General Assembly 2006

[john1082]

These are some rough notes that I took. Some details edited for brevity.


Bill 5 - Discipline Code - Unfavorable recommendation by committee. Defeated
Bill 6 - Colony time limit - Pass
Bill 12 - Fees - Chapter fees - Pass
Bill 13 - Eight Semester Rule - Fail
Bill 14 - Study Abroad Students - Pass

Discipline of Delta-Theta Zeta @ Grand Valley State - closure. Zeta Closed as of May 2006.

Discipline of Phi-Epsilon Zeta @ Cal State Fullerton. – Multiple violations of risk management, failed chapter excellence 8 or 12 categories, 280 days probation. Membership review, Alumni Advisory Board, Impact Leadership I and II (90%+)., Two (2) anger management sessions twice per semester for next year.

Discipline of Lambda Eta Zeta @ Murray State. - Risk management, guest policy lists, alcohol: Stage III probation. No less than one year. Case study of violations

Discipline of Gamma-Psi Zeta @ Lehigh University. - Membership review; Alumni Control Board; 90 % Impact I and Impact II; ZAX sessions; Alpha, Beta, Theta attend Council of Presidents; Develop plan to implement LXA risk management policies.

Discipline of Lambda Phi Zeta @ Texas State University San Marcos: Hazing, underage drinking, kegs, paddling, no responsibility, pledge training, $5,206.90 debt. Closed.

Bill 9: Eliminate Board of Investment Advisors from Constitution.- Pass
Bill 10: Eliminate Board of Investment Advisors from Stat Code - Pass
Bill 11a. Amend Constitution to provide for GHZ membership for Counsel of Presidents Chair and vice chair - Pass
Bill 11b Amend Stat Code to provide for GHZ membership for Counsel of Presidents Chair and vice chair – Pass

Status of Florida International Colony: After two years, only 4 of 14 chartering standards; fees & dues, $4,028 debt, one member present. Continue as Colony: Payment Plan on/before 12/31/06. Get a High Pi. Application on / before 11/1/6. Final app 12/31/06.

Status of Southeastern Oklahoma State Colony: 3 of 14 standards, debt debt. Chartering app by 12/31/06.

Status of Westchester County Colony: 3 of 14 chartering standards, debt. New organizational tactics. Organization. High Pi required. Pay off debt by 9/30/06. Officer duties by 12/31/06, Alumni Ass’n by 12/31/06, Charter app 12/31/06.

Status of York College Colony: 2 Years, 1 of 14 standards, debt Local organization, poor annexation, poor campus climate, showed up to Rx drunk. No High Pi. Bitter. Closed.

Discipline of Mu Zeta @ California – Low numbers for two years. Lack of evidence of a strategy for meeting standards. Again and again failed review. Intensive micro-management. Inconsistent local alumni support. Failed to use support avenues. Poor fraternity education. House corporation worried about the physical plant more than the chapter. Declared inactive.

Discipline of Phi-Pi Zeta @ Sac State – Low membership, debt loss of 2/3 membership review, strides in planning events. Rush concentration.

Discipline of Zeta-Sigma Zeta @ Louisville. Low numbers, poor alumni support. Declared inactive.

Discipline of Beta-Lambda Zeta @ Morehead – Minimum membership standards for two years. Despite 30 days of support. Despite training, unheeded advice. Two active, two associates. Declared inactive on 10/7/05 but rescinded. Declared inactive.

Discipline of Zeta-Omicron Zeta @ Oregon – Debt. No insurance on house. Declared inactive until payment plan for Fraternity debt in place to clear debt by 6/30/07 and insurance obtained.

Discipline of Lambda-Lambda Zeta @ Western Kentuncky. Debt. $received. Payment plan in place. Removed from financial suspension. Educational session.

Discipline of Phi-Beta Zeta @ Eastern Kentucky. Debt and a payment of $2,500. Payment plan in place. Remove from financial suspension. Educational session.

Discipline of Delta-Gamma Zeta @ UC Davis. Debt. No payments. Suspended. Payment plan by 8/31/06 or suspended until paid in full.

Discipline of Zeta-Epsilon Zeta @ UTEP. Debt and payment of $4,000. Payment plan in place. Removed from suspension. Keep current.

Discipline of Beta-Epsilon Zeta @ Texas A&M Kingsville. Debt and payment of $1,500, Suspension is upheld until payment plan in place. Plan in place by 8/31/06 or else suspended until paid in full. $3,000 by 11/30/06.

Discipline of Beta-Omicron Zeta @ Illinois State. Debt. Pay $2,000 by 8/31. Payment of plan.

Discipline of Iota Upsilon Zeta @ East Carolina University. Off suspension.

======================

My impression is that there is a new sheriff in town. Chapters not 14/14 for chapter excellence will get slammed. Smaller chapters beware.

