Zeta Chi charter pulled
 

Just found out my husband's chapter at U of H will be loosing thier chapter due to hazing. I bet the alumni are pissed after the massive house they just built!

oh no that's terrible...

we seriously need to figure out a way to stop all these shutdowns....

(not that they're unwarranted)

I feel like every colonization we get going we wind up with three shut downs...

I'd like to see HQ put more money into recolonization and expansion.

They've been on probation for a while now, pending an investigation by the university. They have been quite open about hazing as of late and apparently a resident of a house behind them got them on video. Thank god that video didn't get out to the hype-happy media here in Houston and deal another blow to the already weak Greek system here. We've just now got the administration on good terms with us and things are starting to turn around.

My one of my friends from high school is a Sigma Nu at Texas State and when he came down to visit a few years back we went to their house. They were understandibly cold to me after I told them I was a Sig Ep but they weren't exactly thrilled my friend was there either. I cant honestly complain about the condition of there house considering we are at the Bayou Oaks travesty but it was pretty torn up for being only 7 years old.

I guess they thought they could get away with anything seeing as how they were the only fraternity with an actual house and a very active alumni base. Hopefully they will be able to keep their house for an eventual return in a couple of years. We need good fraternities on this campus and the closing this chapter by Sigma Nu and not the university truely makes yall much better off for a return.

The Sigma Nu house at U of H was once a local organization. Perhaps they'll just take up their original moniker?

I seem to recall LBJ being a member of that local organization before it joined Sigma Nu.

All of the original fraternities were local prior to 1956 but LBJ went to Texas State.

Alright.. I heard somewhere he was a member of a local which later joined SN. Thought it was U of H. Guess not.

I'm not sure how much I'm allowed to discuss openly, but from what I heard my hubby talking about with his 'little bro'...who's (blood) brother is an active, they were talking about taking an 'unofficial' status. Hubby laughed that off as being stupid and 'pretending'. A comparison was also made to TKE doing the same thing after they had their charter pulled. They were there but not recognized. He won't talk about it, he's really disappointed that it happened.

Whoever mentioned the house, my husband was one of the first to live in it. It was so beautiful. But, seriously, how nice could it have stayed with a bunch of boys who don't know how to pick up after themselves? They probably should have made some rules and punishments for not taking care of it. The ladies bathroom was probably the cleanest place in there!

It's kind of sad really.. One of the guys from my chapter was good friends with some guys from down there. They seemed like decent folks.

All it takes is one or two semesters of pledging bad men to take down an entire chapter. Pledging idiots can take YEARS to clean up after. Bid liberally if you want but make sure that you use the "depledge" option as often as needed.

The best part of having an anti-hazing fraternity is that bad behavior is punished with depledgement instead of hazing....which doesn't actually curb bad behavior

Isn't this kind of the problem? The chapters that do haze...we all know they are out there...don't just decide one year, "HEY! Let's haze the snot out of the pledges this year! Wouldn't that be fun?" They are 'maintaining' the traditions of the chapter. Someone did it to them, and so on. My dad was hazed as a pledge. He's almost 60 now, and his chapter was pulled 20 years after he graduated for hazing.

Zeta Chi Done
 

I am very opinionated on this matter and if anyone would like to discuss the matter in private I am more than willing to do so.

I have to agree as in this case that chapters don't just decide Hey let's Haze, it goes on for years and years. Someone finally just gets fed up with it and reports it, even then sometimes nothing is done about it.

Had a neighbor taped the footage of the hazing with a video camera, it would be all over the news, national and local as well as youtube and my space. The Zeta Chi chapter was shut down on their own accord from within. The pictures and other evidence that was given to the proper officials would have been all over the media, had not been held by someone within the organization.

The problem with the Zeta chi chapter as someone else mentions in their post is that they were the only fraternity on campus with their own house, a nice house as a matter of fact and they took it for granted. The chapter had way to big of a head on it's shoulders. There were numerous attempts for the chapter to be fixed within, but various members held the idea that the Zeta Chi chapter was a secret society that had no reason to abide by the national fraternity laws or state statutes established by the state of Texas.

These ideas weren't only in the heads of members within the chapter is where the problem arose, to an extent, some alumni can be too involved. In reality you need alumni there that push the chapter to the right thing, but when alumni drive the chapter to do the "immoral thing" is where the problem arises.

