Reactivating an old chapter AND becoming co-ed

[crashtheparty]

Hey y'all,

My GLO (local) has been on campus since the early 1900s, and in the 1980s it became co-ed. The chapter had problems with keeping numbers up from the late 80s to around 2002, but we have been brought back in 2006 and we are growing quickly and actually have had to turn people down in the last three rushes. I am now Vice-President, and I would like to get the alumni more involved but I have three problems:

1) Since we have gone in and out of existence for the past 20 years, there are no records I can find of alumni.

2) Since we went co-ed, I'm afraid that older alumni will not feel like this is the same org they were a part of.

3) Our fraternity is EXTREMELY laid back, almost to the point of not wanting to be 'too greek'. While I love everyone and I like that we don't take ourselves so seriously, I would like our fraternity to become a bit more traditional. I don't know how to have events with the alumni coming so that the members don't feel like I'm trying to make them into something they aren't.

Hopefully that made sense, I know problem 3 is a little confusing. Please let me know if you have any suggestions!

[Kedzman]

Do you have an affiliation with a National fraternity organization or are you local?

How many members do you currently have?

What is your mission & vision for the chapter?

[33girl]

Originally Posted by crashtheparty

Hey y'all,

My GLO (local) has been on campus since the early 1900s, and in the 1980s it became co-ed. The chapter had problems with keeping numbers up from the late 80s to around 2002, but we have been brought back in 2006 and we are growing quickly and actually have had to turn people down in the last three rushes. I am now Vice-President, and I would like to get the alumni more involved but I have three problems:

1) Since we have gone in and out of existence for the past 20 years, there are no records I can find of alumni.

2) Since we went co-ed, I'm afraid that older alumni will not feel like this is the same org they were a part of.

3) Our fraternity is EXTREMELY laid back, almost to the point of not wanting to be 'too greek'. While I love everyone and I like that we don't take ourselves so seriously, I would like our fraternity to become a bit more traditional. I don't know how to have events with the alumni coming so that the members don't feel like I'm trying to make them into something they aren't.

Hopefully that made sense, I know problem 3 is a little confusing. Please let me know if you have any suggestions!

These can all happen to ANY Greek org - even without the going co-ed issue.

1. Go to your alumni office and look in the college yearbooks for your group's pictures over the years. Ask the alumni office to help you find members. (Now is actually a REALLY good time to do this as they might have $$ they need to use up before the fiscal year ends.)

2. This can happen when the bookish sorority turns into the beauty queen sorority, or when the jock fraternity turns into the stoner fraternity. LOTS AND LOTS of chapters and fraternities have had to deal with this problem. The older alums are most likely aware that the fraternity went co-ed, it's not like you're springing something on them, and they most likely will know and remember why that avenue was chosen.

3. Just by being co-ed, you aren't "traditional" - so I wouldn't advise you to try and become that way. Cookouts, campus tours etc are probably what you want to plan when alums come - that's pretty much what everyone does.

[crashtheparty]

Originally Posted by Kedzman

Do you have an affiliation with a National fraternity organization or are you local?

How many members do you currently have?

What is your mission & vision for the chapter?

We're local, we have 20 members (we are purposefully small, only allowed to have so many pledges per semester) , and my personal vision for the chapter is to see the members more united and involved in communication with our own E-Board, Greek Council, and the entire campus.

[crashtheparty]

33girl, thanks for your suggestion, I'm going to stop by the alumni office and try to get them to help me locate more alumni, I only have a list of about 20 people so far!