Mergers...is is still possible?

[Rain Man]

Originally posted by aopirose
Please do. Thanks.

The link is as follows:

A Question to the NPHC Greeks

[MTSUGURL]

Originally posted by AlphaFrog
In the NPC triva thread, there's a question about mergers...and the comment was made that DZ and ZTA thought about it, but neither would give up their symbols...

Would a merger between 2 NPCs even be possible today??? What would happen to the Alumnae? Would they have to be initiated into the other sorority?

What I would wonder is, for what likely reasons could you (generic you, not you specifically) forsee that there would be a need for a merger? Even the smallest don't seem to so small as to need to join forces, if you will.

[Alpha Sig Scott]

Originally posted by MTSUGURL
What I would wonder is, for what likely reasons could you (generic you, not you specifically) forsee that there would be a need for a merger? Even the smallest don't seem to so small as to need to join forces, if you will.

I can forsee a merger because of financial reasons. GLO's are not rich by any means.

KTSnake mentions a large scale lawsuit (hazing?). I too believe this disaster is coming.

Low membership across the board may also push a GLO to seek out an another organization with similar goals and history to merge with. At the very least, the struggling organization could simply be absorbed into the more stable one.

Currently there are 64 member fraternities in the NIC. Can that many continue to grow and remain relevent in the future? In my opinion, no.

[Tom Earp]

Originally posted by Alpha Sig Scott
I can forsee a merger because of financial reasons. GLO's are not rich by any means.

KTSnake mentions a large scale lawsuit (hazing?). I too believe this disaster is coming.

Low membership across the board may also push a GLO to seek out an another organization with similar goals and history to merge with. At the very least, the struggling organization could simply be absorbed into the more stable one.

Currently there are 64 member fraternities in the NIC. Can that many continue to grow and remain relevent in the future? In my opinion, no.

You, ktsnake, and Erik are correct.

Whilke I mentioned on another thread, 1939, TKN and LXA Merged. There were talks at one time between LXA and TKE but did not come about because of to many differences.

As Erik said, over the years, many small Groups merged with stronger ones.

The last majors that I can think of is Phi Sigma Epsilon and Phi Sigma Kappa.

Several Years ago, Our Exec VP and I were talking about this and His response surprised Me at first. He said the same thing that ktsnake stated, Financial for Risk Management situations. Greek Organizations are not cash cows. LXA IHQ just had a cut back on staff so as to keep the level of contacts with Chapters as a Priority.

Can it happen, Yes it can. Just as Alpha Sig Scott said, what is the different designs and why?

[Tom Earp]

Just a quck follow up, In the 60's the only Natinal Fraternitys that were in the process of expansions were LXA and TKE.
All of the rest were very limited especially the Union Triangle Greeks. The Miami Trangle GLOs were a little better but not much.

Trying to expand can be a costly situation too. Depending on what type of School is looked at, it can cost Nationals @ $7,000 and up. This doent include A House.

[MTSUGURL]

I was referring to NPC. I agree that it would seem more likely with fraternities.

[PhiRhoSister]

I cannot see 2 NPC sororities merging unless something drastic happened to the financial base of a group. I do think it is still possible for a non-NPC national/regional sorority to be absorbed by a NPC group. For example, Kappa Beta Gamma has not really grown since it left the NPC...Sigma Alpha Epsilon Pi may one day find it advantagous to petition Alpha Epsilon Phi or Sigma Delta Tau...Mu Epsilon Theta is based on Catholic values like Theta Phi Alpha.

[Buttonz]

As a lot of others are saying, I can't see two NPC's merging...but I can see a non-NPC national merging with a current NPC...If SDT ever merged with another NPC, I'm not sure what I would do...I can't imagine wearing any other letters....

