Decorum Towards Brothers

[lenoxxx]

Ok since the LCA GC is pretty much dead, I wanted to try to spark up a conversation. I noticed that the C&C article about Max Cleland started up quite a firestorm on the online gazette about his brotherly-ness vs. politics, which even ensnared our own Mike Raymond!! Where do we draw the line at criticizing brothers? Is a brother exempt from criticism? Have any of you censured a brother? What has severred relationships or made you feel that a brother is past the point of no return? Were they expelled from your chapter? Or was it a member in good standing that you or others didnt like for some other reason (personal behavior, politics etc.) Has this sort of thing caused a rift in a chapter?

Discuss.... and let me note, this is not a love/bash Obama and Max Cleland thread either.

[docroc67]

Brothers,

I couldn't resist responding to the original C&C post about Brother Cleland. I explained my thinking there so no need to repeat it here.

I served many years as High Pi for Zeta Upsilon Zeta. In looking back on those years I think that most undergraduates had a hard time disciplining or reprimanding their Brothers. Of course, it was less difficult for some officers than others to enforce the rules.

In every serious case, like drug involvement, action was swift and final. But in other situations (like Brothers not paying their bills or not getting along with others) the response from the Executive Committee or Chapter Officers was usually slow and mild. Second chances, third chances, apologies, payment plans, and so forth characterized their responses to the behavior of these "wayward" Brothers. Of course, the "wayward" Brothers always had money for party favors, the formal dance, and a trip to Florida for Spring Break!

Nobody was ever evicted for not paying their dues or room and board. I can't think of a single man who was expelled from our Chapter for any reason. Some were "booted" out... but I don't remember any formal expulsions.

On a couple of occasions I made a point of making the guys who didn't pay very uncomfortable by calling their parents for the money. By the way, the parents usually said that they sent their son the money to pay the bills! I also "threw out" a few guys who tried to attend parties or other chapter functions after they were told to stay away.

Many times the harmony and proper functioning of the Chapter were affected by the negative attitude, poor behavior, and irresponsible conduct of a few men.

I concluded that it is very difficult for peers in a fraternal relationship to discipline one another except in the most extreme cases.

Yours in ZAX,

Mike R.

[lenoxxx]

Mike;

Im curious why brothers were booted, but never formally expelled via the C&SC. Is this typical for many chaptres to say "BROTHER X is booted" but in reality, they are in "good standing" with the fraternity in general? When chapters are shut down due to the behavior of members, is it typical that those members are actually expelled that led to the chapter closing, or are in many cases, are the brothers given a "free pass"?

[Cube TX]

This is actually a very interesting topic. Many problems can arise within a chapter due to different opinions. This seemed to happen to our chapter in the later 90s. Often you'd see certain groups agree with their brothers within the group while always disagreeing with those who weren't of that group within the group (got that?).

I was chapter president during a few embarrassing incidents in our fraternity in which I wasn't even present at the incidents in question, but as president I was held responsible. I don't recall ever actually having any brother kicked out, but whenever disciplinary action came up it created the arguments between factions.

[Cube TX]

This could also apply to a few of our more famous alumni. One of my best friends in the fraternity (Alex, you're still a moron... but hey... so was I back then) would always list our famous alumni when recruiting and would bring up Ferguson Jenkins. Jenkins was infamous for being the first ever professional baseball player banned for life due to a drug offense. He would be reinstated, but he was now part of a very embarrassing history.

Some would say he's our brother and therefore should be forgiven (which would also coincide with my personal faith), but others would say he should have been kicked out of the fraternity for such embarrassment even if he was an honorary member and in no way an active member at the time.

[john1082]

Expelling someone is always difficult but as time has passed I find it more necessary and more palatable. Either someone keeps up their end of the bargain - or they don't. Expulsion is a disciplinary tool and one that could pay dividends if someone just didn't want to play by the rules - "We expelled him - that was the last thing we could do!"

[lenoxxx]

Im curious as to the actions of chapters towards members when the chapter is closed- how do chapters hold the people accountable for actions that led to the closure of a zeta?