Revived Chapters
 

Over the last 20 years a trend has grown up that if a chapter hazes, drinks too much,has open parties or tolerates drugs; boom close the chapter down. DU has closed numerous chapters for "risk management issues".
Closure of chapter for disciplinary problems was not as common pre 1980's although plenty of chapters died due to low numbers.
My question, when these chapters are revived recolonized etc. how do they fare, are they model chapters do they have problems etc.

DU example Denison suspended 1984 hazing revived 1993 died 2004 low numbers.
Lafayette suspended 1988, revived 1991 strong
Stanford suspended for general rowdiness in 1987 including tossing a flaming couch off the roof of the house revival failed 1996.

I guess each campus is different how about your thoughts.

Actually, I think this has happened to each of Our GLOs.:o

No matter what good intentions are from HQs in recolonizing, if the Members do not follow the guidelines but do as the Local Campus GLOs do, then they too will fall into the same trap and be gone.

Risk Management has become such a huge drain on GLOs because of Insurance costs, there can be no Chapter allowed to do this and with the guidelines in place, if they are not followed, they should be terminated as harsh as it sounds.

Because of Possible Law Suits, it could bankrupt a GLO!

Alpha Tau Omega at Indiana was kicked off campus in 1992 after a pledge died from alcohol poisoning. They were able to recolonize a few years later (and get their house back) but under a whole host of conditions...they had to be a completely dry chapter, among other things. Their website hasn't been updated in a while but I think they're a very strong chapter again.

from what I've seen, recolonizations don't have a significantly different success rate from initial colonizations. It really is very similar as most freshman don't care that a house was a good house 10 years ago, they just care if its what they're looking for now.

Because the local Panhellenic has to be open for expansion for us to return to a campus. We can return within one year (which is usually a bad idea because old members are still around, reputations are still around, etc) or we wait until it's our turn to try to recolonize. Frequently you still go through the same process as an expansion, with sororities presenting on campus and one being chosen. Fraternities don't have that restriction.

Sororities used to do much quicker recolonizations because there was more interest on the campuses. The reason they seem to wait so long now is 1) interest has gone down 2) there have been far too many crash and burns. It's too expensive.

From the sentiment I get from many sorority girls on my campus, the reason they won't even consider a new sorority recolonizing here is because they are afraid of the competition.

I had this explained to me by a girl just the other day. A large amount of girls are rushing, so much so that if you combined all the open slots (quota wise) from each sorority there would still be almost enough girls left out to fill an additional sorority up from 0.

However, the girl I was talking to basically said that a lot of the girls that don't end up pledging do so because they didn't get into one of three or so sororities. The rushees thought they were too good for the other houses and so dropped rather than trying somewhere else.

Doesn't make much sense to me, but maybe that is sorority logic. When I look at it, I see there being numbers to support a new sorority and put them on par with all of the currently established ones.

Re: Revived Chapters
 

That's true.

The Delt chapter at The University of Colorado was closed and recolonized twice. The third closure was probably its last. The house (a beautiful facility) has been sold to the University.

The Delts at Colorado State were closed a few years ago and recolonized and are doing reasonably well. Not the best on campus and not the worst in my opinion.

Our chapter at Ohio State was closed after an investigation after a death at the house. It has recolonized, but it's probably too early to get much of a read.

We've also recently recolonized at a number of big schools, and initially the chapters are doing well. I think it takes a few years to really know the answer to your question, though.

If the issue is that the girls rushing only want one of three top sororities, opening a new one won't solve the problem. It'll just create another chapter that's struggling. No national is going to want to come in and colonize with a situation like that. It would be a waste of money and time.

Quota was lower this past fall than it has been since I rushed two years ago. Generally quota is 30-32 girls, this year it was 24.
It's true that a lot of girls do end up dropping out through rush halfway through, either because they got dropped by houses they like or because they realized if recruitment was so busy, what's pledging going to be like?
The local sorority that wanted to affiliate with Tri-Delt last year has about 50 members. Ceiling for our national chapters on campus is 90, so if they did end up colonizing and participating in rush, if they even met this past fall's quota (which is highly unlikely), they wouldn't have even been at total.

While I understand where you are coming from, I don't feel this is necessarily true. Two things come to mind.

Strong and committed alumni involvement can be very important to the success of re-colonization. Alumni can make the process much easier and quicker for the chapter to get back up to speed. As such, a chapter with good alumni involvement (members who are willing to help and share there expertise) will more likely have a quicker and more successful re-colonization than say the chapter that is having to reinvent the wheel. Of course this can apply to a new colony starting in an area with active alumni as well.

