I can't see how it would be a big deal to have a keg, say, at your house off campus with some fraternity brothers and other people.

I didn't know that kegs were forbidden by SAE HQ at parties........I just thought it was a university wide rule for fraternities. There are tons of campuses that forbid kegs.

Depending on the Nationals bylaws, any party where several members are in attendence, it is considered a group party.

6 years is a very long time, but, the SAE National must have felt it was worth the effort to sanction them for this long. It is usually for 4 years when all of the current chapter graduates.

If Case Reserve is that important to SAE future plans, I am sure the fine would be overturned as shouldering a new colony there would be insurmountable.:(

There may have been much more than meets the eye.

I don't think Nationals would care if I had a keg at my house. Thats just stupid. I can't say I know of many people that think "hmmmm I wonder what my national bylaws say about entertaining guests at my own home?"

Tangent / semi-hijack, but it looks like a fair number of Case Western Reserve chapters have received recognition in 2006 from their inter/national organizations. Assorted awards (philanthropy, academics, improvement, top chapter or top group of chapters, and so on) are listed at:

http://studentaffairs.case.edu/greek/news/2416.aspx

End tangent / semi-hijack.

I'd say they would care.....we have a rule where 2 or more sisters attending make something a function. Even though it is on your personal property, if someone got hurt, etc, not only you, but your org can be held liable by pissed off parents, administrators, and lawyers.

Interesting tidbit, our chapter and one of the campuses fraternities are having a social....both groups are bound by FIPG policies. The fraternity president hadn't even heard of FIPG before, let alone what was required or not allowed under their guidelines. Is this common for fraternities not to be knowledgable about these policies? It concerns me that their advisors (they do have them) wouldn't make them aware to keep them out of trouble.

haha, I have to really disagree with you. This statement is almost comical. So you are going to tell me that if I was entertaining guests of legal age at my off campus house and someone got hurt.......my fraternity would be held liable? Last time I checked it was perfectly legal to posess liquor and a keg so long as you were operating in accordance with the law.

Sure, you can disagree....I don't mind.

In my experience and from what I've been taught over the years (and I've been at this about ten)...if you follow the written guidelines to the letter (which a lawyer itching for a lawsuit would do), then yes, technically you can be help liable and so can your org. Now, is it realistic? I can only hope not, but I don't doubt that our orgs have been screwed for much less.

If someone has another interpretation, please share.
-Trish

However, lets say that sort of thing does happen. X number of sisters throw a party and someone ends up hurt/sick/dead. As I understand it, if you follow the risk management procedures of your GLO (such as contacting the appropriate people at HQ) you and your chapter will be covered by their insurance. In a way, this could actually protect you individually.

If you and I are thinking of the same thing re contacting the appropriate people at HQ then my understanding is that it's covered by privilege. Whether or not it's covered by the insurance is up to the insurance company and their understanding of the policy contract.

Yeah I was just wondering if it is not like an fraternity/sorority sponsored event and there are just members there and members happen to be holding it if the entire chapter would suffer if something bad were to happen. Like say even if it wasn't beign advertised as a Greek event. I think it's a little extreme to say that just because some people have letters that it's associated with the chapter you know.

lol I don't know if we're thinking of the same procedures :) I was just always told that if we followed the risk management procedures we'd be covered. Now it wouldn't surprise me if the insurance company could argue otherwise, but I don't know how broad GLO inurance policies are either.

Ask someone in your fraternity who knows the procedures. An Advisor for example, or shoot an email to a national officer. They'd probably be able to give you specifics that even other SAE's on here can probably only speculate at.

Could it? Yup. Should it? Depends. How badly? Up to the jury.

It's like I used to tell people at my old job. Someone can sue you (the chapter) for whatever they like. How far they can get with the suit is up to the judge and the attorneys.

I always felt unsatisfied with that explanation. It's more like if you don't follow R/M procedures you're screwed way more than you can imagine. If you do follow R/M procedures then maybe the charter won't get pulled.

Of course, theoretically if you were following RM procedures the entire time most problems wouldn't happen. But in a hypothetical case where the chapter truly did nothing wrong (such as a party that wasn't advertised by the chapter but something happened) you should be covered. I see what you mean though, and lucky me I'm not in college anymore so I don't have to worry about it :p