Phi Delta Theta & Kappa Sigma Withdrawl from NIC (Official Phi Delt Statement)

[Firehouse]

"Could you please share your sources? I'm unable to duplicate your findings. Thanks in advance."

Sure. I am very familiar with the history of Kappa Sigma' journey through the 20th Century. I've read Wilson Heller's old newsletters and I've studied his national ranking surveys. I've read the Caduceus from time to time. Heller was a fan of Kappa Sig and when they took a downturn in the 1970s he correctly predicted that they'd right the ship, due to excellent history and new leadership.
Before I wrote my response about Phi Delt and Kappa Sigma I simply Googled Kappa Sigma, went to their national website and counted the colonies. I knew they were in a huge period of expansion, and now I see on the national website that they're laying claim to be the nation's largest fraternity, a title often touted by Sig Ep and for the same reason: they choose to count the current number of undergraduates.
Here is an excerpt from a news release on the national website: "The Fraternity posted over a three percent increase from the Fall of 2006 and established fifteen new colonies, tying an expansion record set in the Fall of 2005 when Kappa Sigma also established fifteen colonies. Kappa Sigma has averaged eleven colonies per semester over the past four years, and expects to establish over twenty new colonies next spring."

You can be "the largest fraternity in the nation" because you have the most chapters (TKE), or because you have the most alumni (SAE?), or because you have the largest average chapter size (Pike) or simply because you're Sigma Chi (I'm being sarcastic but you have to tip your hat to Sigma Chi).
Please don't take offense; none is intended. What Kappa Sigma is doing isn't a bad thing; it simply is what it is. Regardless of how they choose to go about it, Kappa Sigma is not going to be hurt by being aggressive. Sig Ep and TKE made pretty good livings off of it.
Other, old line fraternities like Beta and Phi Delt and Fiji chose to be extremely selective in their expansions, but it has not hurt them because they focus all their resources on only a few at a time.
Kappa Sigma is doing well. Be proud.