The past year taught us much about ourselves as individuals, as a society, and as Phi Delta Theta. A socially distanced fraternity experience caused both undergraduate and alumni leaders to be resilient, creative, and most importantly, to focus on what is most critical.

When you strip the superfluous aspects away, at its core, the Phi Delt experience has always been about two things throughout its long history. First, the desire to help each other meet our full potential, and second, to impact the community that surrounds us.

As the world continues to reopen and campuses work to energize the college experience once again this fall, Phi Delta Theta has an immense opportunity to re-introduce itself in a proud, visible, and responsible way. With this renewed focus as campus leaders, Phi Delts have the chance to redefine what it means to be a fraternity man and be the example as responsible advocates for their campus communities.

So, as we ramp up for the start of the school year, the General Fraternity is prepared to assist our chapters and volunteers in taking full advantage of this moment and further etching our rightful place as the premier fraternal leadership development society. But as we do this together, we must be thoughtful of who we are as Phi Delts.

This happens in many forms to resist the status quo. We are committed to ensuring that every Phi can contribute to our great brotherhood while working to become the greatest version of himself. This occurs through the chapter leadership experience as a foundation and continues through the Pursuit of Greatness, our credentialed membership development program. The program features a personal and professional development badge as it helps participants build the interpersonal skills and career attributes desired by employers.

We are also committed to lifting others around us and broadening our perspective. Meeting this goal will happen this year, focusing on first-generation recruitment and diversity and inclusion education at the chapter level. We have this fantastic experience that helps make good men great and improves their trajectory. Now, we’ll intentionally broaden access to this experience.

The adage “failing to plan is planning to fail” is true. This is especially the case when many talented undergraduate leaders preparing for the upcoming, in-person academic year have mostly had a virtual experience thus far in their Phi Delt career.

General Headquarters hosted the Summer Leadership Series from August 9–12, 2021, focusing on operations, health and safety, and growth. This conference provided chapter and volunteer leaders a chance to restore and improve the “nuts and bolts” of chapter operations and safely plan social events as our members reconnect with one another and the rest of their campus.

What does a family do? Takes care of one another. Fraternity historically does not occur at a distance, and the inability to connect with one another and the world rapidly took its toll on our members. For this reason, we’re creating a six-point personal wellness program to help Phis proactively address their mental health and find professional assistance if needed.

While we have a significant focus on planning for the known, the skill set of knowing what to do when the unknown occurs is just as critical. The Fraternity’s bystander education program, To Do What Ought to Be Done, will be further used and implemented to ensure Phis know what to do and how to find assistance in episodes of alcohol or drug abuse, hazing, mental health, or sexual assault.

Every Phi Delt is first and foremost a student at their institution, and through their commitment to the Fraternity, takes an oath to better themselves through Sound Learning. This journey starts as a Phikeia through the Fraternity’s standardized new member program that emphasizes initiative, responsibility, teamwork, and accountability. It then builds into the Pursuit of Greatness program and various modules and offerings for officers through PDT U, our online education platform.

While we’ve all enjoyed online education for expanding our ability to educate, we’re looking forward to the return of our hallmark educational programs with  an in-person 2022 McKenzie Family Presidents Leadership Conference, January 6-9 and the largest Kleberg Emerging Leaders Institute to-date next summer, July 30-August 2.

When colleges and universities were uncertain of how many students would return in the fall of 2020 and how they would engage students in new ways, they looked to fraternities and sororities. Phi Delta Theta responded in a big way, with 98 percent of its enrolled members returning to its host institutions.

Continuing as champions for their schools and providing an experience that not only retains current students but attracts new ones, Phi Delta Theta offers a strong value proposition focused on principles, engagement, and leadership. To help chapters communicate and share this value proposition on their campuses, the General Headquarters will host a number of Recruitment Workshops throughout the year and offer coaching assistance to those who were significantly impacted by COVID-19 and have large graduating classes in the upcoming two years.

One of the most impressive feats that occurred during the 2020–21 academic year was the success of the Iron Phi program. The program had its best fundraising year of all time, and LiveLikeLou rallied more volunteers to support ALS families than ever before. Phi Delts from around the United States and Canada found purpose in supporting a cause greater than themselves—to battle ALS and support the ALS warriors facing it.

This June, we had the opportunity to create awareness and advocacy for ALS and join forces with other ALS organizations for the inaugural Lou Gehrig Day throughout Major League Baseball. This special day will provide momentum for our cause and bring funding towards research and the support of ALS families. As fraternity is redefined, it will be measured by the impact we make on the world, and Phi Delta Theta is poised to help end ALS.

Phi Delta Theta is very proud of who we are, what we offer, and the impact that we make on the world. As we approach the 2021–22 academic year, we hope you will help us lead the way and show the world that We Are Phi Delt.

Phi Delt chapters – Click here to download and utilize our We Are Phi Delt brand assets and social media toolkit to help us share the message this year.

The post We Are Phi Delt – Defining Who We Are As Fraternity Men appeared first on Phi Delta Theta.

“Be the person that others will look for your daily posts because they know you will encourage them. Be the positive one and help others to have a great day, and you will find that not only will they like you, but you will like you too.”  John Patrick Hickey

During my years of service as an army combat engineer officer and as a member of the all-volunteer military force of the United States, I was fascinated by both the art and science of leadership. Military historian Roger Nye once wrote that “leadership is not defined by an individual’s position or rank, but rather confirmed when those that one is charged to lead choose to follow.” The wonderful beauty in realizing this reality is that leaders can then help elevate others while simultaneously accomplishing the mission. Formal and informal leaders, some defined by position and others who are not, demonstrate certain characteristics that influence others in a positive way. Leaders display an uncommon commitment to the cause, other team members, customers, and partners. They serve other members of their organization and their communities selflessly, with humility, empathy, wisdom, and kindness.

At this point, you may be wondering why my opening paragraph in this post about civility is all about leadership. I hope that by starting with leadership I can lay out the argument that a well-functioning civil society needs, no requires, sound leadership, so others can experience a good example that can be emulated, replicated, and seen as a source for positive change.

My argument is meant to promote the merits of civility during these difficult times. I would suggest that civility within a community can itself establish positive conditions for change, mutual support, and the greater good. It is often assumed that an argument is fueled by emotion, even anger. Although that can sometimes be the case, an argument during civil discussion is simply an opposing view, and should be seen as a starting point, instead of a hard stop.

In modern times, there are numerous examples where civility won the day and exposed the roadmap to better times. For example, the market crash of 1929, caused by fears of excessive market speculation by the United States Federal Reserve, caused tremendous upheaval in our society, but calmer heads prevailed. With civility and sound leadership across many sectors of society, and a stronger economy, our people experienced a greater appreciation for place, an increased sense of community—neighbors looking out for neighbors, and tremendous opportunity. The reciprocity achieved out of such a negative far-reaching event sowed the way towards ever greater achievement as a society.

During these challenging times, it is civility that can energize collective innovation and initiative. If only we, as one people, forego antagonizing those with differing views through social media posts, the messaging on our clothes, and threatening actions. We can and should use our arguments to promote better understanding and perhaps better solutions to the challenges we all face.

