relations Officer.. (NC, XII, 4)
• Beginning in the 2007-08 academic year, the national fraternity will pay round-trip mileage for two vehicles from each chapter to the province Workshop. (NC, XIX, 3)
• The responsibilities of membership include the minimum academic standards required to remain in good academic standing with the sheltering institution. (NC, II, 11)
• Alumni Associations now pay a flat administrative fee rather than dues. (NC, XIII, 6)
• An alumnus.s opportunity to purchase an annual subscription to The Sinfonian is stated in the National Constitution. (NC, XXI, 1)
• The date for prior notice of anticipated amendments to the governing documents is changed from .at least two months. to March 1 preceding the National Convention. (NC, XXV, 1)
• The article regarding dissolution of the Fraternity is amended so that assets of the Fraternity are not automatically given to the State of New York. (NC, XXIV)
• Persons not affiliated with the sheltering institution may only be initiated by chapters with Province Governor approval, and only two per year are allowed. (NC, II, 2; GR, I, 4)

The following resolutions were adopted by the National Assembly:

Article I. Vision for Alumni Affairs.
That we envision a Fraternity that fosters ongoing relationships through an environment that invites, supports, and presupposes post-collegiate involvement and interaction on local, regional, and national levels.

Article II. Strategic Priorities for Alumni Affairs.
Section 1. That consideration of alumni affairs be integrated into all relevant aspects of the Fraternity.s consciousness.
Section 2. That our membership be educated on the value and opportunity of the post-collegiate experience.
Section 3. That an infrastructure be developed that supports post-collegiate participation.
Section 4. That our alumni be reconnected to the Fraternity through regular communication.
Section 5. That post-collegiate manpower be better utilized to enable the Fraternity to more completely carry out its mission.

• Ritual Revision

Whereas, John Mongiovi, Mark Lichtenberg and Ryan Ripperton have collaborated on a proposed extensive revision of the Initiation Ritual to restore portions of spoken text that were altered or removed in revisions after 1947 and clarify staging direction that has been commonly acknowledged as inadequate or unclear; and

Whereas, The authors of the revision wish for every chapter to have an opportunity to hear rationale and express their opinions prior to submission to the 2009 National Assembly; therefore

Be it resolved by the National Assembly of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia Fraternity of America:

That each Province Governor agrees to dedicate one workshop during the 2006-2009 triennium primarily to the revision so as to allow one of the authors to present the revision, answer questions, and receive input;

That the scheduling of such workshops within the triennium will be undertaken in accordance with the travel plan developed by the authors.

• Opposition to Hazing

Whereas, Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia was founded for the development of fraternal spirit and mutual welfare, and it achieves that mission by developing manly musicians and musicianly men of moral character and social responsibility; and

Whereas, Hazing constitutes intentional acts which demean and abuse an individual physically, mentally, morally and spiritually, and which endanger the victim.s psychological wellbeing and physical health to the point of injury or even death; and

Whereas, Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia recognizes that hazing is contrary to the noble ideals and philosophy of our brotherhood and violates the human rights of victims, the Golden Rule and criminal statutes in almost every state; and

Whereas, Hazing drains the financial and labor resources of the Fraternity, its staff and its volunteer officers, negatively affecting the Fraternity's ability to provide valuable programs and services to its members; and

Whereas, Incidents of hazing defile the public image of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia and all fraternal organizations; therefore,

Be it resolved by the National Assembly of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia Fraternity of America:

That the Fraternity commits itself to the total eradication of hazing within its chapters and enacts a strict policy of opposition, and in doing so, the Fraternity commits to act in opposition to those who would perpetuate, enable, or tolerate hazing within its ranks;

That the Fraternity commits to foster personal responsibility and overcome this scourge by producing educational programs and communications that will shed Light upon the unenlightened;

That the Fraternity vows to strictly discipline brothers engaging in hazing activities through enforcement of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia.s risk management policies; and

That Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia commits to join in the efforts of other organizations to eliminate the abhorrent practice of hazing in its many forms.

• Impact of Risk Management Investigations

Whereas, The 2006 National Assembly recognizes the increasing financial burden on the Fraternity as a result of a growing number of risk management investigations; and

Whereas, Communicating information regarding the financial impact of risk management investigations to chapters may be a deterrent to activities which may violate the Fraternity's risk management policies; therefore,

Be it resolved by the National Assembly of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia Fraternity of America:

That the national staff include an article in The Red & Black regarding the financial impact of risk management investigations, in accordance with the overall risk management strategy of the Fraternity; and

That each issue of The Red & Black shall report the number of risk management initial investigations, the number of on-site investigations, the average cost of on-site investigations, and the percentage of these average costs relative to the budget.

The following questions were referred to the National Executive Committee without further directions by the National Assembly:

• Whether membership pins should be entrusted to members only on the basis of life leasehold rather than personal ownership in order to encourage their return or proper disposal upon a member's death.
• Whether ritual books should be entrusted to members only on the basis of life leasehold rather than personal ownership in order to encourage their return or proper disposal upon a member's death.

Changes to the governing documents which addressed the following questions were considered and defeated by the National Assembly:

• Whether authority to commit the Fraternity to contractual obligations should be limited to the National President or his designate.
• Whether the term 'candidate' should replace the term 'probationary member'.
• Whether the National Legislative Committee should establish all Fraternity legislative dockets and should have a specifically determined membership.

Changes to the governing documents which addressed the following question were postponed indefinitely by the National Assembly:

• Whether province governors' terms should be shortened to one year, subject to annual reappointment.