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As usual, I find my self admiring 33Girl's idealism (I always think she should have been with us in the 60's), but in just a slight disagreement.
To my way of thinking there IS an overall problem with Nationals who are losing chapters -- and for many of the reasons 33 identifies. However, I think that a larger reason for that national malaise (geez, I wonder if that spelling is even close -- let's say sickness) is that our stately old organizations have allowed the problems to grow and fester without taking the tough action of closing some of the storied old chapters that have become dead wood. I know it was true of Delt for years. Now that we're taking a more proactive approach to cleaning up chapters, our number of charters is down somewhat, but our number of undergraduate members is up! Less chapters but more members is not necessarily a bad thing. I think that by being more selective and colonizing smaller schools with higher academic standards, we're finding men of higher quality, intelligence and moral values. And that, I think, will serve us well over the long haul. As for the alumni of the closed chapters, some will be bitterly dissapointed, but most will understand that, like a cancer, those groups who can't seem to bring themselves to obey the law and fraternity rules are a huge problem to the overall health of the fraternity and must be excized -- cut away. I can tell you for certain that the loudest voices for NOT recolonizing some of our biggest and oldest chapters are the alumni who have been burned and spurned by their chapters closing/failing over and over again. It could be argued that the selection of new members in those recolonizations brought in the wrong people. I think it's more likely, though, that the "bad apples" came six or eight pledge classes after recolonization -- after the recolonizers and their higher ideals have moved on. I would be interested in knowing whether any of the large fraternities -- say Delta Tau Delta's size and up (we have about 120 chapters and colonies at this point) are growing number of chapter-wise. I hate to admit it, but I'm beginning to think that my older and wiser alumni brothers who have advocated this movement into smaller schools may be right. Finally, while losing your chapter can be traumatic to the undergraduate brothers, for the most part they aren't expelled from the Fraternity, but may be put on immediate alumni status. And, of course, sometimes that core group of good Delts becomes the nucleous of recolonizations. These decisions are very hard -- but have to be made for the greater good of the order. |
When I was in school in the early/mid 90's there were 2 sororities on campus that were struggling. Their reputation around campus was pretty bad, their numbers very low. One of the chapters had another chapter come in to help out during rush-this did not work. Then they attempted to re-colonize a year after they had their present members go alum-this did not work. Unfortunately, what they needed to do was close down for 4-5 years or permanantely. Maybe it depends on the school you go to but once you have a bad rep/very low numbers (I am talking a chapter of 30-40 members when house total is at 140) at A&M all the alum support in the world will not help (though it may be different now). It was better to close and re-colonize later or just close permanately. The other chapter I mentioned also closed as they could not increase numbers either in spite of much effort.
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And NEVER pass up the opportunity to use the word "malaise." (That was a Jimmy Carter-ism, wasn't it?) |
I know that Phi Sigma Sigma will do ANYTHING within their power to not close a chapter, we were told that by out national personell. Which is great, so if a chapter needed help, C.O. is there to help a.s.a.p.! Which is one of the wonderful reasons that I would LOVE to become a national officer... their jobs are awesome!
We also have been opening chapters at schools that previously had them, we just opened Pi at Syracuse again! Their chapter is awesome! Well... Greek Love- Alison |
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comment on Beta message. Beta Theta Pi is a classy outfit, not a big one, but a good one. I find most fraternities, at least the biggies, have indeed shucked a lot of chapters, especially in the NE where they march to their own drummers and where we shoulda never gone to begin with. With 40 years on TKE expansion/extension, I find that at least 75% of new charters issued are reactivations, i.e. orphan alumni want their old chapters returned. Besides, fewer new schools opening, and many of them are not suited for Greeks. Even Harvard has come around saying they have tried everything and the Greeks seem to be the best system. Perphaps the Ivies and the four-eyed cretins at Berkeley and U of Chicago will come around. A reactivated chapter is a labor of love, and Beta, power to you! Erik P Conard, TKE |
It is getting late and I have reread this post 6 times and want to really be sharp when I post my true feelings on this post!
We all have a lot to learn from this thread and could all learn many things! 2 I hope it grows to something fruitful for us all! You grow or you wither and die!:( E C let me know what you think!:D |
runnin' in circles aren't we?
