Vice President needs advise

Biren · #1 05-02-2006, 11:23 PM

Hello everyone,

I'm a brother at Delta Tau chapter at Millersville University. I have been reading these forums for some quite some time now but never got around to registering until today.

Anyway, I'm the newly elected Internal VP of my chapter for the next school year. Very excited for the position. This position has been sorta half-assed at my chapter for quite some time now, however I plan on changing that.

Most important advise I am seeking for at this moment is community service opportunities for my chapter within and outside of the campus. I've looked around the web for some opportunities, but they are all too professionally demanding or require dedication that is beyond the capacity of a normal college student.

If you've heard, we were on probation this past year for some shitty reasons, and also because some sorority girl had beef with us and wanted us on probation. But that's old matters, and with newly elected officers, the fraternity will be a lot different.

However, I have to make sure that next school year, the campus and the community really knows why Lambda Chi is the best fraternity on campus and everywhere else. I was looking for maybe a strategy or some sort of resource that could direct me into more specific community service/public relations events. I will greatly appreciate any help any of the brothers can give me. Thanks for reading this long ass introductory post too.

GammaZeta · #2 05-03-2006, 12:10 AM

Well, to offer some sound alumni advice in relation to community service, I think you really need to look at which group is in the most need and how you can help that group.

Luckily for you, there is a plight on college campuses throughout this nation: female college freshman are simply not getting enough alcohol. Believe it or not, statistics say that female college freshman are only getting drunk 2-3 times a week! Sure the statistics aren't based on any scientific, or even official study, but who needs science or evidence to prove facts! Hell, you can probably say I even made that statistic up, and you would probably be right, but who is to say.

So you, my young and ambitious friend, you have the opportunity to solve this long ignored problem affecting college campuses. Without getting drunk on a daily basis and having unprotected sex with random college fraternity brothers, those poor college female freshman are being deprived of their full college potential.

So buy some kegs, make some jello shots and open up your doors. Not only will you be solving a serious problem in your community, but you will most likely be the best vp your chapter has ever had. Or the worst.

john1082 · #3 05-03-2006, 12:39 AM

One must do good things, it is also a good thing, in this day and age, to share the good things that you do with others. At one time good acts were their own reward, but in today's media driven world, sharing your good acts with the community is a smart thing to do.

Habitat for Humanity can always use able bodies.

In Anaheim, California there is another outfit that rehabilitates houses for the elderly.

I just read that a DTD house someplace held a 'dance' for the residents of an assisted living center, a center where the residents are primarily women. A social event in an environment where the only 'event' that otherwise happens is when a resident dies! Bring a smile and some joy.

When looking for an opportunity, spend 30 minutes with a creative brother or two and see what new, different, or unusual idea you can come up with. Think about an underserved market. There are many, many good causes - let's exercise some imagination and find one that hasn't received as much coverage.

See what folks need and then send a well done press release out sharing the details of the upcoming project. And then execute it as if folks are watching - because they are.

GammaZeta · #4 05-03-2006, 12:45 AM

One thing to keep in mind is that you don't need to be associated with an organization or charity, good work and good will can be done through your own initiative.

Make sure that it is a cause that the entire chapter and rally around, and also keep it fun. After all, it will be a lot easier to get some guys to run a carwash with a sorority than it is to get a group of guys to volunteer at a nursing home. Keep that in mind.

Be creative, be fun.

Eric_Berger · #5 05-03-2006, 07:34 AM

My advice would be to start with a number of small events (similar to the Dance thing that John G mentioned). Too often I have seen Chapters try to hit a grand slam with a philanthropy idea that they neither the experience to pull off nor the resources to do it right.

I think more, small events with good publicity (school paper, local paper, TV & radio stations, Greek Advisor, Dean of Students, University Administration, etc.).

You don't want to plan something too big, have it fail and have the rest of the Chapter demoralized because an event that they shouldn't have been doing in the first place turned out bad.

Hope this helps!

in ZAX,
Eric

EM1843 · #6 05-03-2006, 08:05 AM

2 (relatively) easy ideas with good publicity opertunity...

Habitat for Humanity, you get to build a house and use power tools, can't beat that, plus you can really feel how much you are helping out another family. There usually are opertunities for this following a disaster. I don't know where Millersville is, but if a tornado or fire has destroyed a house, you can bet habitat will be there to help rebuild.

Start a chapter of GAMMA, if your campus doesn't have one.

Finally if you want a big idea with big posibilities, start a March of Dimes walk for your campus. One of our brothers who worked with MoD, started Gatorwalk at UF and I think MoD is trying to expand the concept.