Also, how 'strong' a chapter may be at the time it closed and where it 'ranks' on the campus pecking order may also affect the success of re-colonization. When a so called strong chapter is closed, it is usually not due to numbers, but because of risk management issues. Once these issues are taken care of - the bad apples are either terminated, suspended, forced to go alum, chapter suspension completed etc. - then the chapter can come back. And it is not unheard of the chapter resuming it's former place in the pecking order.

But what if a particular sorority doesn't WANT to be 90 members? Is the campus doomed to never have another sorority? Sororities with issues don't usually get better because there isn't competition, they get better because they finally take the steps they need to become so. (Sorry for the rant :)

No, if the sorority's national has no problem with it (i.e being smaller/not at total) and gives them the OK to vote for expansion. A lot of times the girls on campus themselves aren't the ones who mind being small, it is their HQ telling them they need to get bigger.

There are many things involved in Re-Chartering.

I know only to well from My Chapter.

Down to one Active and dieing quickly so to speak.

But, I fought very hard to not let this happen along with a very strong Alum Crew. We were all from KC and could get no help from the Area Member Alums.

My, How Things Change.:cool:

Because of some percervierance, We now have a New House being built, paid for by and Alum, IHQ has sent down two ELCs who have done an outstanding Job of Recruitment!

LXA with a New Leadership have changed gears and will not go onto a Campus if certain criteria are ment.

We also along with some other GLOs have decided to check Schools where there was a Presence and go back.

Two Come to Mind at the Moment:

James Madison and Western Carolina among others.

What seems to be important is the Alum Backing and how dedicated they will be!

I know this has been brought up a few times in the past, but I really think that it comes down to differing views.

Twenty years ago there were twice as many sororites and fraternities on this campus. Granted that the interest isn't as strong now, but I think that more dedication by everyone could change that.

When I pledged back in 2001 compared to now, fraternities have grown in numbers and there are three additional ones. By expanding, we have brought more students into the system that otherwise would not have joined. It can easily be the same way for the sororities. It won't improve over night, but with a little work they would all grow.

The other side of the issue is that there are only a set number of girls that will rush and that the sororities that be need to split them.

Are the 3 additional fraternities the biggest ones there or in the top three in size? Because that's what a national sorority that colonizes at a large school like WVU wants and expects from a new chapter. The fraternities may not care.

How could I not mention the AOPi recolonization at IU? They were closed down in 1996 and recolonized in 2000. When I was at IU the first time around (early-mid 90s) they were one of the weaker houses on campus. Now they are the largest and one of the strongest sororities at IU. Talk about a turnaround! :)

If that is the case, then it looks like some sororities have very unrealistic expectations. Of the three that started, two have houses. One has comparable numbers to other large fraternities. The other two are doing ok and growing.

The difference is that there is no formal system of recruitment for fraternities here. There are also about twice as many fraternities as sororities.

The sorority recolonization set up is always very strange...but a lot of that comes from the way the system of rushing is set up. Also, I think that there is WAY, WAY, WAY to much emphasis put on attaining quota and total. If the national groups are willing to work with the chapters on what is actually attainable, I think that everyone is helped.

The best example I can give is of ADPi at Nebraska, which is the only NPC chapter without a chapter house, and historically low numbers, endangered for not getting more girls, etc. Finally they got their nationals to realize that they couldn't go through formal recruitment, set up a completely different informal, and their numbers have jumped up a ton (chapter is probably 4x as large at this point as it was two years ago.)


As for the recolonization of closed Beta chapters, I think our recolonizations have been very successful, particularly from places in which there is strong alumni support (Ok. St, Indiana, Miami back in late '90s). However, and I've said this before, Beta babies it's colonies. Most of our colonies are on colony status for 2-3 years. It makes them more successful at sticking around, but at the same time limits the extent we expand in a given year. Personally, I think we could make the chartering happen in 1-2 years, and speed up everything a little, although I understand that the maybe the colonies end up as a much more productive chapter, more likely to last the way we do it now.

The thing that pisses me off about Beta is that they close down more chapters in a given year than they colonize.

They are in the process of recolonizing the only other Beta chapter in my state, Bethany. I know a bunch of girls there and from what they tell me (it is a small school, with a high greek %) the effort is not going so well, mostly because of the type of men they are recruiting.

my brother graduated from Bethany, and he was curious to see what Beta would do, since there are a relatively high number of fraternities, but the general feeling is that a sorority is DESPERATELY needed (all chapters are at or above total I believe, and all are strong).

