Alcohol Free Housing
 

Does anyone know anything about Alcohol Free Housing?

What do you want to know? All NPC sorority houses are alcohol free and have been since day one. Farmhouse Fraternity has already been dry and Sigma Nu and a few other groups have gone dry way in advance of the Dry by 2002 campaign.

For most groups, alcohol-free housing means no alcohol in the public areas of the house. Individual, of-age members may keep alcohol for personal consumption in their rooms, if that is the ruling of their particular fraternity.

Sorry to be more specific what does anyone think about Alcohol free Housing?

I think it does very little to take the emphasis off alcohol - it's just a different emphasis. The numerous initiatives are meant to take your mind off alcohol, but I think the endless discussion just makes you think about it more. (Kind of like when your mom says "Don't scratch your chicken pox!" every half hour. http://www.greekchat.com/forums/ubb/wink.gif)

Also, if fraternities who permit alcohol for of-age members' personal use in bedrooms and such are considered "dry", the sororities should also use that classification of "dry." It's ridiculous that a 21 year old sorority woman is not permitted to have a glass of beer or wine in her room. Stick a fork in the double standard already, it's done!!!

Hi 33girl,

As a point of clarification..at least in Delta Tau Delta we offer our chapters three options...

"Dry" is just what it sounds like. No alcohol in the house.

"Wet" is that you can have alcohol in the house as long as you obey the law, and university regulations.

"Damp" is what you describe above. Of age members can have alcohol in their rooms, but no alcohol is allowed in the public areas of the house.

In reality, we are discovering that more and more often a university demands "dry" housing before they will allow us to colonize or recolonize. That takes the choice out of our hands or the chapters.

Obviously, I can't speak for other fraternities.

DeltAlum

Delt Alum -

Of course if the university says no alcohol anywhere, you have to go along with what they say. Our sororities used to have on-campus suites and since the campus was dry, those had to be dry.

But you do have the options available which I think is a good idea. As far as I know, most sororities do not.

I just was through a weekend of Alcohol Free Housing Education. What a time! Apparently at U of Miami, they do this, and it works great! In the long run, I think this will hurt rural schools who don't have 3rd party vendors to mix at.

Does anyone attend a rural school that has this policy already in effect? Are the groups following it?

I am from a rural area in Wisconsin which has this policy in place for all sororities already. Actually our policy states that no sorority may hold a social event with a fraternity that has alcohol without a third party vendor. And... actually, we just find ways around it, no offense to those who feel a strong conviction to the new NPC resolution.

I think the entire issue is hard to swallow if your school is used to breaking the rules. But if you really look at what our national policies and the NPC resolution is trying to do then you would realize it is helping us keep our members, chapters and organizations safe.
We can still have a good time, we just cannot advertise the place or organize an event. I think it may be hard at some schools with no thrid party vendors, but at ECU we have tons of options and still have problems following any policy beacuse it is a change for all of us. I think it will take time and a little understanding from our national organizations and each chapter. Things have to change, we have to deal and move on.

I just did a workshop on this, introducing our new policy to our collegians at a regional leadership conference. We were expecting to have some real backlash and anger, but surprisingly, they collegians were for the policy for the most part. A lot of schools have stuff in place already. I was so proud of our women for being open-minded and ready for the challenge of this new policy. I'd be naive to think that everyone was going to follow it, but I think that many will try.

I guess what I should have mentioned also, is that at my university, it was a little more complicated than that. We have three sororities, two of which are national, and mine which is local. When it came time for our Panhellenic Council to write and vote on the new resolution, it was especially difficult for my sorority. We are a self-governed sorority and have been so for 103 years. Change is something that comes difficult to all fraternities and sororities, as we are based on tradition. But it comes especially hard to local chapters, which aren't used to having to follow what the other chapters do. The resolution did pass, as the national chapters HAD to vote yes, which left my sorority with a lot of upset members. I was in a tough position myself, as I am on the Panhellenic Council, and helped to create to resolution... and to pass it.

I believe that the first priority of any national organization is to avoid liability.

These organizations function as businesses and have to stay both in business and solvent.

It is difficult to legislate behavior. So generally if people want to violate rules such as where and when they can drink they generally will.

Therfore it makes me wonder if these rules increase safety to any significant degree.

Because even if people obey the change in rules such as no drinking in a house, they actually increase their risk by driving off campus somewhere . . . a predictable result that gives the lie that its a rule being used to promote safety.

Unless national officers are completely short sighted.

However, if you break the new rule it diminishes their liability and makes it less likely they will have to pay out money.

James--

Most places where this initiative is in effect, chapters realize the dangers of drunk driving and implement one of two programs.

1. Sober sisters who are not allowed to drink and will drive home.

2. On a campus where NPC has passed the resolution, the organizations make deals with bus companies to get a reduced rate for a bus, and use that as transportation.

I think your point that is most important is that chapters who choose to break policy also choose to forfeit their right to most, if not all, insurance coverage from the national organization.

Because even if people obey the change in rules such as no drinking in a house, they actually increase their risk by driving off campus somewhere . . . a predictable result that gives the lie that its a rule being used to promote safety.