[Erik P Conard]

Delta Phi, a small elitist eastern outfit, is sometimes known as
St. Elmo, and Delta Psi, another dashing group, is generally known as St. Anthony. What if the two groups merged, would they be called SAE? Would the Sig Alphs take 'em? It was a real
kick back in the 50s to visit with the eastern outfits, long before
Williams, Bowdoin, etc kicked them off. Their philosophies were
certainly elitist, and they were more concerned with muted hues
from their indirect lighting in the study than they were of growth.
Then Zeta Psi had to go out and charter at Nebraska Wesleyan,
hardly a Yale...now look where some of them have gone...funny.
Then there are us rustics like Tommy and me, from teachers' colleges (now State Universities!) and even Beta has to wipe off
the cow shit from the bull barns at Purdue. It has been fun, and
some of us "old timers" are in a quandary about extensions, of
glorified shopping centers, inverted mineshafts, gosh, perhaps you can be a Theta Delt by means of the internet!
Worth watching.
Yes, there will likely be mergers, takeovers, absorptions, things we have not even thought of. Even us biggies have law suits galore, and some of us might even bite the dust. Sororities are
less likely to be hurt as they may claim they are dry but they go
across the street and drink, throw up and die at the Sigma Pi's.
This is, of course, hypocritical. And not much we can do about it
other than educate. Ultimate in gall: one NPC had a pissing contest with one of their good chapters, so they closed 'em down
and took their house..as HQ...in Denver. No mind, not much in the
midwest anyway, but had some real good folks here...once.
Yep, worth watching

[Sock Puppet]

It is true that you possess a modicum of wisdom, but your provincial attitude makes you laughable. Please, don't make light of the death of a fellow Greek, or any human being for that matter.

[NebraskaDelt]

Originally posted by AlphaFrog
Would a merger between 2 NPCs even be possible today???

I don't think there is a problem with it being possible, it is inevitable.

[33girl]

Originally posted by NebraskaDelt
I don't think there is a problem with it being possible, it is inevitable.

Please elaborate.

[NebraskaDelt]

As has been spoken of already, there are financial issues at stake which will push either merger or dissolution of an organization.

Risk management has been talked about a lot, but we also have to take into account the ever increasing costs of membership, running a national organization, lack of alumni financial support, etc.

Sooner or later, an organization is going to come to a point where the cost of joining the organization does not satisfy the cost of running it. Thus, they will have to raise dues. There will then be a point where people will not be willing to pay for such dues. The organization will either need to cut resources, reduce standards to be a member in order to get more money, or merge with another organization in order to keep costs down on both dues and national organizational costs.

I initiated in 1998 and initiation dues were $230 which includes a lifetime subscription to the national magazine. Less than 10 years later and our dues are nearly $280 without a lifetime subscription to the magazine.

Luckily for us, we have an amazing alumni base who helps out with funding the resources needed to run a great organization.

Hence, as there have been mergers before, it will be inevitable that mergers will happen again. Just because a sorority is in the NPC does not protect them from the necessary action of possibly merging if the necessity arises.

[Tom Earp]

Originally posted by Sock Puppet
It is true that you possess a modicum of wisdom, but your provincial attitude makes you laughable. Please, don't make light of the death of a fellow Greek, or any human being for that matter.

Little do You know.

If You have been around the Greek World as You so Profess, then maybe You have a Modicum of Wisdom.

Lets Forget Phi Beta Kappa but get into the current Era.

If there is a Major Law Suit for Risk Management which can happen, there may be Nationals who will no longer exist without a Merger.

So, if that Merger is not completed With Someone, there will be Men and Women who no longer belong to a Greek Organization.

There is No Small Light of or Laff given to any Greek Or Greek Organization given.

It is up to the Greek Organizations and Members to make the decision to stay alive or die. If not, then whose decision is it?

What Erik brings to this site is knowledge of years of having worked at many Colleges and with many Orgaizations.

I Pale in comparasion to Him as I only Know 3 National Directors and keep in contact with them as We all have the same thought in mind.

[Erik P Conard]

you guys have a great outlook in that your sensible assessment
of problems facing all of us, i.e., lawsuits, dues, expenses, make it look like you have indeed worked in the central office!
We do not know what's ahead but it would appear to me that it
is in good hands.
As to making fun of a greek death, I would ask sagacious author
to live a bit more. It is gallows humor, far from funny, and it is to
point out the hypocrisy in some corners. And as to a provincial attitude....it is us midwesterners and southerners who have allowed the growth and survival of the greeks, not the idiots from
the east who seem to be hell-bent on dismantling it. So, get back
in traction, Seymour.
Without some humor, though, we will become as stiff as the old
Union Triad folks (pass the trocar, please) and when many of us can hug one another, like Tom and me, et al., we can all work as
one, together, in fraternal closeness. But as to the critics and naysayers who are constantly passing judgment on us...well, they
are something upon which we shall put. EC