I've read these boards for a while ... no post has ever prompted me to reply; this one has.
Summary ... Just fix it
Aphrodelik96: You're paying more thank you should. Sounds like a problem ... but rather than be a man a fix your problem you've decided to go to
www.greekchat.com and bitch. Every man a man; step it up, call HQ and get it figured out. Call James R. Favor; call 3 times a day, call 10 times a day ... don't bitch about it, just fix it
You can bitch about something all you want if you're doing all you can to fix it, but if you're not then get off your soapbox and shut up. You shouldn't be charged for something that you didn't buy, I agree 100%. I can't fix that, RACooper can't fix it GammaZeta can't fix it lenoxxx can't fix it... YOU CAN; just fix it.
EM1843: I'm going to say the same thing to you my parents always said to me. "We'll never compare you to anyone else, so don't you start doing it". I never got a "Billy got an A on that paper, why did you get a C". You'll never get that from Lambda Chi. You'll get a "Why did you get a C when you've gotten B's?". When someone knows you're better than what you're currently performing at, expect it to be pointed out; especially if they care about you. Don't compare yourselves to other chapters at UF, compare where your chapter is now to where it should be or where you know it can be. Do you have hazing problems? Maybe you need help with FRED? You're being made out as "flawed" because you probably are "flawed". All chapters have flaws and HQ wants us to be the best we can be. Every chapter can be better, worry about making your chapter the best first and then worry about other chapters. Heck, help them become better chapters; brothers helping brothers.
GammaZeta: Your comments I've taken to heart, perhaps too much ...
So here's your chapters homepage:
http://www.umass.edu/rso/lca/index.html
Not updated in a bit, maybe someone on the Gamma committee or some web savvy brother can help out with that.
Maybe someone could also inform your campus that you're a Fraternity ... or well are you still an active chapter there?
http://www.umass.edu/thepoint/activi...k.html#sorfrat
http://www.umass.edu/campact/category.html
Right ... I didn't think so. I can't blame you for all of that, UMass hasn't been pushing the greek system at the zoo like other schools do. That clearly gives you right to just vacate the house you live in, disband the chapter and move on, right? Sure, why not, I mean you care about the fraternity and all, but its more important to just leave the place and say that HQ "has dropped the ball many times". Apparently you just decided to deflate the ball and walk away; but that's ok, because you didn't drop the ball.
You "think the problem may be that we hire too many times within the fraternity" ... have you ever worked for a non-profit organization or an educational institution; apparently you don't know how they generally work. Its not about the money, its about hard work, and having dedicated people that devote their life to something that means more than themselves. Try and hire someone from the professional world at the salary we can afford to pay ... if they're not an involved brother you've got no chance in hell at actually getting them to agree to work for even with a 50% raise in salary; you might have a chance to entice some with a 75-100% salary increase. Look at what CFO's and CEO's make, divide that a few times and then you'll get what we pay our brothers; our family.
I don't know about Kip's resume, so I can't speak about it, but I can about Joe's.
I'm from Pi Zeta ... 30 Dean Street ... "the house that Joe built" ... that's what it is called. Why is it called that; because Joe built it. Joe stepped up and made the house happen; sure others helped out, but I can't even begin to explain how much he thanklessly put in to that house. He not only got it built, helped fill it year after year, but he served as House Corporation President for over half a decade. HEY JOE, or anyone else at HQ that reads this ... tell Joe thanks! But what does Joe know about property management?
Finance / Accounting ... Oh yeah, he built a company specializing in implementation of financial systems, sold it off, and worked as a consultant ... what kind of consultant might that be, ah yes a FINANCIAL CONSULTANT!!! What do financial consultants do? Good question, glad you asked ... They FIX, EXPLAIN, and IMPLEMENT proper accounting processes and systems to what department ... ah yes the FINANCE / ACCOUNTING DEPARTMENT. But what does Joe know about accounting?
Find someone that can manage financial systems, run an accounting department, build a house (2 if you count his own), and take a pay cut bigger than Joe took and THEN you can talk to me about how Joe isn't qualified.
Oh yeah, Joe wasn't a computer engineer; I thought you said you read his resume.
I do have to give you some credit ... you are dead on about the fact that Joe is a great guy; I'm glad you had the opportunity to meet him. I just wish you had listened to a thing he had said, or maybe given him an ounce of credit or respect; or for that fact any of the officers in the Fraternity at HQ.
You again do make another great point:
"Obviously people in the fraternity should be given preference, but only if they are qualified." I don't think you'll find one person that will call you out on that statement; I agree with you. The problem is ... you won't find another candidate that will apply for an underpaid, underappreciated, overworked position. All of the brothers that apply for positions are doing it because they care, because they want to help make a difference in something that has made a difference in their life.
You say: "But why aren't we hiring professional, experienced property managers, COO's, real accountants? People who have experience with large corporations and non-profits." ... there's a simple answer to that, we are. We have real professional experienced people on staff. I think what you meant to say is "Why aren't we hiring non-brothers that want two to three times the money we can afford". We've already addressed this though ...
you sign off with:
"-OK, now go ahead and bash me and my post away *ducks for cover*"
what's up with that??? It's really easy to sit in the dark and hurt / scare a brother; I figured our ritual would have tought you more than that.
Faith, Hope, and Love. You have no faith in HQ, it doesn't seem like you have any hope for them, or for the Fraternity, and how can you have love without the support of them? I don't think it is possible.
Rather than sit and complain, get off your but and fix it. Help out HQ. My chapter came to UMass and tried to help you guys ... MULTIPLE times ... who convinced our undergrad chapter to go out and support you? that's right, sparky (the name I've given you since you won't give us your real identity), JOE did. But what does Joe know...
GammaZeta, get off your butt and just fix it; writing in a web forum doesn't fix the problems you have ... but it lets me stick up for OUR brothers, yes OUR ... mine and YOURS ...
I apologize for any rude comments, and I probably crossed the line a few points here, but I cannot tolerate someone complaining about something and not doing anything to fix it. JUST FIX IT!
I hope everyone has / had an awesome rush, its hard work and I envy those that do it well. Let's keep Lambda Chi the best Fraternity out there!
Yours in ZAX,
Howie
----------------
Howard Rappaport
President
Pi Zeta of Lambda Chi Alpha, Inc.
howie@pizeta.org
http://www.pizeta.org
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