DTD: doing good
 

Saw the new issue of the DTD magazine today, and it contains three excellent stories/journals by participants in their three summer leadership programs - sailing, expedition, and Bethany (founding site).

All of these programs involve only about 20 or less, plus a few leaders, for a week, but all made big impressions on the authors (Of course, I assume if the guy wrote negative, it would have never been printed).

These articles make me wonder about something similar for a pledge program:

a weekend retreat on/near campus, a week in the woods/ocean/conf. ctr. (during a school holiday), and a second weekend on/near the campus, ending with initiation.

I think it might be worth a try.

Thanks for the recognition and input. Our leadership academies are pretty special. I wish I had the opportunity to attend when I was in undergrad.

Maybe you can elaborate on the analogy with pledge periods. Are you suggesting a 2 week program then initiation? I would be for it as long as the new members receive adequate knowledge at the "retreat" or "academy".

Agree on the thanks. I don't believe the Leadership Academy was even available when I pledged, but I've had the opportunity to recommend a number of young Delts -- and several of them were accepted. The experience was outstanding, and many of them went on to help as alumni either as Chapter Consultants or in advisory capacities. They are a wonderful experience.

In terms of the pledge period, it is important to remember that the Ledership Academy is different in two ways: First, it is intensive, every day training which wouldn't be possible during the school year. Second, the training is meant to build on the things already learned during chapter experiences.

DeltAlum,

is this similar to LXAs Regional Conclaves?

While there many of these, there is also a Leadership Conference that brings many Actives togetehr.

To Me, this is important for many reasons:

1. Actives from different chapters can meet and intermingle.

2. Actives can meet and work with IHQ Staff Members.

3. It is structured for Leadership, Learning, and applying.

I have been to two as an Alum and they are awesome just to meet so many young faces and see the interaction and the making of life long relationships.

While it may sound trite, one will never know the feeling of meeting LXAs of GC from all over the country and the true friendships that were made.

Hi Tom,

I'm not sure how your Regional Conclaves are structured, but I suspect they are more like our Divisional Meetings where each chapter in a division sends as many undergrads and alums as can afford to go with some underwrighting from the division.

The Leadership Academy(s) are only held once a year in the summer, and are restricted to about 20-30 members each and slots are highly coveted.

The original Academy was always held at Bethany College, including the Delt Founders House which has been refurbished by the Fraternity. Within the past few years, two additional venues have been added -- one is sort of a super "outward bound" type gathering which is generally here in Colorado, and the third is on a sailing ship.

Here is a link for more information:

http://www.delts.org/Resources/Gener...eadership.aspx

They are highly intensive and feature not only the top men (alums) in the Fraternity, but ranking executives from business, etc.

If you know - and so I won't have to do a lot of searching - do the undergrads pay anything to participate? How much?

Yes, I'm pretty sure they do. I'm sorry I don't know how much.

Only in the last couple of years have the undergraduates had to pay anything. The previous 10-15 years, everything for the undergrad was paid. Now the IHQ charges an "application" fee. I think three years ago it was $50 which, from the chapters I spoke to at that time, was pretty much covered by either the chapter or house corp. But the rest (airfare, housing, and food) is covered by the fraternity.

Good information.

I looked at the website and it looks like the application fees for the Colorado and Maine programs are $200 and the Bethany one is less -- like maybe $50.

In any event, if those are the only fees, they're pretty inexpensive.