Re-Chartering and the "Typical Fraternity"

The continued growth of our organization is thrilling to me. I am so excited to announce that our colony at the University of San Diego will be re-chartered the weekend of May 1, 2009. The colony is comprised of the most impressive young men I have had the pleasure of working with. They are an incredibly well respected group on campus and as individual leaders they are second to none. They are very involved on campus and contribute so much to the university and the community. These men truly uphold the ideals of Phi Kappa Theta. They are fun, intelligent, motivated, respectful, and passionate. I can’t wait for my return visit in May for the Installation.

In other colony news – I have spent the last week and half working with two of our other colonies out east. The dynamic of these two groups could not be more different. The one thing that they have in common is that the members of both colonies are athletic and play(ed) sports. It’s always interesting to watch the dynamic of a group of men or to compare the dynamics of two different groups that are at the same place in their “life” as a colony/chapter. This led me to a very interesting discussion about being the “typical Fraternity.”

You would be surprised how many groups label themselves as “not the typical fraternity.” Sometimes it’s true but normally it’s not. Once in a great while the group is even the textbook definition of “stereotypical Fraternity.” Perception is reality and its fun to see how people perceive themselves and the differences of that versus how other people perceive them. Some may argue that only a couple members of the group are “stereotypical frat guys” but “the rest of the group is not.” I challenge that with the idea that your weakest member still represents your entire chapter. Your chapter can only be as great as your weakest member. Imagine all of your members to be just one egg in a large carton of eggs. If you go to the store to buy eggs what do you do? Open up the carton and look at them all. What do you do if one of the eggs is broken or cracked? You put the entire carton back and look for one without a broken egg. You are judged, just like the eggs, by your weakest member. People do it all the time. Think about another organization on your campus. Maybe you had one bad experience with one or two people but naturally you reflect that on the group as a whole. Remember that when you think about the image of your chapter. Remember that when you decide to not hold each other accountable. Remember that when you have members who misrepresent our organization but you let them stay members because you’re too lazy or afraid to suspend them. You perpetuate the behavior of your chapter. Every member is responsible for the image and behaviors of their chapter and its members. Thank you to the groups who believe in this concept. I know it’s not always the easy choice but it is the better one. PTAU!

Kansas Iota

After the Midwest Regional Conference was over I spent a couple days helping out the Kansas Iota chapter. Something that I continued to be impressed by with men versus women is that men are much more accepting of help. When working for a women's group - if I would have asked an award winning chapter if they wanted assistance they would have laughed and sent me on my way. Yet EVERY Phi Kap chapter so far has been accepting and appreciative of help. As small as that seems - it's encouraging and motivating.

I had some really great conversations with this chapter and its leadership. They have some amazing men in that chapter and I see great success on the horizon for them. I believe that much of what they are going through all chapters go through to some extent. Everybody has issues with involvement and commitment. Most chapters are segregated - sometimes 70 of guys doing 100% of the work and the rest are "dead weight." Sadly, at times the number is 50/50. I really enjoy challenging the process and people to think outside the box. Here's what I think - give the best care to your best customers. That's how businesses are successful. Imagine a chapter to be like an upscale restaurant or club. The regular patrons who are there the most and who spend the most money get treated better. They get better tables, VIP access, and overall more time and effort is spent keeping those customers happy. The customers who come on occasion or one-time customers are the ones that the normal amount of effort is used for. Courtesy, respect, friendliness - just as you would expect. The customers who cause issues like damage or liability are tossed out without question because the business risks it's reputation by keeping lousy customers. OUR ORGANIZATIONS SHOULD BE RUN WITH THIS CONCEPT IN MIND! It's the same thing! We're providing an experience to our members. It baffles me that chapters allow the complacent members to hold them back. I'm not saying kick them all out but you also shouldn't cater to them when they are not the best members. Simple, real life example.

With that said - I challenge all of you to not allow you complacent or uncommitted members to hold you back. Keep moving forward and if they hang on then great. If they fall off just know that you will pick up better guys along the way that can keep up.
Thank you so much to Kansas Iota for being so gracious, friendly, and open with me. I think it was a mutually beneficial experience and I look forward to the next time I see them again.

Foundation Board Meeting Inspires

This past weekend the Foundation Board of Trustees held their spring Board Meeting. This was the second face to face meeting of the fiscal year, but only the third meeting of this Board since their first meeting in the spring of 2007.

During the meeting the Board addressed several key issues facing Phi Kappa Theta. Those issues included the establishment of a policy regarding chapter designated endowments, the Collegiate Housing and Infrastructure Act, and the effects of the economy on the Foundation's ability raise money to support Phi Kappa Theta. To me the most important issue was the effects of the economy.

As the Foundation readjusted their revenue projections for the 2009 development year, they of course needed to identify areas to cut their expenses, the Fraternity's educational grants were one of the areas up for discussion. I was of course very nervous because the two entities have had differences in the past, which played a major role in the split between the two groups several years ago.

However, my confidence was restored when the Board collectively recognized that enhancing the educational programs of the Fraternity was at the very core of their Mission. They voted in favor to support the educational programs of the Fraternity! Their commitment to the Mission even during these economic times is inspiring.

As I prepare for the upcoming sprig Fraternity Board meeting, my own personal commitment has been recharged by the recent actions taken by our Foundation Board. My actions will reflect my commitment by increasing my financial investment in the Foundation.

Midwest Regional Conference in Review

Kansas. I love Kansas. It makes me think of "The Wizard of Oz" which is my favorite movie in the world. The trip began with some major difficulties during my layover at Minneapolis/St. Paul (MSP). Let's just say it involved lots of snow, sick babies, and being on a plane for 8 hours and only in the air for 1 of those hours. Yeah - it was as miserable as it sounds.

Fast forward to Friday evening. Alyson and I stop by the Kansas Iota chapter house to drop off breakfast and pop for the guys since everybody is staying at the house. The house is impressively clean and the guys are hilarious! They gave us a tour and were so welcoming. We hung out there for about an hour before heading to the hotel.

Saturday went really well. Ben DeLost presented on Alumni Development first. Then, Aly Campbell, from Alpha Sigma Alpha, presented on philanthropy and fundraising. I stepped out to check on lunch and when I came back I could hear the guys roaring laughter from down the hallway. Then we did some recruitment training and then lunch. After lunch we reviewed the Accreditation website and did an interactive recruitment activity. We ended the day going back to the chapter house and watching "Miracle" and then the guys utilized scenes and quotes from the movie to fix mock chapter issues in small groups. We had dinner at the house shortly after and then everybody stayed at the house to hang out and enjoy the brotherhood.

Overall it was a great conference. We had a colony, Founders Cup winners, and a diverse but strong grouping of chapters were represented. It was really special for everybody to see Mizzou in attendance. Though they had to eave early, all of the other groups in attendance kept mentioning how happy they were to see some guys from Mizzou and that they seemed like really great guys. It was refreshing to see all of these groups getting along and spending time together.