All Chapter Email Lists

[GHOrphPike]

Our Chapter is fortunate to have a widely used "all members" email list. From what I hear, this is a tremendous advantage many Chapters don't have. We essentially use it for everything: meeting announcements, event recruiting, brotherhood trips, helpful advice, etc. We also have all exec, all pledges (and big brothers), and will soon have all advisors email lists.

We also have problems with the list. All too often a minority of members will send out inappropriate emails (political chainmail, crude jokes, etc) that could be easily offensive to our diverse membership. There are also instances when emails are either sent too quickly or read incorrectly as calling a particular person out in front of everyone, which starts a flamewar with the entire Chapter cced. In most cases, these issues are insignificant and once the members talk to each other (which I, as president, usually immediately facilitate) the issue is immediately resolved as miscommunication.

We are a large Chapter at around 120 members, 60 of which live at the House (at capacity). We also have about 8 faculty advisors. Since the list is used so extensively to communicate, many members who live out of house and advisors are basing their opinions of how the Chapter is operating and what the character of some of the most persistent authors of inappropriate or rude emails solely on what they see on the all chapter emails. The extensive use of email also is making people avoid person to person confrontation.

Let me be clear. Every time I explain the situation to people it comes off as my Chapter being disfunctional. We are the top Fraternity on campus and have been for several years. We're also on an upswing with a motivated and ambitious membership (an uncommon trend for top dogs). The Brotherhood is the strongest it has been since I joined. This is a relatively small, but in my mind important issue both in terms of Brotherhood strengthening and teaching Brothers that email is not always the best way to get the job done.

So, I have a few questions:
- Does your Chapter have an extensively used all membership email list?
- If so, on average, how many emails do you think are sent out each week (last week for us: 89)?
- Do you have a policy in place defining what can and cannot be sent out?
- Do all Brothers/Sisters have the right to send emails out or is access limited to just exec/chairmen?
- How do you or have you dealt with inappropriate or offensive emails?

I look forward to hearing your replies!