At Least We're Not at the top...

[Tom Earp]

I do not feel that LXA is being singled out by any stretch of the imagination.

While none of us want to see nagativity about LXA Brothers, it is a fact of life.

I for one want to see any problems that our members do and in the same vein, I also wish to see any accolades. If it is not posted here by a Brother, it can and will be found by someone on site and posted on another thread.

By seeing problems, it may head of problems else where at other Zetas as it may give some a few thoughts about what not to do.

First things first, I suggest the bickering among Brothers cease. Tha would be a good start. Members of IHQ monitor this site and there are some who are members and post often.

[GammaZeta]

Tom, it's the same problems over, and over, and over, and over, and over again. I could take any of those news stories, just change the location, names and date, and there wouldn't be any difference between them.

So that tells me either:

1. Someone at IHQ isn't doing their job...again.

2. Zetas, and college students in general, simply don't learn by others mistakes.

3. Both

So what is the point in either case to continue posting negative news stories?

It's not like whoever is responsible at HQ will get fired and it's not like some chapter will stop doing something wrong just because of a news story.

It also doesn't seem that HQ monitors this site. If they did, they would be getting their act together. It just seems like there is one negative story after another. Nothing is being done.

There is also nothing wrong with bickering between brothers, although everyone SHOULD agree with everything I say because I am always right.

Maybe it's time we start rethinking the LXA national structure? Maybe it's time to tear down and start anew?

[EM1843]

HQ doesn't moniter the site per say, but individual board members do. I know because I've had my own words get back to me more than once.

Gamma I was really thinking that you had come around and were going to be a rational level headed poster. I guess I was wrong.

This is not a problem of someone at HQ not doing their job, rather it is invidual brothers choosing to act inapproprately. I think there may be some truth in Ottor's suggestion that UGA police may be unfairly targeting Greek members, but we will always be under increased scruitiny. It may be time for the leaders of the Greek community there to meet with the local police forces to figure out why a statistically higher percentage of Greeks are being arrested. Are the cops hanging out at fraternity row waiting for someone to bust? Are the "frat boys" looking for a fight when they are out? There must be some reason why more Greeks are being arrested, even if it stems from perceptions in the community as to who needs to be watched the closest.

[Tom Earp]

GammaZeta, there is nothing wrong with the structure of LXA and does not need to be fixed.

The staff at IHQ and the Grand High Zeta are if nothing else very dedicated LXA Brothers or they would not be where they are and do what they do for what they get paid if it was not for the love of LXA.

Granted your experience was not the best but you can still carry on and try to get built back up. While your experience was bad, mine was good as many others have had.

There is not enough people to police each and every chapter to make sure everything is run to order. We as LXA with over @ 200 chapters and not being a super wealthy organization along with most cannot afford to it.

There is certain responsibilities that go along with joining any Greek Orgaization by the local members. Oh, "kids will be kids gets over used", and I like all of the rest on site have partied while in school and there are many chapters who have little or not problems. The ones who have been closed are done not at a whim, but because the continued to do what was wrong.

Remember, that Greeks are maybe unduly targeted can be true, but whose fault is that?

[john1082]

I, too, get the Yahoo news briefs for LXA. But there is far more news out there than Yahoo reports. Yahoo does miss news - both bad AND good news. We have to have both to keep track of what is going on within the Brotherhood.

Members of the GHZ drop by once in a while - actually, I suspect that they lurk more than we know. If they read something here that warrants attention by staff members in Indy or by the GHZ there is a fiduciary duty to report the bad (and good) news to the appropriate folks. We're not hiding much. Indy gets those same Yahoo alerts.

If the Zeta at Georgia has 100 members and 11 were arrested in any one year, that tells me that there is something wrong at Georgia. Perhaps not within our chapter, but somewhere on campus and within the Greek environment there. Gang, that is an 11% arrest rate!

The local authorities may be applying special emphasis on the Greeks. It has been known to happen. We had that at Fullerton - we can discuss this off-line. If there is special emphasis on Greeks then our Brothers of the Peach State must figure out how to keep a low profile and not allow a situation to develop that would lead to an arrest. That's life. Learn how to adapt.

These numbers should scare the High Zeta at Georgia, from the High Alpha all the way to the guy who picks up after the house mascot dog. If the Executive Committee at Georgia will not or cannot cool the situation down then the General Fraternity will, and must step in to clean up the mess. In many Zetas an arrest would be more or less automatic expulsion. What is going on at Georgia?

