Keep chapter ideals from changing

archangel689 · #1 12-12-2002, 02:01 PM

As our colony nears charter status I consern myself with the behavior of our chapter in the years to come.

Our group has a pretty solid foundation. We've written a mission statement (which can be found on our website at the link below).

One of our chapter advisors has stated that if the mission statement needs modified we can freely modify it to fit the group.
I was under the impression that "we" the founders could modify it. Under NO condition would I condone modifying the mission statement after the founders have graduated.

If you dont fit the mission, you don't belong in the group, it is that simple.

I did not help to build this group so another group could come along and move it away from its roots.

As Recruitment chairman I've made many moves already to help keep this from ever happening. For instance in order to become a member the vote is set at 10% currently in the constitution (which isnt as strict as I'd like it and I am going to push for stricter voting, as most TKE chapters are unanimous minus one).

What else can I do?

wptw · #2 12-12-2002, 02:40 PM

What else can you do?

You can let go.

You can trust that your statement about having a solid foundation is true, and that the future members (with guidance from the alumni) will do what they feel is in the best interest of the group.

Then you can go to counseling and address your control issues.

If you didn’t build the group for others to take over and possibly evolve, then why DID you build it? Pride?

It is natural to be concerned with the future of your chapter, especially if you helped to start it. But it sounds like you’re taking it a bit too far. If the ideals upon which your group was built are inspiring and important enough, then THEY will survive in the group despite transient things like bylaws or membership criteria or even YOU. In the meantime, I’ll just advise you that micromanagement is never a winning strategy in life.

wptw

astroAPhi · #3 12-12-2002, 05:20 PM

I don't see WHY you would want to change your mission statement. Isn't that what you found your chapter upon? To me, that's like changing ritual just because it doesn't "fit with the times". Part of the charm of ritual is the original language and dress that these women many years ago thought of.

Perhaps I'm wrong about what a mission statement is, but I'd liken to the foundation upon which you build your organization.

archangel689 · #4 12-12-2002, 05:26 PM

>If you didn’t build the group for others to take over and possibly >evolve, then why DID you build it? Pride?

We built it for people like us. Like the founders of most fraternities, it is unlikely any other fraternity would accept the type of people our fraternity is composed of.

In short we don't want to see what we have built "evolve" into a fraternity which would not accept the very people who founded it.

>Then you can go to counseling and address your control issues.

Talking about me like that is no way to get me to take you seriously.

33girl · #5 12-12-2002, 05:51 PM

But to the majority of mission statements I say "Feh." They're a bunch of pretty words that don't really say anything concrete and can be twisted to mean whatever you want them to mean. They're useful for companies that make things (the mission of Rolling Rock is to produce and distribute high quality beer in the Latrobe area), but they really aren't of use in mandating intangible qualities of individuals or groups. Truthfully, I don't see anything in your mission statement that sounds different from any other GLO.

If you are concerned about issues such as voting, that gets addressed in your chapter bylaws. If the national fraternity approves, you can put a passage in the bylaws that they cannot be changed without approval of the alumni. I don't understand why your advisor wouldn't have made that distinction to you.

If it makes you feel any better, I met some of our chapter founders 30 years after our chapter began and there was no doubt whatsover that we had joined the sorority for the same reasons they founded it, and had the same values.

wptw · #6 12-12-2002, 06:09 PM

Whether you take me seriously is up to you. You asked for advice. My advice is to let go. My observation is that you have control issues.

You're painting a pretty weak picture of this group you founded. This is what I hear you saying…

This group cannot be trusted to select new members that reflect the ideals of the organization.
This group will take the wrong path, ultimately rejecting the original ideals of the fraternity.
This group is made up of people the other groups consider undesirable.

If all this is true, then you don’t have anything to worry about because the group will certainly be dead very soon. But who knows? Maybe they’ll surprise you and actually thrive even after you’ve let go.

Evolution is a natural process. Preparing your undergraduates to handle change and make the right decision long after you’re gone – that is the wise choice. Demanding that everyone adhere to your original ideas lest you take your ball and go home – that is foolish and shortsighted, and ultimately ineffective.

The grand old fraternities and sororities succeeded beyond the first few decades in part because the founders recognized that new members, not founders, were the lifeblood of the organization. So like all good parents they laid the best foundation they could, and then they let go.

wptw

Kevin · #7 12-12-2002, 06:45 PM

If Sigma Nu hadn't changed some of its ideals in the 60's we'd still be racially segregated. As incomprehensible as it would have seemed in the times before that the change was strongly needed and far overdue!

As a founding father of my chapter I have personally contributed a great deal to its founding. I've made a significant impact in how the chapter functions today serving in and defining multiple important officer roles. However, the test as to whether or not its worth my investment will be in how the chapter fares after I leave.

As an alumnus I would NOT want to control a chapter. Who would join a chapter in which they didn't have a say and their voice didn't matter? The active chapter is exactly that, for the actives. Certain things still belong to alums because they are supposedly the ones with the expertise to handle it (your housing corporation for example).

