True Brother Initiative
 

For those who were at Leadership (or should I say, LDRSHIP;)) Seminar, what do you think of this program? Please be both general and specific.:)

Our Zeta's High Pi and Myself spoke with our ELC about the TBI. This is an essential program for the fraternity. I know our chapter experienced that let down after being initiated. I believe that as our colony is working to get re-chartered and become the dominant organization at WCU again True Brother is a great structure to complete our goals. It gives set short term check points in a pathway to your long term goals. It takes you from an Associate to an active Alumnus.

I spoke to my chapters high alpha yesterday, and he seems very excited with the new programs and its prospects for our chapter. It should give our fraternity a competative advantage over other fraternities.

I hope this will be added to a very future C & C so all of us can get an idea of what it is all about.

Sounds very interesting as I have commented a lot about keeping Alums in the total loop.

From the UGs I spoke with, there may be a correlation between the amount of emphasis they placed on Impact and how well TBI is received. In other words, if you didn't really urge members to go through Impact I-IV, there's a chance the new program's not gonna grab you, either.

Don't get me wrong, these programs (including SAE's True Gentleman & SigEp's Balanced Man in the mix) are outstanding. However, if you've got just a small percentage of Zetas implementing the program, it may lead to resentment on the part of the "lesser chapters" (a.k.a. those who haven't "bought in" fully).

It will take a while for this program to be fully in place - IMHO, we alums s/b actively urging our chapters to work w/TBI.

In ZAX,
BF

What IS the True Brother Initiative?

Yes, something will come out in the next C&C in a couple days, but it's so much nonspeak, meaningless to me, along the lines of an email I got from the Florida Tech Alumni Association about where our dues will go. "The funds received from memberships in the Alumni Association help to continue the progress being made on behalf of the university, its students and graduates."

I HATE nebulous statements like that.

Can someone explain how (of if) this new initiative will affect me, as a 54 year-old alumnus? Or is it just for the young kids?

I want to know, but no one is telling the alumni - just adorning a select few of them with lavish pendants and collars.

Point very well stated!:)

Like You and others, the wondering goes on.

'

I wasn't there but I have read a good portion of the 7+ packets they brought back, in addition to trying to understand what the ELC told me about it months ago. I was very disappointed when they didn't bring back info about the Inner Circle program that was supposed to be accompanying it. Supposedly THAT was what was for the alumni and the active brothers. Some kind of incentive program.

I was told the program wasn't finished in time for LC.

Totally agree. I am working on that on my own front, tough going though.

I read the manuals and I was impressed with the thoroughness that went into the packets. I need to look into them more. I am going to do so once they post everything online, which I hope they do soon. I am hoping the program will go over well here. It seems like one of those everyone has to get involved or it will fail miserably, meaning not just a few people doing all of the work.

Hate to be a downer, hell, I only can tell the basics about this "True Brother" program.

Is this just more b.s. where HQ and alumni get to go around using buzzwords, print some new manuals, give some catchy names and stroke their egos for being "proactive"? (God I hate business buzzwords.)

There have been so many other failed initiatives. I've been through Impact Leadership, put 100% into it, and it still felt like one of those company ice breaker, team building exercise that everyone hates.

Maybe someone could tell me how this differs from previous programs? Give me some assurances that this is a good thing.

Is this of substance where we can see results, or will we be better off spending the money and man hours on recruitment or fundraising?

I don't want to judge just yet before giving it a try, I know what you mean though.

Personally, whichever the case, I was getting tired of referring to a kappa manual from 1992 that still talked about the USSR and the cold war as talking points... New manuals were necessary, and are welcomed.

As explained by various Master Stewards during the week, TBI is designed for E-V-E-R-Y-B-O-D-Y. Impact Leadership was created for...well, the leaders of the chapter. However, the tenets of TBI are something that every member can work with.

LCA has had various programs (LEAP, Impact, The Great Passage), but they all focused on the honchos. TBI was developed because we need to have men who'll become True Brothers first so that they can become leaders later.

Some of our best and brightest have been involved in this implementation, so I'm a believer in the ideas behind the program. Of course, while I'm not from Missouri, I'm also waiting and seeing how things go at this stage.

