Dictatorship -- calling for elections.

[archangel689]

We are a colony that has barely 25 brothers or so. I am convinced that our president and VP are on a power trip and have been running the fraternity as a dictatorship.

Not only have they alone composed the entire schedule for our retreat (without any input from any of the brothers), they threw out one entirely which was written by the social/rush chair...

The president (before he became president--he was rush chair) was repremanded several times by the former president for running rush his way and not the fraternities way.

Other people see these problems as well.
My question is, how do I go about calling for elections?

[shadokat]

Do you have a colony advisor arch? We had similar problems at the colony I advise, and I went in and spoke with the president about how things are supposed to run. She did a complete 180 and is doing a fantastic job now. I encourage you to call on your colony advisor and HQs for help. Colonies are fragile things sometimes, and the answers may not lie within your own walls of your house.

[Kevin]

Well in their defense.... I was the Lieutenant Commander of our colony (2nd in command -- like VP). My administration actually put together the petition that got us approved for our charter. In retrospect your top 2 officers can have their eyes so fixed on the prize (the charter) that all else becomes secondary.

I can tell you that the membership complained a lot that we weren't handling issues the way they wanted, didn't have enough parties, etc... Sometimes you have to remind yourself that you are STILL a colony and will be calling yourself STILL a colony until you get that piece of paper (and it's a very nice piece of paper, especially when your name's on it!).

Now if their problem is not being overfocused on that charter... You'd definitely want to see an alumni advisor about that one or talk to one of your HQ's expansion directors. They've dealt with this kind of issue before.

Just keep in mind that being a colony is a lot different than being a chapter and also bear in mind that being a leader is not necessarily something that comes with a title.

Oh and congrats on being amongst the 1% of greeks who are founders of their chapter! Hope to hear you bragging about your chartering soon!

LHT
Kevin Taylor
MT 5
University of Central Oklahoma

[Dionysus]

Oh, goodness! I am in a colony also. We also had problems with certain officers power tripping. We consulted alumni advisors who gave a d*mn and dropped the ones who didn't. Within a few months our "chapter" did a complete turn around. Bottom line, a great alumni advisor can do wonders for a chapter, but you all just have to search for a good one. A lot of chapter problems can be solved if a mature and experienced adult steps in.

[Peaches-n-Cream]

There's a problem if the Pres and VP have taken total control of everything and dismiss imput from the rest of the colony. I agree that you should talk to you colony advisor. These guys just might be taking over everything because they fear that if they don't nothing will be accomplished. I can understand that because when I was VP of my chapter, a lot of sisters would complain to me about things. When I asked for their ideas or suggestions for improvements, most had nothing to say. There is a happy medium between a dictatorship and total apathy which I think your advisor can help your colony find. Good luck!

[SuperSister]

I don't know if this helps you at all . . . My chapter has a bylaw that any calendar event must be approved by the sisterhood as a whole. This means that nothing actually happens until the entire chapter votes on it. Thus making it darn near impossible for any one to mess with the calendar without our consent. I don't know exactly how thing work in a colony or what your national's policy is regarding chapter bylaws about this kind of thing but it's something you might want to check into.

Emily

[Tom Earp]

Totally understandable! Someone gets a Promotion they are KING!

When I started the Local, I was God!

Benevolunte as it were, but made and decided the majority of decisions!

I lost one, there was a Brother that was expulled,( He became a non entity)! It was the hardest blow that I ever had. I learned a lesson very quickly! It takes the membership to make the Organization!
Not just one, no matter how good the intintions are!

Everyone goes on a power trip when they get the posistion!

You then learn humility very soon when it goes your way or not!

Mostly not! But come uppins is hell!

Live and learn, as self imprtance is under whelming!

Tell them I said it! Quote!!!!!!!

[brownsugakdphi]

Well maybe I think it's just the way my sorority is run, but we never have two people run the sorority... Mind you, those two could be best friends and overrun the sorority, which seems to be happening in your case. I'm not sure if you can change the structure of how you're run, but my sorority (and I think this has run efficiently) has a seperate executive board consisting of one president and four vice presidents (internal, external, service, and pledge education). Prior to the meetings, lower house chairs report to their assigned executive board members about issues that they would like to have discussed. Next, at the executive board meeting, these issues are discussed and voted upon... The way things are structured, every aspect of our sorority is covered and stressed. Each executive member is as strong as the next and therefore there never seems to be a dictatorship because you really can't have a dictatorship because there will always be someone who may not agree. Sometimes our meetings run long, and these executive positions consist of a lot of duties, but in the long run it benefits the whole house because everyone truly has a say in how everything is run...
Brown Suga
alpha Kappa Delta Phi Sorority, Inc.

[MenaceKiller]

Absolutely talk to an advisor first, whether it be an alumni or faculty advisor.

However, since this seems to only be about the retreat, I doubt you'll need to do anything more than just talk to them yourselves. If they continue to push everyone else around then:

If you get no support or weak support from the advisor, my first direction would to discuss with a majority of your members in private about a "recall election." If there is nothing in your bylaws about this, you might be screwed, but you can always add them then make a recall vote on the spot.

I've never had to go through recalls (though we've been close 3 times!), but if anything, a recall election should shake up the officers and get them to understand they'd better let go of some things.

-MK