I will say this, the University of Houston had a hand in deciding the fate of the chapter, which is why they will not branch off and remain an "unrecognized fraternity". Sigma Nu made a report on the same charges More than 9 months ago and found the investigation to be inconclusive??

The Zeta Chi chapter turned boys into alcoholics and at the end left them boys, where as it should have been molding those boys that joined it to be the leaders of the future.

Whatever the chapter decides to do on the day next month they are to decide the fate of the house, I sure hope it's a wise one.

Personally I'm all for shutting everything down for a few years, let the bad seeds fail out of school and then recolonize with a superior chapter than what ever existed. Being a superior chapter doesn't mean having a better house. I define superior chapter is transforming people's lives and molding them into our countries future.

Anyone with any comments on my opinion I'd feel free to discuss the situation with you granted that you're a Sigma Nu Alum. as all information I hold is very well informed information.

Do the alumni own the house? Can it be leased out to a sorority while the chapter is off campus; with the full understanding that when Sigma Nu decides to come back all new and better they would get their house back?

(I say sorority as they tend to leave the house in better shape during their living there then the fellas do).

That is a great possibility, It actually is owned by an alumni.

We just got 'the letter' today. None of the 6NPC would take it. They just moved into the Greek Park, and part of the agreement was 'all or none' of them being housed there. It will be curious to see what happens.

I PM'd you ZX810.

That's not exactly fair. There are quite a few successful members who made it past the college years to be contributing members of society. I'm sure things have obviously gone down hill since we were there in the late 90's, but FREE WILL does still exist. Many sorority members preach this: You get out what you put in. That could be an especially true statment in this circumstance.

I'll agree with you on that, past times for the Zeta Chi chapter have been great and produced many successful individuals, I am refering to more recent years for the chapter and in no way am I tying the past success of the zeta chi chapter, to the zeta chi chapter that has been shut down. The only link between the two states of the chapter is their name, other than that, the principles and so on that guide the chapter have diminished to a great state of immorality.

I am strongly suggesting that you take any real names out of your post. It's poor etiquette to out people without their permission.

zx810,

Brother, you are just the kind of alumnus who needs to make sure he's in the middle of whatever is decided. Thank you very much for your concern for your chapter. Can you imagine what sort of organization Sigma Nu could be if every alumnus cared half as much as you do about his chapter?

http://sigmanufraternityinc.cmail5.c...with_honor.jpg
November 1, 2007

Dear Brothers and Candidates,
Over the past 10 months, we have sent you information regarding the closure of four chapters (Kappa Nu at Central Missouri, Theta Iota at Middle Tennessee State, Delta Iota at Washington State and Theta Phi at Lander University) for violations of the Fraternity's law and policies that included acts of hazing. We are writing today to share new information about two additional hazing-related closures.
The Fraternity wants to ensure its position on the matter of hazing remains clear: those who haze will face consequences. At the conclusion of this e-mail, please review the steps listed to learn how you can help to ensure your chapter is doing everything possible to prevent a similar situation on your campus.
In mid-October, action was taken by our High Council to revoke the charter of our Zeta Chi Chapter at the University of Houston in response to numerous violations of the Fraternity's law and policies that also included acts of hazing. Specifically, the Fraternity's investigation evidenced the following violations:

1. Situations created to produce the mental and physical discomfort of candidates.
2. Situations created to produce the embarrassment, harassment and ridicule of candidates.
3. Situations created to produce physical and psychological shocks of candidates.
4. Situations that produced the excessive fatigue of candidates.
5. Situations involving "road trips" and "scavenger hunts" for candidates.
6. Situations involving "lineups" of candidates.
7. Situations involving candidates being instructed to wear apparel that is conspicuous and not normally in good taste.
8. Situations involving candidates being instructed to engage in public stunts and buffoonery.
9. Situations involving candidates being instructed to engage in degrading and humiliating games and activities.
10. Situations involving late work sessions.
11. The involvement of alcohol in candidate activities.
12. The encouraged consumption of alcohol by candidates during candidate activities.
13. The provision of alcohol to candidates.
14. The provision of alcohol to those under the legal age to possess or consume alcohol.
15. The consumption of alcohol by those under the legal age to do so.
16. The presence of common sources of alcohol (beer kegs and liquor "punch") at chapter social activities.
17. The participation of chapter members and candidates in alcohol "drinking games."
18. The participation of chapter members and candidates in the execution of a cover-up plan that included lying to Fraternity officials during the Fraternity's investigation, beginning in February 2007.