Yes, the manuals have all been redesigned. However, part of the reason this was done is because it's difficult to get people to read 300+pp. manuals these days (unless it's the ops manual for their iPod). They're all down to a manageable size - the manuals handed out last week were 60pp. or less. Odds are you'll be more apt to read this size manual than wade through Standards...

In ZAX,
BF

Sorry, I misunderstood. I thought there were all new manuals for the True Brotherhood project. In that case, we do need new manuals for the officers.

My main concern is staying power. Is this True Brotherhood program going to fizzle out? Is it worth the time and money which could be spent on the basics of the fraternity, recruitment and fundraising, devoted to this program? What happens when some chapters don't do it? In five or ten years down the road, will it still be around? Basically, is it worth the initial investment?

Or is it just something for everyone to feel good about for a few months, and to show that HQ is doing something rather than nothing?

First, consider my frame of reference. This was my first big Lambda Chi gathering, so I don't know how much different it was from previous ones.

That said, I agree with Brother Foltz. TBI doesn't seem like the same old B.S. I know we've all seen our share of last year's product in a new box, but this really seems like more than that. For example, the staff referred to the last 20 years as the "Risk Management Era," implying that they are ready for things to change.

True Brother isn't really a program, as in, "do everything on this check list and you'll have a great fraternity." If I had to sum it up, it would go something like this: Lambda Chi Alpha is a values-based fraternity. You can't teach values; you have to find members who already share them and then help those members to fully develop them. As they develop, the will become better men, better leaders and better brothers.

In other words, TBI doesn't just focus on what we do, but on who we are. There are new manuals for High Delta, (accompanied by a workbook for all brothers called the Warren A. Cole Recruitment Institute,) the High Kappa, High Iota (I think,) and a workbook for the Associate Members. They're supposed to be available on the web "soon."

The "Outer Circle" is the program for A.M. development. Chapters that choose to implement it will be eligible for the "Inner Circle" program, which will help members to continue to develop after initiation instead of resuming "business as usual." Then, there's a third facet, known as the "Mastery Circle," which is intended for the transition from U/G to alumni.

TBI is based, in large part, on the character development program developed by the US Army to develop cadets at West Point. Also, HQ is collecting social science data on everything that will be compared to data on the "average" non-fraternity student of the same age. This data collection is planned to continue tracking these individuals for decades into the future to see what effect TBI has in the long term. There are some really smart, committed people working on this.

In other words, it seems like we, as a fraternity, have our ducks in a row and are ready to shape our circumstances, rather than letting circumstances shape us.

The idea is sound. If you recruit great brothers, rather than "good guys," and then you help them do develop their character, you can't help but end up with better brothers and a better fraternity experience. Maybe not right away, but within a year or two.

It seems to me that it will come down to us as members. If we embrace TBI and put it into practice, and if IHQ vigorously supports our efforts, it will work.

P.S. The new web site looks like it will be cool, too!

Sounds good. I will naturally be skeptical at first. There just have been to many "new" programs in the last couple decades. Thank GOD we are getting away from risk management, glad to hear that this is replacing it at least. That makes me a little more hopeful.

Warren A. Cole Recruitment Institute??????????

Oh my God. That is about as appropriate as having O.J. Simpson sell knives on late night infocommercials. Just a suggestion, but given Cole's recruitment history, and the fact that during his initial recruitment he was, let's just say less than honest, do you think his name should be highlighting the program?

By workbook do you mean a quick reference book of helpful suggestions, etc., or do you mean an actual book where you fill in the blanks, etc.?

Point taken. I wonder if they thought of that?

Not sure. I got copies of all the manuals, etc., but I haven't had time to read all of them yet. I do know that it will be in addition to the Paedagogus, and that the Paed. will eventually be re-designed and shortened to go along with TBI.

Before we began our session on recruitment the High Pi training us gave us this explanation on why it is what it is. Warren A. Cole traveled the United States and where ever he went new Zeta's followed. Cole solicited around 117 colleges and universities throughout the Northeast United States to begin Lambda Chi Alpha. Cole was viewed as a congenial man, whose dogged persistence was, no doubt, the reason Lambda Chi succeeded. If it was not for Cole there wouldn't be a Lambda Chi.

