Quote:
Originally posted by bolingbaker
Finally, with respect to the gentleman from Nebraska, I'd recommend that you steer your son toward the fraternities that are the traditional leaders (instead of, as he suggested, the place where he find the 'best fit'). In a given fraternity system there are groups that are strong and remain strong, and groups that wre weak and remain weak. A young man will not grow and prosper in a weak fraternity. In a strong chapter he will tend to rise to that standard, and be better for it. The fraternities that produce the powerful and influential leaders of tomorrow are not the weak ones.
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I'm going to have to disagree completely on many different aspects of this.
First of all, a chapter that is weak at one university can be much stronger in other areas of the country making the terms weak and strong relative (and relevant) in just that area. It's unfortuneate that some of those "powerful and influential leaders" may end up in a place where the local chapter is looked down upon, disrespected and tied to negative connotations, but demonstrates how reputation shouldn't be a part of a decision to join a GLO.
Second, in continuation of the above, the fortunes of any house can change rather quickly. I only have to look at the series of composites in my own chapter room to see this; as the numbers in the early 90s stay constant near 85, yet the number of brothers wearing the "pothead" jacket increase until 96 when our alumni did a membership review which resulted in only 21 brothers remaining. Definetly not the top house on campus then...fast forward to this year and the house stands 83 brothers strong, won homecoming, GPA for first semester, DG Anchor Splash, AZD Kareoke Kraze, 2nd in KKG's soccer tournament and has the most members of any house in Senior Honorary societies and in executive positions in campus organizations. To see it go the other way, I have 4 examples on my campus stemming from drug use, to hazing, to poor risk management decisions, and alcohol violations. The most recent has been DU which is on suspended status and about to go through a membership review. They were strong at the beginning of this year, and in a month they will probably be down to fewer than 30 brothers.
Third, one of the best things about the greek system is that every house has positions for people to take responsibility, chapter large or small, strong or weak, party house or academic leaders, every chapter. Every chapter produces leaders so it's ridiculous to say that only the strong chapters produce the powerful and influential leaders.
Fourth, as we have seen in some of those who frequent GC, most recently SAEguy, you can be in one of the best houses on a campus (as SAE is at the University of Kansas) but be miserable if the you don't feel a part of the brotherhood, if you dont' get along with the guys in your house, or if the priorities of a house don't match up with your own. All it takes is one incident and all of a sudden a young mans experience with greek life becomes an unpleasent one. The easiest way to prevent this is to go where you fit in, plain and simple.
With all due respect, and I appreciate your input as to how rush goes other places, I think that in your encouragement to only go for "top" houses you miss the mark completely in why people should go greek in the first place...
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