Quote:
Originally Posted by beta_guy_2600
Does anyone else out there find themselves in the same situation?
Is your chapter filled with resentment for nationals? Is the house defunct and failling apart? Do you have trouble collecting dues?
If so, how do/did you deal with the problems?
Thanks.
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1. Resentment for nationals- there is always a bit of an adversarial relationship between nationals and chapters. That is a good thing to a certain extent. Nationals are not Mom and Dad, but even out on your own in a career you will have to follow someone's rules- be it your boss, your wife etc. Nationals fills that oversight role while you are an active.
2. House defunct and falling apart- this is a Housing Corporation issue and I have seen this before. This can be very tricky. If you have had that house a very long time, it is very likely your Housing Board is run by guys who were not the ones who originally bought the house- so their personal interest may not be all that great. And the work involved takes time, so if they do not have an accountant or maintenance man on staff to handle little issues- they may just not be dealing with them at all.
There is a time to replace a Housing Corp, but things have to be very bad- not just that the house is torn up because guys don't fix their own damages. And if guys are not being forced to pay for and fix what they damage- that is something to think about in conjunction with #3 below.
3. Collecting dues- always somewhat of an issue. When I was an active, we had 3 payment plans to accomodate guys who could not write a check up front. If you did not pay on time, your name and the amount was announced in chapter. In days past, an alumnus once told me that names were posted on the wall in the main dining room- and that those who did not pay were harassed until they did.
It has to apply to everyone. If a couple of guys are allowed to skate by and not pay- then others will do the same. Happened in my day- we had 2 guys live in the house and not pay dues OR rent OR board for a whole semester. It was an issue in every chapter meeting and that semester a few other guys decided they would also pay when they felt like it. Let one get away with it- and it becomes a contagious disease (and for good reason.)
Also, social and rush expenses are variable- they depend on what is in the bank. Paying utilities, national dues, maintenance and other expenses are fixed.
Let's say a chapter has a $40,000 budget.
Let's say $20,000 is for national dues, utilities and other things you have to pay for on time no matter what.
That leaves $20,000 for social and rush expenses.
Well, if only 75% of the guys pay dues- then you only collect $30,000.
But you have to pay those $20,000 in fixed costs.
So now you just have $10,000 left for rush and social.
25% of guys did not pay their dues, and the result is that your budget for the stuff everyone looks forward to is cut in half.
If a Treasurer explains this to the chapter every year, and then makes public those who are not paying dues- that should solve it for the most part (meaning 95-98% collections is a good goal.) If not, then suspend that member and do not let him come to social events until he is paid up (we do that as well, but it rarely has to happen.)
And if a pledge does not pay his dues in full before initiation, ball him- or give him a semester as a holdover provided he pays up and pays for dues in that second semester.
It has been my experience that most guys who repeatedly don't pay were like that from the start. If they never get initiated in the first place, you avoid a lot of trouble.
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