Action was also taken by our High Council in mid-October to revoke the charter of our Kappa Delta Chapter at Duquesne University in response to numerous violations of the Fraternity's law and policies that also included acts of hazing. Specifically, the Fraternity's investigation evidenced the following violations:

1. The involvement of alcohol in the candidate education program.
2. The provision of alcohol to those under the legal age to possess or consume alcohol.
3. Consumption of alcohol by those under the legal age to do so.
4. Situations designed to cause the mental and physical discomfort of candidates.
5. Situations designed to cause the embarrassment, harassment, ridicule and/or humiliation of candidates.
6. Situations designed to cause the excessive fatigue of candidates.
7. Situations designed to cause psychological shocks for candidates.
8. Situations requiring candidates to perform acts of personal servitude.
9. Situations involving scavenger hunts for candidates.
10. Situations involving late work sessions for candidates.
11. Situations involving the paddling of candidates.

As a member of Sigma Nu Fraternity, you have voluntarily assumed a direct responsibility for doing all you can to ensure that hazing does not occur in your chapter. Take action now to:

1. KNOW and make sure your fellow members know what constitutes hazing in Sigma Nu (see links below), at your college or university and in your state or province.
2. KNOW and make sure your fellow members know the potentially disastrous personal and organizational consequences of hazing.
3. REVIEW all of your Chapter's programs and activities to be certain that there is no vestige of hazing or unlawful conduct included in them. If you need assistance in reviewing your Chapter's programs and activities or in developing new programs and activities, contact Sigma Nu Fraternity Headquarters or visit our website, www.sigmanu.org to receive necessary support and resources.
4. REPORT ANY occurrence of hazing IMMEDIATELY to Sigma Nu Fraternity Headquarters at (540) 463-1869 or anonymously call toll-free (800) 993-1869, 24 hours a day.

If you are a Chapter officer, also take the following actions:

1. At your NEXT Chapter meeting, PROVIDE and REVIEW with every Brother and every Candidate a copy of the Fraternity's Anti-Hazing Policy (section V of our Risk Reduction Policy and Guidelines) and a copy of the Grand Chapter Resolution in opposition to hazing (click links for printable copies of each).
2. At EVERY meeting of your Chapter Brothers, remind them that hazing is strictly prohibited. Tell your Brothers to REPORT ANY hazing activity to you IMMEDIATELY.
3. At EVERY meeting of your Candidates, assure them that hazing is wrong, unlawful and has no place in our Fraternity. Remind them that they, as Candidates, are obligated to REPORT ANY hazing activity to the appropriate officer IMMEDIATELY.

In taking these actions, YOU WILL NOT STAND ALONE. Every true Brother of The Legion of Honor will stand with you. Your Chapter Advisor, Alumni Advisory Board, House Corporation volunteers, Division Commander, the High Council and the entire staff of the Fraternity are here to assist you as you meet this responsibility.
For more than 135 years, The Legion of Honor has depended upon its great leaders to answer every challenge and threat to the success of Sigma Nu. Those men have answered the call. Sigma Nu now calls upon you and we are convinced you will answer that call courageously.

Fraternally,
http://sigmanufraternityinc.cmail5.c...4/JayPitts.jpg http://sigmanufraternityinc.cmail5.c...radBeacham.jpg Jay Pitts (South Carolina) Brad Beacham (Texas Christian) Regent Executive Director cc: Greek Advisors, Division Commanders, House Corporation Presidents, Chapter Advisors and Alumni Advisory Board Members

That GC was good times.

No doubt about that. The Second City outing was fun. I'm going to GC in Austin and looking forward to the golf tournament and the Stubb's BBQ group outing dinner.

I'd be there, I hate that I'm missing it, but I have summer school finals during that week.

That totally sucks.

Sure does... I remember filling out a questionnaire following our GC in St. Louis. I went on a mini-tirade about the fact that 1/3 of the delegates are alumni, but short of hanging out in bars (which I don't object to in the least), there was almost zero programming. So they fixed that and now I can't go.

Just wanted to post an update.

Sigma Chi bought Sigma Nu's house. Hope they'll take better care of it! Of course, after being in the old Sigma Chi house...I doubt that. EEWW!!

Not leasing it? They bought it outright? Do you have any idea of figures/?

Thanks. I'm just curious if they will have a nice nestegg to build a newer/nicer house upon return.