New Alcohol Policy
 

I was just wondering what other Gamma Phi Beta's thought about the new alcohol policy?
Are any other organizations being forced to have a new alcohol policy too?

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Don't look to the future
or dwell in the past
But live for the moment
and long it will last

I'm assuming your new alcohol policy is something along the lines of you can't have it anymore? I was just curious what the details of this policy were. Thanks

AXPAlum

i'm not sure of all the details, but as a chapter we can't step foot on the grounds of another frat or sorority that as a chapter isn't dry. We can not have things such as socials and events with the frat or sorority unless they are dry.
We have been a dry sorority for quite sometime now, (no drinking in letters, no drinking in our house, no drinking at socials or other events) but i am afraid that as a social sorority we will lose the social aspect of things.

[This message has been edited by FlyPhi (edited July 19, 2000).]

That seems a bit extreme. You're telling me that if a fraternity that wasn't dry wanted to have an event with you, even if it was dry, it couldn't be at their house?

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Steve Corbin
Lambda Chi Alpha
Theta Kappa Chapter
Rose-Hulman Inst. of Tech.

Oh ok, they recently voted on this at my school too for all sororities this past year. Yea, no alcoholic mixers, can't associate with fraternities that aren't dry. This is just another stupid policy that attempts to divide the greeks or force us to comply with every rule of the university. What surprises me is the politics involved and how the soroities don't seem to argue this policy because they are too scared to lose their charters. I admit, alcohol is a losing argument to fight about most of the time, but still I thought many people accepted this rule blindly and didn't really discuss it enough. Nevertheless, most alcoholic events at fraternities houses are illegal, so I don't think this policy will change much of the socializing among fraternities and sororities.

AXPAlum

All 26 NPC sororities passed some sort of resolution in support of the fraternities that are going dry. The policies vary...

Alpha Xi Delta, KKG, & Pi Beta Phi cannot have a co-sponsored event with a fraternity that isn’t dry nationally or chapter-wise. All their events have to be dry. (It sounds like Gamma Phi Beta has gone to this too)

There are about 10 more who can only co-sponsor functions if the FUNCTIONS (not necessarily the fraternities) are alcohol free.

And the rest are “supporting” the fraternities that have gone nationally or chapter-ly dry. Which to my understanding basically means “It’s really cool that y’all are doing this and we really respect & admire you for it. We’re going over to the DKE house & have another Corona.”

If you’re in that first category, it might work if your whole system goes dry or you’re at a big school, but what if you’re at a school with only one dry frat & they suck? (Not because they’re dry, but because they always sucked) I can just imagine rush..."You mix with one frat all the time? Thank you, bye."

We will see how this all sticks if rush #’s start drying up. (no pun)

The purpose of this policy is not to penalize fraternities and sororities, it is to ensure that fraternities that are dry are given an equal chance to compete socially. The new NPC policy states that NPC sororities will not participate in a social mixer, on fraternity property, where alcohol is present. While the 26 sororities have taken three different stances (facilities, function, and support)they have all agreed that there will be no alcohol invoved in mixers taking place on fraternity property. The facilities policy is the most strict (no functions at the houses of fraternities that are not dry). The support policy actually means that those sororities support the policy itself and are still deciding which stance they want to take within the perameters of the policy itself. It all seems a little confusing but as a member of out Executive Board for Panhel, I attended the Panhellenic Conference for the South East US and many of the workshops were geared toward clarifying this policy. The main goals of this policy are (A) to reduce the amount of liability placed on chapters themselves by encouraging social events involving alcohol to move outside the fraternities houses and place that liability on a third party (bars, rental halls) and off of the chapter and (B) support IFC (NIC) fraternities that decide to go dry by ensuring a level playing field for them to compete socially.
I encourage you to contact Panhellenic for more information. They have sent informational packets and alternative social solutions to you college Panhellenic.

Well,

This is the first I've heard of 3 different stances sororities are allowed to take. Unfortunately, the only one that is being used or discussed is the facilities policy, no socializing with fraternities that are not dry. I'm sure these policies are making everyone look great and feel proud, but do you really think it will accomplish anything? The only real purpose I see in the new alcohol policy is that NPC is just putting pressure on fraternities to "go dry or don't talk to us," simply put. How exactly is that leveling the playing field? Your trying to keep sororities from associating with fraternities. That doesn't appear to be fair and equal in my opinion.

