MoP Vision
 

Does anyone feel Betas are in high demand by leaders of business, govenment and the professions? That is the only 1 of the 5 visions I have not experienced or encountered.


Beta Theta Pi will be the exemplary standard for collegiate fraternal societies. Through implementation of Men of Principle, Beta will have successfully implemented policies and programs to achieve these objectives:

· Betas will be universally known as friends, gentlemen and scholars.
· Beta Theta Pi will be acclaimed and respected by the academic community.
· Beta Theta Pi will be endorsed by parents who will advocate membership for young men.
· Betas will be in high demand by leaders of business, government and the professions.
· Beta Theta Pi will engender bonds of friendship and brotherhood which create a lifelong commitment to serve and support the Fraternity.

What?

I still think that MoP is ridiculous. I see no point in it besides being a dividing factor in the National Fraternity. At least now non MoP are allowed to participate in all GF functions...:rolleyes:

I have a lot of respect for a the GF President and the Foundation Members...but most of the men that run the day to day affairs (more of the middle level guys) I greatly dislike. There is one hell of a disconnection between the chapters and the GF/MoP chapters. It is certainly not a good thing.

My chapter is non-partnered. We have an open door policy with the GF, and they have the same with us. We have unlimited resources with GF, we just gotta go get them. They have never shot us down when we asked for help. They come on their normal visits and offer advice. They are Betas too.

I think chapters that take the stance of 'well we've been around 125 years, we're not changing our traditon, you can't tell me what to do...blah blah blah', those are the chapters that will eventually bite it.

You are right about resources now, but I remember distinctly being told that MoP chapters came first in the order of how resources were distributed. The EC at the time came in and talked to us and went over what programs we could use and what programs were MoP only. It has changed, but that is only because vocal chapters demanded it.

The one question that no EC or MoP rep. could ever answer is why should my chapter become MoP and agree to follow the same beliefs/rituals that we already agreed to live by when we became Betas?

All I got was some mumbled answer about how since my chapter was already living by Betas Principles that we were like a MoP chapter already and if we did follow those beliefs good for us. Just a nice cop out.

They didn't have an answer about how creating a division in our Fraternity was benefical either. The EC responsed that eventually every chapter would be MoP or shut down in a really assinine way.

Well, either your EC was a real jag, or you just got him on a bad day. No chapter has to go MOP. Its the chapters choice. If they feel they are as good as they can be and do everything they need to do in order to be good Beta's, then they shouldn't go MOP. I feel the same way.

But, when my chapter (personally) felt that way for 10 years, and we went from 60 guys to 18, and they STILL feel that way, when our traditions, lack of formal rush, lack of GOOD leaders, lack of organization drive them into the ground - then the MOP is something that can help re-structure that chapter and get them back on track to ruling.

Again, if a chapter doesn't need/want MOP, fine, stay that way. The only division in our fraternity, is being created by cry-baby chapters that say 'you're dividing our fraternity'. Which is untrue.

^ well said.

It is not a chapters choice. Every chapter that is recolonized comes back as a MoP chapter and many times when a chapter is re-organized one criteria (or punishment) is that it has to be MoP.

I don't know if you went to convention last year, but I did. I was in the legislature sessions and there was definitly a division. The 'cry baby' chapters are right and the GF is becoming more and more disconnected from the majority of it's chapters-the non MoP chapters.

Of the two EC's that I've worked with in my time here, I would not welcome either one into my house if it was in my power. I have no respect for them and I think they are bad human beings.

I guess we'll continue to disagree then. When you're out of school later on down the line, and realize that there is more to Beta than just your chapter, you'll realize that change for the better, is a good thing.

I've been thinking about this a lot since we brought these discussions back up.

Here's what I think the difference is and why MoP is a worthwhile endeavor.

The oath we've taken as part of our initiation is a personal vow. It is saying, "I want to be a part of this, and I agree that these are goals to aim for in my personal actions."

MoP is a chapter level program. I 100% believe that you could have a chapter of 60 guys, all of whom are living by the three and seven and still have a chapter in which nothing remarkable gets done. Sure, you'd probably have decent grades, and there would be no issues with risk management, and the service point would be there, and you'd probably be able to get the sisson every year. But let's be honest there would probably be plenty of apathy, and the only real way things would get done are when you had people really step up and lead, which I'm sure that we can all agree is something that doesn't always happen...or the guys who step and lead jsut don't cut it (it happens all the time in my chapter), and nothing is accomplished. Or the other scenario is that any sort of changes the execs want to implement run into a brotherhood that doesn't care.