First, though, while I thought it was only TKE chapters who consistently said "Nationals." What is "Nationals" Why the plural...it used to be common to say "National" no 's'. But then
we marched into Canada and this was a slap in the face to our Canadian brothers. What is wrong with "Central Office," or simply "Headquarters," or finally, "International?" Second, it is not a sin to be a small chapter but it is a sin to remain one. You can love 80 brothers as well as 20 and you can pay your bills, too. And buy toys, and have a comfortable house or quarters. Listen up to what the alums may be saying... Sororities have pretty much always liked to have rules, standards committees, etc. Of late chapters have gone over the 120 mark some places. Some at Colorado U have over 50% of their girls on inactive status and still have over a hundred. When the organization pulls a charter of 60 girls, then something is wrong. And, yes, some would rather die than join ____, but go a couple of hundred miles away and you find that ____ is a top group. Third, small campuses do not NECESSARILY make the greatest places to charter. Look at Tarkio, Milton, Alliance, Parsons, etc....all had NIC fraternities....schools closed. Finally, don't get too excited about Belmont Abbey, Delts. You have merely replaced a TKE chapter which used to be there. If you have free enterprise, open rush, ban quotas, then you will thrive. The more rules, the more dead chapters. Orphaned alumni are no good to any of us Finally, if you are so hell-bent saying you have brotherhood, that you are so damned selective...GREAT...'cause soon you will be the largest on campus as everyone will want to join you.... Happy new year. Erik Conard, Denver, CO TKE '60 |
Erik,
Delt does use the term Central Office, but many chapters still use the term Nationals (although the Fraternity officially discourages it). I don't know where or how long ago it started or why the "s" on the end. It just is. As for Belmont Abbey, I hope our new colony thrives there, but I don't think any organization "replaces" any other one in this context. What we have is an interest group and apparantely enough local alumni support to launch a new colony. My only point is that we seem to be having good luck at smaller schools. Fraternally, DeltAlum Your Mile High Neighbor Aurora |
We had always been one of the smaller chapters on campus where total is 85 and we had 45 to 50 members. About four years ago, my chapter's numbers became dangerously low. I had been an alumna for a while at this point so I didn't know about this problem until it had been resolved. There were about a dozen active sisters, and they wound up with almost fifty pledges! I'm not exactly sure how they did it, but they have been thriving ever since. :D
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I have waited and reread this thread many times!!!
I cry each time any chapter of any Greek Organization is closed! I almost lost mine and am fighting like hell to keep it alive! Alums can have a lot to do with the lively hood of the chapter! As DeltaAlum keeps reminidng us some get taken off campus becaus of stupidity on the part of a few but We all suffer. While LXA has one of the best systems of National Paid Advisors, some are good and some are not, I have friends who volanteer with their respective Organizations who are no less dedicated to the cause of the Fraternity/Sorority. We had a National HDQ. Officer who wanted to get rid of small school chapters, he is gone! Our National Magazine lists all chapters that have been closed! GOD does it piss me off when they are closed! Several of the Brothers on GC Site feel the same way I do and will not mention names, but we are always talking to National in one form or another! People We are our respective Orgs and have a say! Lenoxxx, life, corbin dallas and a few of us LXA are of the sme mind! This goes for zntke,econard,kabilly,KaRC, SX Card, ex,and all of the ones that I cannot remeber. Weel, as I have seen on site, I just put my 2 pence in! ( EURO)! Have a safe New Year and you can call me New Years Day as Will be working at my shop till @ 1:00-2:00 . I still think convention in KC for GCers!!!!!!!!!!:D OH Phone # is: 913-334-4567 Gawd would that be great!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:D :D Hate to say it ,but luv youse all! |
I have often heard PKA's boast that their organization has the largest average chapter size. I think this is a very interesting statement. Wouldn't it depend on at which schools they had chapters? For example, if you were only at Big 10 schools, of course all your chapters would be big.
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Thanks for the kind words. My fiances Grandfather was a TKE at your Alpha Chapter in Illinois. We visited them over the holidays, and I got a kick out of seeing his paddle from 1952. They went on to tell us how he had to wear his girlfriends (now wife of 40 some years) underwear during their "Hell Week"....he still calls it that. Anyway, what a trip down memory lane for them to be able to talk greek with their grandchildren. By the way, Grandma is a AGD at the same school. IL Weslyan I think?
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The beta has good taste....
Glad you got to go to fiance's grandpa's chapter. The Alpha chapter of TKE was in early days attempting to revive the chapter
of the Illinois Epsilon chapter of Phi Delta Theta. Three times declined, they struck out on their own. I have been fortunate to have met two of the five TKE founders. Fraternity history is dear to all of us, and if you don't know yours, do....you will be richer for it. The fraternity movement is still the greatest youth movement ever. The unpolished pearl...the uncut diamond...we welcome. So, with that, happy new years...and strive to be among the best on your campus! You will carry that the rest of your life... Erik P Conard, Kansas State Teachers College, Emporia '60 |
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