Help Please!!!!

Chosen20one20 · #1 03-26-2009, 01:05 AM

I am currently the Vice President of a local fraternity in PA. I am running into a little problem and hope that someone can help. I am currently in charge of about 21 brothers. Only about 7 brothers show up to things, and included in that 7, 4 of us are the executive board. The other brothers don't come to chapter, events, community service projects, and down seem to be motivated or caring. When they do show up they are about 20-30 mins late. If you would like to see our website, so you can get a little more information please let me know. I am willing to take any suggestions

Thank You

moe.ron · #2 03-26-2009, 01:46 AM

This might sound hars: time to clean house. Get rid of the deadweights and keep those who will take your fraternity to a new height. What about brotherhood, you might ask. Well, where is their sense of brotherhood, not being able to keep up with their obligations.

Chosen20one20 · #3 03-26-2009, 01:55 AM

you would even get rid of the deadweight even if it a majority of the brothers?

moe.ron · #4 03-26-2009, 02:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chosen20one20

you would even get rid of the deadweight even if it a majority of the brothers?

Yes, and I've seen it happen. Give them alumni status and say thank you. Then, with your core group, regroup and start from nothing. Trust me, if the cancer is not treated, it'll get worst. Your new guys will start out gung ho, but will slowly start acting like the deadweights as weeks goes on.

If you're unsure bout cleaning the house, start with warning. Give them chances to redeem themselve. If they still can't pull their weight, give them alumni status and with your core group, start rebuilding. It'll be painful, no doubt about it, but would you rather see the brotherhood slowly die away or would you like to amputate the cancer?

Chosen20one20 · #5 03-26-2009, 02:10 AM

yeah i guess you make a good point. the only thing i am worried about is that we are a recently new organization. when we were in the process of becoming greek there was a lot of hype around us and everyone was excitied. i just do not wanna let the people down, and let them think that they made a rush decisions and bad one by letting us become offical. i will present the ideas of warnings to the brothers at chapter, do you have an other suggestions. i was thinking of incentives...like if they come to chapter, events, and everything on time for the whole month than a certain brother is award "the brother of the month" award and they can chose a gift from a small list of things.

moe.ron · #6 03-26-2009, 02:25 AM

Carrot and stick is a good idea. However, do not give awards for something they should be doing. It should be given to a brother who have gone above and beyond the requirement.

I've seen chapters gone from great to piss poor in a short time because of a few. The disease spread quickly and soon people are just don't feel like doing anything. Trust me, it will spread as you have seen yourself.

Bring it up to the meeting, tell 'em that your worried about the state of the brotherhood and if your going in this direction, it will cease to exist. I hate to sound melodramatic, but sometime you need to yell fire to wake them up.

ASTalumna06 · #7 03-26-2009, 02:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chosen20one20

yeah i guess you make a good point. the only thing i am worried about is that we are a recently new organization. when we were in the process of becoming greek there was a lot of hype around us and everyone was excitied. i just do not wanna let the people down, and let them think that they made a rush decisions and bad one by letting us become offical. i will present the ideas of warnings to the brothers at chapter, do you have an other suggestions. i was thinking of incentives...like if they come to chapter, events, and everything on time for the whole month than a certain brother is award "the brother of the month" award and they can chose a gift from a small list of things.

Listen to moe.ron. ESPECIALLY if you are a new organization. I know that when new groups come to campus, it's very exciting. I am currently witnessing that very thing with a chapter that basically deactivated, and then had a few people who wanted to bring the organization back.

Don't let other people's views bring you down! You have to do what's best for you. And quite frankly, if you're attempting to IMPROVE your chapter by getting rid of people who aren't helping the situation, I would think that other people would see that as a good thing.

And please, DON'T use the incentive program that you're suggesting. You shouldn't reward people for things that they should already be doing.

ASTalumna06 · #8 03-26-2009, 02:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by moe.ron

Carrot and stick is a good idea. However, do not give awards for something they should be doing. It should be given to a brother who have gone above and beyond the requirement.

