What if they don't want to live in house?

[moe.ron]

Originally posted by Rudey
I think so but they are trying to move out more into local housing corps from what I see and I can't blame them. It rests the responsibilities on local chapters and doesn't all of a sudden make the national fraternity liable for defaults and empty rooms which so many fraternities suffer from.

-Rudey
--I'm not even sure if alumni can change by-laws...

The way our national works, the national house corps give loan to the local chapter house corps. I believed that is how most national house corps operate. So the liability goes to the local chapter. No, alum can't change the by-laws. However, you can lobby the chapter to changed it. I'm pretty sure that most chapter would accomodate the Alum Corp if a house is involved.

ETA: What are you doing up so late?

[BabyP]

let them have girls to sleep over and offer free condoms lol tell them you will soundproof the walls so they can make as much noise as they like. sorry if I am being bad

[Tom Earp]

Rudey, can totally understand, but without having a full house, then why have one.?

If the house cannot be filled, then the per bed cost will be either to high to afford a house or there is no need to even try to get one. Another option is to have high parlor fees to cover the empty bed cost.

If a House Corporation is set up then it must be put in the Chapter bylaws that so designate that a member must live in the house for a period of time.

Usually the newer members would be required to fill the house if older members did not fill the beds. Rank does have privilages "IF" they have been living in a house!

Most guys should want to live in the house, that is the center of the action!

[moe.ron]

I agree with Tom. The last thing you want is for the chapter Housing corp to be heavily in debt. This will make future purchase or renovation of the house almost imposible. I've seen some chapters go beyond their means in renovating their house and all of the sudden they owe a lot of money in mortgages. Within a year, they lost their house, which means they start loosing PNM then bang, they loose their charter due to low membership. I would venture to say, have an alum - active meeting and plan a strategic plan. Maybe a 5 years plan so the two groups know where they are going, so you can assess if a house is viable for the near future.

[GeekyPenguin]

Originally posted by BabyP
let them have girls to sleep over and offer free condoms lol tell them you will soundproof the walls so they can make as much noise as they like. sorry if I am being bad

Gee, too bad you missed the shacking thread.


I would be really careful over forcing people to live in - feeling obligated to do that can be the death of a chapter. Delta Chi here just made a really smart move - built a brand new house with all single bedrooms.

[Rudey]

Originally posted by GeekyPenguin
Gee, too bad you missed the shacking thread.


I would be really careful over forcing people to live in - feeling obligated to do that can be the death of a chapter. Delta Chi here just made a really smart move - built a brand new house with all single bedrooms.

That's not a possibility. Houses here break 7 figures past 4 bedrooms and are also in such a high demand that they're impossible to find open property.

-Rudey

[aephi alum]

One sorority at my school has a housing policy that's something like this:

Certain officers (most or all of exec board, and the house manager) must live in.

The remaining beds are offered first to seniors, then juniors, then sophomores. (Freshmen must live in the dorms.) I think the more you've done for the sorority, the higher your pick within your class year.

If there are any vacant beds left, no one is forced to move in, but all members who were eligible to live in-house and chose not to, have to split the rent for that room. That way, you get your rent, but no one is forced to give up a cushy single in the dorms or a private apartment to share a room with 3 other people.

I don't think they've ever had a problem, though; the house has around 26 beds and there are usually 70-80 sophs/juniors/seniors.

[madmax]

Instead of buying a house that the brothers don't want to live in maybe you could find a house that has the features that would make the brothers want to live there. There are a lot of different style houses and you could probably find one that suits the wants/needs of the majority.



Style A. The sterotypical chapter house that looks like a small dorm with a grand entry, chapter room, and commercial kitchen on the first floor. The second and third floors would be dormatory style rooms with a gang bathroom at the end of the hall.

Style B. Might be an old Victorian that is converted to apartments. Each apartment could have 2 bedrooms a private bath and a small kithchen. The basement could have a chapter room, party space, pool table, ect.


I think they would both be cool houses. Some people might prefer A but others might prefer B.

[33girl]

Rudey,

How many would the house hold, and approximately how many are in the chapter?

All I can say about making people live in is, if you decide to do it, you HAVE to strictly enforce it, unless someone's an RA, lives with parents, or has to live on a certain location on campus due to loans (and if that's the case, make them get documentation for it). Once you let one person slide, you are toast.

[GeekyPenguin]

Originally posted by aephi alum
One sorority at my school has a housing policy that's something like this:

Certain officers (most or all of exec board, and the house manager) must live in.

The remaining beds are offered first to seniors, then juniors, then sophomores. (Freshmen must live in the dorms.) I think the more you've done for the sorority, the higher your pick within your class year.

If there are any vacant beds left, no one is forced to move in, but all members who were eligible to live in-house and chose not to, have to split the rent for that room. That way, you get your rent, but no one is forced to give up a cushy single in the dorms or a private apartment to share a room with 3 other people.

