Compatible? If not, I don't want to be XYZ... - Page 2

SweetestDiva · #16 08-10-2002, 10:21 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Rain Man
First off,

An organization is only as good as the members representing it.

Second thing,

"A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump" (I Cor 5:6)

Third thing,

If members want the best prospectives, they got to be the best members they can be.

Imagine if EVERY chapter of XYZ wasn't takin' care of business and blew it off by saying "Well, our entire organization isn't like that, just us." Since every chapter is independently being about trivial and superficial things, it destroys the credibility for the organization, basicially because "the left hand doesn't know what the right hand is doing"

I think that all too often, members of BGLO orgs use that line as an excuse to be irresponsible and act a fool, using yesterday's news (read: the history of the organization) as the strength for the organization while doing nothing for the org today and probably not tomorrow either.

BGLO members need to stop riding the coattails of their founders and the past and make a difference for today. OK, you're just one chapter. Why set a piss-poor example and create a bad first impression for your org when you can channel that energy into making your chapter THE BEST chapter in the org.

Again, if you want the best, you got to be the best. And you can start by getting your priorities in order.

Okay, I just have to say that I find this post AWFULLY assumptive.

There can be a number of things that make an individual chapter a poor reflection of the organization - sometimes due to factors that cannot be helped. Oftentimes it is not that a chapter chooses not to take care of business... but how do you really know how much work a person will actually do before you bring them into your organization? The truth is, you don't. Somebody can come with credentials and qualifications out the wazoo, but turn out to be a real slacker once they get in the chapter. I personally have never heard ANYBODY go to an interest meeting and be like, "My name is Sally and I just want to let you know UP FRONT that I intend to stop doing community service and make myself a weak link in your chapter." I mean, really... some of these situations can't be helped, and you make it sound as if most chapters just bypass the business and make excuses for it. I don't know ANY chapter that makes a conscious decision to just BS around and not handle their business... but it's hard to handle business when only a few people are business-minded, you feel me?

And as for the advice as far as what BGLO members "need to" do... can't that go for ANY organization? I'm sure that no organization (BGLO or otherwise), is without its own flaws and weak links. For you to claim we are "riding the coattails" of our founders is a gross assumption and somewhat disrespectful, in my opinion.

OneOneTwo · #17 08-11-2002, 01:02 AM

I'm just going to have to be a lil' blunt about this one with no intentions to disrespect anyone or hurt they feelings.

My interest in ABC has nothing to do with making new friends... hell, I can do that my damn self. I see that being the problem with a lot of fellow interests or aspirirants as some of you call us. That's the reason some folks give for switching (which I talk about in the Why Switch Thread) when they get into a fight or altercation with a member of the organization.

Let me ask this, if all your friends jump off a cliff would you jump with them? That's what you are doing when you join an organization because you are "compatible" with the members of the chapter that happens be on your campus or in your neck of the woods. My big brother/role model on campus and in my student government organization is a DEF and despite the fact that the man was almost my twin, that DID NOT make me want to be a DEF. I respect him for what he and DEF do on campus, but DEF does not share the principles of life that I and ABC do. And that's where that ends with me.

Now that's not to say that I don't want brotherhood... that's what I'm here for. And the brotherhood I want cannot be obtained by joining such fine organizations like the Boy Scouts or 100 Black Men or what have you. The reasons you want to be an ABC (or whatever org) have to be personal, spiritual even GOD DRIVEN (at least He put them into my thought for a reason). And you are not going to get that if you join an organization because your friends are in it or because you didn't like another organization and want to fight them or because you like the organization because they step good or really active in the community.

I will close by saying that I was told by a member of ABC Fraternity that I WAS NOT going to like every member of his fraternity. I may not like some of the members of the chapter I am eligible (by school or location) to get into... and if I'm fortunate, I may not even like my potential dean, line brothers, big brother's, brothers in different chapters, other greek members etc. And I would like to add that you are not going to like all the interests/aspirants either. All this to say that everyone in ABC FRATERNITY, INC. was not the same! It's all about what you can bring to the organization and if I ever (and boy do I mean ever) the chance to be part of that organization... I plan on bringing a whole lot...

Q Mike Slim Daron
[singing]Leavin' Bad Boy For Life...

RedefinedDiva · #18 08-11-2002, 04:05 PM

Well said, 112.

knowledge1 · #19 08-11-2002, 09:03 PM

To OneOneTwo...

You mentioned in your previous post..

Now that's not to say that I don't want brotherhood... that's what I'm here for. And the brotherhood I want cannot be obtained by joining such fine organizations like the Boy Scouts or 100 Black Men or what have you. The reasons you want to be an ABC (or whatever org) have to be personal, spiritual even GOD DRIVEN (at least He put them into my thought for a reason). And you are not going to get that if you join an organization because your friends are in it or because you didn't like another organization and want to fight them or because you like the organization because they step good or really active in the community.

