Fraternity Rush at Kansas

[33girl]

Originally Posted by Kedzman

You've lost all credibility. FSU Pikes is one of the highest-achieving fraternities in the nation. Check out this page for proof... http://www.fsupikes.com/chapterachievements.htm
They've won 6 consecutive Smyth awards from their National Fraternity and you say they are not "top-tier" at FSU? They've won the all sports trophy all but one year since their 2001 recolonization and you say they are not "top-tier". Are you nuts?

OK, I am old, and a northerner (not a Yankee since the Pirates just BEAT them last night LET'S GO BUCS!!) and I'm going to play devil's advocate.

Winning awards from your national fraternity, your school's administration or accolades that often come easiest to the group with the most manpower (i.e. intramurals - of course you can get a good intramural team w/ more guys to choose from) doesn't necessarily make you the best or most popular fraternity where it counts, in the eyes of the students and rushees.

[EE-BO]

Originally Posted by 33girl

Winning awards from your national fraternity, your school's administration or accolades that often come easiest to the group with the most manpower (i.e. intramurals - of course you can get a good intramural team w/ more guys to choose from) doesn't necessarily make you the best or most popular fraternity where it counts, in the eyes of the students and rushees.

This is exactly right. The concept of top tier is entirely a social one. It is about where your guys come from and what sororities you mix with. That's it.

I also agree to an extent with Elephant Walk about the leadership issue. Back in my time we hated our nationals and wanted nothing to do with them. Currently, members of our chapter are attending some of these leadership conferences and on balance they really like them. For officers, it has helped them in practical ways too- risk management, budgeting etc.

But I do not believe in the "drinking the Kool-aid" kind of stuff. Young men do grow and mature in their fraternity experience if they are inclined to do so, but you have to start with someone who is already leadership or success oriented. Fraternities can offer a place where most members just have fun and a few take on responsibility (as officers) that will help them in their own professional careers. But the idea that we can take a pile of chicken shit and turn it into chicken salad with a few inspirational seminars is silly.

Point being, I do see value in what our nationals offer the chapter these days- and many of the guys want to do it, so I support it. But I also appreciate the fact- as Elephant Walk implies- that if you want to have a solid top tier chapter, you have to start with guys who are solid to begin with. And while so many like to pile on about how top tier fraternities are all about booze and drugs, I should point out that the top houses at Texas with very large numbers still manage to have average GPAs over the all-men's UT average.

It naturally comes with the territory that a top tier house offering the best social opportunity is going to attract people from successful backgrounds who are going to tend to excel in other areas of their lives. And that, to me, makes a lot of the scorn and criticism mere "country club envy."