Sorority Chapter at U. of Utah May Close April 30

[Firehouse]

Help me understand. If most women want to buy Porches or solid Ford-Toyota-variety cars, and only a few women want to buy Yugos (I assume they're all about the same price) why would NPC artificially restrict sales of high-end cars? Only a few women want the Yugos. If Yugo is a good bargain, then let them succeed or fail based on their value and appeal. No women - few anyway - women who really want high end or solid quality cars are willing to accept Yugos, especially if the cost is about the same.
Don't punish the strong in an effort to boost the weak. The reasons for one chapter's failure may be beyond the ability of NPC to fix. And from what you say, it doesn't sound like NPC even wants to "fix" it, but is willing to accept or even encourage a perpetually weak chapter as an alternative for the small number of Yugo buyers.

[aopirose]

Yes, because Yugo buyers, who have no interest in Porsches or Fords, need Yugos to buy. It is also up to Yugo HQ to decide if its franchisee is meeting the agreed upon goals in terms of sales, customer service, etc. If the franchisee isn’t then Yugo HQ must decide the next course of action. Sometimes this involves terminating the agreement.

[AGDee]

Firehouse: You are applying capitalistic ideals to a non-capitalistic system and trying to understand it that way. It's not a capitalistic system, whether you agree with it or not.

In your example, the goal is simply to allow the best to survive and the others to die off.

NPCs goal is for all to be equal, so there is no best and worst. There is no Yugo and no Porsche. There are only Cadillacs (all high quality, but none head and shoulders above the rest). So, to raise the Yugo to the level of the Cadillac and to bring down the Porsche to the level of the Cadillac is the goal. If all the chapters on a campus are Cadillacs, then you have one very strong Panhellenic system.

Additionally, a weak chapter at one school is the strongest at another. You aren't only joining one chapter, you're joining a national organization, all of whom have their own strengths and weaknesses.

I've never seen a chapter closed for small numbers without extensive attempts by the organization to make it viable. But, if you don't have enough members to pay for your housing, etc., even after those valiant efforts, you simply can't afford to continue there. It's a horribly difficult decision to make for everybody involved and is never done lightly. It's heart wrenching for everybody.

[Firehouse]

Thank you for your comments; I enjoy the exchanges.
It's not important whether I agree or disagree with the NPC way of doing things. The sorority system is long established and extremely successful.
It's fascinating though to see the difference in thinking between men and women. you give the example of NPC (or PanHel) knocking the Porsche sorority down to Cadillac status at the same time trying to raise the Yugos up to be viable. I cannot imagine the shrieking and threats that would ensue if the IFC tried to tell the Porsche fraternity that they had to reduce their numbers and aggression so they would be "brought down to be the same" as the other chapters. Men are very heriarchical by nature - we want to win and to defeat the competition. Women are very cooperative by nature; they instinctively want to find a middle path to benefit everyone.
There are disadvantages to both approaches. Men and fraternities are (as you pointed out) willing to let the weak die and the strong prosper. In a fraternity system, an aggressive fraternity can raise its status through successful competition in rush, sports, etc. The system's weakness is the looseness of the overall fraternity structure. Rush numbers from year to year can be erratic.
Sororities have a very tight structure that ensures good rushes year after year, and evens out the impact in down times. A bad effect of the sorority system is that this rigid rush structure means that a weak sorority cannot get better - it only rarely if ever happens in a big system. We have a very strong sorority system here, yet we've lost an average of one sorority every four or five years for decades. Some sorority always fits the profile of the weakest sister (no point in detailing that here; everyone understands it). They hang on for as long as they can, but it's terribly difficult for them.
I do understand the differences, and it's interesting to see how single-sex fraternities and sororities handle their business.

[g41965]

Gotta agree with firehouse ,very thoughtful post.

[AGDee]

Originally posted by Firehouse
Some sorority always fits the profile of the weakest sister (no point in detailing that here; everyone understands it). They hang on for as long as they can, but it's terribly difficult for them.
I do understand the differences, and it's interesting to see how single-sex fraternities and sororities handle their business.

I agree that it is a worthy exchange and you're right, it does seem that there is always an underdog in the sorority system, despite our efforts to the contrary. I have seen though, on many campuses (especially in Michigan, where I am most familiar with the chapters), that the underdog changes over time. The strongest chapter today may be the weakest in 10 years, but it ends up rotating. This might not be true in the South, but I've seen it at the schools I've worked with for many years.

[Firehouse]

Does it appear to you that the dynamic changes depending on whether the sororities occupy big houses or are housed in dorms?

[AGDee]

Actually, I see that dynamic most on campuses with no sorority housing at all, or unofficial housing (where members just rent a house together and call it "the house" without any assistance, funding, house association involvement, etc.).

It's also much easier to keep those chapters open, since there is little financial dependency on their size. If the dorm situation demanded a certain number of members, then there is just as much pressure as when you own a house.