How can fraternity help us bridge the gap between where we are and where we are heading? Fraternity establishes a baseline for accepted norms, collective values, mutual support, and friendship. In this sense, individual members commit themselves to a code of conduct and the accountability that comes from belonging to a fraternal order.

During the conduct of fraternity business, it is essential that time be allowed for all viewpoints to be shared, so the best possible outcomes can be realized. At the beginning of meetings conducted by one of the groups I belong to, and I will paraphrase here, it is said, “let not our petty grievances disrupt our discussions and our good work.” It’s a solemn reminder that we all have biases, preferences, and beliefs shaped by our upbringing, environment, opportunities, and life’s journey, but at the same time, if we are to imagine what is new and possible, we must embrace civility as a responsibility of all.

For most of us, 2020 has been a year unlike most others. We have dealt with a series of events outside of our control, and in some cases, the second and third order effects of those events. The year is not yet over, but as we enter the fourth quarter, having pulled through the first two-thirds of the year together, it is becoming ever more evident that together we will navigate the remainder of a pandemic, a recession, and a national election. Many of the solutions we discover along the way can make us stronger, more resilient, wiser, and hopefully a little more humble and open to new ideas.

The post It Is Civility That Will Lead Us Forward appeared first on Phi Delta Theta.

As our nation continues to grapple with racial injustice and turmoil, I write this not only as a Brother in the Bond, but as a black man who has experienced a lot of cognitive dissonance as a member of a Greek community that is historically and predominantly white. I’ve been a black man for twenty-four years, and I’ve only been a Phi Delt for four of them. For a really long time, I grappled with how those two identities could coexist.

I am a first-generation college graduate, and the only one of my family to join a Greek organization. When I arrived at college, I did not see the value in a fraternity experience, whether that experience was within a historically Black, white, or otherwise organization.

However, after becoming friends with a few of the members from the North Carolina Epsilon Chapter at UNC-Charlotte in spring 2016, and joining the chapter, this decision remains one of the best decisions in my lifetime.

I found comfort in sharing my successes and failures with my brothers. They celebrated my victories and strengthened my resolve to continue bettering myself when faced with challenges. These became favorite focal points and experiences as a college man.

Unfortunately, during my time as a member of Phi Delta Theta, I have also been subjected to internal conflict and general unease. I’ve experienced disdain and received discouraging comments from Greeks in other organizations, fellow brothers, distant relatives, and family friends who couldn’t comprehend how I, a black man, could choose to call these men my brothers.

As an example, police brutality and racial injustice has always been something that has directly and negatively impacted black people in communities across the world. Clearly, this is an issue that affects my life, and it would spark conversations. Usually, my chapter brothers would be there to help me through challenging issues, but in this case, not everyone could relate. Often, I was met with either passive indifference or overall disapproval for referencing these atrocities. Except for a few, it eventually got to a point where I felt collectively silenced and disregarded by these men to whom I had grown so close.

I also learned about “the clause” in the Fraternity’s history, which limited membership based on race. This clause was in place from 1912 until it was removed at the 1954 General Convention. Knowing this history caused some persistent doubt within myself on whether I had made the right decision to align with this organization or these men.

The sociocultural climate that we live in as fraternity men has changed a great deal since 1954; but as current events have shown, there is room to improve in order to be as supportive and as protective of our members, especially during times of crisis.

In June 2020, I completed my first year as a leadership consultant for Phi Delta Theta General Headquarters and have been dedicated to spreading and nurturing our Cardinal Principles in new members at the beginning of their own journeys to personal greatness.

Reconciling my early internal conflict wasn’t easy. I’ve considered the reasons behind every step I’ve taken on my journey as a man of Phi Delta Theta. If there is anything that brings me peace and resolve with that initial emotional malaise, it’s this. Whether the Phis who voted to pass “the clause” a century ago realized it or not, Phi Delta Theta’s greater mission as outlined in The Bond is paramount and applies to everyone regardless of the color of their skin.

Our open motto is, “We enjoy life by the help and society of others”; so whether black or white, I can really only be as happy as the rest of the people in the world with whom we share our human experience.

Thankfully, Phi Delta Theta has evolved since 1954 and has made progress including recent efforts to promote inclusion and increase diversity among our membership. It is a great start, but there is still more work to be done. I am not the first black Phi Delt, and I surely won’t be the last. I know that I have a solemn opportunity to be part of the change and have an impact on the lives of a diverse group of young men across North America.

Something else I’ve discovered is that the passive indifference I mentioned earlier doesn’t come from a lack of caring, but rather from a lack of understanding and knowledge. These issues are complex and can make some people uncomfortable. However, I was taught that the best thing you can do in these situations is ask. You’ll never be at fault for trying to understand and empathize with someone else’s struggle.

So, please check on your black brothers especially in these times of crisis, because I can say with an astronomical level of certainty that they are probably not okay. Please do not pretend or imagine that these injustices are not affecting them, their friends, and loved ones. Ask them how they’re holding up, ask them how they’re feeling, and more importantly, ask them what you can do to help. It’s always nice to have someone who listens. If you’re an undergraduate Phi and have begun returning to campus, prompt continued conversations about racism with your fellow brothers. Fraternities should be venues for tough conversations.

Finally, to our black brothers who may feel obligated to speak on issues that plague our community, please know that the struggle is not yours alone to bear. From the viewpoint of a GHQ staff member and as a brother who has experienced the same injustices, this is not your fight alone.

One man is no man. I encourage you all to continue “to do what ought to be done but what would not have been done unless you did it – because that is your duty.”

The post In Times Like These, Your Black Brothers Are Also Blue appeared first on Phi Delta Theta.

After my commissioning as a Second Lieutenant of Engineers in the United States Army, June 1982, I was assigned to an Iowa National Guard Engineer Battalion while finishing my senior year of college. The battalion was preparing for a REFORGER exercise in Germany spring 1984. All deploying soldiers were required to have a current will and testament. I dutifully stood in line for my discussion with the Deputy Judge Advocate General (DJAG) so that I could tell him that I owned very little besides my Ford Galaxy 500, surely, he would understand and I could quickly “check the block” on this required pre-deployment station. After the DJAG patiently educated me on the benefits of always having one’s financial, health and legal affairs in order, I developed a greater understanding and appreciation for these important documents, and also expanded my soldier advocacy to include; soldier training, professional development, health, welfare and legal preparedness.

The 2020 COVID 19 experience reminds us that it’s never too early or never too late to make plans. To my soldiers I suggested; expect the unexpected and prepare accordingly. We spend a lifetime making memories, building relationships, earning and acquiring wealth. It is so important to our loved ones and our legacy that what’s important to us during our lifetime is secure and taken care of for the future.

The Phi Delta Theta Foundation, one of two major revenue streams of the Phi Delta Theta Fraternity, has benefited immeasurably from the impactful generosity of benevolent Phi Delt alumni, spouses and friends of the Fraternity. The Shaffer Trust, named for Brother Maurice E. Shaffer and his wife, Dorthea, continues to support established and new Honor’s College scholarships for tomorrow’s undergraduate emerging leaders. Keeping with the times and ever-changing societal conditions, many of our Living Bond Society members (planned gift society) understand the Phi Delta Theta Foundation Board of Trustees keen oversight of Foundation net assets. Many of these bequests remain unrestricted so that future Foundation Trustees have the resources to provide our Fraternity with innovation, educational programing, scholarship and technology funds. Our 4% spending policy protects these legacy funds in perpetuity.

