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Chris and Kyle,
I firmly believe that fraternity membership as a colony member is drastically different than membership in an already established chapter. There are several key things which make being part of a colony truly unique. They are:
-The ability to start something from scratch and to grow it into a successful organization of like-minded men (this is essentially what entrepreneuers do when they start a new business).
-The opportunity to recruit specifically based on need rather than based on what shows up. A colony is generally successful because it addresses its' weaknesses through recruitment. This strategy is rarely practiced by existing chapters, and I believe it is one of the greatest opportunities for a colony.
-The ability to build traditions and norms that will be practiced for years to come. This may sound overly philosophical, but Pike can be whatever you want it to be on your respective campuses. No other organization can change their culture at the drop of a hat.
I think, however, there is a common idea among colony members that the colony has to be 180 degrees different than the existing fraternities on campus. While this idea may seem true, that the Pikes should conduct themselves drastically different than the others, it is important to always remember the climate of the campus and competition from other organizations.
It sounds like Kyle and the Indiana boys are headed in the right direction by appointing specific men to target specific areas within recruitment. Every few years, Bobby Bowden at FSU has to recruit a long snapper, a fullback, and even a placekicker (I say this in jest, Firehouse, the FSU kicker didn't blow the game vs. Miami this year!). Recruitment is exactly the same. If there is one area where we need to be creative, and to think differently than the others, it is in recruitment. If the average at Hofstra is 4-9, Pike should be double that. If at Indiana, where the well-established chapters take a traditional pledge class in the 20s, let's buck the trend and take two 20-man classes in the fall. These concepts may be hard to swallow but they are what keeps Pike at the head of the pack and what makes our expansion process so successful.
Fraternally,
Andy Axsom
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