How does one suggest a makeover?

[modorney]

My experience with a local joining a national involves a number of factors. Driving this involves having a few with a vision, passion and spare time to push it along. Usually it helps to have both alums on your team, as well as faculty and administration support. In general, colleges who like greeks, like nationals, since they help keep the houses out of trouble. This is more of a fraternity issue, sororities don't seem to have the same troubles.

The second thing is to find a national that is both compatible with you and is willing to accept you. Some nationals can absorb only a few colonies a year, and will have a "full plate". So they won't have time for you. Other nationals have a few houses, and are looking to grow to more than a hundred, which gives them economies of scale. But, being a local for 20 years means you aren't likely to fold on you. But that does mean you have established a "personality", and that needs to fit the national. Granted, a chapter on one campus is usually different than one on another, but there often is a commonality of traits.

The third thing is that colleges, in general, are getting tougher to get into (the "new ivies"), so the better your college gets, the more you will want the networking benefits of a good national. More and more grads will move away from the local area, usually because of a good job offer. They will want an alum chapter in their new city.

As mentioned, you have the vision, you may have to run for president and carry it through. But, if you are the lone wolf, and have experienced interest from a national house on campus, that may be a better option.