As I often try to remind our brothers and friends of the Fraternity, the Phi Delta Theta Foundation provides a dependable and predictable source of revenue to the Phi Delta Theta Fraternity in order to support scholarship and personal development opportunities for undergraduate and graduate members. In other words, together, we “will strive in all ways to transmit the Fraternity to those who may follow after, not only, not less, but greater than it was transmitted to me.” These words wisely included in our Phikeia oath. I hope you will join our Board of Trustees and the thousands of Phi Delts who support the Foundations honorable work as we continue to separate ourselves from others in the field as the aspirational peer for all other fraternal orders.

Whatever your wishes for the future; it’s never too early, never too late. Best wishes in your future endeavors!

Proud to be a Phi!

Steve

P.S. For questions on Planned Giving with the Phi Delta Theta Foundation, please contact Brother Andrew Cole at acole@phideltatheta.org

The post Preparedness: It’s Never Too Early, Never Too Late appeared first on Phi Delta Theta.

We are living in unprecedented times. For many, this is the first time they have experienced any sort of global phenomenon, let alone a global pandemic. However, Phi Delta Theta as an organization has lived through wars, influenza outbreaks, and depressions, and it still stands strong as ever today. In this chaotic time where it seems that the only certain thing is uncertainty (and social distancing), it can be a good thing to reflect back on the values our Founders constructed back in 1848 and how we can utilize them in the face of this uncertain time.

Practicing friendship may seem more difficult than ever when considering the current importance of self-quarantines and social distancing. Deviating from our normal routines of hanging out with friends or large gatherings on campus may have left us with a sense of isolation. But based on what we know about what friendship means to members of Phi Delta Theta, we understand that the relationships we cherish do not simply fade away when we are separated by distance. Our challenge to our members is to think outside the box, how can you connect with your brothers and friends remotely, whether that be a group video call, playing video games online together, or even getting old school and writing a letter to a friend. In times of isolation, people need friendship more than ever, and no group is as prepared to share that as members of Phi Delta Theta.

With many of us having moved back home and with online classes and other obligations being cancelled, we now have a lot more time on our hands. While it’s tempting to binge watch The Office a few times through, we can also use this opportunity to practice sound learning outside the classroom. What is something you have always wanted to do? Maybe it’s reading that book that’s been collecting dust on your shelf, or picking up the guitar or another instrument, or maybe even learning a new talent or skill to prepare you for your dream career. There are so many ways you can push yourself to pursue something new with your newfound free time. Members of Phi Delta Theta are aware of the benefits of learning inside and outside of the classroom, and we hope you’ll make the most of this time to continue your pursuit of knowledge.

With COVID-19 posing such a threat to the health and function of our society, it can be easy to see rectitude as an afterthought, something that you’ll “put on hold” until everything calms down. But now is as important of a time as ever for us to utilize our sense of right and wrong as members of this organization. We can practice rectitude in this situation by fact checking the information that we share on social media and in person, encouraging the spread of truth instead of panic. We should be following CDC recommendations and doing our best to prevent the spread of this virus, but also finding ways to help those that are most vulnerable; this could look like getting groceries or other necessities for those at higher risk, donating to the local food bank to help those that are likely to be economically impacted by this disease, or finding creative ways to support small businesses at this time as well. In addition, garner support from your brothers and other connections and encourage them to do the same.

Phi Delts are known for their commitment to our founding values, and we strongly believe that practicing those values is exactly what the world needs from us right now. We are lucky to have an organization that has survived through hardship in the past as our foundation of living in the present. In the midst of chaos, a group of men that are committed to intentionally building their friendships stronger in isolation, that look to use the circumstances to continue to better themselves, and who are committed to helping others even when everything points to fending for yourself, is more powerful now than it has ever been.

Brothers, we encourage you to go and show the world, wherever you are at, what it means to be a Phi in this moment of time. The world needs us.

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If you’re reading this and you’ve ever been an officer in your chapter, think back to the weeks after you were elected to your role. Odds are, you didn’t have a ton of mentorship, and you and your fellow officers were left in a period of limbo where you were required to figure things out and catch your stride as leaders of your chapter. During this period of acclimatization and learning, your chapter can experience a slowdown in operations, your members can be left questioning their decision to elect you, and you can be left feeling overwhelmed with the many responsibilities of your position; this may cause you to waste time “reinventing the wheel.”

While Phi Delta Theta has a number of resources to assist you in excelling in your roles, such as your Chapter Advisory Board, PDT U resources, and your chapter support coordinator, the best resource for your success is chapter-specific guidance and strategy building with your campus and your members in mind. That requires the outgoing officer to work with the incoming officer and collaborate on a smooth, efficient, and productive transitioning of roles.

When a chapter effectively transitions their incoming and outgoing officers by encouraging collaboration between the two parties, the chapter won’t experience a slowdown in operations and the incoming officers will feel more prepared and equipped to fulfill their roles.

The best method to ensure a quick and efficient transitioning of officers is to host an officer transition retreat. The best time to do this is shortly following elections and prior to the newly elected officers assuming their roles. It can be completed in a matter of hours and is critical to a successful transition. Implementation of successful officer transition retreats will net your chapter a culture of continued excellence, consistency of competent and prepared officers, and a system that will see officers easily adopt their new positions.

To begin, ensure that both incoming and outgoing officers are present at the officer transition retreat. Find a space, ideally off campus, to conduct the retreat. Feel free to invite members of your Chapter Advisory Board, and even your province president, too, if you’d like.

An effective model for a retreat is as follows:

Ice Breaker – 15 Minutes

Kicking things off with an ice-breaking activity can loosen up the attendees, fill the room with energy, and help build a casual and friendly environment prior to diving into business. The type of ice breaker is at your discretion.

Group Discussion – 30 Minutes

Following the ice breaker, host a group discussion about how the previous term or year went. Discuss where the chapter succeeded and where it fell short. This activity helps you identify the strengths and weaknesses of the past term, and begins the conversation of what the incoming officers will need to focus on the coming year.

Officer Evaluations – 15 Minutes

Have both the incoming and outgoing officers complete the linked evaluations. This activity will help guide the next activity and is great for the chapter’s vice president to have, as he will be responsible for ensuring officers are productive and effective.

One-On-One Transition Time – 30 Minutes

Have the group break into pairings of the incoming and outgoing officer for each position. Use this time as an opportunity to have a conversation about the position, its responsibilities, and current resources available. Identify a prioritized list of focus areas and the budget typically allocated to that role. Advice from the outgoing officer to the incoming officer is typically well-received in this environment.

Dismiss outgoing officers following this activity.

Officer Goal Setting – 30 Minutes

Give the incoming officers time to create a list of goals for their position. Encourage officers to reflect on both the chapter-wide and one-on-one discussions that have already occurred, in order to create goals and objectives for their own positions.

