U of Arkansas: Phi Delta Theta Suspended Pending Investigation

[DEVODUDE]

Elephant Walk:Their glory days were right before they got kicked off by Nationals.

I know your line of thinking and I understand it. But there's a combination of three things which make this not good for their recruitment and longstanding tradition of pledging some of the best the University has to offer.

a) The likelihood of the Nationals not being from an SEC school with no understanding of SEC rush and the typical guy the fraternities are looking for. Likewise, not being from the South which could be a shot across the bow to start with. Nationals likes to send their weirdest Yankees whenever they come around, I would be very surprised if they do anything but that.
b) The unfamiliarity with the Rush process on the part of the pledges and not have been completely ingrained in UA fraternity culture.
c) the lack of alcohol as a result of nationals coming. That alone will probably kill their rush of the guys that Phi Delt has been having for quite sometime.

Elephant Walk, I am enjoying our conversation!!!!!!

I see the picture now. Not having a consultant that is familar with a SEC University and the rush process, can hurt the stability and longevity of the future chapter. I am not familar how the Phi Delt National assigns the regions to their consultants, but I would think if they want to have a successful chapter at UA, they would assign a consultant preferably someone from the SEC to help with the re-colonization process. That would make sense. In my example, I should have been a little more specific as to the region I was referring too, which was the Northeast (and I attended a Northeast University) and the university itself, which was also in the Northeast (Big East Conference). That was why it was easy for me the establish a successful re-colonization.

I can also understand why (c) would be a problem as well.

ZBT:"Honoring the Past, Celebrating the Present & Impacting the Future."

[33girl]

Originally Posted by Elephant Walk

Nationals likes to send their weirdest Yankees whenever they come around, I would be very surprised if they do anything but that.

Speaking as a Yankee, we've had to put up with some weird Southerners too, like ones who didn't understand the concept of snow and rain, so right back at ya.

Gusteau, I've never understood retaining the pledges in that type of situation either, but it might be like you said - if they get rid of everyone, they will lose their student org designation, rotation in chairs, etc etc. Although when you think of it that's a horrid thing to do to the pledges. Right away they pretty much have to choose between their loyalty to the men who recruited them and the national organization. Unless of course, they fake it big time and are just puppets for the kicked off guys who are still pulling all the strings in the background.

[AGDee]

Originally Posted by 33girl

Speaking as a Yankee, we've had to put up with some weird Southerners too, like ones who didn't understand the concept of snow and rain, so right back at ya.

Years ago, I was reading a Leadership Consultant's (our traveling consultant term) report and at the end, it said "You should never send anybody to Michigan in January ever again because it's just too cold and snowy." Now we get the consultants up here who are used to our weather...lol. The poor consultant from North Dakota a few years back got sent to Ontario, the UP of Michigan, etc.

[VandalSquirrel]

Originally Posted by AGDee

Years ago, I was reading a Leadership Consultant's (our traveling consultant term) report and at the end, it said "You should never send anybody to Michigan in January ever again because it's just too cold and snowy." Now we get the consultants up here who are used to our weather...lol. The poor consultant from North Dakota a few years back got sent to Ontario, the UP of Michigan, etc.

I love that our most tropical chapter (Hawaii) and some of our most distant and cold ones (Canada, Montana, Idaho) usually have the same LC. I think if you get Hawaii, you should get Montana and Calgary as they are quite the juxtaposition in climate and geography.

[Gusteau]

Originally Posted by 33girl

Gusteau, I've never understood retaining the pledges in that type of situation either, but it might be like you said - if they get rid of everyone, they will lose their student org designation, rotation in chairs, etc etc. Although when you think of it that's a horrid thing to do to the pledges. Right away they pretty much have to choose between their loyalty to the men who recruited them and the national organization. Unless of course, they fake it big time and are just puppets for the kicked off guys who are still pulling all the strings in the background.

Now that is an interesting scenario - I wonder if any Phi Delt pledges are reading this, lol. The thing is as a pledge I don't think you really understand the scope of a national organization. I wouldn't begrudge someone for feeling more loyalty to the men who recruited them than to some "weird yankee" put in their house as a chaperon. Nationals will definitly be sending in their best consultants to try an win over the pledge class.

[Elephant Walk]

Originally Posted by 33girl

Speaking as a Yankee, we've had to put up with some weird Southerners too, like ones who didn't understand the concept of snow and rain, so right back at ya.

