Drink Limits at Parties
 

We currently (try to) limit people to no more than four beers at our parties. Some of our brother think it should be 6. What do you guys think?

It depends on the individual. Sometimes, two is too many. Other times, 10 is just fine.

For those that we don't know, careful observation is always the rule of thumb. Once they start becoming tipsy, they aren't having any more.

Realistically, is the limit even really enforced? If the answer is like I expect a no, it doesn't matter what it is.

At our parties it's unenforceable.... too many sources of alcohol in different rooms.

And four beers is kind of low...but so is 6.

How are you even enforcing that limit effectively?

The only solution I could see would be to limit the amount of alcohol available in the first place. I can drink 6 beers no problem. My pledge sister I drink with freuqently is silly after 2. Guys have varying limits, too. For some 6 will turn them into a maniac, for others it would barely be a start.

How about keeping your sargent at arms and maybe another guy completely sober for parties and enforce a you're-ridiculous-you're-out rule?

It depends on the time over which the alcohol is consumed and the size of the individual. Alcohol consumption over time= blood alcohol level

if you aren't taking these other things into consideration, a blanket beer cut off level is ridiculous and misleading.

If you have so few people at your parties that they can actually all get 6 beers...your parties suck. LOL

At Arkansas, every fraternity must have "party-martials" for every registered party.

Generally, these people are pledges or members who have done some wrong when there are no pledges. (except for Lambda Chi, I think they make members do it)

Anyways, they act as sober bouncers but can get drunk once the registered party ends (and the real party begins).

Why have limits at all?

1) No underage members should be drinking at organization-sanctioned events.

2) If anyone drinks at an organization sanctioned event and behaves responsibly otherwise, fine. If they embarrass themselves or your organization, you deal with it then.

Having a limit is meaningless if someone downed a fifth before they came through the door. Alcohol tolerance can vary so much in an individual on a daily basis with medication, food, sleep, emotions that an arbitrary number is not applicable.

I wonder how many fraternities have rules about third party vendors like many sororities do. It allows a trained and licensed professional to make the call and could actually be nice to not have to get into it with a brother if someone else handles it. It is a system that works in many bars, for a reason.

This.

This is ridiculous. Sounds like your fraternity cares about image too much and not about having fun together. "Excuse me buddy, but I've been watching you the whole time and I see that this is your 5th beer. You must now just talk to the others or leave the party. Have a good time. Frat on." Don't know your chapter, or fraternity but I can guess what your new rep. would be. The 4 beer [homophobic dumbass remark deleted] fraternity.

Even when I was in college in the dark ages, people drank before the party. It might help decrease consumption AT the party, but I'd gather that it won't make a dent overall.

With such wide disparities in ability to drink based on wide-ranging factors like weight, experience and metabolism, the only way you can make this work is to remove a numerical limit and instead enact the Feingold/Lil'John Standard of "Ball Till You Fall."

Glad I could help.