[Tom Earp]

John, thanks for the current update.

All I can say is WOW!

More truth than fiction about New Sheriff in Town.

Maybe a hard nose approach will get some off of square one or rears.

As You pointed out, I am sure with a sad heart, Mu Zeta had a strong lack of Alumni backing as I am sure there are more that have been shuttered also.

That is why I continually harp about Alumni support backing from IHQ.

I also hope that in a future Cross and Crescent this list is shown and for what reasons they were closed.

This may give some Zetas a real wake up call.


Was there any talk about upgrading the High Rho position?

[lenoxxx]

Odd,

Didnt Louisville get recognized like 2-3 years ago for totally turning around a terrible chapter and getting the Phoenix award?

Lenoxxx

[john1082]

Tom, you simply assume that they (the staff) were not trying to make a personal point.

"Let's put the fear of God into everyone. Let's close Berkeley and PROVE that not even the chapter of a GHZ member and the newest Order of Merit winner is safe"

Smell the coffee

Originally Posted by Tom Earp

John, thanks for the current update.

All I can say is WOW!

More truth than fiction about New Sheriff in Town.

Maybe a hard nose approach will get some off of square one or rears.

As You pointed out, I am sure with a sad heart, Mu Zeta had a strong lack of Alumni backing as I am sure there are more that have been shuttered also.

That is why I continually harp about Alumni support backing from IHQ.

I also hope that in a future Cross and Crescent this list is shown and for what reasons they were closed.

This may give some Zetas a real wake up call.


Was there any talk about upgrading the High Rho position?

[HONKY660]

Good to see my chapter survived this GA. We have been in debt since before I joined. Poor guys can't seem to shake it as hard as we have tried. Zeta-Epsilon lives to see another day unlike many others it appears.

[Tom Earp]

Originally Posted by john1082

Tom, you simply assume that they (the staff) were not trying to make a personal point.

"Let's put the fear of God into everyone. Let's close Berkeley and PROVE that not even the chapter of a GHZ member and the newest Order of Merit winner is safe"

Smell the coffee

Glad I dont do Coffee!

No, I am not assuming anything John.

It boils down to basics. If a Zeta is not performing to Standards then they will and can be suspened, censored, or De-Chartered.

I cannot disagree with IHQ on any of this.

But I can say in the situation with My Zeta, LX, we were in a situation that We should have been closed. But with some circumstances IHQ gave us some breathing room, help, and We are now on our way upward again.

But the key word is Alum and Zeta willing to work to revearse a problem Zeta.

If they are not then what happened at Mu and others will be what happened.

The New Sheriff in Town will work to keep only if that Zeta is willing to and shows improvement.


Lenoxx is correct about Louisville, but it is amazing how fast a Zeta can turn around either way!

I was one of the few that voted Nay in Indy to close a Zeta, but that is just Me. The weakest Zeta is a major link in the Chain of LXA!

[Bilski]

I am relieved to offer a correction to your earlier post, John.

The Zeta Sigma chapter (Louisville) did not in fact get closed. Yet, anyway. The motion to place us on inactive status was defeated and a new motion sending us back to the Grand High Zeta for review was passed.

The meeting date has not been set for this hearing but you can be sure we're busting our asses to find a way to convince the GHZ we're worth keeping open.

And Lenoxx, you're right. We did receive the Phoenix award about 2 or 3 years before I joined. Since then though we had a rather cataclysmic event in 2005 that axed or caused to drop out over 60% of our membership, including most brothers with experience recruiting and running the fraternity. That pretty much left the chapter in charge of newly initiated members like myself with no real experience with running or recruiting for a campus organization.

Since then we've had no luck in recruitment. We have everything else going for us: no debt, a fully paid house (in by far much better condition than all the other fraternity houses on Greek Row) owned by our local alumni, a more helpful Housing Corporation of late, and a good GPA on campus. It's just been hell getting and keeping members. That's why we sent 3 guys to GA this year and hoped they could convince Nationals to send us a recruitment team. Instead the standards committee recommended we be closed indefinitely. Thank God most of the GA disagreed.

[Tom Earp]

Originally Posted by Bilski

I am relieved to offer a correction to your earlier post, John.

The Zeta Sigma chapter (Louisville) did not in fact get closed. Yet, anyway. The motion to place us on inactive status was defeated and a new motion sending us back to the Grand High Zeta for review was passed.

The meeting date has not been set for this hearing but you can be sure we're busting our asses to find a way to convince the GHZ we're worth keeping open.

And Lenoxx, you're right. We did receive the Phoenix award about 2 or 3 years before I joined. Since then though we had a rather cataclysmic event in 2005 that axed or caused to drop out over 60% of our membership, including most brothers with experience recruiting and running the fraternity. That pretty much left the chapter in charge of newly initiated members like myself with no real experience with running or recruiting for a campus organization.