Officer Goal Presentations – 60 Minutes

This is an opportunity to give each incoming officer the floor to present his prioritized goals for the role. Following each presentation, allow those in the room to provide input and feedback on these goals. This exercise will help each officer perfect his narrative that can then be shared in a future chapter meeting.

Review Chapter Budget – 15 Minutes

Together, review the chapter’s budget to identify allocations for each officer position and whether adjustments need to be made based on past spending levels. Understanding officer budgets gives your officers a valuable frame of reference for what their spending can be in a year. Using his goals created for the role, challenge each officer to build out his budget for the upcoming year and report back at a future meeting.

Officer Expectations – 15 Minutes

Begin wrapping up your retreat by determining broad expectations of chapter officers. This could include things like being present at all chapter and executive meetings, adhering to the risk management policies of Phi Delta Theta, and demonstrating leadership at all times. Remember, your chapter will look to its officers to set the tone of the chapter.

Closing – 10 Minutes

Finish the retreat by answering any pressing questions anyone has, clarifying anything that needs to be clarified, and challenging the officers to use what they learned that day to immediately begin pursuing success once they’ve assumed their positions. Passing the gavel is also a great way to end the retreat. Finally, displaying all flip-chart work in the chapter house and a summary of the retreat with as much detail as you feel fitting in the chapter’s internal communication network is beneficial.

Creating a process that results in successful officer transitions should be a high priority for your chapter. This simple framework can provide the momentum needed to springboard your newest officers to success.

The post Building on What’s Been Built: The Importance of Effective Officer Transitions appeared first on Phi Delta Theta.

The holiday season is upon us! With the season comes an incredible opportunity for your chapter’s brotherhood to flourish before some well-needed time off. Ending the first term with great brotherhood events inspired by the season of giving will set the tone for the return to campus in the New Year, end the term on all the right notes, give your members a quick reprieve from the academic stresses of exam season, and instill an increased sense of brotherhood that is monumentally important when seeking to welcome new men into your family come winter recruitment.

The holiday season is particularly special for us Phis, given the Snowball Rebellion and the Fraternity’s founding on December 26. If your chapter isn’t wrapping up the term with brotherhood events, consider starting this year, and continuing the tradition annually!

A few great event ideas include:

Holiday Potluck

Set an evening for your chapter’s holiday potluck! Encourage all of your members to gather at the chapter house, or another common space, and have each brother bring a food item. This method is the most financially sound way of gathering a Phi-worthy feast. Create a DoodlePoll or Google Doc to check off the essentials and to ensure everyone brings different food!

Secret Santa

Select one chapter member, potentially the brotherhood chairman, pass around a Secret Santa form at the next chapter meeting. Have each brother indicate his name and some hobbies and interests. From the forms, randomly pair each chapter brother with another brother, and ensure the pairings stay secret. Set a limit and have each brother secretly come up with a gift using the respective brother’s interests. Exchange the gifts at chapter meeting or the Holiday Potluck!

House Decorating

Take a break from exams and studying and gather at your chapter house to decorate it for the holidays. This time off is great for team building, bonding, and enjoying each other’s company, not to mention tidying up your facility before the break!

Holiday-Grams

Get together and package up some holiday grams with candy, treats, and a nice message from your chapter to the recipient. These little gifts are affordable to make and send a great message this holiday season! Drop them off at other Greek houses, meetings, classrooms, and other people that may truly benefit from a nice gesture this season!

Hand out Hot Chocolate

Gather some brothers and go celebrate the season of giving by handing out some hot chocolate in a high traffic area. This gesture is affordable and is proof that the little things count! Make sure to wear your letters!

Volunteer at a Food Shelter

Remember not all folks are so blessed this season. Helping to make meals and packaging food at your local food shelter is an easy act of volunteerism but means the world to those families in need.

Sponsor a Family

Many chapters have gone through local non-profits to identify a family in need. Especially this season, a family, or families, could benefit from a group of campus leaders sponsoring them. Organize a toy drive, cook holiday meals, and spin by their place to carol. You might just make a family in need’s Christmas the most special time of the year.

Happy holidays brothers! Have a safe, relaxing, and prosperous holiday season!

The post Brotherhood Event Ideas for the Holiday Season! appeared first on Phi Delta Theta.

Fraternity attrition is an issue that many groups struggle with but don’t prepare for until it becomes a reality. The necessity of signing bids always seems to take the forefront in the conversation about maintaining a chapter’s or colony’s health and well-being. However, attrition happens, and it can take a tremendous toll on your group.

One of the principle reasons why men leave your organization is because they’re lacking the crucial connections that the Fraternity strives to provide. They don’t feel at home, they don’t feel like they belong, and they lack the relationships that are anchors to a healthy fraternity.

An effective way to combat this problem is to form rotating brotherhood groups. This is a strategy that Phi Delta Theta expansion teams utilize during their colony recruitment campaigns to tackle the lack of connection that comes with bringing 25-80 new members together in a short period of time. It has proven to be very successful.

Brotherhood groups are a fun and dynamic way to counteract or prevent cliques, but more importantly, an incredible way of encouraging conversation about goals, values, and strategy that will benefit your group. These groups capitalize on the success that other strategies (i.e. Big Brother programs) bring but go even further and offer additional benefits.

Simply enter all the members from the desired group, be it a Phikeia class, colony, or entire chapter, into a random team generator. When you’ve built your teams, begin collaboration with chapter leadership on what discussions each group should have during their time together. Encourage your brotherhood groups to gather at least once that week to do something fun, get to know each other better, and discuss the questions you’ve chosen.

Potential discussion points could include:

• Why did you join Phi Delta Theta?
• Where do you see this chapter in one, three, five & ten years-time?
• What do you dislike most about campus culture? How can Phi Delta Theta fix that?
• What would it take for Phi Delta Theta to be worth your commitment?
• What are you most excited about within Phi Delta Theta?
• What do you want Phi Delta Theta’s reputation on campus to be? How do we get there?

At the next chapter/colony meeting, have the groups share what they did to bond and what they discussed during their time together. This will encourage a group-wide discussion and inspire fun things to do for the next brotherhood group. The following week or month, draw new groups, and begin again! When your organization is made up of your friends, and men who share the same vision you do, you’ve found your home.

The post Brotherhood: A Cure for Poor Fraternity Retention appeared first on Phi Delta Theta.

Each year, a number of new members decide to no longer continue their Phikeia journey after receiving and accepting an invitation to join Phi Delta Theta. While each new member has a unique reason for leaving, there are two main reasons that explain why:

Misaligned Expectations

The #1 reason new members leave is misaligned expectations from how they were recruited to what they experience upon accepting a bid. Communications surrounding time commitments and financial expectations are the main culprits. An example of this is stating that new members are only expected to attend one meeting a week for one hour, but in reality, they are asked to participate in social, brotherhood, philanthropy, and service events that far exceed that time expectation.

Lack of Connection

Another major reason why new members leave stems from a lack of meaningful connections. Many times, new members only genuinely connect with a few brothers but do not feel connected to the greater chapter. You see this more in larger chapters, but no matter your chapter’s size, it is important to introduce new members to as many brothers as possible before, during, and after the recruitment process.

