Radford: Probation for Hazing (Sigma Chi)

[TSteven]

Originally Posted by PSKPike

IFC requires each group send at least three brothers to each meeting, with one being the main rep. You can also have other brothers sit on the exec board. SX usually has two or more brothers on exec. For a time they had a brother as the president, judicial vice president, and tres.

From what you have written, it seems like Sigma Chi has three representatives - like every other chapter - yet additional members serving on the executive board.

As such, how is the executive board selected? Is the e-board elected or is it some sort of rotation? If they are elected, then who votes? And how does it work? i.e. one vote per chapter?

Again, my point is that if the feeling is that Sigma Chi has some sort of dominance on the e-board (and in my humble opinion, that may not be such a bad thing), then the Sigs are getting support from other chapters.

To be clear, I am not a fan of some IFCs when it comes to certain issues or the powers they might wield. Regardless, I understand the importance of being in a position - by having members serve on the e-board and forming alliances when necessary - to help form policy favorable to your chapter.

[PSKPike]

Originally Posted by TSteven

As such, how is the executive board selected? Is the e-board elected or is it some sort of rotation? If they are elected, then who votes? And how does it work? i.e. one vote per chapter?

The exec board is done through elections each year. As for the voting I do not remember exactly. I am an alum now, but I will try and find out from one of my active brothers how exactly it is done.

[KyleMcGuire1983]

at my school the same 4 or 5 fraternities control IFC Exec. Right now we have 2 bros (myself included) on the Board at SJSU.

What's with Sigma Nu and hazing these days?! Seems like in the past 5 years we've shut down a dozen chapters! I thought we were founded against this nonsense.

I still haven't seen what happened at Radford.....some links don't work and the rest are vague

[Kevin]

Originally Posted by KyleMcGuire1983

at my school the same 4 or 5 fraternities control IFC Exec. Right now we have 2 bros (myself included) on the Board at SJSU.

What's with Sigma Nu and hazing these days?! Seems like in the past 5 years we've shut down a dozen chapters! I thought we were founded against this nonsense.

I still haven't seen what happened at Radford.....some links don't work and the rest are vague

Old school hazing is still alive and well, particularly in the South. It's one of those things I think IHQ just doesn't really want to acknowledge. I think closing down MTSU and KU was a shot across the bow, but I haven't seen any truly southern schools affected. No disrespect to MTSU, but they're not exactly in the same category tradition-wise as the SEC schools, although their recent achievements were very respectable.

I always ended up hanging out with guys most from the South whenever I went to Grand Chapter. While my chapter doesn't haze at all, I can say that at the time I was a collegian, hard pledging was something many of the guys I'd come across were pretty proud of.

[KyleMcGuire1983]

Originally Posted by Kevin

Old school hazing is still alive and well, particularly in the South. It's one of those things I think IHQ just doesn't really want to acknowledge. I think closing down MTSU and KU was a shot across the bow, but I haven't seen any truly southern schools affected. No disrespect to MTSU, but they're not exactly in the same category tradition-wise as the SEC schools, although their recent achievements were very respectable.

I always ended up hanging out with guys most from the South whenever I went to Grand Chapter. While my chapter doesn't haze at all, I can say that at the time I was a collegian, hard pledging was something many of the guys I'd come across were pretty proud of.

I think my chapter has pretty challenging pledging without being hazing or humiliating. We expect our candidates to run the pledge class as if it were an active chapter complete with their own meetings and projects. If they don't care to learn our history, organize events, and bond then WE don't care to initiate them. It's pretty easy. I think booting a crappy pledge is a harsher punishment than push ups or drinking contests.

[Kevin]

Originally Posted by KyleMcGuire1983

I think my chapter has pretty challenging pledging without being hazing or humiliating. We expect our candidates to run the pledge class as if it were an active chapter complete with their own meetings and projects. If they don't care to learn our history, organize events, and bond then WE don't care to initiate them. It's pretty easy. I think booting a crappy pledge is a harsher punishment than push ups or drinking contests.

Oh I agree completely. My chapter is much like yours. We've fully adopted LEAD, although we've sort of incorporated it into our own program. I'm just saying that as a national organization, many of our chapters are still very traditional in terms of their new member programs. For what it's worth, none of the things I've heard about are things I could see anyone getting seriously hurt doing. Doing bows 'n toes on a scratchy hardwood floor may be embarrassing, painful, etc. but it won't kill you. It's definitely hazing though.

If I were a national officer, I honestly don't know how I'd treat something like that. I'd almost have a hard time shutting down a chapter when they were hazing but not doing things which could result in insurance claims down the road.

I think a lot has changed in recent years though. In most states, having a pledge do bows 'n toes would be a crime. Also, it's against the RM rules promulgated by the Grand Chapter, High Council, etc. The fact that someone broke the rules and the law in order to keep up a tradition which runs against the organization's national goals would be enough for me to justify closing even our biggest/best chapters although admittedly, it'd be very hard for me to do.

[DeltAlum]

Originally Posted by TSteven

From what you have written, it seems like Sigma Chi has three representatives - like every other chapter - yet additional members serving on the executive board.

That's not at all uncommon. It just depends on how any fraternity system and school choose to set up their IFC.