JuCo's....more thought (merged thread)

[Erik P Conard]

As a Board Member of TKE, U of N. Colorado--Greeley
TKE on campus 1952-2003. 999 initiates. Once had 120 actives,
Top TKE chapter many times. No one recovered from 70s fall from
grace, chapter closed #2 grades & size, 43 men. Drugs, thefts.
Would not listen. Several dead here, small sizes shown by the
horrible shacks...SO---immediately grow to 80 men, garner top
rating. Others may follow. SAE, Sig, asleep, Sig Ep dead, others
in beulah land. WIDE OPEN for smart newby...like you guys! We will return in about five years..to join top Lambda Chi!
Do not charter community junior colleges; was dean of one for six years. Learn from TKE, dead at Miami-Dade, Broward. Simply not
enough time to develop chapter...two years, and transfers do not
work out....save efforts for good revivals, orphaned alumni....
Ignored alumni will welcome your efforts.
I have 40+ years as volunteer, watched dummies fold due to not
following simple rules....size, board, adviser...will guarantee win!
Field reps from New Hampshire can not tell Okies how to run a
chapter and IHQ cannot run club from afar.
Lambda Chi is good outfit....support it. Revive a Zeta!
Erik P Conard, TKE, "ass kisser" to Tom Earp....LOL

[Tom Earp]

Interfraternal Greek Brother Erik Conard can put such a spin on many things, but what He speaks is so true.

TKE has tried many new things and found what is not the proper way to proceed. As many of us know, TKE has had many Chapters close over the years as most Greek Organizations have including Chapters of LXA. As was pointed out in a simple way, drugs, Hazing, Risk Management of all kinds, low numbers, not following proper procedures, and lack of IHQ. can and do contribute to a Chapter closing.

Erik can type much as Earpspeak as I do, but, His knowledge and experience speaks volumns.

The need now more than before, is for All Greek Organizations to work together as Greeks.

[LXAAlum]

Originally posted by Erik P Conard
WIDE OPEN for smart newby...like you guys! We will return in about five years..to join top Lambda Chi!

Tom,
It was indeed the thrill of a lifetime to see the return of LXA to UNC starting in 1/2001, and they chartered this January - UNC is my home chapter, and seeing the 12 year absence was very disappointing.

Also disappointing to see how the TKE chapter went down last year - shameful conduct by those "brothers" to end what once was a very big chapter (when I joined LXA in 1986 - TKE was still in the house by DSPhi...and both of those houses are now an empty lot....the DSPhi house was moved to west Greeley near Aims, but then moved again to who-knows-where, and I think the TKE house was simply demolished....as were three of the five locations I remember LXA being way back when....lots of new UNC parking places are unfortunately LXA houses legacy it seems.)

I wouldn't be surprised in the next two years to see the departure of Delta Chi (lots of active-alumni problems), and a few others, like you mentioned, aren't really doing anything to better themselves. One new colony for KA fell through, but the KSig colony seems to be hanging in there.

[LXAAlum]

Erik,
Since you are opposed to the CC/JuCo chapter idea, and you seem to have good reason - what about the following idea, which is what some BGLO's do for membership....

If a student at a CC/JuCo has the intention of transferring to a closeby 4 year institution...how about opening membership at the 4-year school to potential transfers?

It'd make for some interesting changes (above and beyond the current proposal being debated), and would to a certain extent overcome some of the limitations of a physical chapter at the 2 year institution?

I've seen BGLO's do this at the 4 year level (i.e. Omega Psi Phi's CU chapter allows UNC students to join) - it's a similar approach, but I believe limited to 4 year institutions as well.

Separate post since a separate idea...appreciate any feedback from you or anyone else....

[Tom Earp]

LXAAlum.

E C emailed me with some results of JC schools.

TKE- 2 Disaster

Sig Ep-@ 2 Same effect.

Sig Pi Founded at Vincenes which changed to a 2 year college.

They are still viable there as The Founding Chpter.

Granted, many schools take Transfer Students, I dont think this would really fit into the mold of trying to be a cohesive Chapter.

Granted, Kettering is unto it self as no other with Two Schools in one and same Zeta but different people, A and B Schools on same campus.. Strange as it might sound.

I just personally feel it would not work. Not for the betterment of the Greek Organizations.

First of all, We All Have To Many Chapters that have some History and no longer on a campus or even in a State or Province.

As someone said, Lets concentrate on Problem Chapters, then Chapters that were closed, Schools such as Shorter that want to change from Locals to Nationals before we look at anything else.

These should be our first prioritys.

One that is so saddening is Alfred in New York.

School closed ALL Greeks for what a Local did.

[Erik P Conard]

The community college movement, from U Chicago lower division to high school extensions...varied profiles. But simply to take in
"roomers" like AIMS at Greeley, waters down the chapter. Why
can't guys at, say UNC, get off their butts and stop denying a good man on campus a chance to be a Lambda Chi at UNC?
We are still looking for that sugar titty--in the wrong places.
Urban chapters suck, and have little identity, and after all, we are
students at our alma mater--aren't we?
With so many dead chapters, orphaned alumni...why not face it
and be honest? We got a lot of hay down that needs to be put up...revive those dead Zetas, huh? There are a zillion men at UNC who'd make good Greeks...TKE once had 120 actives; we
closed last year, #2 in size, with 43 men...hardly something to
brag about. When Sig Ep returns or Pike comes on, they will take
100 men and be tops overnight. Why not beat 'em to the punch?
Naw, the JuCo has its purpose, but it is too diverse for having the
homogeneous chapters we cherish.....really. Think about it.
Guys, I was a JC dean for six years; I surveyed all the USA, too.
Go cut down the list of dormants; raise our reputations, there is
much to do....and best of luck to a fine outfit!