Starting a fraternity chapter, looking for advice part 2

[supahotboi]

Originally Posted by MysticCat

Aside from the ridiculosity of asking questions on a public forum and then giving (futile) instructions on who can and can't respond and how they should and shouldn't respond, you realize, don't you, that you got very pertinent advice in the "out of hand" thread from someone with a great deal of personal experience about fraternity chapter operations generally and starting a chapter specificially, and you blew him and his very good advice off?

I didn't blow Kevin off at all. He had a lot of good points. But I don't agree on his perspectives 100% though. His organization pays guys to upkeep his fraternity. I cannot relate to that. I find it hard to understand where he is coming from.

Originally Posted by AlphaFrog

I just wanted to point out how much I adore made-up words like this (from those with the consciencity to realize that they are made up).

I also wanted to post in this thread to piss off the OP. Generally I'd find a more witty way to state that fact, but in this case, it's just not worth it.

Your reported.

Originally Posted by 33girl

Anyone can post in any thread they want to. This isn't a closed forum. If that's what you want, start a Facebook group where you can admit only those who you deem "worthy" to post.



Again, THIS IS HOW FRATERNITIES WORK. Unless you show some initiative, or unless you're at a school that is going to give the fraternity lots of $$$ and prestige being there, no one is going to hold your hand. And lots of people - the student life office, guys who are rushing, volunteers from national organizations - are going to ask why you want to do this and what you found lacking in the fraternities that are presently there. If you consider these "very personal questions" that you refuse to answer, NO ONE is going to want to help you.



Have you tried to get in touch with any of the alumni of fraternities that aren't there at the present moment? They might be of some help to you in recolonizing a chapter. Have you looked on Facebook? Asked the student life office to help you find fraternity alumni?

And if you are only thinking NOW of reaching out to other groups (fraternities or sororities) for help, this is another huge part of your problem. Do the majority of students on campus know you're trying to do this? Did you have any interactions with the current sororities or fraternities? What was their reaction? If the Greek community doesn't support you, you are going to fail.

I'm curious, but 33girl, are you a girl? No offense but I am not interested in the woman's perspective of fraternity life. That's like asking me to give you advice on the perspective of sorority life from my point of view, it's not going to make any sense.

Like I said, I've been in talks with a guy who is part of the national fraternity. He is an alumni, he is a volunteer, he is NOT part of the expansion team. We haven't reached out to much alumni and maybe that would be a good idea. Again, this is more things I'm going to have to talk to the office about.

I know a few members of the current greek community that I have met through other means, but I don't expect much out of them. I never at a point in this stage were interested in getting involved with them since there isn't much they can really do for us.

Out of the people I've talked to, they are all very interested in Greek life expanding. I've talked to founders of another fraternity that was founded last year at their school and their process was the HQ coming down, drafting up an organization and going from there. My situation seems to be really unusual compared to how others got started. At this point I am looking to see what fraternities are coming here and looking to start something up since it doesn't seem like its the other way around.

The fraternities that come to my school is not because of the students wanted them to come. The last 3 organizations that have came in the last 3 years was not because a bunch of students were interested in a fraternity and got together and tried to start one, but because the HQ is doing expansion this way.

Originally Posted by Psi U MC Vito

There is no real typical process. Each case is one that is completely different from the others. So much depends on the org, then the campus culture. Realisticaly you need to get people together, then start looking for a national to back you. If it is just you or a couple of people, nobody is going to want to put in the effort. Also we have a very legitimate reason for asking you why you didn't rush elsewhere. If you can't articulate to us why you want a different fraternity then any of the ones currently on campus, how do you expect to convince potential people on your campus?

But the issue is of constructing relationships completely based on this. Are you telling me that I should go out there, find random joes or people I hardly know, and hang out with them just to start a fraternity? Since many people I have talked to that are interested are just waiting just like me and my other 2 friends. One of my friends I met was through the idea of trying to start this and I barely have any relationship with it and to be honest it is kind of awkward. He is interested in the idea, yet doesn't understand too much of what goes into it or has a clue (which honestly I don't blame him) and I feel like lots of people are going to get that vibe unless they see something that's official and something that is real and not just some underground mock idea. I just don't see people who are going to commit a lot of time and effort into something that they have no idea of what it's really about or what's to come. Just think, its insane if someone actually does follow through on something they are completely cluess about.

I'm not going to explain everything here because it's just leading to trolls. Really, it won't matter to anyone on here why I am doing what I am doing and nobody really flat up cares, so I save myself the efforts for people who can actually do something for me. It's bad enough half the posts here are by grown ups that still talk like they are in elementary school. God help them for how they act in real life.