[Drolefille]

Originally posted by Firehouse
Thank you for your comments; I enjoy the exchanges.
It's not important whether I agree or disagree with the NPC way of doing things. The sorority system is long established and extremely successful.
It's fascinating though to see the difference in thinking between men and women. you give the example of NPC (or PanHel) knocking the Porsche sorority down to Cadillac status at the same time trying to raise the Yugos up to be viable. I cannot imagine the shrieking and threats that would ensue if the IFC tried to tell the Porsche fraternity that they had to reduce their numbers and aggression so they would be "brought down to be the same" as the other chapters. Men are very heriarchical by nature - we want to win and to defeat the competition. Women are very cooperative by nature; they instinctively want to find a middle path to benefit everyone.
There are disadvantages to both approaches. Men and fraternities are (as you pointed out) willing to let the weak die and the strong prosper. In a fraternity system, an aggressive fraternity can raise its status through successful competition in rush, sports, etc. The system's weakness is the looseness of the overall fraternity structure. Rush numbers from year to year can be erratic.
Sororities have a very tight structure that ensures good rushes year after year, and evens out the impact in down times. A bad effect of the sorority system is that this rigid rush structure means that a weak sorority cannot get better - it only rarely if ever happens in a big system. We have a very strong sorority system here, yet we've lost an average of one sorority every four or five years for decades. Some sorority always fits the profile of the weakest sister (no point in detailing that here; everyone understands it). They hang on for as long as they can, but it's terribly difficult for them.
I do understand the differences, and it's interesting to see how single-sex fraternities and sororities handle their business.

Actually this plays perfectly into my psych of relationships/sex class that talks about the major societal difference between men and women. Men are more hierarchal and encourage the competition that leads some to rise and some to fall. Women are more communal and tend to form networks. (This isn't to say that some women don't lead and some don't follow, just in a different way)

Sorry I just found the comparison between what I learned and greek life fascinating....

/on topic.. closing chapters sucks but closing now and reopening in 4 or 5 years may allow for a stronger chapter overall. It can be harder to rebuild than to wipe the slate clean.

[exlurker]

Update: Court Case About $$$ From House Sale

A Salt Lake City paper is reporting that a lawsuit has been filed over the question of where the proceeds from the sale of the Tri Delta house will go.

See story:

http://www.sltrib.com/utah/ci_4111098

Brief excerpt:

The Delta Delta Delta sorority has left the University of Utah, but a debate over what legacy its house will leave went to court this week.
The national Delta Delta Delta sorority filed suit in 3rd District Court on Thursday claiming its Theta Phi chapter, which had been on the U.'s campus since 1932 and has owned a house on Greek Row since 1939, has refused to hand over the house title.
Utah alums say they have good reason: They want proceeds from the sale of the house . . . to benefit the local community, rather than going into the national sorority's general operating fund. . . .

[33girl]

Originally Posted by exlurker

Update: Court Case About $$$ From House Sale

A Salt Lake City paper is reporting that a lawsuit has been filed over the question of where the proceeds from the sale of the Tri Delta house will go.

See story:

http://www.sltrib.com/utah/ci_4111098

Brief excerpt:

The Delta Delta Delta sorority has left the University of Utah, but a debate over what legacy its house will leave went to court this week.
The national Delta Delta Delta sorority filed suit in 3rd District Court on Thursday claiming its Theta Phi chapter, which had been on the U.'s campus since 1932 and has owned a house on Greek Row since 1939, has refused to hand over the house title.
Utah alums say they have good reason: They want proceeds from the sale of the house . . . to benefit the local community, rather than going into the national sorority's general operating fund. . . .

YOICKS.

In the words of Cartman, now that's what I call a sticky situation.

But if there's nothing in the house corp papers or the deed about the house ownership automatically reverting to the national in a chapter closure, I can't see where their HQ has a leg to stand on.

[Adelphean]

In the end it all boils down to money. That chapter wasn't generating any/enough money for nationals so... nationals closed it. Now nationals wants all the can get out of it. This is not a slam at Tri Delta in any way. My sorority and all other NPC sororities would do the same thing.

[exlurker]

Update: Similar Lawsuit, Delta Delta Delta and U. of North Dakota House

A situation similar to the one concerning the U. of Utah Tri Delta house is going on in North Dakota. The chapter there was closed; now the question concerns the house. The August 11, 2006 Grand Forks [I[Herald[/I] has an article:

http://www.grandforks.com/mld/grandf...s/15247819.htm

At least one other paper, the Bradenton (FL) Herald, also has the article posted:

http://www.bradenton.com/mld/bradent...n/15247819.htm

[33girl]

Originally Posted by exlurker

Update: Similar Lawsuit, Delta Delta Delta and U. of North Dakota House

A situation similar to the one concerning the U. of Utah Tri Delta house is going on in North Dakota. The chapter there was closed; now the question concerns the house. The August 11, 2006 Grand Forks [I[Herald[/I] has an article:

http://www.grandforks.com/mld/grandf...s/15247819.htm

At least one other paper, the Bradenton (FL) Herald, also has the article posted:

http://www.bradenton.com/mld/bradent...n/15247819.htm

this blows! I remember that chapter in ND put up a big fight to keep their charter before and the whole school supported them. It sucks that they ended up closing anyway.

[Tom Earp]

This is an interesting topic to say the least.

For years, LXA IHQ was to be the final reciepitent of any LXA Chapter house so they could control it in the event that a Chapter was closed.

That has pretty much fallen by the way side.

Now in most instances, houses owned by Chapters are owned by House Corporations. The school or state cannot come in and take the house without working with the true owners, The House Corp. The Chapter is the leasee, the House Corp. is the leasor.

This is of course if they are leased from an outside person or company or College.

Remember, a House Corporation is just that, a Corporation that is registered with the State where they reside.