Handing out our secrets?!
 

Just the other night this girl I know was out and about when a former TKE from Suny Cortland introduced himself to her. He had a huge TKE tattoo on his arm, so she asked about it and after some small talk he apparently told a great deal of our secret info... Ex: The grip, the word, etc... I was in shock. She said that he was just some older alum who didn't really give a shit about the info and was willing to tell anyone who would listen. I'm still very upset about it and I'm trying to find out more about this guy.

There are people like this. Luckily they are few and far between. The important thing to remember is that we "don't take secrecy as a fetish". If he were to go and say something to a non-teke, it is likely that they will forget it because it is meaningless to them. Additionally and more importantly, someone else knowing something does not reduce its meaning to you. There are really two ways to handle a guy like this: first, try to get him re-engaged with Teke because he obviously still cares enough about the Fraternity to remember important stuff. If that doesn't work, next you would want to appeal to his sense of respect. Convince him that others would be insulted by his frankness.

On a complete side note, the Silver Book is a published book and so is available to anyone provided that they know where to look and are motivated to go read it. Secrets are always less secret than you think they are.

SUNY courtland has no chapter they are an underground chapter that still says they are around. My buddie goes to school up there and is in Delta Chi. A few years ago I went to NYC with him, I drove there and a guy was wearing tke letters i asked him if they were still around and he said yes and not to believe what nationals has on the website

just because national doesn't like what a chapter's doing and tries to shut them down doesn't necessarily mean they're going to end that chapter... it just means that they're under the radar. If they're a strong chapter (of course they are... they're TKE's) they can keep themselves going. they may have lost their recognition, but they've gained their independence.

And a lawsuit.

Just to clarify - if TKE headquarters does not recognize the chapter, they are NOT Tekes. No charter = not TKE. You can wear the letters, you can know the secret stuff, but if you are not recognized by your inter/nationals you are not a member of that GLO. Yes, they gained their independence - from TKE.

What if the national HQ went under, would they not be Tekes anymore? I was initiated when nationals did recognize us as a chapter. Later, we lost our charter. In the last few years, the chapter was re-chartered. Was I not a TKE during those several years? Since my chapter had lost its charter?

If Tau Kappa Alpha were to no longer be a fraternity ("national HQ went under") they would still be Tekes IF they had been properly initiated. If you were initiated into a properly chartered chapter, you remain a TKE . Your membership is tied to you, not your chapter. If your chapter lost its charter when you were a member you would then become an alumnus if you were in good standing, much the way members who go to campuses without their GLOs are still members, although no longer active collegiate members.

However, once your chapter lost its charter it could no longer initiate new members until it was re-chartered. It ceased to exist as a TKE chapter.

:eek::eek:

:D

That'll teach me to respond with 3 hours of sleep!

It's like my mother-in-law says about using what's convenient instead of the proper dishes or utensils for serving: It's acceptable as long as you know better.

And I know you know better. :D

It is now corrected - yes, I know better. :)