I don't think they've ever had a problem, though; the house has around 26 beds and there are usually 70-80 sophs/juniors/seniors.

This is a really really good idea that I am going to bring up to my chapter.

[absolutuscchick]

In my chapter, the entire exec board must live in, as well as gracious living, chaplain, and house corp representative (I believe that's what its called), but I do not know about everyone else!

[LXAAlum]

Ultimately, the chapter will have to make the hard decision if a house is a good idea or not.

It constantly amazes me how chapters that HAD a house then lost it, or, a new organization, always whines that they don't have a house. Yet, once they get one again, or one for the first time, they STILL whine the opposing argument of "but I don't want to live in it". In other words...I want the PRIVELEGE, but not the RESPONSIBILITY.

Plenty of chapters do NOT have houses, yet are very strong organizations.

Main point: a HOUSE does not make a chapter, the members do!

That being said, my previous experience seems to mirror a lot of what everyone else said - at the chapter I advised, we had just over 30 rooms to fill, and a membership in excess of 100. The way room assignment works was as follows: The President had the Presidential Suite, and was required to live in house, in addition to all Executive Committe officers, the house and kitchen managers, and a couple of other officers.

A point system was also used, where points earned for a variety of activities, including already living in the house, participation in office, community service, committee work, other student organizations (atheletics/clubs, etc...) and others. High points had first choice to opt out of living in the house, but conversly, if they DID want to live in the house (most did anyways) - High points also had first choice of what room they would get to live in. It trickled down from there.

In rare instances, where the parents of a member expressly forbade them from living in the house (which happened more frequently than I thought), if not high enough in points to be eligible to opt out, had to pay a discounted rental fee to offset their choosing to not live in the house. This option was only exercised in EXTREME circumstances.

Other exceptions applied to RA's and other students that were required to live on-campus (certain sports teams had this), as well as members who lived at home with their parents.

Of course, this all boils down to responsible management of the house by both the Housing Corp and chapter members. It is hard to "require" people to live in what could be considered "substandard" or downright filthy conditions, so it has to be continually maintained and cleaned by all members to not only be healthy, but attactive, ESPECIALLY when parents of exisiting or potential members came to visit. Since the majority of students have dues/fees paid by the parents, their perceptions can really help, or hurt, the present and future conditions and course of the chapter.

[TSteven]

Originally posted by LXAAlum
Of course, this all boils down to responsible management of the house by both the Housing Corp and chapter members. It is hard to "require" people to live in what could be considered "substandard" or downright filthy conditions, so it has to be continually maintained and cleaned by all members to not only be healthy, but attactive, ESPECIALLY when parents of exisiting or potential members came to visit. Since the majority of students have dues/fees paid by the parents, their perceptions can really help, or hurt, the present and future conditions and course of the chapter.

Well said. All chapter members must take responsibility for their house. Regardless if they live in or not.

[angelic1]

Its an on campus house and its costing that much? Is it through the university that you would be paying for the house or is it just that its close to campus?

I know that since ours is done through the school.. we "rent" the house each year as a chapter then girls who live in the rooms pay a certain fee each semester. Its all in all a good situation except for the renting part bc then our house corp. are more hesitant to put money into the house.. since if we cant fill it or if something happens to our chapter we would essentially lose it and all of our investment.. so over time we have fixed up our house..

..also speaking of seeing other chapters in debt over their house.. one sorority went out and spent all this money on their new house on campus.. they ended up not being able to pay for it and held fundraisers asking other chapters for money as if it was for their philanthropy come to find out it was for their house..

[Tom Earp]

Rudey, after seeing some of the advice here, then the hard decision has to be made. To House or not To House, that is the question!

While House Corporations own a house, and "They are The Ones who take it in the ass", they are also Brothers of the Chapter not some slum lord! They try to look oout for the interests of the Chapter House and The Brothers.

My Chapter is this very postition, "We cant Rush", We do not have a House, We demoloshed it for safety condidtions. Then we have 5 Brothers who will step up and pay to build a new house, and it is, well, we cannot afford the rent as We do not have enough guys!

Well cry me a friggen river! You want a House but do not want to back it by paying the costs then do without a House!

It sounds like the movie, "The Field Of Dreams, Build It and They Will Come"! BS! In for and ounce, in for a pound, Yes or No!

If costs are to high, rent a house where they can put Letters on it or get the School to rent space in the Dorm for Them to live together. LXA FIT is just that and other Greeks have Houses and we are one of the strongest there.

Bro, all I can say is good luck, if Your Guys are not going to back it, then dont, period. If they do not want to, then what kind of Brothers are thay???!

A house can make The Chapter Money, or It Can Be a Money Pit! Insurance and Utilities are a Major Cost for sure!