The BOG Chairman's most important job isn't running meetings — it's making sure the Chapter Advisor, Financial Advisor, House Corporation, and Executive Offices are all working from the same picture of the chapter. This guide gives you probing questions for each relationship, plus a habit for turning what you hear into action.
For: The BOG Chairman
When: Check-ins with the Chapter Advisor, BOG Financial Advisor, House Corporation, or Executive Offices — not just at the annual meeting.
Why This Matters
Most chapter problems don't start as one big failure. They start as a small gap between two people who each assumed the other had it covered. As BOG Chairman, you're the one person positioned to see across all groups — so your questions matter more than your updates.
💡 Tip — Ask these questions even when things seem fine. The most useful answers often come from people who didn't think to bring something up unprompted.
Conversations with Your Chapter Advisor
The Chapter Advisor sees the chapter's day-to-day reality — what's happening beneath the official reports.
What's the chapter struggling with right now that isn't showing up in official reports?
Where do you see BOG members and chapter officers pulling in different directions?
Is there anything the Financial Advisor or House Corporation should know that hasn't reached them yet?
Who on the executive team needs more support than they're currently getting?
Reflection: What did I learn from this conversation, and what will I do with it?
Conversations with Your Financial Advisor
The Financial Advisor sees risk before it becomes a crisis — if you ask the right way.
Are there financial red flags the chapter leadership isn't taking seriously?
Is the budget still matching what's actually happening in the chapter?
Where do you need backup from me or the Chapter Advisor to get compliance or follow-through?
Is the House Corporation aligned with the chapter on facility-related costs and timelines?
Reflection: What did I learn from this conversation, and what will I do with it?
Conversations with Your House Corporation Volunteers
House Corporation volunteers manage the property — and the chapter's relationship with it.
What's the state of the house, and does that match what the chapter believes?
Are there capital projects or repairs competing for the same dollars as chapter programming?
Where are chapter members not living up to their end of the housing agreement?
What do you need from the BOG or Chapter Advisor that you're not currently getting?
Reflection: What did I learn from this conversation, and what will I do with it?
Conversations with Executive Offices Staff
Executive Offices staff see patterns across many chapters — including ones your chapter hasn't hit yet.
From a National Executive Office view, is this chapter tracking well or is something quietly slipping?
Are there Executive Office requirements or deadlines the chapter is at risk of missing?
Is there a pattern here we're not catching locally — something Executive Office staff has seen at other chapters?
What's one thing the Executive Office wishes local volunteers understood better?
Reflection: What did I learn from this conversation, and what will I do with it?
Closing the Loop Across All Four
Individual check-ins only work if you connect the dots afterward. Before you consider a round of check-ins complete, ask yourself:
Do all four people/groups have the same understanding of the chapter's biggest current risk(s)?
Is anyone operating on outdated information the others have already moved past?
Whose job is it to close this gap — and have I actually asked them to?
⚠️ Watch out — It's tempting to treat these as separate one-off conversations. The value comes from comparing answers across all four and noticing where they don't match.
Turning Reflection into Action
A reflection question you don't act on is just a nice thought. After every check-in, work through this short list before you move on to the next task:
☐ Write down the one thing you learned that you didn't already know
☐ Decide whether it changes what any of the other three groups need to hear
☐ Name the specific person you'll follow up with, and by when
☐ Send that follow-up within 48 hours, while the context is still fresh
✅ Best practice — Keep a running note (even a simple one) of what each group told you each month. Patterns across time are often more revealing than any single conversation.
FAQ
How often should I be having these check-in conversations?
Build a light version of this into every regular touchpoint you already have with each group, rather than saving it for a single annual conversation. Monthly is a reasonable rhythm for most chapters.
What if two people give me conflicting answers about the same issue?
That conflict is exactly what this guide is designed to surface. Bring it back to both parties directly rather than deciding on your own who's right — your job is to get them talking to each other, not to referee from the middle.
Do I need to ask every question on this list every time?
No. Use the questions that fit what's actually going on, and always end with the reflection question — that's the one that turns a conversation into a decision.
What if I don't have a good answer to the reflection question?
That's a signal the conversation stayed too surface-level. Consider circling back with one specific follow-up question before you close the loop.
Questions? Contact your Chapter Services Consultant
Last reviewed: September 2026