my chapter is terrible

[EE-BO]

Originally Posted by beta_guy_2600

thanks to everyone who has given me some sound advice.

when the next semester starts up i will suggest switching to a company to collect due payments as that seems more efficient.

on the subject of shipping out members, i would put the number of actives that fall into that category around 40 - 65%. this seems like an awfully high number of people to 'show the door' and truthfully i don't think it would ever pass in a chapter meeting.

i would love to read more suggestions....

On a company to collect dues- I would just suggest you carefully look at the services offered. The cheapest options tend to include billing- but little direct action to collect on past due balances. So if you are having trouble collecting dues on time, using the cheap option may well cost you money without providing the desired outcome.

On your other point with removing 65% of the chapter- I have wanted to take time to respond so I could really think this through and be succinct.

Please check out the Alpha Chapter Woes thread to get a vision of just how messy it was for a chapter to remove- with the majority wishes of the chapter- a handful of members.

Removing a single member for specific behavior is difficult enough- as well it should be. Any brotherhood of men will have a contingent who will never want to kick someone out for any reason. And most of the rest will need to see evidence that the person to be removed is behaving well outside the standard accepted behavior of chapter members.

Opinions vary, but I think removing a member should only be considered when a guy refuses to pay dues/rent and is fully capable of doing so, or is behaving in a manner that puts the chapter in immediate danger of a serious risk management violation. By that- just to give some examples- I mean a guy who gets drunk and starts fights or forces himself on female guests, a guy who does or deals hard drugs in the house, a guy who engages in hazing practices that are in clear violation of the law etc.

Any chapter of any fraternity is just like any organization in life. The vast majority of the members want to pay their dues and get their own personal enjoyment in return without taking on leadership roles or doing more than they think is necessary.

What a person thinks is necessary to be a good member starts with them taking their bid.

For example, if the majority of your chapter does not respect the condition of the house- that is something that can be traced to the actives they learned from as pledges and also to what the Housing Corporation tolerates from residents.

Changing cultural differences is not an overnight process. It happens, as Coramoor stated, with guys who have a given vision taking an active part in rush and making sure future pledges share that vision.

And in very extreme cases, it happens a bit more quickly with the assistance of chapter advisors and General Fraternity doing a house cleaning.

But whichever way you go, there has to be a certain spirit in the chapter for such a process to take place over time.

If you have a vision for the chapter and are in the minority view with that vision- it does not mean you are wrong. But it does mean that faster results are less likely, and that your actions to execute that vision need to be very well documented and explained to any party- be it alumni or General Fraternity- that you seek to assist you in your goal.

Giving specific advice on this point is impossible. You are talking about doing something that is rarely needed or justified- but may well be a good idea given your specific circumstances.

PM me if you like- or any regular poster on this forum- for more specific guidance. I think you can rely on confidential assistance, and I will certainly offer what guidance I can in a confidential manner.

But again- the key question I would suggest you ask yourself in relation to the list of men you wish to remove is whether or not they are acting in a way that is both inconsistent with the general tone of the chapter AND creates a serious degree of risk to the chapter's future- both in a way that could bring down the chapter before guys like you have time to rush and initiate men who can bring a new direction over time.

The question is not just whether there needs to be a shift of focus, but whether you really believe things are so close to the edge that such a shift cannot be a grass roots rush effort that brings eventual improvement.