Anyone know of any other current Kappa Sigma expansionary activity?

[Ithakappasig]

Totally agree about failures our failure of colonies having a significant impact-- that's why I really think the previously listed ten items and any other useful approaches we can borrow should be employed.

As some previous posters pointed out, the perceived approach has been "start a lot of colonies each year and you will overcome the failure rates." It is part of the quantity over quality which is part of the tension between business/money and higher ups vs meaningful brotherhood (a national organization offering services and seeking quality).

Kappa Sigma shouldn't be singled out though- most of the larger fraternities are doing this as a regular practice whether they admit it or not but it has to be balanced with services and quality. I would say these are the conditions where, if you have a smaller group or some financial constraints with chartering costs, you work with them and go for recognition- set the bar high but have flexibility. Kappa Sigma didn't have 50 men in Charlottesville in 1869. They were selective and it paid off with the organization we have today.

I hear what you're saying about the support from universities (and if you are at a school with all that support you are talking about then I would say great- go for it!) The IFC and the university when actively opposed are by definition a hindrance. But if they are supporting you there really isn't an issue, yes?

Why do you think that at all the schools I mentioned all of our competitors are flourishing and we are not? It just seems like excuses. I don't see the problems you imagine that come from not having university support. Obviously there are examples which I cited and many more.

I'll say this from experience. If other fraternities like yours are flourishing, you have a good recruitment team and plan, you should be able to fulfill basic requirements for most fraternities unless the fraternity has a problem. In some cases the fraternity is just not competitive or compatible in what it is offering or not marketing itself well (or you may have unrealistic goals like 50 members to charter). Just as likely, the team or the plan are not really that great. But it isn't because the college or IFC isn't giving enough money.

In fact I've seen where it is more often a point of contention where IFC orgs are angry that a non-IFC org was operating without the limits that they have. Again I speak from personal experience here. If the IFC and the school welcomes the fraternity however it is a moot point.

In the cases where there are not IFC's and university recognition or it is very limited it has not been a problem. And while I am speaking about personal experiences you need only check with how successful new fraternities have been at Princeton, Yale, G'town, etc. They're there and I know that at these schools that it was just student and organizational efforts since most weren't re-colonizations.

Don't think I'm "downing" Kappa Sig here- I think that if we aren't having honest, constructive conversations about what we need, that is downing Kappa Sig in another way. I know that the archives hold a whole bunch of dirty laundry of the fraternity for better or worse.

The exchange in this thread however is the sort of constructive discussion that should bother no one, on a topic as harmless as recruiting goals (as opposed to money management, politics and other squabbles at the top and the lack of communication with the broader organization.) Anyone reading this from the outside should appreciate the ethic of honesty, constructive self criticism in the pursuit of preeminence. Sure there can be better communication and more responsiveness (something that I see a lot of people talking about around here) but I think that with the amount of people that care and voice their thoughts the message will get across. With all the email groups, social networking sites, etc. just saying someone didn't answer any of your email sounds like some people are giving up too easily in making their legitimate concerns heard-- start a blog or something, they'll hear you and also, contact a chapter and volunteer. My point here however is about expansion in the Northeast.

We can learn from the mistakes and successes of Sigma Chi, SAE, Beta and Phi Delt in the region when we put forth better efforts in the region. We can also come behind other fraternities and give a better option, and frankly get better people and start building some better metro and chapter alumni groups than our competitors. I would hate to come into Brown or Georgetown or Yale 15 years ago but today they are great opportunities. The only thing is that the campus clubs, sports teams, informal groups, etc. begin to dwindle as they are approached by other fraternities.

The SEC has been heavily weighted to the Southwest. P.W.G.M. K aplan is close to Eastern New Mexico University and New Mexico University (where he is an alumni and alum adviser) and his people are such big political players since the foundation /HQ funding squabble and litigation; since then the leaders sort of come from the guys who participated in one side of that. I really like what WGM Betz has to say. While he was a chief litigant in that whole foundation thing (which seems to be requisite for SEC office since that time) he may bring some refocusing being from a small school in Tennessee and based in Florida I believe. Hopefully we will see not a shuffling but fresh faces that are more familiar with the South, Mid-Atlantic, West, the Midwest and New England. We seriously need newer, broader, more representative voices to be heard- for all the obvious reasons but not the least of which is that we are seeing uneven regional growth and a lack of metro or regional alumni associations.

I heard Bro Chris Nascimento (sp?) talk about some issues that related to the Northeast that sounded good at least but I also heard a lot of ear hustling and back patting as is typical of any conclave. Just hope that #10 works out- that the SEC hears that we would really benefit by some quality growth in the Northeast. I'm really confident that some good things will happen if we all let the SEC know what we want and offer our support.