Revived Chapters

[g41965]

Over the last 20 years a trend has grown up that if a chapter hazes, drinks too much,has open parties or tolerates drugs; boom close the chapter down. DU has closed numerous chapters for "risk management issues".
Closure of chapter for disciplinary problems was not as common pre 1980's although plenty of chapters died due to low numbers.
My question, when these chapters are revived recolonized etc. how do they fare, are they model chapters do they have problems etc.

DU example Denison suspended 1984 hazing revived 1993 died 2004 low numbers.
Lafayette suspended 1988, revived 1991 strong
Stanford suspended for general rowdiness in 1987 including tossing a flaming couch off the roof of the house revival failed 1996.

I guess each campus is different how about your thoughts.

[Tom Earp]

Actually, I think this has happened to each of Our GLOs.

No matter what good intentions are from HQs in recolonizing, if the Members do not follow the guidelines but do as the Local Campus GLOs do, then they too will fall into the same trap and be gone.

Risk Management has become such a huge drain on GLOs because of Insurance costs, there can be no Chapter allowed to do this and with the guidelines in place, if they are not followed, they should be terminated as harsh as it sounds.

Because of Possible Law Suits, it could bankrupt a GLO!

[Sister Havana]

Alpha Tau Omega at Indiana was kicked off campus in 1992 after a pledge died from alcohol poisoning. They were able to recolonize a few years later (and get their house back) but under a whole host of conditions...they had to be a completely dry chapter, among other things. Their website hasn't been updated in a while but I think they're a very strong chapter again.

[techzbt]

from what I've seen, recolonizations don't have a significantly different success rate from initial colonizations. It really is very similar as most freshman don't care that a house was a good house 10 years ago, they just care if its what they're looking for now.

[KSUViolet06]

One thing I find interesting about fraternities and recolonization, is that they are brought back sometimes within less than 5 years of the closure. For example, SAE closed here at Kent in 2002-2003 and returned to campus for the 2004-2005 year. In contrast, if a sorority closes at a school, if it does return (which doesn't happen all the time), it doesn't happen for at LEAST 10 years of the original closure. Why is that?

[AGDee]

Originally posted by JocelynC
One thing I find interesting about fraternities and recolonization, is that they are brought back sometimes within less than 5 years of the closure. For example, SAE closed here at Kent in 2002-2003 and returned to campus for the 2004-2005 year. In contrast, if a sorority closes at a school, if it does return (which doesn't happen all the time), it doesn't happen for at LEAST 10 years of the original closure. Why is that?

Because the local Panhellenic has to be open for expansion for us to return to a campus. We can return within one year (which is usually a bad idea because old members are still around, reputations are still around, etc) or we wait until it's our turn to try to recolonize. Frequently you still go through the same process as an expansion, with sororities presenting on campus and one being chosen. Fraternities don't have that restriction.

[33girl]

Originally posted by JocelynC
One thing I find interesting about fraternities and recolonization, is that they are brought back sometimes within less than 5 years of the closure. For example, SAE closed here at Kent in 2002-2003 and returned to campus for the 2004-2005 year. In contrast, if a sorority closes at a school, if it does return (which doesn't happen all the time), it doesn't happen for at LEAST 10 years of the original closure. Why is that?

Sororities used to do much quicker recolonizations because there was more interest on the campuses. The reason they seem to wait so long now is 1) interest has gone down 2) there have been far too many crash and burns. It's too expensive.

[Coramoor]

From the sentiment I get from many sorority girls on my campus, the reason they won't even consider a new sorority recolonizing here is because they are afraid of the competition.

I had this explained to me by a girl just the other day. A large amount of girls are rushing, so much so that if you combined all the open slots (quota wise) from each sorority there would still be almost enough girls left out to fill an additional sorority up from 0.

However, the girl I was talking to basically said that a lot of the girls that don't end up pledging do so because they didn't get into one of three or so sororities. The rushees thought they were too good for the other houses and so dropped rather than trying somewhere else.

Doesn't make much sense to me, but maybe that is sorority logic. When I look at it, I see there being numbers to support a new sorority and put them on par with all of the currently established ones.

[DeltAlum]

Originally posted by g41965
I guess each campus is different how about your thoughts.

That's true.

The Delt chapter at The University of Colorado was closed and recolonized twice. The third closure was probably its last. The house (a beautiful facility) has been sold to the University.

The Delts at Colorado State were closed a few years ago and recolonized and are doing reasonably well. Not the best on campus and not the worst in my opinion.

Our chapter at Ohio State was closed after an investigation after a death at the house. It has recolonized, but it's probably too early to get much of a read.

We've also recently recolonized at a number of big schools, and initially the chapters are doing well. I think it takes a few years to really know the answer to your question, though.