A group in order to be competitive in the future must be able to change its goals and ambitions. Different tools are needed to overcome different challenges. Actives will resent being oppressed by overconcerned alums. I was warned by several at national conventions who were very frustrated with their alums interfering with the chapter to the point that it was holding them back.

Your next mission should be establishing a successful alumni chapter to keep ya'll together when you're done with school. You'll also need a strong housing corporation if you work like we do.

Best of luck to ya.

LHT,
MT 5

archangel689 · #8 12-12-2002, 06:46 PM

That is not what I said. I am simply asking what we can do to best enable future members to select new members that reflect the ideals and purpose of the organization.

You seem to assume that the ground work has been finished and it is time to let go, when it is not. Our consitution is in the middle of a full re-write and the wheels have just begun turning. The child isn't even out of the womb yet and you ask us to let go?

Kevin · #9 12-12-2002, 06:56 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by archangel689
That is not what I said. I am simply asking what we can do to best enable future members to select new members that reflect the ideals and purpose of the organization.

You seem to assume that the ground work has been finished and it is time to let go, when it is not. Our consitution is in the middle of a full re-write and the wheels have just begun turning. The child isn't even out of the womb yet and you ask us to let go?

Well at some point, yes.

Now? Nope. Now is your time. You are active and it is the beginning. If you do not lie good groundwork here then you doom your chapter.

But after you've graduated your goals and methods of improving your chapter should change. You should be more supportive and less directly involved.

FuzzieAlum · #10 12-12-2002, 08:01 PM

Phi Kap is a national organization. Somehow, I don't think nationals will let future brothers stray radically from what Phi Kap is about.

archangel689 · #11 12-12-2002, 09:00 PM

So now that we have clarified my questions, what can a growing colony do NOW to best enable future members to select new members that reflect the ideals and purpose of the local organization?

Kevin · #12 12-13-2002, 12:34 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by archangel689
So now that we have clarified my questions, what can a growing colony do NOW to best enable future members to select new members that reflect the ideals and purpose of the organization?

Recruit men for the right reasons. Recruit based on your values and principles, not partying (was a tough lesson for us to learn). If you recruit the types that will be appreciative of your message and want to be there for all the right reasons I think you should be fine in the future.

(easier said than done)

PsychTau · #13 12-13-2002, 12:53 AM

It's hard founding a chapter, I'm sure. It's probably even harder to graduate and leave it with others. You wonder if all of your work will live on and prosper. If you lay a strong foundation, it will.

About the mission statement: Most mission statements as they are known nowdays (especially in businesses) are made to change and evolve. Even FranklinCovey, probably the biggest advocate of personal mission statements, tells it's students to reevaluate their mission statement every year or so. A mission statement is more of a set of goals to strive for (excellent customer services, high return on investment, a closer relationship with X, etc). Those goals will eventually need to be revised because they are outdated, no longer applicable, or have been met. I wouldn't freak out if someone says they can change the mission statement in the future. . .they are probably thinking like I am above.

Maybe your "mission statement" is actually something else. A purpose? A symphony? A statement of principles? I don't know what your national requires of you, but maybe the mission statement should be renamed. That way people will see the title and think more 'permanent'. You can help future members reflect the ideals of the chapter through brotherhoods, membership education and development. After all, not only should your fraternity be selecting people that live up to it's ideals/values, it should also be educating and guiding it's members on HOW to live up to it's ideals/values.

Hope this helps.

navane · #14 12-13-2002, 10:20 AM

Perhaps it's the counselor in me, but I just wanted to add my two cents.

It feel bad that archangel689 has been stepped on here a bit. I can definitely see wptw's argument that having a tight-fisted grasp on the organization can hinder growth. However, the "Then you can go to counseling and address your control issues" comment was uncalled for.

The way I see it, archangel689 seems to sound more like a worried chapter founder than a control freak. In my opinion, it's not uncommon for founders to feel anxious. "What if the future members stray away from the ideals?", "What if we recruit the wrong kind of man?" etc etc. Colony members put so much heart and effort into something that they grow to cherish - they'd feel gutted if something were to go wrong. Take the example of Corina who is trying to start a new NPC sorority at UCSC. She's put so much into it that she wants more than anything for things to go right.

Archangel689, since you say that your group is "near charter status" I propose that you might be simply feeling a little bit anxious about whether or not you and the founders have made all of the right decisions. You sound like you feel responsible for setting the right tone and direction.

Rest assured that, at the end of the day, the chapter will go in the direction it wants to go. I join in with the others here in saying that, if you set a solid foundation and recruit men for the right reasons, it should be ok. After that, it's not up to you anymore. That's the neat thing about groups....sometimes they go on to do exciting things. Do you think that the original founders of Phi Kappa Theta ever imagined what great things the fraternity would go on to do? Look at it today! Wow! And do you know what? The fraternity is still holding onto it's ideals.

Lastly, I would encourage to do your best to enjoy this time. Don't forget to have fun so that, when you look back, you can say, "I had a great time!"

Best of success to you and your chapter,

.....Kelly