Since then we've had no luck in recruitment. We have everything else going for us: no debt, a fully paid house (in by far much better condition than all the other fraternity houses on Greek Row) owned by our local alumni, a more helpful Housing Corporation of late, and a good GPA on campus. It's just been hell getting and keeping members. That's why we sent 3 guys to GA this year and hoped they could convince Nationals to send us a recruitment team. Instead the standards committee recommended we be closed indefinitely. Thank God most of the GA disagreed.

Brother Bill, this is very good news.

Thank You for being on Site and informing us of the true situation.

You sound in much better shape than My Zeta did, but The New Leadership at IHQ looks at many things and works with tem on the merit that they desearve.

Dont be a mouse in the house, let them know where you are at and what you are doing. It cannot be done overnight as I worked for 4 years and two Ex. Secs, to get the aid that We needed and it is proving fruitful!

Fell free to PM me anytime and maybe We can talk!

In ZAX,

[lenoxxx]

Bilski,

That's cool that John was a bit inaccurate. Best of luck with rush.

Shake some hands, get some girls.....

You'll be fine

Lenoxxx

[EM1843]

No offense Tom, but seeing the chapters they decided to keep open and those they decided to close, it seems as though there were some definate biases. A chapter's status seemed almost entirely determined by what Status of Chapters committee you were sent to. One recomended no closures, while another recommending closing all zetas before it. I can only think that it was purposeful.
Also, for any chapter under 40 men, watch your back, that new Sherrif is standing behind you with a bloody knife.

[john1082]

Originally Posted by Bilski

I am relieved to offer a correction to your earlier post, John.
Since then we've had no luck in recruitment. We have everything else going for us: no debt, a fully paid house (in by far much better condition than all the other fraternity houses on Greek Row) owned by our local alumni, a more helpful Housing Corporation of late, and a good GPA on campus. It's just been hell getting and keeping members. That's why we sent 3 guys to GA this year and hoped they could convince Nationals to send us a recruitment team. Instead the standards committee recommended we be closed indefinitely. Thank God most of the GA disagreed.

Your position is that same as we had at Mu and it didn't help. We had four undergrads at GA, plus four alumni (GHZ, OM, House Corp Pres., new High Pi) and it didn't make any difference. We don't owe Indy a dime. We own the house. GPA above all Greek average.

[Tom Earp]

Originally Posted by EM1843

No offense Tom, but seeing the chapters they decided to keep open and those they decided to close, it seems as though there were some definate biases. A chapter's status seemed almost entirely determined by what Status of Chapters committee you were sent to. One recomended no closures, while another recommending closing all zetas before it. I can only think that it was purposeful.
Also, for any chapter under 40 men, watch your back, that new Sherrif is standing behind you with a bloody knife.

Matt, I am sorry to see and understand what you were refering to earlier along with what John posted above.

Many of My Brothers told me, well IHQ isn't going to close LX Zeta as it is "LX".

I told them do not be fooled by this. If a Zeta is not up to standards then they can and will be closed in need be.


I can understand Johns feelings and am hard pressed to figure where two Zetas were so near the same figures, one is closed and another is not closed.

As was stated, two different committies and people were involved and that may be the rub of it!

As I have repeatedly stated, I hate to see any Zeta closed.

If there are major infractions, then so be it, but from what I am getting on site, there were to many variences.

[justaflaneur]

John,

It was great to see you and Bill at the General Assembly. Sorry I missed the GreekChat photo. In my defense, I entered the hotel at 10:30 p.m. Wednesday and exited at 9:30 a.m. Sunday, which is all right because I understand it was hot outside anyway. Besides, what else is there to do in Orlando?

And for those of you who have not picked up on it yet, it bears repeating that Brother Gezelius was elected to the Order of Merit at this Assembly. Congrats again to John.

In ZAX,
Lynn Chipperfield

[Drew1520]

On a much happier note, I would like to report on the success of Alpha Alpha Zeta at Butler University. The conference was a lot of fun.

Alpha Alpha won many awards including:

NAFD Recognition Award
Alumni Affairs Publication
Scholastic Programming
Mentor Leadership Program
Fraternity Education
Public Affairs Program Award
Warren Cole Recruitment Award
Order of Merit - Dr. Elgan Baker - High Pi
Phoenix Award

We also were able to send 17 undergrads (2 staff), 5 alums (3 staff).

[boz130]

I've got the photo all ready to go...if you want a copy, send me a PM. If there's some place I s/b forwarding to for all to enjoy, please advise.

Personal to Eric B.: I've misplaced your email address (cut me some slack, guys, I just got back about 4 hours ago...)--please send it to me w/your PM so that I can send you the Boston prom shot.

In ZAX (and barely sunburned after hanging for 3 days w/Goofy, Shrek & Shamu...many thanks to SPF 48),
BF