Now that we know the main reasons new members leave, it is important to ask yourself and your chapter the following questions to keep new member engagement high and achieve a great retention rate.

Expectations:

• Do new members/members know what is expected of them once joining?
• Why do those expectations exist?
• How are those expectations communicated throughout and after the recruitment process?

People:

• What is your chapter doing to connect potential new members to initiated members during the recruitment process?
• What is your chapter doing to continually strengthen bonds between all members in the chapter?
• What are the expectations, goals, and objectives of your chapter’s big brother program?

Purpose:

• What is the purpose of Phi Delta Theta on your campus?
• What was your personal purpose or reason(s) for joining Phi Delta Theta?
• What is the purpose behind the events and activities included in your Phikeia program?

Motivation:

• What is your chapter doing to show its members how their involvement affects the chapter’s success?
• How is your chapter recognizing members for their accomplishments?
• How often is your chapter communicating to these accomplishments and publicly recognizing them?

Growth:

• Is your chapter helping its members learn and grow throughout their time at college?
• What opportunities does your chapter provide for personal and professional growth?
• What is your chapter doing to continually challenge and educate members after the Phiekia program?

Feedback:

• Who is responsible for tracking membership retention for your chapter?
• What systems does your chapter have in place to receive feedback on membership experiences?
• Once proper systems are in place, how is your chapter communicating and adapting to that feedback?

The recruitment of new members is one of the most enjoyable aspects of Phi Delta Theta membership, but a signed bid is only the first step in a greater effort to provide a meaningful experience for each new member and future brother. Transparent communication, facilitating meaningful connections, and examining the questions above will continually improve your chapter’s retention of its new members.

The post Understanding Why New Members Leave The Phikeia Program appeared first on Phi Delta Theta.

Like many organizations, Phi Delta Theta is spending an increasing amount of time each year analyzing and sharing findings from the data it collects. While data analytics can be overwhelming at times, our findings are being used to shape future strategies to improve the Fraternity in many different areas. With a limited staff and only so many hours in a day, we know that mobilizing our volunteers and undergraduates to act on shared data helps us become more efficient with our resources.

When it comes to recruiting new members at the chapter level, data can paint a very clear picture about whether a given chapter is trending in a positive or negative manner. We know that the consistent recruitment of great (and enough) young men drives chapter success. We also know that weak recruitment can very quickly threaten a chapter’s future.

We recently shared recruitment trend lines for all of our active chapters and emerging chapters. The data shows the number of men recruited each year going back to 2013. We’ve been very encouraged by the feedback we’ve received from sharing such data. In many cases, a simple visual has caused many to take action to improve their trend. It has also reassured many that their diligent work on recruitment is producing results.

View Your Chapter’s New Member Class Trend Line

The remainder of this post serves to provide suggestions on how you can act on the chapter’s trend line given your role within the organization.

If your chapter’s trend line is negative:

Step 1 – Digesting a negative trend and committing to positive change is a vital first step for anybody who can enact it within a chapter.

I’m the chapter president or recruitment chairman for a chapter with a negative trend:

• Identify those who can assist in reversing this trend. Make a list of current undergraduate members and volunteers who will advocate for changes that need to be made.
• If your chapter does not have a CAB member who solely focuses on recruitment, make a call to your province president and CAB chairman to develop a strategy to recruit somebody into this role.
• Visually show your trend line to your brothers to begin creating a sense of urgency to do something different.
• Examine how you elect recruitment chairman. Yes, it’s important for recruitment chairmen to be sociable, but it’s equally important for them to be organized and on top of their game.
• Document the chapter’s recruitment strategy on paper for the upcoming year and plan to infuse the discussion into your first chapter or executive board retreat this fall (or even this summer).

I’m on the Chapter Advisory Board for a chapter with a negative trend:

• Has the CAB prioritized recruitment when supporting the chapter? If not, prioritize the placement of a recruitment adviser who has past experience in the role or sales experience in his/her career. Contact GHQ for a list of past recruitment chairman from the chapter or in the area. This audience could be a great pool to recruit support.
• Plan to spend more time with the chapter’s recruitment chairman this summer, either by phone or in person, to review the chapter’s recruitment strategy for the upcoming year.
• When you are in front of the chapter, show the trend line and spark a discussion about the need to improve in this area.
• Reach out to the chapter’s alumni to seek referrals of potential new members who are entering college this fall. Alumni can be great resources for training opportunities too.
• Work with the recruitment chairman, other volunteers, and other resources in the area to plan a recruitment workshop early this fall.

I’m the province president for a chapter with a negative trend:

• The priority should be finding an adviser who can assist the chapter with recruitment. Our best recruiting chapters have volunteers who provide consistent recruitment advice. This is crucial given the turnover in the recruitment chairman role.
• Identify chapters in your province that have positive trend lines and facilitate conversations with those who have negative trend lines.

I’m am an alumnus for a chapter with a negative trend:

• Simply making your chapter aware that alumni are concerned about the chapter’s recruitment trend can go a long way. To do this in a constructive manner, think about the resources you may have access to and offer them to the chapter.
• Take a few minutes to identify great young men in your community who may be attending the campus in the fall and submit a referral form for them.

If your chapter’s trend line is positive:

Your chapter is moving in the right direction, but is its recruitment strategy built to last? It’s easy for complacency to settle in when life is good. Focus on continual enhancements such as:

• Further enhance the chapter’s recruitment strategy and show your brothers how they can help execute the strategy. Continue doing what has worked well. Ditch tactics that can’t be traced to good results.
• Continue to reach out to those who can help you get better, educate your members, and provide recommendations for potential new members.
• Perfect the process of interviewing potential new members in a small group setting.
• Identify types of individuals or areas of campus that are underrepresented within your chapter and recruit to fill this gap.
• Become smarter in your marketing and advertising. Digital marketing and social media is powerful and will work for you even when you’re asleep.

On a global level, Phi Delta Theta has used its recruitment data to identify 30 chapters that have the greatest potential for growth. These chapters were identified through a simple three-factor algorithm: one-year growth rate, three-year growth rate, and the number of men below or above the average size for fraternities on campus. During the upcoming school year, we will be working with these chapters and their volunteers to enroll them in our Recruitment Coaching Program. Our goal is to most effectively deploy our recruitment resources to those chapters in greatest need.

The post Data Doesn’t Lie: How To Take Action After Reviewing Your Chapter’s Historical New Member Class Sizes appeared first on Phi Delta Theta.

Dead week has passed, and you have survived your final exams. As you clean out your room preparing to head home or to your internship, there is only one thing on your mind…SUMMER RECRUITMENT.

Let’s be honest, you weren’t thinking summer recruitment. Don’t be ashamed, I am sure you are not the only one. There are the family trips, sporting events, holidays, days spent on the lake, and countless other activities that overshadow our thinking. This is ok. We all need a break!

With the summer break also comes a great opportunity to take advantage of the down-time and get a jump on recruiting your chapter’s next new member class.