From of the posts I have read, I wonder how wide speread this really is?

How soon do We as Alums and Members of the Zetas get the information?:confused:

I agree, how many are going to get preview and knowledge?

While it has peeked my interst, there are thoughts if it is another thought that may look good? But not fully acceptied:(

Congenial, dogged persistence or portraying false numbers and fake information, same difference I guess.

Of course High Pi training gave you the politically correct version. They aren't going to tell you he was kicked out of the fraternity he started, or that one of the primary reasons he started a fraternity was for business and economic reasons.

I also believe Jack Mason's vision more accurately represents what Lambda Chi Alpha is today than Warren Cole's vision.

So I guess by using Cole's name on recruitment material, it is an endorsement by Lambda Chi Alpha to tell prospective members we have 44 brothers in a chapter when we only have 4?

He said he was sorry...

Ottor, thanks for an excellent run down of the basics of the program. I want to be enthusiastic about it, but I still don't understand how it works in practice.

Boz said it's for everybody, but I have to see how it applies to those who have already graduated. Will it come to a point when there are "true" brothers, and the rest of us are just "regular" brothers?

I can see this working if one starts as an AM, but how do alumni participate, integrate, and support it? I'm still unclear on that. Or is the saying true - you can't teach an old dog new tricks? :)

I am waiting for the new C&C, hopefully there is more of a narrative. I keep checking fraternity manuals for the new manuals, no luck. :(

Good point Jono. If we are supposed to recruit "true brothers" of the same values, etc., where does that leave the rest of us? Also, shouldn't the values of the fraternity be determined by membership and alumni, and not some guidelines set forth by an exclusive group of brothers? Will we be "false" brothers?

Ive seen few who have lost their way a bit too easy...

It is a lot like a check list. I doubt Nationals is going to come knocking on our door to make sure that every AM is a True Brother.

Or to paraphrase George Orwell, "All brothers are true brothers, some are just truer than others." Just kidding.

I've been thinking about this. I'm not so sure I like the idea that there is a specific "type" that we should pursue or strive to become. I've always liked the diversity of Gamma Zeta; rich, poor, young, old, white, black, asian, jewish, christian, political, scientific, lazy, ambitious, studious, party-animal...

If we were encouraged to go after any type of standard, other than being a good guy, I think we would have missed out on a lot of good brothers.

In fact, the more I think about it the less I like it. I also think it is very insulting to those that are alumni, the one's that made LXA what it is today.

It's almost like saying "Hey good job alumni on all your hard work and donations which helped form Lambda Chi Alpha, but you don't really fit in anymore. Oh by the way, we will now encourage your chapter to recruit a specific type of person, who will most likely be completely different from the type of people you and your fellow alumni are. Your "type" isn't welcome in the future of the fraternity, but you are more than welcome to stick around and donate your time and money to this practice of elitism."

Been here too long . . .
 

I don't know if I am cynical or experienced . . .

Having seen Great Passage, LEAP, IMPACT, and some others that I don't recall come and go over the past 30 years I look at True Brother with some skepticism. Not criticism, but skepticism. It tested in the midwest and east, save for one chapter in San Diego. Until now all I have seen is smoke an mirrors. The roll out last week dealt with the Outer Circle but not the Inner Circle program. Apparently that will be released to chapters (a) when it is ready, and (b) when the staff decides that a chapter is "ready" (worthy?) of the Inner Circle program.

Will the Inner Circle program readiness be predicated on a series of hoops which must be jumped through? Membership numbers or scholarship or finances? If the program remains voluntary for chapter adoption, what will be the fall-out for chapters that do not adopt the program? Non-consideration from award consideration like the Grand High Alpha award? If that is the cease then it really isn't voluntary adoption because there would be sanctions for non-adoption of the program.

