Liberal and creative alumni - is there a place at the table?

[Elephant Walk]

Originally Posted by brightblue

I'm saying I don't like doing business with organizations that don't have some level of participative leadership. I can't wholeheartedly support organizations that are operated from a top-down perspective. The issue is I have trouble giving money or time to an organization that isn't seeking to improve based on input from its stakeholders, who are alumni and undergraduates. I'm not asking for them to come calling me personally, but I would be more willing to support them if they offered everyone that opportunity.

None of this has anything to do with conservative v. liberal (if you want to ascribe to that sort of neanderthal concept).

Stalin could be considered "liberal" yet wasn't too interested in "participative leadership" in any real terms.

These are just excuses. And pretty poor ones.

[Firehouse]

This is fascinating. I agree that most national fraternities don't think of themselves as politically liberal or conservative, but some do lean to the right and some to the left in terms of their overall policies regarding expansion, promotion of the Fraternity 'identity' and support for and defense of their chapters.
I actually read other fratenities' magazines and follow their expansion policies (some people collect stamps...). None of the magazines are overtly political - I think everyone realizes that no one wants that. If an alumnus is elected to Congress, for instance, that fact is reported with pride, regardless of the political party. Brighblue, I don't know which fraternity is yours, but I imagine that the problem is with the magazine rather than the Fraternity in general. Several posters have suggested using Facebook and that's a great idea. In fact, YOU can start a Facebook page for your chapter alumni and spotlight the exceptional individuals you feel deserve recognitiion. It will be appreciated by all.

But getting back to tendencies...33Girl mentioned several fraternities and their 'leans'. She said: "Sigma Chis are moderate to liberal, Phi Sigma Kappas are mostly conservative, and the Crows are trending to the right of John Birch." I agree about Sigma Chi. I don't know much about Phi Sig or Crow. But based on my reading of the magazines and associated news articles, the expansion protocols and the general 'feel', this is what I see...

VERY right/conservative: DKE, Zeta Psi.
LEAN right: KA, Pike, Phi Kappa Psi, FIJI, maybe Sigma Nu.
MODERATE: Sigma Chi, *SAE, ATO, **Sig Ep, Pi Kappa Phi, Delta Tau Delta.
LEAN left: Phi Delt (alcohol and insurance policies), maybe Kappa Sigma.
LEAN further left: Lambda Chi Apha, Beta Theta Pi (I'm surprised, but Beta has definitely moved that way), TKE.
VERY left: Psi Upsilon, Alpha Delta Phi.

*SAE is interesting. Their management and magazine lean moderate/liberal, but the chapters definitely lean right.
**Sig Ep sends mixed messages. They operate on a solid buisiness model, but lately they're moving toward an esoteric 'community of scholars' chapter concept. Call it a work in progress.

No insult intended to anyone left off the list. I'm just not familiar with their publications and operation.

[33girl]

Ha ha, Firehouse, that was at my school only. I certainly don't want to make a blanket/inter/national statement about those groups. And I also just want to say (similar to what Lorne Michaels said about Al Franken) that it's really interesting to see where people were in their youth, and where they are now.

[Firehouse]

Pretty good: "...it's really interesting to see where people were in their youth, and where they are now."

[Billy_Optimist]

Originally Posted by PiKA2001

Soooo instead of joining/starting an alumni association, advising a chapter, or writing/calling Nationals you are sitting on your a$$ waiting for nationals to call YOU ( some random living alum out of 20,000) and ask you how your life is going and what ideas you have? Wow.

I really don't see what the issue is. You had fun in college and made great friends. Why does the fact that they feature prominent alums and not kids "finding themselves" in Australia bother you so much ten years after graduating? Are you self conscious? Do you feel like a failure at life after reading the fraternity mag? Have you ever considered just tossing the magazine when it comes in the mail without reading it since it bothers you so much? Do you really believe that NIC fraternities are either liberal or conservative? Are you RUOXAlum/OptimistPrime cuz this is the same type of silly shit that comes out of his head.

