Solicitation

[boz130]

Hey, gang--I'm wondering if any of you have had a situation like this one w/your alumni.

A newly-graduated alum at an LCA chapter wants to use the alumni address list to help promote the fact that he's gotten a job w/a financial services company. In other words, he hopes to solicit business from his fellow alumni.

There's nothing in the alumni bylaws that says it can't be done, but some of the board members don't think this would set a good precedent.

I personally think a good idea is to have a "brotherhood link" (or other such name), where a chapter's alums could visit the website and find a 'Chopper in a specific line of work, such as financial services, voice acting or whatever.

So here's my query...does anybody have a by-law that deals w/this issue? As I said, up to this point it's been a non-issue because nobody ever asked to do this.

Please respond to this one ASAP (especially if you have a statute dealing w/this dilemma), because this chapter's alumni will be discussing this issue @ a meeting on Saturday. Thanks for your help, bros--

Yours in ZAX,
BF

[JonoBN41]

Our alumni give us (I'm the pres. of our alumni association) their e-mail addresses and their mailing addresses because they know we will NOT let it be used for those purposes. The addresses are used only for official fraternity business, and they trust us to keep it that way.

To say it should be written into the by-laws is nonsense. If by-laws protected against every contingency, they'd be 1,000 pages long. Use common sense. Our by-laws are three pages.

In short, tell this guy in no uncertain terms, NO!!!!

Brothers are for keeping in touch with; they're not potential "clients", and they will not appreciate solictitation - trust me.

Good luck. Let us know what happens.

In ZAX,
Jono

[EM1843]

You could consider adding a classified or ads page to the Directory next time, so that Alumni can list their businesses. And that could be used to support the AA or chapter.

[JoinerLxa]

Most brothers would not want these unsolicited emails....I
wouldn't!

But some might. If there is enough interests, you might
maintain a second list of brothers who want to receive
"commercial announcements" from brothers.

But I'd just post such announcements on a web page.

my 2 cents

[Tom Earp]

I would also have to put a thumbs down on this.

If there was a way to put a web site for inspection for Brothers to look at and then sign if so desired fine.

Still sounds circumspect, maybe with good intentions, but that is far as it goes for me.

Agree with Jono, no need for any by-laws on this.

Heck, if you saw the spam I get on two addresses, you would pull out hair!

[justaflaneur]

See Statutory Code IX-5. "Circularizing the Fraternity. No member or Unit of the Fraternity shall circularize the membership of the Fraternity, or any part thereof, for any reason, business, personal, or otherwise, without first obtaining the consent of the Grand High Zeta. General Fraternity executive or administrative communications, regular Alumni Association communications, or approved Chapter publications shall not be affected by this section."

Admittedly, the use of the word "circularize" is somewhat arcane in this context, but the clear intent is that no member will use a Fraternity mailing list to solicit members for business or other purposes.

Lynn Chipperfield

[RACooper]

Originally posted by justaflaneur
See Statutory Code IX-5. "Circularizing the Fraternity. No member or Unit of the Fraternity shall circularize the membership of the Fraternity, or any part thereof, for any reason, business, personal, or otherwise, without first obtaining the consent of the Grand High Zeta. General Fraternity executive or administrative communications, regular Alumni Association communications, or approved Chapter publications shall not be affected by this section."

Admittedly, the use of the word "circularize" is somewhat arcane in this context, but the clear intent is that no member will use a Fraternity mailing list to solicit members for business or other purposes.

Lynn Chipperfield

That's basically how our chapter interprets this Code... no random mailings for personal gain, only official mailings from the Alumni Board and the Active Chapter. If you want to fire off invites to a wedding or class get-together great, but no mailings to the general list unless it is for Fraternity or Chapter business.

[JoinerLxa]

Hmm, I wonder if the "non-circulation" clause of the constitution
would prohibit a chapter from sending letters to neaby
chapters to have an inter-zeta meeting?

[justaflaneur]

Originally posted by JoinerLxa
Hmm, I wonder if the "non-circulation" clause of the constitution
would prohibit a chapter from sending letters to neaby
chapters to have an inter-zeta meeting?

Despite the rather broad language of Code IX-5, I interpret it as banning the use of membership lists for personal or business reasons or in other ways that are clearly improper. The definition of "circularization" implies mass distribution to a large number of persons. Inter-Zeta communications for legitimate Fraternity purposes would be proper.

Lynn

[boz130]

Point of clarification (still got that GA stuff going on in my head)...the statutes also say that each chapter is to send their newsletter to EVERY OTHER CHAPTER/COLONY.

It's not something that's enforced much, but over the course of a year (if mailing 1x/quarter) that could equal an additional $800+ in printing/postage costs. And that's today's LCA FYI tidbit...

ZAX,
BF

[lifesaver]

Thats so cool. DO ya'll realize how lucky we are to have Brother Chipperfield on GC? I know hes not acting in his official capacity as a member of the GHZ or as Grand High Pi, but his input helps shed light on questions that might go unanswered, or would take months to answer.

As for my 2 cents, I really dont like it when brothers solicit me for business. If I need something, I'm gonna go to a brother first, but I dont like to be solicited. I know theyre there. I'll go to them.

[Tom Earp]

Boz, quit thinking, you are hurting my head!

If sending a news letter is sent to each Zeta/Colony, god what an expense that could become.

We are just having a hard time getting one printed and sent to current Alums.

That would be a main drain on Chapter finances. Not really need to my way of thinking.

[justaflaneur]

Code IX-7 (the section that mandates the publication of a newsletter and its distribution to the Chapters, the GHZ, etc.) was amended at the 2004 General Assembly with the addition of the following language: "Publication shall be deemed to include electronic posting on the Chapter's web-based or other similar site." This was added expressly to enable Chapters and the General Fraternity to make use of the Internet as an effective and less expensive means of publication.

Lynn

[jonsagara]

Nothing is in the bylaws, but there is a strict unwritten NO SPAM rule amonst all of our members. We've only had it happen once; after the ruthless public flaming he received, we haven't had a problem with it.

If guys start getting spammed by brothers, they will remove their contact info from your database. That is the last thing you want. The purpose (at least in our case) is to foster communication among long-lost friends. If I were you, I would discourage all commercial advertisements.

[JonoBN41]

Jon, you are so right. We have a listserver for the chapter alums and a few years ago opinionated brothers would post so much stuff about philosophy and politics that others dropped off because of it.

Gentle cautioning has minimized the non-fraternity posting, but I STILL cannot get those guys to come back. It seems to have left a taste in their mouths that can never be undone.

Spamming would be worse. Don't screw the pooch.

ZAX,
Jono