Events

The expectations for a successful recruitment season vary within your chapter. Some members might believe that throwing the biggest and best summer events will generate the most signed bids. Others might think that having 40+ men wearing the same shirt might do the trick.

The reality is this – When it comes to summer recruitment, investing your time and money into the relationship side of recruitment will prove to be much more successful. Having events are necessary, but the sole purpose of summer events is to allow your current members to start building relationships with potential new members well before they arrive on campus this fall. So, rather than focusing all of your efforts on larger events, summer recruitment efforts should also focus on smaller events such as lunches with a small group of brothers and potential new members. On the larger scale, you can also do larger events like lake days or a BBQ. However, these events should be in strategically located areas where you have the ability to attract more potential new members.

Whatever your strategy, it’s extremely important to focus on the front-end of the relationship building process. How are you going to know who your referrals are? How are you going to know where they are from? How are you going to make a connection? As you head into summer break, I challenge you to follow my top three steps to a successful summer recruitment strategy.

4 Steps to Successful Summer Recruitment

Build Your Referral List – Send out an opportunity for your undergraduate members, alumni, parents, and other supporters on campus to refer potential new members. This can be a Chapter Builder form, a link to chapter website, your social media platforms, or a Google Sheet. The important part is to have a place for these people to refer anyone they know who will be attending your university from their communities, high school, hometown, church, etc.

Start Small – Building off the referral list you are set to take the next step. You now have two, equally important pieces of information that you will need to make a connection: The member who made the referral and the potential new member himself. Encourage the member who referred the individual to setup a lunch, dinner, or coffee with the potential new member. The purpose of this is to start building that relationship with him. Answer any of his questions he might have about entering his freshman year. Offer to be a mentor to him as he enters this transition in his life. Provide him with marketing materials that have been developed for recruitment. Personalized outreach such as this will show him that you genuinely care about his needs.

Don’t Forget About Parents – Spending time discussing Phi Delta Theta with the parents of potential new members is vital. They have spent nearly two decades raising their sons to be great men, and they’ll want to know how the fraternity experience will enhance the foundation that they have worked tirelessly to build. Be transparent, be prepared, and offer to connect them with selected parents of current members. While your outreach will be beneficial, most parents will gain the greatest value from interacting with other parents who are in the same stage of life.

Chapter Event – After a few smaller outings with a potential new member, you’ll both be eager to bring other members from the chapter into the equation. After marketing this chapter wide event on your social media platforms, this is where a strategically located, larger event comes into play. The key is to plan the event in an area where you have a high density of referrals and current members. Sure, this provides the environment for your brothers to meet potential new members, but more importantly, you are connecting incoming freshman with another incoming freshman.

The purpose of any summer recruitment tactic is to make a connection with incoming students before they step foot on campus. Your chapter will be rewarded with great recruitment success as it builds the level of authentic relationship building leading up to handing out bids.

The post Summer Recruitment – Expectations vs. Reality appeared first on Phi Delta Theta.

It’s a tumultuous time of year for Phi Delt scholarship chairmen. You’ve worked hard all semester – planning study hours and tracking brotherhood performance – and now the end of the school year is in sight. Spring break and formal are right around the corner; you’re excited. There’s only one thing keeping you from fun in the sun: exam season…

Many chapter members find themselves in similar spots leading up to finals season after mid-terms – wanting to do a little bit better. Here are some tips for scholarship chairmen and general chapter members looking to boost chapter GPA’s by semester’s end:

Report

First and foremost, it’s important to know where you and your chapter brothers stand. If you’re a scholarship chairman, ask chapter members to fill out a Grade Check Form and have it signed by their professors. This will help you see where brothers are succeeding and where they could use some improvement.

Set Goals

Using Phi Delt’s Academic Goal Sheet, have members write out what their perfect semester looks like in terms of academic success. What GPA are you striving for as an individual or as a chapter? How do you envision yourself performing on upcoming papers or exams? What are you going to do in order to address your academic areas that need improvement? Be sure to help members lay out step-by-step plans for meeting milestones, and set hard deadlines!

Plan

Track brotherhood GPA in a spreadsheet and put some thought into where the chapter should go from here. Do you need to increase study hour obligations to meet overall goals? Are incentives needed to help brothers meet their individual goals? Sit down with your executive board and come up with a plan that will meet most members’ needs for the remainder of the year.

There is no perfect science in helping your chapter to achieve academic success. However, with a little planning and the use of Phi Delt’s academic resources, you’ll surely be able to leave your chapter better than when you inherited it.

For more guidance as to how you can help your chapter meet Phi Delta Theta’s new minimum standard GPA of a 2.75, follow this link!

The post 3 Mid-Term Tactics For Scholarship Chairmen To Improve Your Chapter’s GPA appeared first on Phi Delta Theta.

I’ve always been intrigued by how things start, gain momentum, and ultimately become a success, movement, or trend. Whether it’s dissecting the factors that helped transform an entrepreneur’s idea into a successful business or simply watching a ridiculous video in disbelief after it has reached viral stardom, it sparks my curiosity.

This same curiosity led to some simple research over my lunch break the other day, seeking the answer to a very random question:

On average, how many Founding Fathers did a fraternity have when it was created? So for example, Phi Delt had six, and I grabbed the number of Founding Fathers from 10 other leading fraternities.

The Answer: The Immortal 6.25

With that number in my mind, I reflected on a conversation that I had with a colleague earlier that day. We were discussing the importance of the first five individuals who receive bids on the Fraternity’s expansion projects. Our projects take off immediately when a critical mass of recognized leaders is recruited. As unscientific as that number (5) was in that conversation, my lunchtime research project helped me convince myself that I kind of knew what I was talking about.

Later that afternoon, I received a report that showcased the number of new members that each of our chapters has recruited for the past four semesters. As I was reviewing the numbers, something stood out – In any given semester, there was a range of 15-23 chapters that didn’t recruit anybody.

I immediately made some assumptions about these chapters and many were confirmed:

• The chapter had a very successful recruitment period the semester before.
• The chapter is on a campus with deferred recruitment (freshmen can’t join until the second term) and it relies on freshmen as new members.
• The chapter has never recruited new members during that semester.

While the assumptions seemed to be true, I immediately realized how often they are used as excuses for not taking a new member class in a given semester.

I truly believe that to reach its greatest potential, a chapter needs to recruit at least six men every semester/term. Here’s my reasoning:

Setting up your Recruitment Chairman for success

If a recruitment chairman is in the role for a year, but only has one opportunity to execute, great pressure is placed on him. If he isn’t a good fit for the role or if he fails, it can set the chapter back two years. On the contrary, if the first half of a recruitment chairman’s tenure is building a smaller class, it gives him the opportunity to learn and make mistakes with less risk before the main recruitment period later in the year.

The same goes for your Phikeia Educator

If a Phikeia Educator has the opportunity to execute the Phikeia program on a smaller scale before a larger class is recruited later in the year, he has the opportunity to learn, adapt, and become better, therefore giving your new members a better experience.

Six seems to be the sweet spot

I’ve been around the fraternity block long enough to see how the size of any given class can affect the chapter’s morale and performance. In my experience, I’ve seen less excitement and engagement from brothers when classes are five or below. Going back to the Founding Father data, having at least six men in a given class seems to be the tipping point for future growth. Treat each semester like you’re building a Founding Father class. Obviously, your main recruitment semester should bring in many more than six men, but focus on getting to at least six in your off-season.