Ottor 246 · #7 05-03-2006, 03:18 PM

Some things my chapter (Shippensburg) has done:

Easter Egg hunt on campus for the local kids (co-sponsored by a sorority)

"Grimace Push" - to raise money for Ronald McDonald House

Spagetti dinner at the local nursing home (They've expanded this and now have game night once a month. I guess this is just going in and playing board games with the residents.)

Adopt a Highway - Contact PennDOT and they'll set you up with everything; trash bags, "Work Area" signs, orange vests, and a spiffy blue sign that says "Next 2 Miles Maintained by Lambda Chi Alpha, Millersville University." I'm not sure if they provide work gloves or not. Then, you just leave the full trash bags on the shoulder and they'll send guys out the next day to pick them up.

Coordinating speakers on campus - this is a pretty non-labor-intensive way of getting your name out. For example, our chapter invited the local fire chief to do a talk about residence hall and off campus housing fires. It wasn't all that well attended, which is too bad, but there was a big write-up about it in the local (off campus) paper.

There is no shortage of public service opportunities anywhere today. If all else fails, go through the yellow pages and call some local non-profits. Try to stick to ones that are not controversial/political. Tell them how many guys you've got and ask them what you can do to help.

GammaZeta · #8 05-03-2006, 03:29 PM

Adopt a highway:
http://www.umass.edu/rso/lca/phil.html

Who says Gamma Zeta never did anything? What can you guys spot that's wrong with the picture?

Ottor 246 · #9 05-03-2006, 03:35 PM

Hmmmm....what could it "B"?

Tom Earp · #10 05-03-2006, 03:51 PM

States DOT's is an excelent way to have LXA Name visible all of the time!

We do a Hot Tub A Thon and have a Sorority Co-Sponser it. It gives both Organizations visibilty. It is on the lawn of Our House which is on a The Main Street of the town. Gets great press especially when the steam rises from the hot tub. We do it for Ronald Mc Donald House.

Work with Senior Citizens Homes. Remember, these Oldsters love to have People come in and see them. Cards or board games. Maybe as DTD a little dance with the ladies of the House.

Campus Easter Egg Hunts on Campus for kids is neat and fun. Buy eggs on sale, may get a break from local stores for PR, color them and have a ball watching kids find them.

Always try to run with a Sorority so both get PR and Meet them at the same time.

Try to make it fun for The Zeta and those that are with You and especially those that You are trying to do for.

Try to make it easy and fun.

We raffled a VW Bug back when. Got hell from the Atorneys Gereral of the State and lost Money. Dont suggest that at all!

Any thing to do with Kids and Oldsters would be great!

The Very Best of Luck!

JonoBN41 · #11 05-03-2006, 05:19 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Biren
Anyway, I'm the newly elected Internal VP of my chapter for the next school year.

Boy, I still really get confused with this Internal/External, High Beta/High Theta business. What's the difference?

ZAX,
Jono

Tom Earp · #12 05-03-2006, 06:18 PM

I Know Jono, but that is for Zetas that have enough Members!

Heck, We are Just Smaller Zetas.

It still makes sense if there is enough!

God If it was true in all instanceses!

Biren · #13 05-03-2006, 08:11 PM

Well Beta is in charge of member involvement and some aspects of public relations while Theta is in charge of philanthropy and some public relations. However, me and theta plan on working together to make the best out of both of our offices.

Doing something for the retirement home is a great idea, but how do we let the campus know that we are doing that? I mean yea we have AGC reps, and we could probably let the school paper know, but how else can we let the campus know that we are doing something?

We actually discussed sponsoring/coaching a little league team for the school distrcit thats like maybe 5 miles off campus. My chapter has sorta shit the bed with philanthropy, so this may be too big of a philanthropy for our chapter to handle?

Ohh and we do have a road assigned to us. It's a little 2 mile road behind campus....that project is rarely successful/exciting.

BTW, these are all great ideas. Please keep letting me know what your chapter has/is done in the past....I'm defintely taking every idea into consideration.

JonoBN41 · #14 05-03-2006, 08:27 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Biren
Ohh and we do have a road assigned to us. It's a little 2 mile road behind campus....that project is rarely successful/exciting.

You guys have real problems if you can't clean up a 2-mile stretch of road just because it's not exciting enough for ya. I only hope it doesn't have that Lambda Chi Alpha sign, surrounded by litter.

Good luck. You're going to need it.

Ottor 246 · #15 05-04-2006, 08:06 AM

Try to get PennDOT to give you a stretch of interstate instead of some back road. This has several advantages.

1. Better exposure, as there is more traffic.
2. More exciting (dodging 80 MPH traffic)
3. More exciting (you'd be amazed some of the disgusting things people throw away along the highway. This is the main factor that has prevented me from doing adopt a highway with Boy Scouts.)

Also, I'm going to send you a PM.

Mark Brenneman