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Coramoor · #1 06-11-2007, 02:12 PM

This blows my mind!

If I rushed a house and the brothers told me that they don't allow tobacco or alcohol...and used that as a selling point I would have laughed in their face and left them at the front door!

Alcohol and tobacco is not illegal. I don't smoke, but as long as people clean up their butts or spit cups there isn't a problem. I might swear off alcohol when I wake up dehydrated and with a throbbing headache...Rather than ban alcohol, fraternities should promote responsible consumption of alcoholic beverages. If you go into just about any industry you will be expected to attend social events-which will have booze. If you make an ass of your self there...well, there goes your career.

Hell, I'd bet anything that during the meetings in which Knox and Marshall set down the founding principles they were drinking some cognac and smoking a cigar!

rastaone · #2 06-11-2007, 06:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Coramoor

This blows my mind!

If I rushed a house and the brothers told me that they don't allow tobacco or alcohol...and used that as a selling point I would have laughed in their face and left them at the front door!

Alcohol and tobacco is not illegal. I don't smoke, but as long as people clean up their butts or spit cups there isn't a problem. I might swear off alcohol when I wake up dehydrated and with a throbbing headache...Rather than ban alcohol, fraternities should promote responsible consumption of alcoholic beverages. If you go into just about any industry you will be expected to attend social events-which will have booze. If you make an ass of your self there...well, there goes your career.

Hell, I'd bet anything that during the meetings in which Knox and Marshall set down the founding principles they were drinking some cognac and smoking a cigar!

this is exactly what i have been arguing fro my chapter. i dont alcohol or drugs are bad, and i dont think beta is in the position to tell us what we can and cannot do. they really should be promoting responsible drinking, not treating us like little kids. i dont understand how we will learn "responsible social conduct" in beta if they try to hold our hand for 4 years.

and yeah, it definitely hurts us in recruiting. and what oldest pledge is referring to about chartering requirements...this has caused a lot of distrust and corruption within the brotherhood. certain people dont trust other brothers because theyre afraid they will drink in the house and fuck it up for everyone. so in turn, everyone is hiding stuff from one another.

ECUJacob · #3 06-11-2007, 06:57 PM

I believe most laws, and the courts they are argued in, are based on what a reasonable person would think or do in a situation. Given this premise, I would think that you all have taken that little piece of rule to its furthest extreme.

Where applicable means exactly that. It signifies that this rule does not apply to 100% of situations in Beta's broad domain.

a.e.B.O.T. · #4 06-12-2007, 04:33 PM

Ok, well I am a fan for drinking and smoking if one wants to, and if its responsible.

HOWEVER, Your chapter house is not the place for it. The chapter house is where you meet in brotherhood, do rituals, and live under the letters we value. I think it makes perfect sense for this to be in our code. Our chapter houses represent who we are. They are an image of who we are to the outside world. They see our letters above our door, I don't want them to see those letters and then see a bunch of people drinking. Why? Well, not because there is anything wrong with drinking. If responsible, drinking is totally ok in my book. I don't want them to see it under those letters, because I don't want them to think thats who we are. There is this 'frat' stereotype that goes back to 70's and 80's and with movies like Animal House where fraternity members are drunken bums who eventually get kicked out of college. That isn't who we are, and quite frankly, I don't think everyone will connect this, but really, I don't want anyone to.

When they look at the chapter house with the letters above our door they should see a place of brotherhood, FUN, and integrity. I don't think they should have any room to think that there is a bunch of drunken fools, cause then only drunken fools would want to join. I dont think we should act like we dont drink, hell, we should totally be straight forward when they ask, and I dont mind them seeing us drink outside the chapter house. The chapter house is not the place for it, thats like drinking in church (besides the little cup of wine for communion).

ECUJacob · #5 06-12-2007, 07:58 PM

^ well said.

Coramoor · #6 06-14-2007, 08:25 AM

How does drinking or smoking take away from brotherhood or rituals? How does it take away from the value of our letters?

Beta is a fraternity...it's not a religion.

Drinking is FUN and does nothing to take away from brotherhood nor does it mean you have no integrity. Hell, how does smoking and drinking even have an impact on one's integrity? That makes no sense.

a.e.B.O.T. · #7 06-14-2007, 02:25 PM

Dude, it makes perfect sense, its just not what you want to hear...

Ok, first off, drinking CAN take away from the brotherhood and the integrity of our fraternity if mishandled.

Secondly, I was talking about perception. When people see a bunch of guys drinking in their chapter house, then its going to be categorized as a stupid frat. People are going to join, cause they think they are joining the stupid party frat, etc. Well, we are not the stupid party frat, well I hope we are not, and we def. do not want the guys attracted to the stupid party frat image.

The image they should see around our house is a bunch of well respected men with principles but also have a strong sense of friendship and fun. That is the image we want to show forth, so that those are the guys we get in the future.