Off-season recruitment classes are great for finding top leaders on campus

So you’re on a campus where freshmen can’t join until the second semester. That’s ok. Recruit sophomores and juniors when freshmen aren’t available. They’re more seasoned, mature, and can instantly propel the chapter’s leadership capacity.

Competitive spirit

If I’m a new member and know that there was a class that came a semester before me and one that will be on my heels next semester, I’m going to immediately try to establish myself as a leader. This healthy competition will make everyone better.

Stable membership size

It goes without saying that having a class each semester safeguards the chapter from large dips in membership and leadership gaps. A 6+ man class in your off-season is a hedge against factors that you might not be able to control in your main recruitment season.

Creating a recruitment culture

If your chapter takes semesters off when it comes to recruitment, you’re signaling to your membership that finding good people is only important periodically. Finding good people is always important. Make it the norm, and challenge your newest class to lead the charge for the next class.

Approximately 75% of our chapters are already recruiting 6+ men each semester. This post is directed at the other 25% as a challenge to create that culture. I promise you that you will not be disappointed with the benefits that it brings to your chapter.

The post Why Your Chapter Should Recruit At Least 6 New Members Every Semester appeared first on Phi Delta Theta.

The chapter is ready for summer recruitment, but is the chapter’s social media ready? If you are an 18-year-old freshman who wants to learn about the fraternities on campus, then one of the first places you are going to look is social media. When this new student pulls up your chapter’s Instagram, what will make him interested in learning more about your chapter? Does your Twitter account have a link for him to notify you that he is interested? Do you have a social media campaign unique to your chapter? What specific goals do you have for your social media that align with your goals as a chapter?

These are a few of the questions to ask when auditing the chapter’s social media presence. The members in charge of the accounts are responsible for so much more than posting the occasional posed group photo and the recruitment schedule. The Public Relations position in the chapter plays a crucial role in building a positive reputation, engaging the community, and, of course, recruitment. We have all heard, “People don’t join organizations, people join people.” While this is true, your social media should be the place where you tell the story of the people in the organization.

Here are my 4 Steps to Social Media in regards to preparing for summer recruitment.

1. Have Consistent Branding. If the Instagram username is @PhiDeltaThetaABC and has the crest for a profile picture, do not go to Twitter and use @ABCPhiDelt with a group photo of the guys. Branding should be consistent and easily recognizable across all platforms. The ‘Brand Assets’ page on phideltatheta.org is perfect for this. The bio on chapter profiles is crucial. The first 140 characters of your bio will appear in search engine results so use the most important information first. The bio portion is great for telling your chapter’s story, but will also help drive traffic to your chapter’s profile through optimization.

1. Develop Specific Social Media Goals. Our social media platforms have the ability to drive results once we figure out what results we want. SMART goals are ideal for this scenario. (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Time-Bound) For example, we want 20 potential new members to fill out our online interest form before summer recruitment starts. From there, we can start developing a strategy and content to achieve that goal.

1. Create a Chapter Campaign Strategy. Once the goals for a campaign are set, the next step is to create a campaign that is authentic and unique to the chapter. What is something that our organization offers that they cannot get elsewhere? What is a main priority for our organization that we want to share with all potential new members? For example, one campaign could be Phi Delt Family. This could be illustrated through member testimonials, endorsements from family members, and stories of what makes the ‘Phi Delt Family at XYZ University.’ This campaign should ultimately push people to indicate their interest in your organization with a simple call to action such as an “I’m Interested” or “Learn More” button. FuturePhiDelt.org is a great landing page for potential new members.

1. Post Content Consistently. Nobody wants to follow an account that has 3 posts since 2012. Content should be posted on a weekly, if not daily basis. Some social media marketing experts go as far as to suggest 6-8 unique posts per day. While this may seem like a lot to handle, it drives results. It is hard to engage potential new members without creating any traffic. The 5 key content types are Entertain, Inspire, Converse, Educate, and Convince. Make sure the content is well-balanced and focused on the audience. Keep posts short and sweet, use videos and images whenever you can, and prepare content ahead of time to make posting regularly an easier process.

There is so much power in social media marketing, but it is often underutilized. Now is the time to take an in-depth look into what our story is on social media and if it’s a story that makes people interested in joining. Create a social media campaign, deliver well-balanced content on a regular basis, and you will see results come bid day.

The post 4 Steps To Effectively Use Social Media For Summer Recruitment appeared first on Phi Delta Theta.

Silver metal. Measuring roughly an inch in length and barely an eighth of an inch wide. Words engraved on their faces such as “Estes Park,” “Miami Beach,” and “Oxford,” along with years like “1932,” “1950,” and “2014.” These descriptors are found on the bars collected by brothers at each convention to designate how many they have attended. These silver bars are also known as “rungs” due to the fact that when linked together, they resemble ladders. Thus, the term “convention ladder” came to be. Each rung reads the city and year in which the convention took place.

Research to determine the history of the convention ladder found that this memento of conventions past is decades old. However, research did not determine a specific year of origin or convention that marked the start of this tradition. The earliest pictorial evidence of convention ladders dates back to the 1908 Convention in which a brother in the forefront of the convention photo is wearing a ladder with nine rungs! With the conventions taking place every two years, this dates the first rung back to the 1891 Convention if he attended each convention consecutively.

Earliest known written mentions of the rungs date back to the 1914 Convention. A 1914 edition of The Scroll quotes a letter written by a Massachusetts Alpha Phi reflecting on his convention experience, “so enjoyable was the entire convention that most of the delegates bought convention ‘ladders’, and swore they would have their first reunion, the fates permitting, at the next national convention of [Phi Delta Theta]” (Ira M. Dempsey, Williams ’15). The next mention of the ladders was seen within a 1933 edition of The Scroll written by Illinois Alpha Phi, Frank J.R. Mitchell, “many years ago the practice began of wearing silver bars to indicate the conventions attended and the lengthening ‘ladders’ seen at convention are a striking evidence of the loyalty of old convention-goers. It is hoped that the next convention will witness the lengthening of many ‘ladders’ both long and short.”

Piecing together a history of this proud tradition was difficult due to the fact that the General Headquarters did not officially produce and purchase these bars initially. Individuals themselves, it would seem, purchased them through an outside vendor. Additionally, some of the brothers pictured in photos with rungs are members of the Chapter Grand and not available for comment on how they went about obtaining their ladders.

Robert J. Miller (New Mexico ’50), Executive Vice President Emeritus and current Fraternity Historian, owns the longest convention ladder at 34 rungs. It will soon increase to 35 with this year’s convention in Savannah. His first bar is from the 1948 Oxford Convention. According a 1954 volume of The Scroll, “the previous record was held by the late ‘Polly’ Ruick [P.P.G.C.*] who had 26 rungs on his convention ladder at the 1950 Chicago Convention – his last.” Even before Brother Ruick, the longest had been owned by George Banta Sr., whose ladder was 19 rungs long. Brother Banta had first attended convention in 1878 and his last was in 1930. With 52 years between his first and last conventions, that means he attended 26 conventions, which raises the question of why he only had 19 rungs? When did the rungs start? These questions still remain along with others. We might never know the full history behind this convention tradition. What we can say for certain though is well said by Past President of the General Council Scott Mietchen, “as Phis attend more conventions, the ladders lengthen, and provide striking evidence of a Phi’s devotion to the Fraternity.”