It's generally a matter of resources. To recolonize takes staff time and money.

Delt feels that we can (re)colonize about three chapters per year the last I heard.

Generally, two or three chapter consultants (or whatever a group calls them) spend a fair amount of time in colonization, and that takes them away from their other work direct with existing chapters.

So if we lose more than three chapters in any given year (which hopefully doesn't happen often) we're going into negative numbers.

By the way, Delta Tau Delta was founded at Bethany College in 1858, and our "Founders House" has been refurbished. I need to visit there sometime.

good luck Delt!
 

good luck to Delt returning to home....you belong there and I am
sure you will prosper....you're a good outfit!

This may be an urban legend, but I had always heard that sororities were not allowed at Bethany, by the college's charter or something. I'd LOVE to see at least a few (cough, cough!) colonize there!

Recolonizing takes many peices falling into place - money and the right people being two large compenents. Alpha Phi has been successful in this arena in the handful of recolinzations we have undertaken.

They are huge projects, not for the weak of heart but when you look back 5 years down the road and see strong chapters you can't help but feel dang proud of your organization!

reactivations
 

I applaud you-all who favor returning to campi.
Many groups get (in writing) permission to return.
Orphaned alumni are a hurt in our hearts and often
those grieving were not in any way the cause.
Finally, if some of you would get off your high horses
and pronouncements perhaps you could be a credit to
your own...go take a shower or reactivate a chapter!

Nope, sorority life is quite healthy at Bethany (WV). Alpha Xi, Phi Mu and ZTA all have full houses there. My brother's girl is an Alpha Xi, and she and I are always discussing the sorority stuff. She's not sure why there hasn't been another NPC expansion since all chapters are bursting at the seams and the interest is there.

There's quite a few Bethany colleges, some more conservative than others.

The Delt founders house is quite cool.

Beta also has a plaque in Old Main, something about a historic chapter.

Honeychile, KD had a chapter at Bethany until a few years ago, when it was closed.

First off, Western Carolina is going to be recolonized by LXA.

Second is LX Z, My Chapter in Pittsburg, Ks. while not being closed Has had two Young Men who are ELCs Recruiting to rebuild.

Granted, We are building a New House and I have been bugging IHQ for some time, We are starting to Rebuild.

It does take a lot of Money to do this as DeltAlum said. It isnt Bubbllegum and mirrors, but a lot of hard work and $$! When I say $$s, I mean having Paid Staff being there to do this.

What does that entail?

1. A place for them to stay=Motel
2. Food.
3 . Recruitment Shirts.
4. Cost of getting there.

What most people do not realize is that These Young Chapter Consultnats are paid to be there. It costs money for them to be there. Maybe they dont make a lot of Money, they do it for the Love and it gives them a lot of experience that can never be found anyplace else.
LXA does pay Consultants and I know Many others who only do it on a volunteer basis.

What does Your GLO do?

I know that there are a few frats and sororities that have gotten closed down in the past at OU for hazing and stuff, but they have not been re-opened, and it's been a decently long time. Do you think that they maybe don't let these frats or sororities come back again because they might be perceived to have bad reputations, resulting in low enrollment?

It's fraternity not frat please. Frat is a vulgar and trashy term.

The sororities probably haven't come back because Panhellenic isn't open for expansion.

The fraternities probably haven't come back because there isn't an interest group or alumni effort to spur a comeback.

why is saying frat instead of fraternity so vulgar and trashy? I know lots of guys in fraternities and they call them frats themselves. Ive heard people call them a lot worse.

I mean, I'm not trying to be rude or anything, I just never had anyone tell me it was vulgar before.

You're so not a DZ. Go away please.

since my chapter was just recolonized last semester I have a little bit of experience with this topic. From what I have seen it comes down to a few things as to whether or not a colony is successful:
1. Dedication of the members...rebuilding a chapter (and their image on campus) is a LOT of work, for a colony to be successful you have to have guys that will do anything to make it a success.

2. Alumni support...while not as big as member dedication I think you still have to have great alumni support (even if it is from a small group of alumni) to make a colony successful. Our alumni have been really helpful in helping us try and build Rho-Omega back up, and we have even had some help from other TKEs that arent Rho-Omega Alums.

3. I think that the chapters around you at other schools also make it easier on a colony to become successful. I know that the guys from Clemson and a few other TKEs that I knew outside of the fraternity have really stepped up and helped me out personally offering suggestions and help whenever needed.