I had lunch on Saturday with the undergrads, passing up the alumni college lunch. One of the guys that I sat with came from a test chapter. When I asked him about TBI he replied that when folks came to evaluate the program he was asked "What is good about the program?" and then, after he offered his thoughts, he added "Now do you want to know what didn't work?" He told me that the reply from staff was "We've already got that." If that is how it was really evaluated at the chapter level then we're not getting, as Brother Paul Harvey says "The rest of the story."

Just read the new C&C, as of this second it hasn't been posted on the website, and I was a bit disappointed. Yea I don't get it. It didn't go into any details, basically went on for 2 pages about what I already knew.

Regardless of which, I am still going to try to implement whatever it is.

Speaking of IMPACT, I am aware of quite a few angry people who tried for years to get up to IMPACT 4 and then found it they just canceled it. Very disappointed they were.

Oh man, I forgot Paul Harvey was a LXA! I LOVE his stories.

Why do we always need fancy national programs in our chapters? When will HQ learn that 300 chapters nationwide are not the same, and do not have the same ideals, brotherhood, goals or concerns and problems.

I guess I am taking a more libertarian view of our organization; less is better. I find it hard to continue to move on to new programs when we haven't mastered the basic, bread and butter fundamentals of a fraternity.

More and more this seems to be more buzzwords so that HQ can pat themselves on the back for being "proactive" (God I hate that word).

Outside of risk management, I think the primary focus should be aggressive recruitment and aggressive fundraising. Recruitment and fundraising is like garlic, too much is never enough. All of our resources should be put into those two issues. Don't waste money on fancy programs. Get a LXA recruiter on as many college campuses with that money. Don't waste time thinking of slogans. Get our HQ staff on the phone calling up alumni asking for donations with that time.

We need to go back to basics and realize we are an organization that needs two things: new brothers and money. Period.

Having heard about TBI last year and after reading the C&C article today I am both excited and disappointed. I always thought that the "fraternity education" concept was a failure because AMs and older brothers had different needs. AMs needed to learn the basics about the fraterntiy and what brotherhood was and we were the only fraternity that did not have a 'pledge' education program. I am excited to see that we will have a new program for AM education. Additionally anything that works to keep older brothers involved is good, so the brotherhood education seems like a good idea to me.
I am dissappointed by the focus on recuitment. Almost all of the recruitment plans from IHQ have been failures because what works for one chapter or in one region will not work for every one. Also the three tiered program to which IHQ controls access seems to be just too much BS to me. If I paid my dues then I should have access to everything IHQ offers, even if I choose not to exploit it.

I hope that TBI can become succesful and at least it will give us something to use.

Now I feel like I'm defending TBI. I don't want to do that, because I haven't seen it work yet. All I can tell you is that I was very impressed with the brothers presenting the material at Leadership Seminar. They were knowledgeable, they were intelligent, they were dedicated, they were honest, and most of them had many years experience advising undergraduate chapters. Based on the feeling I got from them, I trust their judgment. And they believe in TBI.

If I were in the market for a blender, and a friend who is a bartender said, "I use this blender, and it works great," I would give it a try. Well, my chapter needs something, and the High Pi and I have agreed that TBI is at least worthy of an honest effort.

But what if your friend who is a bartender happens to have a boss that owned share in the blender company?

"I am dissappointed by the focus on recuitment. Almost all of the recruitment plans from IHQ have been failures because what works for one chapter or in one region will not work for every one. Also the three tiered program to which IHQ controls access seems to be just too much BS to me. If I paid my dues then I should have access to everything IHQ offers, even if I choose not to exploit it."

EXACTLY!

Well, in reading the synopsis on the C & C I can say that with all of the rhetoric I for one am left totaly frigid and still unknowing what the whole thing means?

I do not understand how this program will change anything that was not set up years ago and seemed to work so very well then.

Old school thinking, no, just reality.

As others have said, I guess time will tell. But I wonder if the time in man hours and money spent was well worth it?

I think one of the most important things any organization can do when implementing a new project is to win support from the public right away. Once there is skepticism or doubt, it is almost impossible to win back support for an initiative.

In this case, I think HQ dropped the ball and failed. So far, no one knows anything, everone is hearing buzzwords and rhetoric, and nothing of substance is out for our consumption.

