Chapters with formal alumni group and undergrad interactions

[Rudey]

I thought about this in another thread and didn't want to go off on a tangent.

Do any of your chapters have formal interactions with alum groups? What I mean by that is perhaps somewhere in your rules it indicates that the alum group has a say in what direction the chapter heads, etc.

With one sorority I saw some have a heavy hand by an alum group in undergrad chapters in that city, but i didn't know if it was some sort of a formal relationship.

-Rudey

[PhiPsiRuss]

Sororities are much more heavy handed when it comes to alumni involvement with their chapters.

Phi Kappa Psi does not require involvement between different Phi Psi groups. We do require the existance of an alumni (house) corporation for chapters. We also require that each chapter have an advisor. Anything beyond that would be a recomendation.

I am familiar with a number of extremely well run chapters, and they all share similar levels of alumni involvement. All chapters that are at the top of their campuses, decade after decade, have very strong alumni corporations. They also have many alumni serving on an organized advisory committee. These two entities are usually seperate.

In my opinion, alumni groups (not alumni/house corporations or chapter advisory committees) function best when they focus on serving the needs of local alumni.

Most Phi Psi alumni associations, that are near chapters, will coordinate Founders Day together, and sometimes service projects. That would be the extent of the interaction.

[SmartBlondeGPhB]

If a Gamma Phi Beta alumnae chapter has anything written about how to handle a collegiate chapter, it's done on an individual basis (not generated by IH). I know my alumnae chapter does not.

Now for Gamma Phi Beta, supporting a collegiate chapter is not the #1 priority for an alumnae chapter. For those collegiate chapters that have alumnae advisors, the Alumnae Advisory Board is "supposed to be" completely separate from the alumnae chapter. I do, however, know that this is not true for at least one alumnae chapter (but it's also not well received). for example, the "officers" of the alumnae chapter are advisors for the collegiate chapter.

[breathesgelatin]

Originally posted by SmartBlondeGPhB
If a Gamma Phi Beta alumnae chapter has anything written about how to handle a collegiate chapter, it's done on an individual basis (not generated by IH). I know my alumnae chapter does not.

Now for Gamma Phi Beta, supporting a collegiate chapter is not the #1 priority for an alumnae chapter. For those collegiate chapters that have alumnae advisors, the Alumnae Advisory Board is "supposed to be" completely separate from the alumnae chapter. I do, however, know that this is not true for at least one alumnae chapter (but it's also not well received). for example, the "officers" of the alumnae chapter are advisors for the collegiate chapter.

Ditto to what she said, only for Pi Beta Phi. We have House Corporations and Alumnae Advisory Committees, but separate from the Alumnae chapters.

[AOIIsilver]

The AOII collegaite chapters with which I volunteer are "supported" by an alum chapter...meaning that they provide volunteers, etc. However, frequently the officers in the alum chapters are also on the AAC and Corp Boards for the Collegaite chapters. Never-the-less, this is a separate relationship....
Silver

[Kevin]

When I proposed (as an alum) a constitutional amendment that would have formalized relations between the active and alum chapters, the actives balked at it. I figure things will change as house corporations and donations become more of a factor. I think alumni involvement (to a point) can be a great thing.

Alums should never think of themselves as the ones in the driver's seat though.

[Rudey]

These corp boards only have control of who lives in the house and getting rent or more?

-Rudey

[33girl]

Originally posted by Rudey
These corp boards only have control of who lives in the house and getting rent or more?

-Rudey

AFAIK corp boards only deal with the operations of the actual house (the structure as opposed to calling a chapter a "house"). They don't have any input on things like rush - just collecting the rent, keeping repairs up to date, and hiring a cook, etc if you have those things. The method of deciding who lives there is usually up to the chapter.

[SmartBlondeGPhB]

The Corp Board I am on is a little different. We do not own the house (the Univ owns all of the Greek houses and the actives have agreements with the Univ). The actives are responsible for the rules that controls who lives and they are responsible for filling the house, the University says what occupancy is for each house.

We the house corp mostly buy furniture for the common areas, repair the furniture, clean the carpet in the common areas, interact with the University, etc.

For those where the HCB owns the house, I believe they do collect the rent and pay the bills and keep the housed furnished, employ the house mom, cook, etc and decorate. And they would have to deal with all repairs (plumbing, electrical, etc). Of course, the fraternities might not do all of this as regularly as the sororities do (i.e., decorating is a big deal).

[PhiPsiRuss]

Originally posted by SmartBlondeGPhB
For those where the HCB owns the house, I believe they do collect the rent and pay the bills and keep the housed furnished, employ the house mom, cook, etc and decorate. And they would have to deal with all repairs (plumbing, electrical, etc). Of course, the fraternities might not do all of this as regularly as the sororities do (i.e., decorating is a big deal).

Except for the regularity with which sororities constantly redecorate, fraternities are similar.

Some alumni/house corporations collect a single rent payment from the chapter, and require that the chapter collect the rent from individual brothers. Some house corporations directly collect rent from individual brothers.

With regard to repairs, most of our alumni/house corporations directly handle most repairs. The chapter handles repairs that they don't want the alumni to know about.

Our alumni/house corporations also decide how their chapter scholarship fund is disbursed.

Non-house related chapter operations are handled by the undergrads, under the guidance of the chapter advisory committee.

[AAgammagirl]

hey smartblondegphb-
you summed it up correctly for HCB's that own the house. although, sometimes we do put our 2 cents in regarding people living in the house.

[AOIIsilver]

Our corp board also has a fund derived from the chapter for future expenditures, and we maintain the physical assets (correct spelling; as in objects) of the chapter (think crystal bowls and silver platters).
Silver

[Tom Earp]

Being a member of the House Corporation, when we had a House, since be demolished, We owned the Building and a house annex on a 3 corner lot. Now we are a Corporation with 3 corner dirt. But as we still owned it it is ours.

Now, We set the rent, and leases for the mememers living in the house. We set a price and they had to come up with the payment monthly!

I am also a member and founder of the Alum Assoc. for the Chapter, on the House building committee, on the mentoring committee, and the keeper of the e-mail book as it were!

There must be certain guide lines set forth, Alums do not run the Chapter, how else are they suppose to learn?

As far as the menoring group goes, we meet twice a year at Semester with them and try to help with our expertise to set out an agenda, scheadual, and a yearly budget!

But the last one I was not able to attend I guess became a true Bitch session which did not set to well with the Active Chapter. Kind of how We as Alums feel about International at times!

Hell, we can do it ourselves. Attatude! It does work on both ends of the spectrum!

Just remember, there has to be a learning system, the Chapter has to learn with a little guidelines, not heavy handedness!

One of the biggest complaints from the Active Chapter is, Well, This Is How We Did It When I/We were here!

Do not ailienate the Chapter by refering to the Good Old Days!

[The_Nash]

were currently "ran" by an alumni. every decision we make is second guessed and overrulled by him. I was treasurer last term and until he leaves and is no longer helping the fraternity will not be involved in exec council.

[DolphinChicaDDD]

Our alumane are heavily involved with our chapter operations. I know (just about) every Tri Delta chapter has a local alumane group, and they (the alumnae) conduct the Circle Degree (our transition to alumane memebers). We also need our Alumane Advisor at each meeting.


ETA: I LOVE our alumane advisors. We have two, since both have young kids, so that if one has a family obligation, the other can attend. We do the 'earmuff' thing, a la Old School, when we discuss things like mixer themes.