Weeding out chapters

[LexiKD]

Moxie,

Although I see the need for more on the spot support from a national organization standpoint, there are some situations where nothing more will help. I am not familiar with your chapter and/or its issues but this is how I look at it:

No matter if national officers come down or you receive minute to minute support, it is the caliber of the chapter members that decides the direction of the chapter, not the national organization.

Membership is one of the most important issues a chapter faces, that's why recruitment is so stressful but rewarding! If you have a chapter not willing to work, then no national organization's support will help in any way. The national organization cannot be there from morning til night to make sure each member performs her duties and executes every possible responsibility of chapter life to the best of her ability.

I have had a blessed KD life and have benifited from working with many national officers, but those women have only given me the desire to be better, not constant know how...they make me want to be a better member the will to work at it, daily, comes from within.

It sounds to me that this is not the first problem you have had, maybe a chapter business meeting/motivational speaker could be a big help. Give the chapter members time to voice thier feelings regarding what is working and what needs help? I am sure your CPP can help somehow! If you can ask PH, I am sure other chapters have had the same issues and will be able to speak from their own experiences. What about chapters in your state?

Your organization gives you the plan for success, it's what you do with those plans that count!

AOT

[squirrely girl]

Originally posted by ZZ-kai-
By the way, Grandma is a AGD at the same school.

YEAH! go alpha gam. i always love hearing 'bout women who are alpha gams from quite awhile back.

marissa

[Sue_XO]

Erik,
That is really a good point what you said about "Nationals"- I have no idea why we call it that or why we add an "s" to it. I tried saying it without the "s" and it sounds too strange!

[TriSigmaTX]

I worked for Tri Delta this past year and while there they closed 3 chapters in 5 months and are planning on closing at least 2 more this year.

[shadokat]

Originally posted by TriSigmaTX
I worked for Tri Delta this past year and while there they closed 3 chapters in 5 months and are planning on closing at least 2 more this year.

But for what reasons? If they're closing chapters for hazing and risk management, that's really sometimes necessary. Have they opened new chapters at all?

[Peaches-n-Cream]

Originally posted by TriSigmaTX
I worked for Tri Delta this past year and while there they closed 3 chapters in 5 months and are planning on closing at least 2 more this year.

How can you be a tri sigma and work for tri delta?

[33girl]

Originally posted by Cream

How can you be a tri sigma and work for tri delta?

First off Cream...every time I see your screen name the Prince song of the same name pops into my head, hee hee

Being in one org and working for another org's HQ is quite common actually...we've had a Pi Phi and an AXO work at ours.

[Rudey]

Just wanted to respond to your comment on UChicago. First of all, we're very much different from the ivies and berkeley. And the image you have of a four eyed cretin, isn't correct. Kids here love learning but they are not cretins...in fact it's widely believed on campus that the admissions committee has an agenda to bring in the "cool" smart kids now. I think it's true...there are definitely more social people in each new class. However there is also a problem with the fraternities here. How is it possible to have large chapters when the school has such a small population? Also the deans and administrators are all VERY anti greek. Supposedly when we recolonized our campus, we were supposed to appeal to a wider amount of students -however it is almost impossible. There is no IFC here. The low student population limits the chapter sizes. The administrators keep a tight watch on the greeks hoping to make sure they never throw a party or buy a house. And a lot of the athletes have their own clicks that are essentially like fraternities and sororities. Furthermore, students have other options besides the greek system. We are in a large city if you've noticed. My chapter did well in the beginning but then the national office ignored us...we're hurting really badly right now and unless someone comes in to help we will be sure to get shut down.

-Rudey

Originally posted by Erik P Conard

can't seem to get quote + message on one, so at any rate, to
comment on Beta message.

