Penn State Alums Urging Changes to Dry Policy (Phi Delta Theta)
 

The January 18 Penn State student paper has the story:

http://www.collegian.psu.edu/archive...ainst_dry.aspx

Alumni of the (former) Phi Delt chapter at Penn State are reportedly planning to challenge the fraternity's national "dry" policy. The article indicates that they hope to be able to get a new set of national officers elected at the fraternity's next national convention. With new officers they hope to modify the current policy on alcohol.

Veeerry interesting, thanks for posting the article. I understand their point, unless things have changed radically on campus, it's got to be unbelievably tough for them to compete in that greek system as a totally dry house. They'll attract pledges just because they're Phi Delt and have such a strong national reputation, but like it or not, being totally dry will hurt them socially in that huge system.

If they are the only dry house on campus, I could see how that can somewhat hurt recruitment. It seems, though, that the alumni view alcohol as the fraternity's main selling point. You can go to a bar to drink; the fraternity should be about business, for the most part. The dry policy was undoubtedly put into effect for a reason, so they may want to focus their energy on something else.

Interesting read, though.

ETA: Is the dry policy a national mandate by Phi Delt, or is this something that was imposed on this specific chapter?

knight_shadow, I'm not a Phi Delt, but I believe the answer to your question can be found on Phi Delta Theta's international web site, in the "About Us" section, specifically in the "Alcohol-free Housing" portion of "About Us."

I think you can get to Phi Delt's international web site via

http://www.phideltatheta.org

(Also, of course, a Phi Delt or two on GC may be willing to PM you with information about their international policy.)

For once, I'm with Phi Delt! FIGHT T3H POWER!!!11

Theta Chi (also at Penn State) is a dry national.

Doesn't Theta Chi have a waiver policy which allows a chapter to have alcohol in the house, provided they meet certain criteria? I believe Phi Delt is (or was) the only national that did not have some sort of waiver policy.

Yea our alcohol-free housing applies to every chapter, not just Penn State. I don't like it too much either, since sometimes after a long day I just wanna crack open a cold one, but I cant, and I either have to go to a bar or a friends house and sometimes I just dont feel like going out. But thats just my 2 cents.

Got it. Thanks.

Quick question: If your chapter has a house, is there some sort of requirement for living in it? I ask because I also like to come home and have a beer after a long day, but if my org had a stipulation like that, I just wouldn't live in the house.

Bumping this because I don't remember seeing any replies for it.

Anyone want to shed some light on this?

Phi Delt's house here is about as dry as the pacific ocean.

Phi Delt chapters that want to be wet should look a becoming a local like Virginia and Sewanee. You could also join another national.....

I'm pretty sure that Kappa Sig is a dry national as well.

If and only if the playing field is equal.:rolleyes:

All or most will have a policy but it does not mean it is totaly followed!:eek:

These regulations are placed because of R M! Dah, the name of this thread.

Now, many know why you and others are considered boys and not men.

I always thought ATO was also dry? Or maybe it was just at my campus?

Wow. Did these chapters disaffiliate from Phi Delt just so that they could be wet? That seems odd to me :confused:

ETA: I'll ask this again since I never got an answer that last time I posted this question: If your chapter has a house, is there some sort of requirement for living in it?

I liked the Phi Delts when I was an undergrad. They were a middle of the pack house at PSU, the guys were cool, they nearly did everything with Theta Alpha Pi/Omega Phi Alpha. I'm sad to see what happened but given how things are at PSU, I'm not surprised. Its a drinking town with a football problem. Delta Sigma Phi had gotten in trouble for drinking in the 90s, went local (Delta Sigma) and then went back to being a national after getting trouble for hazing. What amazes me is that more fraternities DON'T get in trouble for alcohol violations...

L. O. L.!!!!!!! I love it!! :D :D :D

I had the T-shirt, no lie.;) that t-shirt and the 107,000 people at Beaver Stadium shirt. Man, I cannot wait to go back to PSU even though it probably won't be until Artsfest...

I've been in a few Theta Chi houses and they DEFINATELY weren't dry...

This is generally a chapter/local issue, not a national issue. If a chapter has a house, and it doesn't look like a large single-family home, then there's probably a one year requirement to live in, unless you can find someone to take your spot. At some schools in the Big 10 and old Big 8 schools, you might have a two year live-in requirement, or a 2.5 year live-in requirement (which means you're there 3 years).

To ETA: The mandate was imposed on Phi Delta Theta in 1997 because of the abuse of alcohol at several of the chapters. Making chapter houses dry would save the fraternity in money and insurance issues (you know liabilities that result in lawsuits). Actually the Sigma Chi chapter was formed in 1855 because the Phi Delt Chapter at the Ohio Wesleyan would not allow the consumption of alcohol within the chapter.

Yeah I agree with that, but there's also zoning issues involved. Chapter houses are not allowed in New Britain CT. If a single family house were to convert to a frat house, the zoning for my town would change in regards to the house. Houses with more then 4 women (unrelated) are also considered bordellos (whorehouses) according to my town and are also banned....yeah its stupid.

You shouldnt have a problem with it. The federal law mandates 21 and over. What the hell do they think, that just because the fraternity is dry, that everyone else wont drink? Until the feds say they cant, people will drink. If chapter houses are to be dry its a decision the individual chapter should make. If the chapter house is not on school property, the decison should be left to either the school or the town not GHQ because their jurisdiction only lies on school property. If the house is privately owned then the decision should be that of the property owner.

No house is every really dry. It would be pretty odd to be playing beer pong with nonalcoholic beverages. Dry campuses put on events for their students and (at least at my school), if the 21 yr olds have any common sense they'll have their own "events" somewhere else.

OH MY GOD, dude, this thread's been dead since February and FOUR POSTS IN A ROW IN ONE THREAD IS NOT NECESSARY. Please learn the multiple quote function if you feel like you need to respond to every single poster individually.

As I stated in an earlier comment, its zoning. My town has an ordinance where more then 4 women is a whorehouse, and so they invoked an "unrelated" rule where no more then 3 people who arent related can live in a single family house. This doesnt apply to apartments or condos. This is how the town gets away with not allowing chapter houses, although a state decision would overturn this. Not sure if anyone has ever challenged it.

I know, but I'm a history major. I respond to everything and I read everything, unlike some people. Next stop ( in 09 ) Harvard University! BLAH!

I just think a dry policy is stupid. I mean look at Prohibition... lasted 15 years, and it took 53 years (1865 - 1918) to get the amendment passed. CT and RI were the only 2 states that never ratified it, probably for good reason. I dont drink, but if I did why the hell would I waste my time going to a bar when I can throw a few back at my house. I own a house that is rented out by fraternity guys who belong to a dry fraternity, and I allow them to drink there because I own the house and not the fraternity. If a dry frat wants to impose its policies on my house, they better be paying my utilities and my mortgage.

Your house follows it?

I haven't ran into many Phi Delt houses (if any) that do.

My house isnt a chapter house, thats how I get away with the rules that only I make. It cant be a frat house because of town ordinances. If it were my homeowners insurance would go through the roof. Its like $900 now a year, as a chapter house the zoning would change and my insurance could be as high as $8000 a year. My insurance wouldnt cover me anyways considering they dont insure chapter houses in my county.