Tau Beta Pi

The Engineering Honor Society

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Collecting the Initiation Fees

Initiates pay initiation fees to their chapter prior to being initiated. Some chapters prefer collecting these fees days or weeks in advance to get the initiates to commit to attending the initiation ceremony. Others simply require payment by the time of the ceremony.

The base initiation fee is currently $60 that must be collected and sent to HQ, however most chapters raise the fee above this to pay for chapter expenses. Some chapters have their fees paid for by their university.

Fees may be collected in any manner that works for the chapter. If it's convenient, a chapter may have initiates pay TBP directly through the TBP store. for options and details.

View the breakdown of initiation fees, billing, payments, and options for students who cannot afford the fees.

Preparing the Initiation Ceremony

  • Your chapter should have some container with all the items necessary for an initiation ceremony. Ensure that the script is complete and up to date and that all supplies are present and functional. If you have any issues or questions regarding the ritual, contact the .
  • Ensure enough officers/members/advisors can attend in order to successfully run the ceremony. We recommend 6 at minimum to cover the speaking roles, although it can be done with fewer by having a member(s) cover more than one speaking role. Additional volunteers can ensure the ceremony runs smoothly.
  • Ensure that you have an appropriate room reserved for enough time to set up and conduct the ceremony, as well as to clean up after the ceremony is completed. Ideally, this room will have no windows so that it may be dimly lit.
  • If possible, set aside enough time in advance to allow a rehearsal of the ceremony. With no problems and with a small-to-medium initiation size, the ceremony takes place in about 45 minutes or less.
  • Ensure that you have obtained approval from HQ to hold your ceremony.
  • Encourage chapter members, Advisors, District Directors, and other esteemed members to attend.
  • Non-members are not allowed to attend the ceremony. Consider a special program for non-member guests, concurrent with the ceremony, in a location near the initiation room. The most common example is to give a presentation on TBP so that they may understand what the initiation ceremony means for their friends/family.
  • Most chapters hold an initiation banquet or reception immediately following the ceremony to celebrate the new members' induction and also to start engaging them as members. For chapters who struggle to get officer positions filled, we highly recommend holding an officer election during the banquet.
  • In an event of an emergency such as a natural disaster, property damage, disease outbreak, etc., chapters can appeal to HQ and request an online initiation. If there is not an Association wide availability of online initiations, like there was for the 2020-21 academic school year during the COVID-19 pandemic, then please contact chapters@tbp.com to discuss preparations for an online initiation if it is needed at your chapter for a specific semester.

After the Initiation Ceremony

Chapter Records

Make sure all new members have been added to your chapter records, especially the email list so that they will receive all emails meant for the full chapter.

Final Action Report

The Final Action Report is very straightforward and is basically an extension of the Election Report. It's found on the online reports system under Membership Reports. Unless there are special circumstances, you just need to open the report and indicate which of your electees ended up getting initiated. If any chose not to join, you can indicate that they chose to reject their election. If you have any initiates who couldn't attend your ceremony but would still like to join, see the last section of this page.

Initiation Fees

Initiation Fees (currently $60 per initiate, including undergraduates, graduates, alumni, and eminent engineer initiates) must be received by HQ within two weeks of the ceremony. Make sure you start working this as soon as possible after the ceremony so that you can make sure they're received in time.

Two ways to pay the fees:

  1. You can send a check to Tau Beta Pi at PO Box 2697, Knoxville, TN 37901-2697. In the memo for the check, please put your chapter name (NM A, AZ G, TX Q, etc.) and "initiation fees" so that they know exactly what the money is for.
  2. You can call HQ at 865-546-4578 and pay by credit card over the phone.

If you need an invoice for the initiation fees, you can find an invoice on the online reports system under "Chapter Info". They'll only appear once you've completed and submitted the Final Action Report.

If you have any other questions on finances, you can contact HQ at .

Important note: Some chapters have the school pay for the fees, and this often takes a lot of time and effort to get them to send it. If you need more time to get the initiation fees, make sure you ask HQ for an extension before the deadline!

Rollback Signatures

At the end of the initiation ceremony, you should have initiates sign and print their name in the rollbook for the chapter. If they didn't print their names, be sure to print their names for them next to each signature. Make a scanned copy of the page(s) of the rollbook with their signatures. On the Final Action Menu (under Membership Reports on the online reports system), click the "Upload Roll Book Signatures" button to upload the scan.

Certificates, Keys, and Cards

Unless you've submitted the election report far in advance of the ceremony, it's likely that the keys did not arrive in time for the ceremony, and potentially neither the certificates and cards, either. In these cases, first log in to the online reports system, open the Final Action menu (under Membership Reports), and click on "Process stats". Here you'll be able to see if the order for everything has been placed.

If not, check whether all the Catalog Cards were submitted as well as the Key & Certificate Delivery Instructions. If they haven't been, then make sure they get finished. One tip - if going into the Initiation Ceremony you still have initiates who need to fill out their catalog cards, bring a laptop to the ceremony so that they can fill them out when they get there. If everything is completed, then if the certificates and such can be sent.

For Electees Unable to Attend the Ceremony

If you have initiates who can't attend the ceremony, you have a few options:

  • You can postpone their initiation to the next term. All you have to do is mark them as "postponed" on the Final Action report and put the tentative date for the next semester's ceremony. Postponed electees from one semester must be listed on the Report of Election the following semester even if they are not listed on the Report of Eligibility due to falling outside the academic requirements in the following semester. These eligible candidates may be initiated at the next regular election without re-election. Postponed electees who do not appear on the list of eligible students must have been approved by the chapter's Advisory Board the prior semester before HQ adds them to the Report of Election.
  • If there's a chapter nearby who hasn't held their ceremony yet, you might be able to send your initiate to their ceremony. Check with them that it's okay, then to ask for permission. Note that it's much easier if you can send an officer or advisor as well to their initiation who can take the rollbook with them. Otherwise there is additional paperwork required.
  • If you want to initiate an online student who doesn't live in the area, find out what chapters are nearby them and start figuring out if they'd be able to attend their ceremony. If you think it's possible, to ask for permission before setting it in stone. There is additional paperwork required, and you'll also need to get approval from the chapter whose initiation you want to send your initiate to.
  • One other option is that you can for approval to hold a second, smaller ceremony just for the initiate(s) who can't make the main ceremony.

If you do any of the bottom three of these options, you will need to ask HQ how they want you to deal with the Final Action Report. You may also need to ask for an extension on the Final Action Report, Rollbook Signatures, and Initiation Fees.