You're right. This is a gray area.
Many fraternities have some rule about how if a certain number of your fraternity throwing a party constitutes an official fraternity party.
Of course that is somewhat ridiculous if 10 guys live together off campus and if someone's birthday party was thrown there, it would be considered a fraternity party.
Bottom line is that when it's a fraternity event, you know. You can try and get around it by saying it occured off campus and wasn't advertised, but it's still a smaller version of a party.
If your guys are going to get into trouble for these smaller parties and primers anyway, share the blame. You threw a primer and did not check IDs so you get blame and the underaged sorority members that decided to put themselves at risk get blame.
-Rudey
--How is it any worse than what it is now?
Quote:
Originally posted by UNLDelt
Rudey,
I would reccomend that to every house for its legitimate social activities. Keeping a list is a great way to manage liability.
But in this case what gets houses (at least Nebraska houses) in trouble is not the registered, third party vendor, social function...but rather small parties before and after the legitimate function known as "primers" and afterhours. This is where the minors end up drinking. These parties are off campus, at someone's individual house, or apartment, are not set up by the greek houses but set up by individuals who live there and invite other's over. This is what the article is talking about (I don't think it makes that clear distinction between legitmate function, and this illigitimate function.) and Fraternties are consistantly held responsible for these functions, as if we can control every decision our members make. If a minor (both fraternity or sorority member) is drunk, it's 99% likely that they were at one of these illigitimate functions drinking.
So if a fraternity tried to monitor or control these functions that are not supposed to happen anyway they would be assuming even MORE liability and risk by getting involved in the coordination of illegal activity. Thus crossing the line from "individual decsions" (which the University holds us responsible for anyway) to "chapter function and particpation in illegal activity".
Touchy subject when there is no clear limit to what Fraternties can be liable for.
|