What do you do when a Brother makes a mistake?

[Kevin]

Originally Posted by jaynu

My philosophy of a brotherhood/sisterhood is to make them better people. By kicking them out, you never really showed that unconditional love.

Actually, no. I'm sure at some point, you've heard that fraternal operations, before anything else, are businesses. Businesses do not tolerate theft.

I thought a better resolution would be to educate that person on why it is wrong and how much they've hurt the fraternity/sorority and its individual members. Lastly, I'll give a strong, but reasonable, sentence to that person. Does anyone feel this is to idealistic of a process?

If someone does not know that stealing is wrong, I'm afraid that they're well beyond the help of mortal man. They are ethically flawed. The only hope for this person is that their bad behavior lead to some real consequences -- painful ones. Otherwise, the only lesson you teach is that they'd better be more careful next time so as to not get caught.

In this case, in my opinion, you have to look out for the whole before you can look out for the parts. This person betrayed the trust of your organization in just about the worst way possible. The only way for you to respond is by booting them, getting the money back. If you want to be fraternal, fine, don't report them to the D.A.

Are you being too idealistic? Nope. An idealistic person would realize that the only way to remain true to their organization's values would be to get rid of this person.

If you feel like you don't want to be the "bad guy" here, perhaps you should convene a committee to decide the issue, so that the whole process looks a little more impartial?

[jaynu]

Originally Posted by 33girl

I'm coming to the conclusion that the sorority treasurer who stole $300 is a friend or your girlfriend.

Dude, she stole money that wasn't hers. If the WORST thing that happens to her is that she gets kicked out of her sorority, she's pretty lucky. If she did this at her job, she might be facing jail time.

No haha, it is not my girlfriend.

I was just asking with no one in mind. I just wanted to know how other organizations and its leaders would deal with such a problem. Is it safe to say that the right decision is a decision made altogether by a whole group (no matter what the penalty is)?

Thanks for everyone's concerns. This didn't necessarily happen in my organization. I just wanted to know what others thought.

[Tom Earp]

There has to be a reason that you asked and I would say not so hypothetical.

But what it boils down to stealing from your fellow members.

Granted, everyone has a tough time but, they are still either your Brothers/Sisters and it short shrifts them and the chapter.

Stealing that kind of money is a felony and a hardship on all of the others.

[EE-BO]

Originally Posted by jaynu

No haha, it is not my girlfriend.

I was just asking with no one in mind. I just wanted to know how other organizations and its leaders would deal with such a problem. Is it safe to say that the right decision is a decision made altogether by a whole group (no matter what the penalty is)?

Thanks for everyone's concerns. This didn't necessarily happen in my organization. I just wanted to know what others thought.

LOL 33girl.

Jaynu, I generally support the other comments posted here- but wanted to address your question about being supportive and trying to change the person who stole the money in the scenario you presented.

The reason rush is so important is that a chapter of a GLO can make a positive impact in a person's life- but that person has to come into the chapter with a certain basic set of acceptable values and maturity to begin with. We don't create good people, we just provide an avenue for them to better themselves.

The same holds true in a corporate setting. A great company can do great things for employees long term- but again, those employees have to bring certain basic values to the table.

This all goes to trust. As Kevin pointed out- you have to let a chapter have a Treasurer who is an active and who runs the money. At Beta, self-governance is one of our key principles. There is no reason for a Beta chapter to exist if it does not provide its active members with an opportunity to lead and take charge of the chapter's management.

To steal money from the chapter violates that basic trust- just as it would in a corporate setting. It destroys the foundation on which the entire organization can function, and an organization cannot function if it is populated with people who cannot be trusted at all to support and care for the very organization that provides so much for them individually.

Consider these two different scenarios,

1. Fraternity member goes out one night, gets drunk with his friends and breaks a picture window at the house of a rival chapter. It will cost $250 to repair the window.

2. Fraternity member steals $250 from his own chapter.

In the eyes of the law, though the specific laws broken vary, this guy is on the hook to someone for $250 for actual damages. Leaving aside everything else- these two scenarios are the same from the very pure moral perspective of "theft".

But if you were that person, which one would you rather do? Which one would you rather be accused of?

Let's say you have $250 and we are in scenario 1 above. You pay the other fraternity to fix the window and life goes on because we all know that kids sometimes get drunk and do foolish things. Some people may be a little more leery of you in future, but for the most part this is forgivable as a youthful indiscretion.

Let's say you have $250 and we are in scenario 2 above. You go to chapter meeting after the theft is discovered, and pay back the money. As in the above outcome, the "victim" has received full restitution- but how would anyone in that chapter ever trust you again?

The difference in the intent and what is suggested about the general moral character of the perpetrator in these two different scenarios is huge even though the actual damages are the same.

That is why the person in your scenario should be thrown out. And in my capacity as a financial advisor to my chapter I would not only see to the member's expulsion, but- provided I got clearance from the chapter's legal advisor- I would notify the University as well that one of its students had stolen from a student organization. There are too many people working their tails off to get into a good college to let a criminal in the making take a precious spot on the student rolls.

