Difficult Recolonization Question

[JCunningham]

Hello yall, My name is Jeff and I am a student at a major SEC school. I joined a fraternity here during my Freshman year, but it was not what I was lead to believe it would be. Our chapter size is roughly 80 members, and there are about 15-20 of us who are severely unhappy with our situation. Unfortunately we no longer have the members to create change and we are quickly going downhill.

Due to a large graduating class, "our" numbers (and I say that referring to the group of us who are unhappy with the direction we are heading in) have shrunk and after a few very long chapters riddled with excessive parliamentary procedure, we no longer have any say in the direction we need to go. In essence we are two different fraternities who are stuck together in one. These two fraternities are a typical southern fraternity, and a typical northern fraternity. We think, act, and look very differently. The northern fraternity has seized power and as many of you may know, in the south fraternities mostly dominated by northerns do not get very far. Whether it is right or not, it is the way it is.

Many brothers have disassociated, and we have been meeting regularly trying to figure out a solution. So far we have come up with this:

An major international fraternity which was very popular on campus was kicked off about five years ago. This fraternity has a built in following, it was extremely popular, gave back to both the campus and the community, and it was a backed by hundreds of outstanding alumni. It continues to send many legacies back to our school, and if it were to be recolonized it would quickly regain its reputation and legacy of a quality fraternity with quality men on campus. After they left campus they continued to recruit underground for a year or so, but after this year there will not be a initiated brother or an underground member left enrolled at our university.

Our solution is once we are all officially dissociated from our fraternity, to recolonize this fraternity. We would be gone by the time it was chartered and therefore we would not be a witness to any initiation or fraternity secrets. We would simply be the first people to recruit others in an attempt to bring this historic fraternity back to campus, while getting the tradition, community, and most importantly the brotherhood that we all were lead to believe we would get in our fraternity experience.

Lastly, I know this is unethical and may rub many of you the wrong way. I understand that this is not anything close to being an ideal situation, and that it would be great if we could work to improve our fraternity from the inside. While that would be great, please only respond with constructive thoughts, I am fully aware of what I am proposing and what it entails. Any damage that would be done with 20 or so brothers disassociating will be done regardless of whether we attempt to recolonize another fraternity or not. The situation is becoming detrimental to the fraternity, and it would be best if we could part ways and both "start anew" to try to make both of our organizations the best they can be.

Thank You,
Jeff

[Smile_Awhile]

Originally Posted by JCunningham

Hello yall, My name is Jeff and I am a student at a major SEC school. I joined a fraternity here during my Freshman year, but it was not what I was lead to believe it would be. Our chapter size is roughly 80 members, and there are about 15-20 of us who are severely unhappy with our situation. Unfortunately we no longer have the members to create change and we are quickly going downhill.

Due to a large graduating class, "our" numbers (and I say that referring to the group of us who are unhappy with the direction we are heading in) have shrunk and after a few very long chapters riddled with excessive parliamentary procedure, we no longer have any say in the direction we need to go. In essence we are two different fraternities who are stuck together in one. These two fraternities are a typical southern fraternity, and a typical northern fraternity. We think, act, and look very differently. The northern fraternity has seized power and as many of you may know, in the south fraternities mostly dominated by northerns do not get very far. Whether it is right or not, it is the way it is.

Many brothers have disassociated, and we have been meeting regularly trying to figure out a solution. So far we have come up with this:

An major international fraternity which was very popular on campus was kicked off about five years ago. This fraternity has a built in following, it was extremely popular, gave back to both the campus and the community, and it was a backed by hundreds of outstanding alumni. It continues to send many legacies back to our school, and if it were to be recolonized it would quickly regain its reputation and legacy of a quality fraternity with quality men on campus. After they left campus they continued to recruit underground for a year or so, but after this year there will not be a initiated brother or an underground member left enrolled at our university.

Our solution is once we are all officially dissociated from our fraternity, to recolonize this fraternity. We would be gone by the time it was chartered and therefore we would not be a witness to any initiation or fraternity secrets. We would simply be the first people to recruit others in an attempt to bring this historic fraternity back to campus, while getting the tradition, community, and most importantly the brotherhood that we all were lead to believe we would get in our fraternity experience.

Lastly, I know this is unethical and may rub many of you the wrong way. I understand that this is not anything close to being an ideal situation, and that it would be great if we could work to improve our fraternity from the inside. While that would be great, please only respond with constructive thoughts, I am fully aware of what I am proposing and what it entails. Any damage that would be done with 20 or so brothers disassociating will be done regardless of whether we attempt to recolonize another fraternity or not. The situation is becoming detrimental to the fraternity, and it would be best if we could part ways and both "start anew" to try to make both of our organizations the best they can be.

Thank You,
Jeff

QFP

[DrPhil]

LOL

[littleowl33]

A few things.

1) It's going to be pretty easy for people on this site to figure out your school and fraternity. And since you've identified yourself as Jeff Cunningham, they're going to know who you are, too. A lot more people check this site than you think, so don't be surprised if this post is seen by your chapter brothers and your fraternity's headquarters. Just FYI.

2) If you are an initiated member of your fraternity, as it seems you are, I have a hard time believing any other fraternity would be interested in having you start a colony of their org.

3) What would you hope to gain by starting a new fraternity you could not become a brother of?

[Gusteau]

If I were recruiting men for a new colony I wouldn't pick the ones that had jumped ship from another one when it didn't go their way. Being in a colony is tough work, and I wouldn't trust you to stick around. Furthermore I wouldn't recruit anyone who could not really become a brother, that stipulation is ridiculous.

[JCunningham]

Originally Posted by littleowl33

2) If you are an initiated member of your fraternity, as it seems you are, I have a hard time believing any other fraternity would be interested in having you start a colony of their org.