To say what organizations will and will not enhance the issue of "brotherhood" among black men is a baseless and unsusbstantive statement in and of itself. If one has no knowledge of the inner workings of 100 Black Men of America Inc., he should not comment on it.

Also to say that reasons for wanting to be in a fraternity are based on the personal, spiritual and god-driven is also baseless and unsubstantive. I have never met one fraternity man on my campus who even spewed a word of religion out of his mouth, as I was on numerous occasions sought out by fraternities for my qualities, having been developed on a personsal and professional level with my involvement in 100 Black Men of America Inc. and by members of an NPHC fraternity's auxiliary group.

Believe me, membership in 100 Black Men of America Inc. is on a totally different level from fraternities. We do not conduct informationals. We don't have the lawsuits and the divisions. There is no such thing as paper or real in the 100. Membership can only be acquired through what one sees in your community work and your professional life, and yes the majority of the men within the fold of membership in 100 Black Men of America Inc. hold not only a bachelor's degree, but also contain other degree extensions as well. Membership is by invitation only, which means that the concept of "many are called but few are chosen" is ruled out, because the few are already selected. The current national president is a member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity Inc., and I would bet you 10 to 1 that he does more work with the 100 than he could ever think of doing with Omega.

Is there a degree of brotherhood in 100 Black Men of America Inc.? I would bid to say definitely, but business, in all aspects of the organization, is considered before brotherhood. Therefore, you will never see a man of the 100 disprespect a fellow member because he doesn't feel that there is a measuring stick by which to measure a fellow member with. We are men of culture, principle, and real standard, so you will never hear of any man of the 100 being a renegade, ghost, or an outcast. Fraternity men approach the 100 for membership. I say all of this to say that you shouldn't correlate our organization with Boy Scouts, we align more along with the Boule. We are EXTREMELY SELECTIVE. We have a list of famous members, but that is not the important aspect here, our work in the communities we serve speaks well enough for itself.

Off the soapbox, and I'M OUT...

CrucialCrimson · #20 08-12-2002, 02:52 PM

As a mature woman and member of DST it would be easy to say that DST is the only choice for me, but frankly as a 17/18 year old college student, and with sorors and AKAs in my family, my exposure to both organizations made both of them very viable options for me when I was young. With all due respect to younger sorors and prospectives this mindset of being 100% devoted to one organization as a prospective is relatively new to me - my reference was to have some interest, admire from a distance, attend an interest meeting, and HOPE to be invited to a tea - it was at that point that I made up my mind based on what I saw and perhaps at a few prior campus events, had I been disenchanted with DST, I wouldn't have turned my nose on another organization and I probably wouldn't have waited for grad chapter initiation.

DoggyStyle82 · #21 08-12-2002, 10:31 PM

KNOWLEDGE 1:

I think that you miss the brother's point. He wasn't knocking 100 Black Men, he was saying that it wasn't a Brotherhood in the sense of a fraternity. As someone who was invited to membership in 100 Black Men, I fully understand the group. It consisted of many Greeks in my area, but I was too busy with frat business to join (basileus, Grad Advisor). I also must disagree on your statement about your Pres being an Omega. Whether he is doing community service in the name of his church, lodge, NAACP, or 100 Black Men, he is doing it because he IS AN OMEGA!! That will always be part of the equation.

On topic, I disagree with Prof and Rainman. When I was seeking Omega, the chapter at my school was not about business or scholarship (they were still the coolest brothers on the yard), however, that did not deter my view of Omega as a whole. I made sure that after I crossed that I would effect change in the chapter. We selected better candidates and started living up to the national mandates. Years later, I am still happy about my decision.

OneOneTwo · #22 08-13-2002, 02:38 PM

Unfortunately, the original answer that I had did not make it to the post because my computer went haywire... but DoggyStyle pretty much said what I wanted to say.

I was not attempting to disrespect 100 Black Men by any means. I was mearly stating my answers in regards to those men and women seeking membership in either one of the National Pan Hellenic Council organizations or one of the many local/independent Black Greek Letter Organizations.

Q Mike Slim Daron

Swamp Thang · #23 08-13-2002, 04:12 PM

Our chapter was on the bottom end before our summer '90 line crossed (the last Lamps). It was the Alphas running the yard at UAB with the Kappas and the Bruhs having their own fan clubs equally second (no Sigmas chapter at UAB till '95)..