AXPAlum

Alpha Chi Omega just wrapped up National Convention 2000, and we are now also adopting not only the dry policy, but also the no events with non-dry other houses. All I will comment on right now is to say I wonder how this will all turn out.

So there's no socializing AT ALL with non-dry houses? I'm sorry, but that is retarded! I can totally understand not being able to do something where alcohol is involved, and maybe even not having events AT non-dry houses, but not even being able to rent a hall, or have it somewhere at the school? I don't get it. I guess eventually LCA won't have anything to do with sororities, because we have no plans of going dry any time soon, at least as far as I know.

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Steve Corbin
Lambda Chi Alpha
Theta Kappa Chapter
Rose-Hulman Inst. of Tech.

That is not what "facilities" means. AXO, KKG, Pi Beta Phi and other sororities that have taken this stance cannot have any functions at a non dry fraternity house. But they are stll permitted to have functions at other venues (bars, rented halls) Tri Delt for example can still have a cook out (as long as there is no alcohol) at a house that is not dry as long as the event is. Miseducation is one reason this policy seems crazy. All it is doing is moving alcohol related events out of the frat houses.

Alright,

Now I thought I had it all figured out but I'm back to square one. First it was suggested that the facilities policy is the most strict and you can't have functions with a non-dry fraternity, now the definition is changing to you can have functions with them, but only at a location other than their chapter house. Ok, now if sororities adopt a dry policy too, they aren't allowed to even go to a bar to associate with the non-dry fraternities. So, basically put, this policy forces a non-dry fraternity to spend a lot of money so that they can rent out another venue and have a non-alcoholic function with a sorority. Hmm, ok, I don't think miseducation of this policy is the problem here. I believe this policy is making a clear point that NPC will no longer cooperate with fraternities that use alcohol. Yes, I understand you have many different levels on the policy. But if NPC really wants to help reduce alcohol related problems in sororities and fraternities, telling someon you can't do this makes them want it even more. And they'll probably hold illegal unregistered functions to do it too. Why not adopt an alcohol-education policy where you can help create awareness and treat them like responsible and mature people? Maybe I still don't see the policy clearly, perhaps if there is a link on the web that has the exact language of the policy, someone would be kind enough to post it and allow us to read it for ourselves. Thanks

AXPAlum

Ummm...

The way I read this handout we got from our national HQ, regarding that first category, it doesn’t say anything about you can go with 3rd party vendors. It says that if the fraternity isn’t dry, you can’t co-sponsor a function with them, period. I might be reading it wrong but that’s the impression I got. I was also looking at Alpha Xi Delta’s website and they say on there “anywhere there are 2 AXD’s, there is an AXD function.”

Well gee if my sorority followed that policy, I guess every day I go to work is a sorority event since another alum sister works with me!!

I’ll bring the handout with me on Monday & quote it verbatim. In the meantime, are there any KKG’s, Pi Phi’s or AXD’s that can help us out?

I just really think this policy is being adopted way too soon since many aren't positive as to what they can or cannot do. What is the big rush with this? Is it the media attention that NPC wants to get? Something just doesn't stand correctly with all this. Even when fraternities that were going dry where told of their policy, it was not immediate, many are just starting this year and will be doing it carefully. All of a sudden, sororities going dry before they know about it. Oh well, if that's the game they want to play, maybe fraternities will have to adopt a non-dry sorority policy just to level the playing field. I just hope NPC is prepared for all the consequences of rushing into a serious policy like this.

AXPAlum

this alcohol policy kinda hits my organization pretty hard as well. sigma alpha iota is nationally dry, and can't hold a co-sponsored event if there will be alcohol. we can't even be affiliated with it. i found it quite interesting that AXD has the policy they do...by seeing the girls on my campus, i never would have known. but i CAN relate to the "when there are two AXD's together, that is an AXD function" SAI really works in the same way. now, this doesn't mean that when we're talking on our way to class together, it's an SAI event, but it DOES mean that when there's a party and SAI's are hanging out together, we're expected to act like SAI's-follow the guidelines set forth in our bylaws and such. it CAN be a pain, but it really shows a lot of integrity...

etienne
sigma alpha iota-the hartt school of music

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"red is the color of music and has been since the very earliest of times. the caps of faeries and musicians are well-nigh always red."~*~w.b.yeats

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