Hey!!!

The silly shit in my head is of a completely differenet nature and way better than this!

Dickhead.

[Psi U MC Vito]

Hey Firehouse, out of curiosity, why would you say Psi U leans way to the left?

[PiKA2001]

Originally Posted by Billy_Optimist

Hey!!!

The silly shit in my head is of a completely differenet nature and way better than this!

Dickhead.

TEE HEE HEE!

[Firehouse]

Re your question as to why I consider Psi Upsilon liberal/left, let me say that I have enormous respect for your Fraternity. I love the old songs ("Dear Old Shrine" might be the best fraternity song ever), and because of your individual chapter escutcheons, Psi Upsilon has the richest heraldry among all fraternities.
However, the fact that Psi Upsilon permits co-ed membership in some chapters places it to the left of other mainstream fraternities.

[MysticCat]

Somehow missed this thread last month.

Originally Posted by brightblue

As a freshman, I didn't know what conservative and liberal were, and I sure didn't know that organizations leaned one way or the other. . . .

When I pick up the alumni magazine, I see pictures of people who value money, power, and prestige. The featured alumni seem to be chosen by how quickly they've risen in the ranks of corporations. I rarely see anyone who isn't wearing a suit on those pages.

I haven't yet seen a feature story on an eco-friendly alumni, or someone who's become a high school football coach, or on a 25-year old who's traveled to Australia and spent a year enjoying life and discovering more about himself.

If these are you example of liberal and conservative, I'd say you still don't know what liberals and conservatives are. I know many "eco-friendly" conservatives and many liberals who are interested in money and power.

Originally Posted by brightblue

Haha, thanks. What's that quote from St. Francis - something about the peace to accept what we can not change...?

That's Reinhold Niebuhr, not St. Franics:

God, grant me the serenity
To accept the things I cannot change;
Courage to change the things I can;
And wisdom to know the difference.

I'll agree with the others who say find ways to get involved and work for change if you think there needs to be change.

[ree-Xi]

Another thought - If you want to make a difference join an alumni group where you are collectively given a vote for officers at the conventions and changes to your constitution, etc. Work for change. If there are policies you feel strongly about, talk to other alumni groups about your concerns. There may be regulations around lobbying, but there are ways to get the word out for proposed changes, etc.

I hope to return to this thread in 6-8 months and hear that you've done something to get involved in some way. The Fraternity works on a I/National level because people commit to it.

[MysticCat]

Originally Posted by ree-Xi

Another thought - If you want to make a difference join an alumni group where you are collectively given a vote for officers at the conventions and changes to your constitution, etc.

If his fraternity provides for that. I don't know that all do. (And if they don't, that may be another change to work for.)

[ree-Xi]

Originally Posted by MysticCat

If his fraternity provides for that. I don't know that all do. (And if they don't, that may be another change to work for.)

Thank you for the addendum. It's the equivalent of telling someone to get involved in local politics so that you get help get the guys with similar ideas elected. These are the guys who end up making the decisions that affect us on the most basic levels, or who have access to the decision makers.

[Psi U MC Vito]

Originally Posted by Firehouse

Re your question as to why I consider Psi Upsilon liberal/left, let me say that I have enormous respect for your Fraternity. I love the old songs ("Dear Old Shrine" might be the best fraternity song ever), and because of your individual chapter escutcheons, Psi Upsilon has the richest heraldry among all fraternities.
However, the fact that Psi Upsilon permits co-ed membership in some chapters places it to the left of other mainstream fraternities.

I thought that might be the case but was just wondering. Yeah I always though Psi U was interesting because of how deeply we hold our traditions and history, yet we do things that would be considered ultra liberal.Though in a way we are still conservative because from the beginning we didn't have anything in our constitution banning women soooo.

[Firehouse]

Psi-U is one of the great fratrenities in my book.

[Psi U MC Vito]

LOL no need to backpedal or defend yourself. I find it fascinating seeing what people in other fraternites think about mine lol.