[33girl]

Originally posted by Coramoor
From the sentiment I get from many sorority girls on my campus, the reason they won't even consider a new sorority recolonizing here is because they are afraid of the competition.

I had this explained to me by a girl just the other day. A large amount of girls are rushing, so much so that if you combined all the open slots (quota wise) from each sorority there would still be almost enough girls left out to fill an additional sorority up from 0.

However, the girl I was talking to basically said that a lot of the girls that don't end up pledging do so because they didn't get into one of three or so sororities. The rushees thought they were too good for the other houses and so dropped rather than trying somewhere else.

Doesn't make much sense to me, but maybe that is sorority logic. When I look at it, I see there being numbers to support a new sorority and put them on par with all of the currently established ones.

If the issue is that the girls rushing only want one of three top sororities, opening a new one won't solve the problem. It'll just create another chapter that's struggling. No national is going to want to come in and colonize with a situation like that. It would be a waste of money and time.

[WVU alpha phi]

Originally posted by Coramoor
From the sentiment I get from many sorority girls on my campus, the reason they won't even consider a new sorority recolonizing here is because they are afraid of the competition.

I had this explained to me by a girl just the other day. A large amount of girls are rushing, so much so that if you combined all the open slots (quota wise) from each sorority there would still be almost enough girls left out to fill an additional sorority up from 0.

However, the girl I was talking to basically said that a lot of the girls that don't end up pledging do so because they didn't get into one of three or so sororities. The rushees thought they were too good for the other houses and so dropped rather than trying somewhere else.

Doesn't make much sense to me, but maybe that is sorority logic. When I look at it, I see there being numbers to support a new sorority and put them on par with all of the currently established ones.

Quota was lower this past fall than it has been since I rushed two years ago. Generally quota is 30-32 girls, this year it was 24.
It's true that a lot of girls do end up dropping out through rush halfway through, either because they got dropped by houses they like or because they realized if recruitment was so busy, what's pledging going to be like?
The local sorority that wanted to affiliate with Tri-Delt last year has about 50 members. Ceiling for our national chapters on campus is 90, so if they did end up colonizing and participating in rush, if they even met this past fall's quota (which is highly unlikely), they wouldn't have even been at total.

[TSteven]

Originally posted by techzbt
from what I've seen, recolonizations don't have a significantly different success rate from initial colonizations. It really is very similar as most freshman don't care that a house was a good house 10 years ago, they just care if its what they're looking for now.

While I understand where you are coming from, I don't feel this is necessarily true. Two things come to mind.

Strong and committed alumni involvement can be very important to the success of re-colonization. Alumni can make the process much easier and quicker for the chapter to get back up to speed. As such, a chapter with good alumni involvement (members who are willing to help and share there expertise) will more likely have a quicker and more successful re-colonization than say the chapter that is having to reinvent the wheel. Of course this can apply to a new colony starting in an area with active alumni as well.

Also, how 'strong' a chapter may be at the time it closed and where it 'ranks' on the campus pecking order may also affect the success of re-colonization. When a so called strong chapter is closed, it is usually not due to numbers, but because of risk management issues. Once these issues are taken care of - the bad apples are either terminated, suspended, forced to go alum, chapter suspension completed etc. - then the chapter can come back. And it is not unheard of the chapter resuming it's former place in the pecking order.

[tallgreekalum]

But what if a particular sorority doesn't WANT to be 90 members? Is the campus doomed to never have another sorority? Sororities with issues don't usually get better because there isn't competition, they get better because they finally take the steps they need to become so. (Sorry for the rant

[33girl]

Originally posted by tallgreekalum
But what if a particular sorority doesn't WANT to be 90 members? Is the campus doomed to never have another sorority? Sororities with issues don't usually get better because there isn't competition, they get better because they finally take the steps they need to become so. (Sorry for the rant

No, if the sorority's national has no problem with it (i.e being smaller/not at total) and gives them the OK to vote for expansion. A lot of times the girls on campus themselves aren't the ones who mind being small, it is their HQ telling them they need to get bigger.

[Tom Earp]

There are many things involved in Re-Chartering.

I know only to well from My Chapter.

Down to one Active and dieing quickly so to speak.

But, I fought very hard to not let this happen along with a very strong Alum Crew. We were all from KC and could get no help from the Area Member Alums.

My, How Things Change.

Because of some percervierance, We now have a New House being built, paid for by and Alum, IHQ has sent down two ELCs who have done an outstanding Job of Recruitment!

LXA with a New Leadership have changed gears and will not go onto a Campus if certain criteria are ment.

We also along with some other GLOs have decided to check Schools where there was a Presence and go back.

Two Come to Mind at the Moment:

James Madison and Western Carolina among others.

What seems to be important is the Alum Backing and how dedicated they will be!