Interesting rules that discourage having too much rushees

[moe.ron]

IFC grounds Sigma Phi Epsilon
The fraternity violated an IFC rule by signing too many rushees.

John Moss - Daily Staff Writer
February 13, 2004

OU Interfraternity Council placed Sigma Phi Epsilon on social probation until Jan. 1, 2005.

IFC, at a closed-door meeting Wednesday night, also barred the fraternity from all campus activities, including intramural and Campus Activities Council events, until January 2005, according to Andrew Sledge, member of Sigma Phi Epsilon. Sledge said his chapter’s president told him about the events of the meeting.

The fraternity will be allowed to finish competing in Sooner Scandals, a spring-semester Campus Activities Council event, IFC President Omar Zantout said.

Andy Oden, Sigma Phi Epsilon’s Oklahoma Alumni president, said the situation between the fraternity and IFC began last fall during rush, when the fraternity signed more rushees than IFC allowed.

The fraternity apparently signed 76 rushees, which was 21 more than IFC allowed fraternities to sign, Oden said.

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[astroAPhi]

How can you keep people from participating in campus activities? Does that mean if they want to play intramurals they just can't call their team Sigma Phi Epsilon?

[AlphaSigOU]

That's OU's IFC rush rules for ya...

The main reason these rules were set is that the IFC allows summer rush, though bids are not officially handed out until formal fall rush. Much like NPC's quota system, there is a cap on how many total pledges you can take in formal rush, generally around fifty to fifty-five; once you reach that total fraternities are not supposed to conduct 'open rush' (NPC = COB) until after spring formal rush. This was intended to keep the houses from aggressively recruiting incoming freshmen, who are required by OU policy to live in on-campus housing if they are under 21.

Mind you, they got off lightly... IFC could have cut their future quota for the following year's rush or flat out bar them from rush. As it was, they faced a $25,000 fine, which was later lowered to $10,000 and social probation added in a plea bargain.

[Firehouse]

I think this is terrific. The line between the good guys (the aggressive entrepreneurs) and the bad guys (restrictive bureaucrats) have never been more clearly drawn. This is EXACTLY the sort of thing that will elevate Sig Ep to prestige & power. In a well established fraternity system like OU's, the traditional big dogs don't like newcomers stepping on their turf. They tend to make rules, like sororities do, to keep the low ranking houses in line, all crafted piously in the name of "stability". They even offer ambiguous "Fraternity of the Year" honors to the lower ranking houses, but everyone knows where the real power lies. It might - might - be legit for sororities, but restrictive rush rules are anathema to men and their competitive, heirarchican natures. It's been awhile, but I remember the Betas, the SAE's, the Kappa Sigs and the Delta Tau Deltas were the large powerful houses, and the Sig Eps weren't on anyone's radar screen. Apparently, the Sig Eps have made a big move and are now taking on the system. Great for them! All the psychology is on the side of the aggressors. Let IFC do their worst. Sig Ep will get attorneys and I absolutely guarantee they will win. They will get their fine $$ back and they will get to keep their pledges and win the right to rush anyone they want at any time. But most important, they will achieve legend status for having the muscle and the manhood to take on the bid dogs and beat them at their own game.
My own fraternity at OU has struggled for years with low-to-middling membership. In spite of winning some nice-sounding awards, they are a solidly mid-tier, low prestige shop. I wish we had the vision and ambition to be a dominant force on that great fraternity campus. Good for you, Sig Ep. Go after 'em!

[33girl]

Originally posted by astroAPhi
How can you keep people from participating in campus activities? Does that mean if they want to play intramurals they just can't call their team Sigma Phi Epsilon?

Yes, but they can just call themselves "Men of the Golden Heart" or something and everyone will know it's Sig Ep anyway.

I guess I'm confused but what does this have to do with housing? Do they move into the chapter house when pledgeship begins?

[adpiucf]

That's so strange from my perspective as a sorority woman.

There SHOULD be a "quota" cap on the number of men they can bid in a typical formal all-campus recruitment.

BUT... there should be a set "chapter total" and any groups who are not at that total after the all-campus recruitment period should be allowed to extend bids until they reach the chapter total cap.

