Apathetic chapter

[curiouss]

I'd hate to say this, but my Alpha Phi Omega chapter SUCKS! My brothers fight and we had poor attendance at meetings, sp's, and get-togethers last year. And what's worse we have NO rapport in our chapter, I mean like we all go our own ways. I saw four brothers within the last few days and they didn't even speak to me. This is terrible, I am in a GLO and I feel isolated! For a while, I thought this was typical because we are a service based GLO on a boring Michigan commuter campus, but then I went to our sectional conference a few months ago and other chapters there were VERY close nit.

Please, someone give me some advice on how to motivate this chaper. The only way I think we can progress is to get new members, but we won't start rush until late September, which I think is a very bad idea.

Most important, how do we promote ourselves? It shouldn't be difficult, we have a pop. of 15,000.
Right?

Just a word of caution: If a chapter has a bad repore, recruitment is not the answer! A bad repore can easily propagate to new members.

A few sugguestions:

* NEVER say your chapter sucks. Speaking poorly of your organization or your brothers will reflected bad on the organization and the brothers. "Negative will beget negative." Ask instead for ways to improve bonds or encourage involvment.

* Review Ritual. Remind brothers why they are part of this organization. Remind them of the oath they have taken. This is a great way to start a term. And places the goals and ideals of your brotherhood in the minds of members for recruitment.

* Rally the troops and have a goal setting session. Look at the goals you wish to achieve this term, this year, 5 years and 10 years down the road. Plan accordingly and remind everyone how acheiving these goals takes everyone's support. By having such a session, members have input into where the chapter is going and are more likely to get behind it.

* Discuss why attendance is low: Are the majority of your members upper classmen, and their scholastic obligations are higher now? (possible solution: recruit more freshman/sophmores) Are members over committing themselves? (possible solution: host a time management seminar).

* Schedule a mandatory retreat. Make it atleast 2 hrs away from campus. Through the weekend schedule fun time, bonding activites, team building activies. Be sure to delegate responsiblities. You would be suprised how much sisterhood bonding can occur in just making pasta!

* Spend the day on a ropes course. The team members evaluate the groups interaction as the day progresses the and they can taylor the activites to acheive a group's goals.

Also, you made some contacts at your sectional confrence, discuss within your brotherhood how other chapters are doing. I'm sure you are not the only commuter campus in your confrence. In addition contact alumni and get them invovled in the chapter. All chapters go through low spots in a very cyclic manner. Many alumni may have ideas on how to minimize the effects.

Best of Luck!

[curiouss]

Originally posted by Artimis

Just a word of caution: If a chapter has a bad repore, recruitment is not the answer! A bad repore can easily propagate to new members.

A few sugguestions:

* NEVER say your chapter sucks. Speaking poorly of your organization or your brothers will reflected bad on the organization and the brothers. "Negative will beget negative." Ask instead for ways to improve bonds or encourage involvment.

* Review Ritual. Remind brothers why they are part of this organization. Remind them of the oath they have taken. This is a great way to start a term. And places the goals and ideals of your brotherhood in the minds of members for recruitment.

* Rally the troops and have a goal setting session. Look at the goals you wish to achieve this term, this year, 5 years and 10 years down the road. Plan accordingly and remind everyone how acheiving these goals takes everyone's support. By having such a session, members have input into where the chapter is going and are more likely to get behind it.

* Discuss why attendance is low: Are the majority of your members upper classmen, and their scholastic obligations are higher now? (possible solution: recruit more freshman/sophmores) Are members over committing themselves? (possible solution: host a time management seminar).

* Schedule a mandatory retreat. Make it atleast 2 hrs away from campus. Through the weekend schedule fun time, bonding activites, team building activies. Be sure to delegate responsiblities. You would be suprised how much sisterhood bonding can occur in just making pasta!

* Spend the day on a ropes course. The team members evaluate the groups interaction as the day progresses the and they can taylor the activites to acheive a group's goals.

Also, you made some contacts at your sectional confrence, discuss within your brotherhood how other chapters are doing. I'm sure you are not the only commuter campus in your confrence. In addition contact alumni and get them invovled in the chapter. All chapters go through low spots in a very cyclic manner. Many alumni may have ideas on how to minimize the effects.

Best of Luck!

Sorry, saying my chapter sucks was wrong, I was angry at the time I posted.

Ritual? We didn't go through initiation yet, but we did petition a year ago.

Your fourth suggestion couldn't be anymore accurate! Majority of our chapter are upperclass and/or overcommitted members. That's why I said it would be wise if we strive for new members, underclassman who don't have that much to commit to besides APO.

Spending a day at a ropes course and a two hour retreat, I don't think they'll be interested. I'll suggest it though.