Point noted. Eccentricity is a characteristic of the south.

Right away they pretty much have to choose between their loyalty to the men who recruited them and the national organization. Unless of course, they fake it big time and are just puppets for the kicked off guys who are still pulling all the strings in the background.

Part of the problem.

It may be just my chapter, but I don't believe so. Fraternities at Arkansas tend to distrust nationals (although, that may be a characteristic of southern fraternities in general). If they enamor themselves of nationals, they would be much different than the great majority of the fraternities on campus in many aspects by ending up similar to a certain fraternity who abides by the overly-nationals influenced acronymed BMP.

I just personally think this is not a good idea. But I could be wrong. All the power to them. I believe Phi Delt has a certain culture on campus. They've recruited similar guys ever since I've been on campus and before that. The alumni identify with this culture (like DKE use to be at LSU). The nationals will likely change this culture.

This was pretty well written for someone who drank waaay too much Woodford on a Sunday night.

[lemon123]

Originally Posted by Elephant Walk

Their glory days were right before they got kicked off by Nationals.

I know your line of thinking and I understand it. But there's a combination of three things which make this not good for their recruitment and longstanding tradition of pledging some of the best the University has to offer.

a) The likelihood of the Nationals not being from an SEC school with no understanding of SEC rush and the typical guy the fraternities are looking for. Likewise, not being from the South which could be a shot across the bow to start with. Nationals likes to send their weirdest Yankees whenever they come around, I would be very surprised if they do anything but that.
b) The unfamiliarity with the Rush process on the part of the pledges and not have been completely ingrained in UA fraternity culture.
c) the lack of alcohol as a result of nationals coming. That alone will probably kill their rush of the guys that Phi Delt has been having for quite sometime.

I ran across this thread during a google search and decided to comment.

Do you think the Phi Delt national organization will be that involved in the rush process?

With regard to point "b" I'm guessing the pledges will get some rush help from some of the older members and in my experience, they can probably get around your point "c" if they decide to risk having off-campus rush parties with alcohol present.

I heard from an insider that the charter isn't suspended for any definite period of time but only until the colony is able to get it back. Can anyone confirm this?

[Elephant Walk]

Originally Posted by lemon123

Do you think the Phi Delt national organization will be that involved in the rush process?

I mean, they're living in the house. They won't allow alcohol in the house. They'll have a great deal of control.

With regard to point "b" I'm guessing the pledges will get some rush help from some of the older members and in my experience, they can probably get around your point "c" if they decide to risk having off-campus rush parties with alcohol present.

I seriously doubt it on both counts. I don't know.

I heard from an insider that the charter isn't suspended for any definite period of time but only until the colony is able to get it back. Can anyone confirm this?

Well, I mean that's the definition of what colonies do. I'm told that it will be back once the pledges are now seniors.

[Low C Sharp]

Right away they pretty much have to choose between their loyalty to the men who recruited them and the national organization.

I'd add that they're choosing between their loyalty to their plan to join an established organization with upperclassman mentors vs. the national organization. If I'm a freshman who joined a big, established fraternity, it's because I was looking for that experience. A colony, especially a three-year colony, is a whole different ball of wax, and probably not what I intended to join. EW, can you tell us whether the PDT pledges would get the time of day at other UA fraternities if they left right now, or whether the PDT colony is realistically their only fraternity option?
________
Nugetka

[Elephant Walk]

Originally Posted by Low C Sharp

EW, can you tell us whether the PDT pledges would get the time of day at other UA fraternities if they left right now, or whether the PDT colony is realistically their only fraternity option?

I mean, PDT pledges are in some degree of demand. They're generally Highland Park/Little Rock private school kids. Probably half would get into pretty good fraternities and probably half would get into slightly lesser fraternities right now if they chose to leave. Getting kicked off isn't stigmatic (word?), but not rushing is. When Sigma Nu got kicked off some years ago, alot of them went Pike when Pike was doing better so they'd have a home. It's quite possible they could quit altogether and acquiesce to another house. That's probably what I would do if I were in their place. They have options.

It wouldn't be an issue if they left now. To be honest, other fraternities that they might join if they leave will probably be more like the Phi Delt they joined then the Phi Delt that will become from the influx of nationals and other influences.