As for preventing this, I just do a monthly bank reconciliation. Takes about 30 minutes each month. I make sure all the checks written and cashed were for appropriate purposes, and I also compare the list of dues collected to the deposits in the bank. I would probably miss a $20 indiscretion, but I follow up with guys late on their dues- so I would catch any significant theft pretty fast.

[jon1856]

^^^^^^Very well said, presented and posted.

[SEC_Rowdiez]

you would throw out someone over $250? wow, thats brotherhood

[KSUViolet06]

Originally Posted by SEC_Rowdiez

you would throw out someone over $250? wow, thats brotherhood

Here's the way I see it. Stealing takes money away from the chapter budget that could be put towards an event. When brothers steal, it says "I don't care that this money is meant for all of you guys to do stuff with. I'm selfish." That's not brotherhood.

[jaynu]

Originally Posted by Kevin

Actually, no. I'm sure at some point, you've heard that fraternal operations, before anything else, are businesses. Businesses do not tolerate theft.

My Fraternity preaches Family > Organization. If this were to happen to us, as it has been done to many of the orgs on campus (except it has recently been put in the public eye), then while I would want that person kicked out, the more acceptable "punishment" is education. Find out what is wrong with the Brother and see if there's anything the Fraternity can do to help him. If not, then he would probably kick himself out the Fraternity.


EE-BO, great post. Thanks a lot. Hrrrm, I'm still a little bothered by this issue but it's good to see how other organizations would deal with it.

[PhiSigLisa]

Originally Posted by KSUViolet06

Here's the way I see it. Stealing takes money away from the chapter budget that could be put towards an event. When brothers steal, it says "I don't care that this money is meant for all of you guys to do stuff with. I'm selfish." That's not brotherhood.

Agreed. I work to pay my dues and my chapter has a lot of fundraisers to make ends meet. If a sister stole from the chapter, she would be betraying our trust in her and our sisterhood, period. I would have absolutely no regrets about reporting that.

[Kevin]

Originally Posted by jaynu

My Fraternity preaches Family > Organization. If this were to happen to us, as it has been done to many of the orgs on campus (except it has recently been put in the public eye), then while I would want that person kicked out, the more acceptable "punishment" is education. Find out what is wrong with the Brother and see if there's anything the Fraternity can do to help him. If not, then he would probably kick himself out the Fraternity.


EE-BO, great post. Thanks a lot. Hrrrm, I'm still a little bothered by this issue but it's good to see how other organizations would deal with it.

Every organization teaches brotherhood.

How are you going to "educate" someone not to be a thief? What education do you think they need? Do you think they thought it was okay?

[OPhiAGinger]

I am pretty "turn the other cheek" about a lot of things, but I am fiercely protective of my sorority's assets. I have zero tolerance about someone stealing from my sisters. We budget carefully so we can keep our dues as low as possible, and that money has to stretch a long way. If a member decides to steal from us, I believe they are making a parallel decision to give up their membership.

[nate2512]

I think the case is variable. If he repays the money immediately, I would say that the person should be suspended for a certain amount of time, while still paying dues. And that the person should be required to complete a certain amount of community service hours, and contribute a certain amount of money to charity. Then when he's met those conditions, allow him to come back on a probationary state that requires him to show up to social functions but on the condition that he watches the door, whatever "jobs" you're officers are required to do. (except collect money for any reason) then eventually allow him full status that disallows him from being in any leadership positions and on the status that if he violates constitution by-laws or rules again, he's hitting the door for good.

[OPhiAGinger]

I just reread the OP's request for specific information so I am posting again.

Omega Phi Alpha has provisions in our national constitution to strip membership privileges of members who break the law. It's up to the national board whether to prosecute or not. Unfortunately, when we were faced with this situation in the past we lost no time in revoking the membership of the person who stole from us. What's more, we did everything we could to help the district attorney prepare his case for prosecution... which he won easily.

[CBU Jeff]

Originally Posted by SEC_Rowdiez

you would throw out someone over $250? wow, thats brotherhood

You say that, but for small chapter whose operating budget doesn't even touch $7,500, $250 can go a long way. But, when talking about brotherhood, I wouldn't want to be associated with a "brotherhood" where theft is condoned.

[CrackerBarrel]

$250 isn't that big of a deal. Spending a little money on himself is part of the benefit of being treasurer as long as it doesn't get out of control (no, I have never been treasurer, that's how a lot of houses I know treat it though). Occasionally drop the house card on a bar tab, no big deal, just buy me some drinks on it too!

I guess it may be different when you're dealing with a house whose semester budget is about $400k (like it is here) then with small chapters though. We have about 160 active with over $2,000 in dues a semester, so a few hundred here and there really doesn't hurt anything and it might as well be in the budget because you just kind of assume it will happen.