This sounds like the campus Greek Advisor does not have a handle on his position as an advisor, and in turn, is not allowing a competitive Greek environment to evolve.

[PhiPsiRuss]

Originally posted by adpiucf
That's so strange from my perspective as a sorority woman.

There SHOULD be a "quota" cap on the number of men they can bid in a typical formal all-campus recruitment.

BUT... there should be a set "chapter total" and any groups who are not at that total after the all-campus recruitment period should be allowed to extend bids until they reach the chapter total cap.

This sounds like the campus Greek Advisor does not have a handle on his position as an advisor, and in turn, is not allowing a competitive Greek environment to evolve.

Why should there be a quota? What's wrong with competition? Some men want to join a 200 man fraternity and some want to join a 40 man fraternity, and they can't do so in a NPC type recruitment (i.e. communist) environment.

[Tom Earp]

Wow!

firehouse, I am impressesed with your diatrabe, or not! Is it only because you are a PSE or a true beleiver of what the ineptitudeness of the Fine stupitity as I/you so refer to as OkieU Da!

Maybe they are trying to take lessons from the NPC to not let the newbies grow but only the OLDIES who are tried and true!

At least you did not say anything about LXA. By the way, of all of the Chapters that I have been to, they are my least favorite!

So since when Is SPE the shining light of GreekDom!

Just vent but be easy!

[adpiucf]

Originally posted by russellwarshay
Why should there be a quota? What's wrong with competition? Some men want to join a 200 man fraternity and some want to join a 40 man fraternity, and they can't do so in a NPC type recruitment (i.e. communist) environment.

Hi Russell,

I agree with you about the diversity of the Greek System-- that some PNM's prefer a smaller group as opposed to a larger group. I believe that certainly there will always be large groups and small groups to fit everyone's needs and wants.

The national groups place a lot of emphasis on chapter total because a chapter with high numbers has stronger finances, and a larger pool from which to develop leaders (so it's not the same people being burned out all the time from having to hold muliple offices.) A chapter with high numbers is also more visibile on campus, can (conceivably) contribute more hours of community service and campus participation, and afford its chapter house and national dues. Bottom line, it's a dollars and cents thing. Although formed for our social enjoyment, national Greek orgs operate as not-for-profit groups. A larger chapter of that group is more likely to be operating strongly as opposed to a smaller group that might be operating at a financial loss. There is also the belief that a larger chapter can be more selective in its membership recruitment (IE-- it can take the guy with a low GPA, b/c there are so many other members with higher GPAs to help compensate while he works to fulfill his potential).

I love your analogy about national groups being communists! LOL. Doesn't it feel that way? Who sang that song "It's all about the Benjamins, baby?" I think bottom, line, it's all about finances and operating in the black, as opposed to being in the red.

Hope this helps. I think you're 100% on about competition being important, and I do think that the concept of quota supports this by allowing all the groups to meet on a level playing field and compete in areas like member rention, athletics, campus involvement, academics, etc. I hope I haven't offended you at all and I respect your viewpoint.

[AlphaSigOU]

Originally posted by 33girl
I guess I'm confused but what does this have to do with housing? Do they move into the chapter house when pledgeship begins?

Nope. If incoming freshmen are under 21 and have less than 24 credit hours, they are required to reside in University housing, the only exception being if the freshman lives within commuting distance (within 20 miles) of OU with his or her parents.

Few, if any pledges or junior members will actually live in the fraternity house their freshman year at OU.

Firehouse is right... the IFC is effectively controlled by the larger, more established houses such as Beta, Kappa Sig and SAE. Smaller houses almost always get the shaft when it comes to rush, though they make up for it in dedication. I'm glad the Sig Eps are fighting back.