3) What would you hope to gain by starting a new fraternity you could not become a brother of?

Regardless of the first question, the next two are legitimate. Neither I or my other disassociated brothers will be the figurehead, other men who are not initiated in any other fraternity will be the leaders in the effort, while the rest of us will be working to help grow the fraternity. Already participating in a fraternity, we can certainly help in the paperwork and positions which will need to be held.

We want to gain helping re-establish a fraternity with a strong tradition which can survive in the intense Greek environment of the South. I don't believe our fraternity will continue to exist on campus past 10 years. Many fraternities were originally formed as either responses to others, or as break away groups. Establishing a fraternity which fosters brotherhood in a way which we believe it to be the best way to do so, and having that tradition continue on for many many years is very satisfying.

[KSUViolet06]

I am a reasonably educated human being.

I have read your posts several times and I still cannot discern what the point would be for you join something you can't initiate into.

WTF?

[33girl]

Originally Posted by Gusteau

If I were recruiting men for a new colony I wouldn't pick the ones that had jumped ship from another one when it didn't go their way. Being in a colony is tough work, and I wouldn't trust you to stick around. Furthermore I wouldn't recruit anyone who could not really become a brother, that stipulation is ridiculous.

Yeah, if I were an alum of the fraternity you want to recolonize, I think I'd tell you guys to go pound sand...as big on "honor" n'at as southern gentlemen are. The last thing alums want is for their fraternity to be rebuilt by men who are, in effect, damaged goods.

[JCunningham]

Originally Posted by KSUViolet06

I am a reasonably educated human being.

I have read your posts several times and I still cannot discern what the point would be for you join something you can't initiate into.

WTF?

Helping found an organization which can live on for years to come, which will do both good on and off campus, and improve the men which decide to join is worth it.

[33girl]

Originally Posted by JCunningham

Regardless of the first question, the next two are legitimate. Neither I or my other disassociated brothers will be the figurehead, other men who are not initiated in any other fraternity will be the leaders in the effort, while the rest of us will be working to help grow the fraternity. Already participating in a fraternity, we can certainly help in the paperwork and positions which will need to be held.

We want to gain helping re-establish a fraternity with a strong tradition which can survive in the intense Greek environment of the South. I don't believe our fraternity will continue to exist on campus past 10 years. Many fraternities were originally formed as either responses to others, or as break away groups. Establishing a fraternity which fosters brotherhood in a way which we believe it to be the best way to do so, and having that tradition continue on for many many years is very satisfying.

So in other words, you think 50 years from now, brothers will be learning your names in pledge tests or something? "Jeff Cunningham and a bunch of other dudes dumped their previous fraternity to be underground members of our recolonized chapter. We would not EXIST without them."

hahahahahahaha

What you are proposing might have worked with you guys being "social members" 30 years ago, but that's damned hard to get away with now - and I don't think any group wants to re-enter an SEC school under any circumstances that are the least bit shady.

[KSUViolet06]

I think you're exaggerating your potential "importance" here.

You wouldn't be gaining the tradition of anything.

You wouldn't be initiated.

You wouldn't be considered members.

You wouldn't be remembered for doing anything.

That honor goes to those gentlemen who follow through and charter the group.

You'd just be some people who pledged a fraternity colony and never initiated.

Sorry.

If I met a girl who pledged a Tri Sigma colony but never initiated, who thought she was my sister or something and that I was going to think she was so important to the colony founding, she'd have the wrong thing coming.

I'd chuckle, hard.

[JCunningham]

Originally Posted by 33girl

So in other words, you think 50 years from now, brothers will be learning your names in pledge tests or something? "Jeff Cunningham and a bunch of other dudes dumped their previous fraternity to be underground members of our recolonized chapter. We would not EXIST without them."

hahahahahahaha

It has nothing to do with us, perhaps you can not understand as you have not experienced what we have, but helping a honorable organization reestablish themselves is good enough for me.

[JCunningham]

Originally Posted by KSUViolet06

I think you're exaggerating your potential "importance" here.

You wouldn't be gaining the tradition of anything.

You wouldn't be initiated.

You wouldn't be considered members.

You wouldn't be remembered for doing anything.

That honor goes to those gentlemen who follow through and charter the group.

You'd just be some people who pledged a fraternity colony and never initiated.

Sorry.

If I met a girl who pledged a Tri Sigma colony but never initiated, who thought she was my sister or something and that I was going to think she was so important to the colony founding, she'd have the wrong thing coming.

I'm not looking to become a brother.

[KSUViolet06]

Originally Posted by JCunningham

I'm not looking to become a brother.

What are you looking to do?

I'm just saying that you are thinking that your joining this colony and recruiting some guys for it is going to mean something if you never initiate.

The only person who is going to really care is you.

If you meet a member of that org and you tell him "Oh I pledged your colony and did this this and this but I'm not a brother" he's gonna be like "Um, ok."

The credit for the growth and longevity of a colony goes to the MEMBERS.

If you're okay with nobody caring about what you did, go for it.

[33girl]

Originally Posted by JCunningham

It has nothing to do with us, perhaps you can not understand as you have not experienced what we have, but helping a honorable organization reestablish themselves is good enough for me.

Perhaps YOU don't understand.

I don't think this group (if it is as upstanding as you claim) is going to let you get anywhere near its letters. Triple ditto for the chapter alumni. I'm an alum of a dormant chapter, and if I heard "oh, a bunch of girls disaffiliated from ZTA, and they're going to build up an interest group and recolonize ASA in a few years" I would be up at the school in 2.5 seconds asking them who in the hell they thought they were, appropriating my sorority to serve their purposes.

Because that's basically what you're doing. You don't like the group you're in and you think you've found a way to get out of it and still be Greek.