We have many obligations as members of the Bond. One, whether stated or unstated, is to ensure that there is a Zeta at a campus because only then can young men, whom we have never met, discover what we have found within the Brotherhood. If we must exercise greater control over a Zeta then it is, unfortunately, what we must do. Been there, done that. And, oh yes, these numbers WILL make it to parents when Rush is discussed.

If I were the king I would call the Greek affairs advisor and set up an appointment for either myself or the Exec. VP, or perhaps both, and go down there and see WTF is going on. A meeting with the Zeta would also be in store. I want to know why 11 young men were taken into custody and what is being done about it.

[GammaZeta]

Ok, so what do we do? Responsibility should be at the top of the organization, or at the very least HQ in general.

Tom, I'm not talking about any of my experiences or anyone else's, I'm talking about article after article after article that has been posted on these forums over the last several months. Mostly negative.

Ultimate responsibility falls on the HQ, they're the ones that monitor the chapters, cut the checks and have ultimate authority.

Maybe having a centralized HQ isn't working so well. Maybe we should divide HQ into regions, better suited to handle each areas needs, keep closer tabs on the chapter? After all, we are an INTERnational fraternity. Why have one building in the middle of Indiana?

[EM1843]

Also the article does not specifiy what the arrests were for. How many of them were for underage drinking or public urination versus a violent offense such as assault?

[john1082]

Some sort of regional structure might not be a bad idea.

There is a standing committee on the Constitution & Stat Code. They are looking at many things from discipline to organization to you name it. This effort requires those committee members to read and review the governing documents of other fraternities. There are some fraternities that do have a regional structure using volunteers. Some function as super advisors while others have judicial authority, budget approval tasks and the like.

The C&SC committee might discuss a regional scheme, but I think that it is too early to look for it in '08. Plenty of other things need to be looked at and revised before the Fraternity stirkes out into the uncharted territory of a regional structure with authority*


* I say authority to differentiate the concept from the regional conclaves that we used to have which entailed a drunken weekend at the host Zeta's house and obnoxious conduct with respect to sorority girls that we knew we'd never see again!

Originally Posted by GammaZeta

Ok, so what do we do? Responsibility should be at the top of the organization, or at the very least HQ in general.

Tom, I'm not talking about any of my experiences or anyone else's, I'm talking about article after article after article that has been posted on these forums over the last several months. Mostly negative.

Ultimate responsibility falls on the HQ, they're the ones that monitor the chapters, cut the checks and have ultimate authority.

Maybe having a centralized HQ isn't working so well. Maybe we should divide HQ into regions, better suited to handle each areas needs, keep closer tabs on the chapter? After all, we are an INTERnational fraternity. Why have one building in the middle of Indiana?

[Tom Earp]

[QUOTE=john1082;1404378]Some sort of regional structure might not be a bad idea.

There is a standing committee on the Constitution & Stat Code. They are looking at many things from discipline to organization to you name it. This effort requires those committee members to read and review the governing documents of other fraternities. There are some fraternities that do have a regional structure using volunteers. Some function as super advisors while others have judicial authority, budget approval tasks and the like.

The C&SC committee might discuss a regional scheme, but I think that it is too early to look for it in '08. Plenty of other things need to be looked at and revised before the Fraternity stirkes out into the uncharted territory of a regional structure with authority*

John, I was not sure which to copy on this yours or GammaZeta.

Centralization does give a central point of reference such as IHQ at Indy. This is the center of coordination for things like The Paedagogus, C & C, Directory, or anything else that comes under the umbrella of running a multi Million Dollar Business. Check any International GLO or National GLO and see if they have a central office. Placing Regional Offices becomes unweilding and over burdensome with office staff and that cost money!

We as an Iternational have one of the best set ups for coverage of any GLOs. It is called the ELCs. They are the Regional arms of IHQ.

Most GLOs have volunteers from Alums who are Regional Managers and cover a very small area so to speak. Say one state only or just a few Chapters. Fine, or if the Eastern or Western areas have a lot of Chapters it will take more volunteers.

Maybe if We had all of the money in the world, we could have a hell of a lot of toys in the chest. Being a Greek of a certain Organization is a BUSINESS, not only at the National Level, but at the LOCAL Level. Local Budgets are smaller than HQs, but it is all the same! $$$$ !