BTW, Firehouse, what house are you in, if I may ask? Our chapter has been inactive since 2000, used to be at the old Phi Delt 'Ski Lodge' at the foot of College Avenue

[moe.ron]

Response from the Chapter Counselor:

Sigma Phi Epsilon has letters of support from the national headquarters of every fraternity on campus, as well as the National Interfratenity Conference. Each of these fraternities condems the cap rule and has communicated that their local chapters are not following their own policies. The OU IFC has a cap of fifty-five pledges for each semester. The Sig Eps were fined $21,000 for breaking that cap. Upon appeal, that pealty was changed to a fine of $10,000, and social probation of four months. In addition, the Sig Eps were directed to conduct a recruitment seminar for the IFC, and an additional promise of a fine of $1,000 per pledge if we did not retain at least 90%.
None of these punishments are allowed in the IFC bylaws. We feel like these punishments are excessive and unreasonable we will continue to pursue a correction of this vindictive behavior towards Sigma Phi Epsilon.

Tim Lewis
Chapter Counselor
Sigma Phi Epsilon

[Colonist]

I have read a number of posts by you Tom and my only question is...do you even attempt to read your own posts? Seriously, not trying to be a dick here by come on your posts don't even make grammatical sense or any sense at all most of the time.

Originally posted by Tom Earp
Wow!

firehouse, I am impressesed with your diatrabe, or not! Is it only because you are a PSE or a true beleiver of what the ineptitudeness of the Fine stupitity as I/you so refer to as OkieU Da!

Maybe they are trying to take lessons from the NPC to not let the newbies grow but only the OLDIES who are tried and true!

At least you did not say anything about LXA. By the way, of all of the Chapters that I have been to, they are my least favorite!

So since when Is SPE the shining light of GreekDom!

Just vent but be easy!

[moe.ron]

Originally posted by Colonist
I have read a number of posts by you Tom and my only question is...do you even attempt to read your own posts? Seriously, not trying to be a dick here by come on your posts don't even make grammatical sense or any sense at all most of the time.

That is because Tom is not speaking English. He is speaking Earpism. I took a class on it. Very hard to pick up.

[Firehouse]

Hi, guys. Thanks for your comments.
To adpiucf: There are few if any fraternity systems with anything like total or ceiling or quota. Men and women are very different in that regard. Men are combative; women are cooperative. We're generally not interested in a more level playing field as you say. We want to win and toward that end we'd like the field to be slanted as much our way as possible. There are disadvantages to both approaches. Women have all the Pan-Hel rules and they provide stability. However, my experience in large sorority systems has been that whichever sorority currently has the lowest membership and is the closest to going out of business, is one that has nearly always dwelt in the lowest tier. Fraternity systems do not have the stability of sororities, but individual houses (like the SigEps at OU) can come from far back to challenge for the top spot.
To Tom Earp: Hi old friend and fellow Heller devotee. I appreciate your kind words but I do not know what a PSE is. As for Sig Ep being the "shining light of greekdom", they have come a long was up the ranks nationally in a relatively short time. They have done it by being exteremely aggressive in both housing and in membership. Your LXA has certainly done well too, and for the same reasons.
To AlphaSigOU: I'd rather not say right now which house is mine because I'm embarrassed that I sounded critical of them in this forum. I didn't go to school at OU but I have visited that chapter over a long time and I have always been frustrated at their lack of ambition and vision. They need to build their membership to competitive size, bulldoze their house and build a mansion to compete with Beta, SAE, K-Sig and now Sig Ep. Instead, they seem to 'not get it'.
By the way, I googled up Sig Ep's OU web page, and it's tremendous. there's a photo pf all 75 pledges dressed in matching shirts. It's an awesome statement of purpose and strength. Their composite already has over 100 men pictured. Trust me, SigEp at OU was not on the radar screen in the past. Now it looks like they've built a fantastic new home, with three-storey columns, and their membership competes in numbers and quality with SAE, Beta etc. Bully for them.

[AlphaSigOU]

Originally posted by Colonist
I have read a number of posts by you Tom and my only question is...do you even attempt to read your own posts? Seriously, not trying to be a dick here by come on your posts don't even make grammatical sense or any sense at all most of the time.

Easy, bud... that is the unique language of Tom Earp, known as Earplish! What appears to be horrendous grammatical and spelling barbarisms are nothing more than Earp-isms, which us old-timers on GC can somewhat understand. You don't learn Earplish - it learns you... right, Tom?