Ahh, you beat me to it

moe.ron · #9 03-26-2009, 02:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ASTalumna06

Ahh, you beat me to it

Great minds think alike

AGDee · #10 03-26-2009, 06:24 AM

I've also found that the more people involved in the PLANNING of an event, the better the participation. Put the guys who don't show up in charge of something. If three or four people are doing all the planning and telling everybody else to be there, the rest of the chapter is not invested in the event. You also may be planning things that others really aren't into. If they are on committees helping plan the event, they are more likely to be there. Make sure you're not overscheduling too. A small chapter can't do as many things as a larger chapter or people burn out too fast. I would try to engage those guys before I just kicked them all out. Some will still be slackers and then those guys need to go. Are they voting on these events or being told that they're happening? When we had attendance problems when I was collegian, we implemented the policy that if you vote for the event, you are expected to be there. We voted for events by having a sign up sheet. If not enough people signed up, we didn't have that event because clearly the sisters weren't interested in that event.

Chosen20one20 · #11 03-26-2009, 11:18 AM

AGDee- Yes we are voting on the events and also asking brothers which ones wanna be on the committee. We just had one of our brothers die and every yr we have been hosting a basketball tourny, so this year we decided that we will do it in honor of him. we got braclets like the livestrong ones made, all the shirts and banners are in memory of him and all proceeds are going to sickele cell study. One brother jumped up right away and said i want to be in charge of this so bad. at first i was a little hesitant because he was already given a chair position and "couldnt handle the work, and didnt know what to do." but we put him in charge. the next week he gave it up because he didnt know what to do. we have also asked the brothers to write down events and bonding activites that they want to do and then we vote on them. but once it comes down to actually doing them the same people show up. and everyone has an excuse. the president and myself also asked them what we could do to make them want to become more involved. some suggested pasta dinner, some suggested poker night, basketball night, movie, beer pong tourny and a case race. we have tried just about everyone of them except the pasta night. yet same turn out. i have tried different times and location too. oh yeah and another problem we have ran into is that noone wants to pay their dues. now our dues are only $100 per semester, and thats all you have to pay. anything that more the president and myself take from our pockets because we dont want the brothers to complain.

33girl · #12 03-26-2009, 02:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chosen20one20

oh yeah and another problem we have ran into is that noone wants to pay their dues. now our dues are only $100 per semester, and thats all you have to pay. anything that more the president and myself take from our pockets because we dont want the brothers to complain.

If people don't pay their dues, kick them out.

If people don't show up to things, kick them out.

If you keep covering for people who aren't pulling their weight, it won't make them better brothers - it will make them have even less respect for the fraternity than they already have. Look at it this way - if you were dating a girl and she paid for everything all the time, let you sleep with whoever you wanted and let you generally treat her like crap, would you have any respect for her at all or want to be with her at all? I'm guessing not. You would look on her as a desperate girl with no self esteem. The same principle applies here.

Get rid of your dead weight if you don't want a dead organization.

Chosen20one20 · #13 03-26-2009, 04:13 PM

I guess i am left with only one real option.. and that's kick them out.

I am going to give me brothers this weekend to prove they really want it. i am hosting a bowling event tonight, and on Sunday is our initiation night. whoever doesn't show up is gone.

Thanks for everyones help...if you have any other suggestions i am willing to hear them.

moe.ron · #14 03-26-2009, 09:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chosen20one20

I guess i am left with only one real option.. and that's kick them out.

I am going to give me brothers this weekend to prove they really want it. i am hosting a bowling event tonight, and on Sunday is our initiation night. whoever doesn't show up is gone.

Thanks for everyones help...if you have any other suggestions i am willing to hear them.

One thing that hasn't been discussed, if you do choose to get rid of the dead weight, make sure it's legal. In another word, read your constitution and/or by laws. Follow procedure and make it all legit.