MoP is set up to say we want to be better than we are at this point, and here are nine areas in which we can gain some sort of measure in how we are doing. Further, eacy year - AS A CHAPTER TOGETHER - we will set specific goals for us to get better as a chapter. Most importantly, these arent' goals that the GF comes to us and says here's a project go do it, but actually goals that we ourselves identify and we ourselves choose how we will accomplish them. Yes, the GF has identified those 9 areas, but how we actually choose to improve in those areas is very wide open.

For example, during my time as an undergrad, for the goal of "Cultivation of the Intellect" we twice made goals associated with improvement here. One year we revamped our Academic probation program and another we tried to set up a Beta Literary Society. Two very different goals both aimed at the same thing.

Another example is for Lifelong Fraternal Brotherhood. Goals we've had here included the election of Class alumni liasons for each new graduating pledge class (a guy who the Alumni Chair will be able to contact and that guy will be responsible for notifying his pledge brothers of things going on), another was inviting members of the Silver Seal pledge class back to the initiation banquet as well as the Fraternal Fifties, and another goal was aimed at an increase in the number of Kai events and specific brainstorming sessions to come up with new ideas.


Why is MoP successful? A couple of reasons: one, I think that it is rare for many chapters to sit down and have a time in which they really think about their weaknesses. School is busy, there are parties, chapter meetings can only go so long. All are barriers to focusing on those areas in which we can improve. Two, the entire chapter gets involved, and someone can say, "hey I really don't think that this is what we need to be focusing on" or "let's do this and this other thing to really improve." The collective nature helps and gets people involved. Finally, while you may not think so Cooramoor, my experiences have shown that the GF is almost entirely hands off during the process. They don't come in and say, you guys suck here, this is how you fix it.


Is MoP necessary for a good chapter? Absolutely not, and anyone who believes it is, doesn't understand what a good chapter is.

Is MoP sufficient for a good chapter? Probably not, but I bet that a horrible chapter that goes MoP will see considerable improvement over the course of 4-5 years, far more so than a non-MoP chapter. Further, such improvement will not be dependent on the presence of some "golden" pledge class that the chapter got lucky in recruiting one year (b/c I know that sometimes this happens...one or two guys suddenly find their groove in college, and through shear force of their wills get a chapter to improve).




As for a couple of other things that you mentioned in this thread: MoP is not a punishment. Only re-colonization efforts start out MoP. If the chapter doesn't close but is reorganized, than those members still around have to approve the initiative along with the Alumni Advisory team. Just like any other partnering. Now you're probably saying that it is implied that the chapter will be closed unless they agree to partner and that may be true, but in that case those guys have chosen Beta over whatever other qualms they have with MoP or the GF or anything else. I still see that as a choice that is legitmate. They are choosing to make the chapter better than it was when they easily could say to hell with it.

Finally, I understand the frustration with the dry rush policy. That being one of the very few mandates from partnering (others being non-hazing pledge period, and agreeing to the increased number of GF visits). I have said on here several times that dry rush can be a death knell for a chapter if everyone else is rushing wet. That is one rule that I think can and should be broken if necessary.


Sorry for the length, but talking Beta shop is way more fun than studying for my clinical skills exam that is tommorow (yes I have tests on Saturdays).

Re: MoP Vision
 

Evidence that I have for fulfilling this. Of the 9 guys in my pledge class who graduated in 4 years:

2 are in Medical School
1 is in Pharm School
1 is in Dental School (I'm not sure that he actually graduated though...dental school is like that).
1 is in Law School
2 are in Architecture Graduate programs
1 got a job offer in September of his senior year to work for Union Pacific after interning there the previous summer

and 1 moved to Japan and is teaching English.


I think that is pretty successful and fits in with the being in demand by leaders of business (the guy working for UP) and the Professions, (the 7 of us in Professional School).

Of the remaining guys in my pledge class who are set to graduate this May,

One is going to Pharm school
One has already done his student teaching and had 4 different job offers with all his top choices of school districts
One is starting on his MBA
One will take the CPA exam in May (I think) and I'm pretty sure he's already got a job at Deloitte and Touche
One is going to Law School and another one will eventually make it there.
One has a job with Ameritas lined up
One will be graduating from Nursing School and will probably be getting into an Anesthesiology(sp?) Fellowship in a year and a half.

There are a handful of other guys that I don't know what they're up to, but I think the list of accomplishments that I know about is significant indication of success.

great responses Betarulz!

That was probably the best response I have ever read in regard to MoP.

MoP is nothing more than a scheme by the GF to take soviergnty away from the chapter. Self-governance is impossible under MoP without advisors/EC's/GF reporting.

My chapter tried to go back from the MoP. Because of this, we are no longer recognized by the general fraternity.

Can you give some example of how there is a lack of self-governance?

One word: Alcohol