New chapter

[Allday12]

Originally Posted by Sen's Revenge

You answered your own question, though - it truly does depend on the fraternity. I am an alum of Georgetown and there have been fraternities slowly added ever since AEPi in 2002 (I think there are four now). It seems to me that some groups are pop-ups and colonize quickly, but others could take a year and a half to two years from initial interest to chartering. Not only could it depend on the organizations themselves, but factors like whether you have enough committed guys, whether the school supports it, whether the campus culture supports you guys, etc.

Above all else, I hope that you are choosing the fraternity that is the right fit for your group and will offer you what you're looking for -- as well as a fraternity that you can be proud to serve as an undergraduate and as an alumnus. If it only takes a semester, that would be nice, but certainly shouldn't be the deciding factor.

Thanks for the insight. What exactly do you mean by "right fit for your group..." Or to put it more clearly, if any national fraternity sponsors my group would it not be up to the discretion of my group what and how we perform/accomplish. (How does having one group or another fundamentally change what our vision is for our chapter?) Can you give me an example or two of different fraternal organizations and how they effect groups differently?

[SoCalGirl]

Originally Posted by Allday12

Thanks for the insight. What exactly do you mean by "right fit for your group..." Or to put it more clearly, if any national fraternity sponsors my group would it not be up to the discretion of my group what and how we perform/accomplish. (How does having one group or another fundamentally change what our vision is for our chapter?) Can you give me an example or two of different fraternal organizations and how they effect groups differently?

I don't have examples for you but when you're a chapter of a National fraternity it's not "your" chapter. It's the National's chapter. So it would not be about the local members vision but the National's vision.

You'll want to research the different groups that have expressed interest and ask them questions to see if they're in alignment with you & your brothers.

The common analogy is a franchise. The local McDonalds franchisee does not get to put his own spin on the McDonalds concept.

[Sen's Revenge]

Originally Posted by Allday12

Thanks for the insight. What exactly do you mean by "right fit for your group..." Or to put it more clearly, if any national fraternity sponsors my group would it not be up to the discretion of my group what and how we perform/accomplish. (How does having one group or another fundamentally change what our vision is for our chapter?) Can you give me an example or two of different fraternal organizations and how they effect groups differently?

Originally Posted by SoCalGirl

I don't have examples for you but when you're a chapter of a National fraternity it's not "your" chapter. It's the National's chapter. So it would not be about the local members vision but the National's vision.

You'll want to research the different groups that have expressed interest and ask them questions to see if they're in alignment with you & your brothers.

The common analogy is a franchise. The local McDonalds franchisee does not get to put his own spin on the McDonalds concept.

^^^ That is pretty much what I mean.

Alpha Tau Omega, for example, brands itself as a leadership fraternity, while Pi Lambda Phi's brand is all about being nonsectarian. While you surely could have many interests and be in one or the other, if you are not the kind of guys who are extraordinarily ambitious, ATO might not be the right fit. If your group is racially, culturally, and religiously homogeneous, Pi Lambda Phi might not be the right fit.