Beta Theta Pi is a classy outfit, not a big one, but a good one. I
find most fraternities, at least the biggies, have indeed shucked
a lot of chapters, especially in the NE where they march to their
own drummers and where we shoulda never gone to begin with. With 40 years on TKE expansion/extension, I find that at
least 75% of new charters issued are reactivations, i.e. orphan
alumni want their old chapters returned. Besides, fewer new schools opening, and many of them are not suited for Greeks.
Even Harvard has come around saying they have tried everything and the Greeks seem to be the best system.
Perphaps the Ivies and the four-eyed cretins at Berkeley and U of Chicago will come around. A reactivated chapter is a labor of
love, and Beta, power to you! Erik P Conard, TKE

[Erik P Conard]

Originally posted by Rudey
Just wanted to respond to your comment on UChicago. First of all, we're very much different from the ivies and berkeley. And the image you have of a four eyed cretin, isn't correct. Kids here love learning but they are not cretins...in fact it's widely believed on campus that the admissions committee has an agenda to bring in the "cool" smart kids now. I think it's true...there are definitely more social people in each new class. However there is also a problem with the fraternities here. How is it possible to have large chapters when the school has such a small population? Also the deans and administrators are all VERY anti greek. Supposedly when we recolonized our campus, we were supposed to appeal to a wider amount of students -however it is almost impossible. There is no IFC here. The low student population limits the chapter sizes. The administrators keep a tight watch on the greeks hoping to make sure they never throw a party or buy a house. And a lot of the athletes have their own clicks that are essentially like fraternities and sororities. Furthermore, students have other options besides the greek system. We are in a large city if you've noticed. My chapter did well in the beginning but then the national office ignored us...we're hurting really badly right now and unless someone comes in to help we will be sure to get shut down.

-Rudey

First, I owe you-all an apology. It was an uncalled
for smart-ass remark...that of the four-eyed cretin. I am truly sorry and it was in bad taste.
Way back in the 30s the U of Chicago had a pretty strong greek
stystem. Then Dr. Robert Maynard Hutchins came in, initiated the Great Books curriculum, fired Amos Alonzo Stagg, did away
with football, changed the environment considerably. The TKE
chapter there was very scholarly, lots of Phi Betes, and folded the tent in the 30s along with many others.
The student attracted to Chicago was not what you would call the extroverted, rah-rah type. I have hopes that someday a meeting of the minds will occur and a return to the Greek system will transpire, offering a meaningful experience to all.
Unfortunately the image of the U of Chicago student is not one of the hail-fellow-well met, but does not deserve the moniker I
placed in my thoughtless e-mail. Pass the crow...please...
I wish you well, honest, I do. Erik P Conard--Denver

[bolingbaker]

You're not a Pike, are you? I thought our chapter was pretty good at UC. Let me know: I may be able to help.

[33girl]

Originally posted by Rudey
How is it possible to have large chapters when the school has such a small population?

How big is U of C? I thought it was like 10,000 students.

[Peaches-n-Cream]

Originally posted by 33girl


First off Cream...every time I see your screen name the Prince song of the same name pops into my head, hee hee

Being in one org and working for another org's HQ is quite common actually...we've had a Pi Phi and an AXO work at ours.

LOL! I never thought about that name and that song.
I never heard of working for different orgs. Thanks for leting me know.

[FuzzieAlum]

When I pledged in '95, my sorority had 110 chapters. Every year we've added 2 or 3 new chapters. Guess how many chapters we have now? 110.

Maybe it isn't this way everywhere, but chapters closing is very hush-hush. There is no announcement or anything. All of a sudden one day you realize, "Hey, I haven't seen the name of chapter X in a while ..." No one knows why. You hear rumors (numbers, drugs), but if they close for numbers, my chapter would be shut down by now, and we're not the only one that small!

The bigger problem as I see it is that we are losing chapters at bigger or more prestigious campuses and opening them at tiny, non-selective schools. I don't want to offend people at those schools, because of course they can produce great members, but colonizing somewhere we'll you'll have 40 new members a year will make the sorority a lot stronger than colonizing somewhere where you'll get 10 new members a year.

Plus, it takes more energy to colonize than to keep a chapter open. You know how hard my chapter's advisor has been begging for an ELC to come out and help us? We finally got one, but the whole time, we were wondering where exactly the 8 ELCs were going! We only have one colony now after all. Our nationals won't close us but isn't supporting us much either.