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On my campus, in the past, all sororities were dry, but not fraternities. This year the whole campus went dry. "Dry 2000"
There are still parties off campus with third party venders, but it's not the same. I visit friends from other schools, and have so much fun at greek parties.
Greek parties at my school are fun too, but we don't have them as often, and they cost a lot more. (buses, facilities, alcohol providers, etc.)
Most houses I've been to still drink and stuff, but they can't have huge parties. We used to be one of the top 10 party schools too.

I personally think alcohol free housing is kind of stupid because no matter what, the chapter will find a way to drink somewhere else or near the house. I hang out at a fraternity house that is dry and they would find ways where it was possible for them to drink. I've seen them drink in front of the house (on the sidewalk), in a car near the house or I've seen some sneek hard alcohol or mixed drinks into the house through pretending that their only "drinking coke or pepsi." No matter what they will find a way, whether or not there is a rule, just as long as they do not get caught.

I go to a small public college that does allow alcohol in the dorms as long as those in possession are of age, and they have to keep it within their rooms. We also have a peculiar sorority housing situation here. There is an entire residence hall dedicated to sorority housing. Very few non-greeks live there. There are 3 floors (besides the ground floor) and each floor is split into 3 sections. There are 9 NPC sororities, so each one has a section of a hall. The school has no rule against alcohol being in the dorm, although the NPC sororities are all supposed to be alcohol-free. I know for a fact that alcohol exists in the dorm, even though technically it's not supposed to. So really I think that "alcohol-free" housing can never truly be alcohol-free, unless all residents truly want it to be that way.

As I have said before, I am not a huge proponent of "Dry" housing, however the following letter from the president of a Delt House Corporation is worth note:

"Early last spring, our Gamma Mu House Corporation voted to restrict alcohol consumption and storage from the property we lease to our undergraduate Delt Chapter.

The school year ended under our traditional policy, with the new policy taking place the Monday after graduation last year...everyone was given 100 days notice of the change in our lease.

The notification was met with mixed emotions, however, I compliment our members for choosing to go with the change in policy.

What has happened this year is truly remarkable...has drinking stopped? No...it has only been modified and removed from the Shelter (our property).

The house corporation agreed from the start to provide buses to activities and social events away from the Shelter (our nickel). Our Shelter is much cleaner -- repairs, rug cleanings, windows, etc. are lasting longer. Most of all, the general attitude, physical health and academic focus of our undergraduate Delts has improved.

We, the house corporation, have increased our meetings to monthly -- paid close attention to function and appearance of our property...(all painting in done by professionals).

We award 3.5 GPA's with a house corporation award of $100 each quarter.

We are very proud of our members. Our undergraduate chapter collected $70,000 this year to fight cancer.

The alcohol modifier has helped bring ballance to our Shelter and is helping our rush program to attract high caliber candidates.

Our Fraternity's values are coming into focus...we sde a bright future ahead."

Food for thought...

DeltAlum

Okay, this is something that I experience first hand, and am actually a big proponent of.

My chapter house is dry--to say there is absolutely no alcohol in the structure at any time. However we are not a dry chapter. Trust me, every Thursday, Friday, and Saturday night if you want to go get trashed you can with little trouble.

Simply put, we just don't have alcohol where we live. And there are some very obvious advantages to this.

1) On weeknights, the emphasis is on studying--there is no distraction to divert members from this task.

2)We never party at our house, and thusly it stays cleaner--much, much cleaner than other houses. It's nice to be able to bring girls over and have them be amazed how clean the house. Plus if we go to party at a single level duplex, that is much safer than being in a three story structure that has a large deck on the second level.

3)As for the people who say that it is ludicrous that someone of age can't enjoy a drink in their room. Well what is keeping them from going to a bar, or someone elses house. If you really must drink every night I don't think that you are in college for the right reasons.

4) Finally since all of our parties are off campus, and drunk driving is bad we have a program called Betas against Drunk Driving (BADD) basically two members (usually pledge dads and pledge sons) stay home one thursday, friday, or saturday night, and wait for someone to call for a ride home. I would think that the program is used by nearly 100% of the people living in. The others walk. It's one night in an entire semester at most. And it's all about being your brothers keeper.

Really this shouldn't be such an issue in my opinion. It's not hard to get around, the results are very positive and it builds up the fraternity.

sure its dry...
 

Like all NPC sororities we are dry, but unlike most sororities we live in a dorm that contians all the other sororities and about half the fraternities. The result is less then dry although we are not supposed to people drink in the wing all the time usually before the thrid party vendor parties of frats because they can't get in the bar. Then there are the third parties where anyone could get into the bar, drinks can get out, and sadly these are usually the most fun. IF you are caught drinking in the wing the to standards you must go and sober monitor you will be at the next social function. The reason I say if is that this hardly ever happens, people know, but no one really cares as long as it doesn't get outta hand. I am not saying that you have to drink to have a good time, but sometimes it feels like all the rules take some of the fun out of parties and socials.