[Erik P Conard]

As a field rep from '57 to '59, I pioneered a lot of campi for TKE.
We were a small, but up and coming, outfit with little prestige,
and most of the old line clubs would sneer at us, and it was at
times difficult to even get an appointment at traditional greek schools. Lambda Chi, due to their merger with TKN, Sig Ep and
TKE were the new kids on the block. Worked for us....
Today, and we have long planned this, those of us who expanded
have a quarter million initiates. So does SAE, but ours are mostly
living, as we got underway in the 1950s while they were well established on ivied campuses by 1900. That is to say, the older
ones may have comparable initiate figures, but who has the most
living?
HOWEVER, the alumni from these newly-entered schools have not
the loyalty or tradition that the old ones did...for example, TKE
at Cleveland State has not the alumni support that TKE at Ohio
State does...and so on. Both have well over 1,000 initiates...
So, there's plus and minus factors regarding size. Likely the most cautious and successful program I know of, and don't call
me a wannbe Beta, please, but Beta Theta Pi has grown slowly
and carefully. But, they, too pottied in their chili at Hawaiii as well
as Sig Ep and TKE...all of us folded. Size, quality, rep meant little.
Naw, I do not think there is any pat answer. Probably Hoosier has succinctly put it....advisers, active board, caring alums...
We have, though, gone along with the dumbing-down profile, and
the colleges with fraternities and the trappings now include the
old trade schools, aggie ones, normal colleges, streetcar ones...
a far cry from Goodbye Mr Chips, the ivied mansions, and the
elitist ideas which went with it all. Then the Gettysburg Phi Psis
built a cabin in the woods so as to meet...and off we went!