If HQ wanted to start this right with support from the general fraternity, they should have provided more information, in an easily accessible format and really show how this will help all parts of our organization.

So far this is sounding more and more like the same old program that always fails and never gets any interest outside of a select few.

It may very well be an excellent program, but HQ has to SPIN it that way. Support and positive outlook should be their #1 goal.

I just reread the article in C and C, and all I have to say is WHAT?

"True Brother is a strategically-aligned system that focuses on individual member development."

Oh God. This sounds like it came from one of the corporate development programs that are shown nationwide in those commercial office parks where everyone is in a cubicle 9 hours a day.

HQ LISTEN UP!!!! You don't sell the steak, you sell the SIZZLE! There is no sizzle to this. It's dry. Loyalty, honor, respect, integrity????? Guys come on! We aren't US Marine recruiters here. We're recruiting 18 and 19 year old college freshman.

The message should have been this simple: Lambda Chi Alpha will help to develop your individuality and help you to succeed in academics, socially and in your future career.

I'm sick of all this brainwashing language. Let's start keeping this simple. Tell the brothers that we are here to help build an organization, as well as help the individual brothers in life's tasks and obstacles.

There is no need for acronyms. No need for labels. No need for mysterious outer or inner circles of servitude. No need for fancy symbols of lions and tigers and bears. Oh my.

K.I.S.S. Keep It Simple Stupid.

I just tried to watch the True Brother video, but when the progress bar started moving only after five minutes of downloading (I have high-speed cable Internet), I attempted to stop it and my computer crashed. Had to pull the plug to restart. How big is that thing?

I'd love to see the video, but perhaps on DVD. Did anyone else have a problem with it?

Yes Jono,

I too had difficulty viewing the video (the one embedded into C&C right?) and it was taking forever and it eventually just kinda stopped and was taking forever to download (I too have cable high speed). I just closed the tab that I was watching it in and forgot about it. It didnt seem like it was worth the time to sit through the entire thing anyway.

No more comment from me except dissapointment.

I am not proud of this.

I THINK the video is working. I was able to press play and there were some words and pictures with music in the background.

Is the video supposed to be a whole presentation, or was that it? Please tell me I am missing most of it.

Unfortunately, I fear LXA has lost its uniqueness. Forty years ago, the banning of hazing and calling pledges "associate members" was truly revolutionary. Something that no other fraternity has ever done. In 2007, we get a generic video where you could substitute it with any other general fraternity video as part of a generic new program no different from any other fraternity.

Dramatic music, check. Words like honor, courage, respect, check. Images of brothers, check. Then the video production company asks "What fraternity are we making this for? We've done so many with this format I forgot."

This is what I am proposing.

The BACK TO BASICS program. No catchy slogans outside of that one. No fancy images or showcases. This is what my program consists of:

1. We scrap all other existing programs that do not have to do with risk management.

2. LXA ends all regional and national meetings except for one major general fraternity meeting to be held every 2 years.

3. All resources, time and money saved from ending those programs will be devoted into hiring expansion personnel, specifically assigned to troubled chapters as well as chapters in certain regions.

4. Outside of risk management, the main focus of HQ for the next 10 years will be fundraising. This will include regional fundraisers, direct mailings, personal solicitations, encouragement in the form of naming rights, etc.

That's it. Recruitment. Fundraising. Risk management.

Once we have mastered those three, then we can move on to the True Brother program.

I think you guys are being a little to critical. If you don't know whats going on how can you pass judgement. All of the members that went to leadership from my chapter are excited about the program, and its prospects. Sometimes new programs can be good in all areas such as recruitment, fundraising and risk management. I love Lambda Chi and everything about it, but its time for change. For example, you could use a fraternity like Sig Ep, who came up with a program like the balanced man, now SigEp stands as the largest fraternity with 14,000 members, lots of chapters, they do well on lots of campuses in recruitment, and their alums donate a lot of money now. I'm sure their alums said the program was shit when it was released and that it would sucked, but who knows unless you give it time. I for one think the programs sounds great! I went through Impact leadership and was a third level graduate, the program was great in my eyes, and it has benefited me so far in my life. I believe in Lambda Chi, and its programs. Thats my take!!