Esprit De Fraternite

[Dynasty]

Are we as a whole actually maintaining this in this day in age or have we drifted away from good ol' Esprit de Fraternite.....let's get some insightful dialogue going...other organizations can apply the concept to your org if you would like to comment..................I mean when we see so many devisive things happening and so many inactive members.............


"Esprit De Fraternite"

An Alpha Phi Alpha man’s attitude should not be “how much can I derive from the Fraternity?” but “how much can I do for the Fraternity?” In proportion to what he does for his chapter and for Alpha Phi Alpha will a member receive lasting benefit from the Fraternity to himself in the way of self development by duty well done and by the respect of brothers well served.

A member’s duties should be:

• Prompt payment of all Financial obligations, the prime requisite of successful Fraternal life;
• the doing of good scholastic work in his chosed vocation, there by accomplishing the real end of a college course;
• the reasonable endeavor to participate in general college activities and social service and to excel therein;
• the proper consideration of all things, with appropriate attention to the high moral standards of Alpha Phi Alpha.

By; Charles H. Garvin, 4th Gen. President

[Senusret I]

I have reflected on "Esprit" several times over the past four years of membership.....as a wide-eyed neo who swore he'd never be inactive to a hurt prophyte who swore he'd never go back.

I used to wonder why Brothers went inactive -- now I know why.

You can't reclaim brothers by pointing to their "obligation." Most will not feel obligated if they don't feel welcome, if the Fraternite is missing from Esprit.

Brothers get tired of being treated like they are only good for checks.

Brothers get tired of being talked to any kind of way. I know I sure did -- I never cursed anybody out until after I became an Alpha.

Brothers don't want to keep giving to an org that takes from them, whups on them, and then doesn't provide services that equal the labor given. And personally, I think that's fair.

Are you inclined to reclaim yourself with a five-year old website and national magazines that don't come out regularly?

I guess what I'm saying is that although I agree with the words, they need to be applied differently in 2007. A different fraternity exists now and a different way of providing services needs to be applied.

And I know Brothers will implore me to keep our business in-house -- tough noogies!

[Senusret I]

I thought about it some more, and I wanted to expand on a few things and provide possible solutions so it doesn't sound like I'm just complaining:


1) Reclaimation needs to happen on the highest levels of administration. We need a Development Department at Headquarters that manages the Life Membership Campaign, donations to the Foundation, and works to reclaim our prominent members. Not all will have the time to join a chapter, but each one should contribute to Alpha in some tangible way, whether it's how Lionel Richie gave a concert at no charge to Alpha or how Senator Brooke was a speaker at the public program.

2) On the local level, Brothers need to change their approach to reclaiming others. Inactive Brothers need to feel wanted, not just needed and brow-beat. A phone call that says "Hey Frat, you were missed at the last chapter meeting!" goes a lot further than "When you bringing your ass back to chapter meeting???" (Happened to me!)

3) The fraternity needs to do a better job in two areas of communication:
a) How it tells its own story.
b) How it delivers its services.

Our website needs to be overhauled and made into a design that is more intuitive. Our President should have a new public message every month. If not the President, then rotate the monthly message among the regional VPs. We need press releases from the highest levels that highlight what we're doing aside from suing Stomp the Yard.

Chi Omega recently launched an online version of their national organ -- how great would it be if we had an online quarterly Sphinx Magazine with ENHANCED members-only sections? Imagine the quickness with with births, deaths, marriages, chapter projects, etc, could be reported?

Overall, I still believe that APhiA is the best fraternity! We just need to do a better job at showing it and implementing it.

[Dynasty]

Amazingly enough the reference to Eprit De Fraternite is used alot by the administration in our chapter at the the recent Eastern Region past 25th General President Bro Williams- Pointed out how often times in the pursuit of the goals of the brotherhood we forget about the brothers.

In essence we forget about the things that develop bonds like...hanging out when outside of meetings and actual events that are scheduled.

I am currently in process of trying to get a hospitality/reclamation committee going in my chapter because I have encountered so many dis-enfranchised brothers......numerous amounts who all make reference....to just un-brotherly things happening on multiple levels......just wonder how to overcome it.......its hard to get somebody back when they are jaded..........

[Senusret I]

What chapter are you in? There is a new brother thread at the top of this forum where you can post pertinent info.

[ladygreek]

Originally Posted by Senusret I

Inactive Brothers need to feel wanted, not just needed and brow-beat. A phone call that says "Hey Frat, you were missed at the last chapter meeting!" goes a lot further than "When you bringing your ass back to chapter meeting???" (Happened to me!)

Shid, I need to konw hiow that was said, because I do it all of the time (I don't use ass, though.) Is it possible you were being a little too sensitive. I mean the bigger thing is they wanted you to come back. Since I know your situation, I may be naive, but that seemed like a good thing to me.

I guess I don't believe that folx are NEEDED at chapter meetings, unless there is a problem getting a quorum-LOL. I just think it was a crude way to say we missed you--come back.

[Senusret I]

Originally Posted by ladygreek

Shid, I need to konw hiow that was said, because I do it all of the time (I don't use ass, though.) Is it possible you were being a little too sensitive. I mean the bigger thing is they wanted you to come back. Since I know your situation, I may be naive, but that seemed like a good thing to me.

I guess I don't believe that folx are NEEDED at chapter meetings, unless there is a problem getting a quorum-LOL. I just think it was a crude way to say we missed you--come back.

Oh don't get me wrong -- I know the Brother said it out of love! Plus he's actually elderly, and you know how the filter dissapears after a certain age. Mine was last year, LOL jk.

And I definitely believe that someone asking you back crudely is better than no one asking you back at all.

I guess what I'd like to see is more training on how to be nice to people, lol....sounds silly, but when you're trying to run chapter programs and wonder why the same 15 out of a hundred always show up, there's got to be some systemic changes that (in my opinion) have a lot to do with how people interact with each other, and perhaps more specifically, how black men interact with each other.

[ladygreek]

Originally Posted by Senusret I

but when you're trying to run chapter programs and wonder why the same 15 out of a hundred always show up

This happens with us, too. But have a meeting to elect officers or new members and folx come out of the woodwork.

But you are right about we interact with each other.