Then, some highly motivated gentlemen crossed the sands in 1990 and changed the game. By the time we crossed in '93, the Bruhs were 1st in Philanthropy, 1st Socially, had the SGA President, Black Student Awareness Committee President and 5 of the Bruhs were head RA's...

The people who influence my decision the most to seek Omega were in my church (and my best friends Father). So, whether or not the Bruhs were triflin' or not up to standards with Community Service, GPA's or Party'n, I was gonna be a QUE !!!

And like someone stated before, you're immediate prophytes who bring you in are the biggest shapers of what you hold dear in your organization...

Rain Man · #24 08-24-2002, 04:37 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by SweetestDiva

Okay, I just have to say that I find this post AWFULLY assumptive.

There can be a number of things that make an individual chapter a poor reflection of the organization - sometimes due to factors that cannot be helped. Oftentimes it is not that a chapter chooses not to take care of business... but how do you really know how much work a person will actually do before you bring them into your organization? The truth is, you don't. Somebody can come with credentials and qualifications out the wazoo, but turn out to be a real slacker once they get in the chapter. I personally have never heard ANYBODY go to an interest meeting and be like, "My name is Sally and I just want to let you know UP FRONT that I intend to stop doing community service and make myself a weak link in your chapter." I mean, really... some of these situations can't be helped, and you make it sound as if most chapters just bypass the business and make excuses for it. I don't know ANY chapter that makes a conscious decision to just BS around and not handle their business... but it's hard to handle business when only a few people are business-minded, you feel me?

And as for the advice as far as what BGLO members "need to" do... can't that go for ANY organization? I'm sure that no organization (BGLO or otherwise), is without its own flaws and weak links. For you to claim we are "riding the coattails" of our founders is a gross assumption and somewhat disrespectful, in my opinion.

2D & Sweetest Diva, to set the record straight, regarding the "ride the coattails" remark, I was referring primarily to those chapters that weren't TCBing; if it does not apply to you or your chapter, turn a deaf ear. Nevertheless, there are chapters out there that, knowingly or not, aren't handling their business, and that is NOT assumptive at all.

However, your points still begs the question: Why should a person be "committed" to join an organization whose local members sets a bad example? For those who held off and joined later, more power to you and congratulations on your perserverance. But should others be penalized because they did not share your perspective? Just food for thought.

Sweetest Diva, in your defense, I admit that it is a two-way street; both parties, the prospective and the chapter pledged must be compatible. Yes, I know that the prospective pledges the ORGANIZATION, not the chapter. But why get off on a turbulent tumultuous start in joining an org if you don't have to?

Okay, I'm off the soapbox. Just wanted to straighten out a point on the whole riding the coattails thing.

PositivelyAKA · #25 08-24-2002, 06:00 PM

i've always felt that the Organization is what you're joining not one chapter. I've spent more time in grad chapters than ug so it would have been unwise to base my decision on one chapter, besides in college we can all be a little "immature, stank and unproductive" at times. i respected the organization and my founders vision and i've been priviledged to make it my own.
i do see how some would not join if the chapter was not representing, it is an individual decision in the end.

AZTheta · #26 09-12-2011, 01:59 AM

/lane swerve

psst...you bumped a thread that is nine years old.

33girl · #27 09-12-2011, 10:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fsu2012

This topic is awful.

One person cannot change an entire organization on his own. This is a pure fact. Look at the NBA if you want some real life examples like the 2011 championship. Dirk Nowitzki didn't win the last championship on his own. He had a TEAM where guys would step it up to play as great as he did. Then look at the Miami Heat. They have their Big 3 (Lebron, Bosh, James) but no TEAM. These guys play awesome but everyone around them sucks. Just like in greek life, your organization has to work together as a TEAM to be successful. Everybody has to contribute. In this world there are a lot of selfish people. By nature you will have bad GLO's that die/drive themselves down to the ground.

It's like a video game that requires 3 other people to play. The game is not fun when everyone is not playing.

A greek lettered organization either sinks or swims. All great things come to an end. We can wish that they can all recover and be great, but that's not the reality of it. People lose sight on what it's really about and you can't help it. Plus there is a lot of things in life (and people) you just can't control.

For all the stress, the time, the money, the bull**** you will have to endure, all the good times you will, and sucking off d-bags constantly, is it worth it?

A greek lettered organization is supposed to be a great time of your life, not your biggest nightmare with a potential happy ending if you try to change it.

They are talking about NPHC (historically Black) organizations. It has NOTHING to do with NIC or NPC groups. The NPHC method of recruitment (actually they don't recruit) and member selection is pretty much the opposite of what you experienced.

(Once again not understanding the ****. You're too refined to spell out bullshit, but will say "sucking off d-bags" which is a heck of a lot more offensive.)