Phi Delta Theta’s 81^st Biennial Convention is quickly approaching, and more than 600 Phis will flood into the historic streets of Savannah, Georgia. Convention has been lauded as not only a time for legislative action in an effort to adapt to changing times, but also an opportunity to celebrate together our great Fraternity and our Bond as brothers in an unique environment. Whether this will be your first convention, or your 31^st, consider getting yourself that silver bar with the word “Savannah” and numbers “2016” engraved on its face. It will act as a memento of one of the greatest Phi Delt experiences you may ever have.

Addendum:

In the article posted on June 9th of this year, I stated that the earliest pictorial evidence of the convention ladders in use was from the year 1908. A recent development has occurred to provide us a bit more insight into the history of this convention tradition. In the General Headquarters building there are a number of vaults. In one of these vaults, by pure happenstance, CEO Bob Biggs wandered upon an “artifact”, if you will, while searching for a completely unrelated item. What he found was the oldest Convention Ladder known to our organization. The ladder was owned by the now deceased Samuel “Polly” Ruick, President of General Council (1908-1910), who was mentioned in the initial piece for his appearance in a picture featuring him and his 26-rung ladder. That picture was from his last convention in 1950. The first bar on his rung? Philadelphia – 1896.

Like before, questions remain and we may never know all the answers. For example, were the ladders and rungs made as early as 1896? Or were they made later and delegates retroactively added rungs for past conventions they had attended? The answers likely have been laid to rest with brothers in the Chapter Grand. What does remain true is that another rung was earned by hundreds of Phis in Savannah in June 2016 and as the ladders for many Phi brothers continue to grow longer, so does this time honored tradition.

*Stands for Past President of the General Council.

The post The Story Behind Convention Ladders appeared first on Phi Delta Theta.

With some chapters already finished formal recruitment, and some chapters just getting started, I find myself seeing and hearing similar plans from chapters on how they are going to have a successful ‘rush.’

It almost always starts with a “rush schedule.”

“We’re feeling pretty good about rush. We have our rush schedule created already”

“We have some great rush events planned”

“We have 8-10 guys already interested so we just need to make sure we get them out to some events”

My guess is that you’ve heard someone say something along these lines within your chapter.

Most of you are also probably familiar with the phrase “people join people, people don’t join organizations.” That also applies to events. Potential new members don’t join because of the events you host, they ultimately join because of the people they meet and the relationships they build.

If you believe in dynamic recruitment, then rush schedules are one of the last things to focus on for successful recruitment.

When we send an expansion team to a campus to build a new colony of Phi Delta Theta, their first step is not to schedule a calendar of events. In fact, none of their steps involve making a calendar of recruitment events. Our expansion consultants are able to consistently and successfully recruit at campuses across the United States and Canada, of all shapes and sizes, simply by meeting people and getting to know them.

A recruitment strategy that reflects dynamic recruitment would be one where the chapter spends most of its time brainstorming about who they are looking for, where they will find those types of people and how they can engage them in conversation. Develop individual strategies so each member understands how they can contribute to recruitment. Educate all of your members on the impact successful recruitment can have on the rest of chapter operations. Help each member develop their own personal motivation for why they should actively help the chapter recruit.

“If we recruitment more athletic members, or even just more members, we could have a better IM program”

“Our philanthropy raised $5,000 last year, but if we doubled our chapter size, could we raise $10,000? How awesome would that be?”

“The chapter has set a goal to raise our GPA, so if we target more academically successful new members, what kind of impact would that have on our chapter?”

Do not continue to build a rush schedule and then figure out how to get guys to your events. Instead, focus on meeting people and building relationships on campus and then plan events to give those new friends an opportunity to meet more of your members. Take the time to train our members on how to be confident in their knowledge and abilities to meet people anywhere, anytime and always be recruiting.

Meet potential new members year-round, build relationships, and help them develop their own personal ‘why’ for joining Phi Delta Theta. Then, your “rush” or “formal recruitment” schedule with events becomes less stressful since most of the recruitment work has been done already. Your future members will begin meeting each other, and each individual as the opportunity to become completely confident that this is the best decision for him or for the chapter.

Good luck to every one this September, this fall and this year. Phi Delta Theta has build a reputation of being a leader in the fraternity world. We are not afraid to change the way we do things if we believe it to be the right way. Let’s see if we can impact the way we approach recruitment. Stop with the rush schedules and get out there and meet some new friends.

The post Why ‘Rush Schedules’ Frustrate Me appeared first on Phi Delta Theta.

One good thing about music, when it hits you, you feel no pain. –Bob Marley

One of the highlights of my position with Phi Delta Theta is the opportunity I have to communicate with alumni worldwide. Most of the calls are simple requests, like, ‘What is my Bond #?” “I’m calling to report a Chapter Grand. “We are planning a class reunion, would you please send me the latest alumni list?’

This morning I received such a call. Karen, our receptionist extraordinaire, put through an alumnus from Gettysburg College in Pennsylvania. A kind sir named “Pete White, class of ’59.” While he was on hold, waiting to be patched through to my line, he was being serenaded by our soundtrack of Phi songs, recorded long ago. The song playing was ‘Eternal Praise.’

Often, when I pick up calls, I will catch an alumnus that has been completely drawn back in and is singing all out along with the soundtrack. Though I didn’t catch Pete singing along, he shared a wonderful tale about how much the singing of Eternal Praise means to him.

He said that several years ago he learned that the art and practice of singing Phi Delta Theta songs had gone by the wayside at Gettysburg. He was dismayed. So rather than letting it go, he took action and began working with the new member class, encouraging them to learn the songs, particularly, Eternal Praise, his favorite. To his great pleasure, the new member class responded and they’ve been singing ever since.

But the endearing part of this story is this next part. His wife had a setback in 2013 when she broke her hip. He was spending hours at the hospital staying with her during her surgery and recovery. So he was surprised to get a text message from the Pennsylvania Beta Chapter. He scanned the message and saw a picture of the guys. Then he realized they had also sent a recording. He clicked to listen and he was delighted to hear the opening bars of Eternal Praise, being sung by the current PA Beta Phis, to encourage him during his wife’s tough times.

As he shared this story, he said this recollection still brings tears to his eyes. The simple act of teaching a song has gone on to be a steady encouragement to him, and he hopes, his chapter.

I must say that his story made my heart grow and I just knew that this was one of those moments that remind me that this Fraternity for whom I work daily, is a Fraternity for life. The heartbeat is its members, and the blood is the flow between alumni, undergraduates, volunteers and staff. I’ve been humming Eternal Praise since.

“Come, brothers, let us raise a toast,
To the pin we love the most;
To sword and shield we’ll loyal be,
In defeat or victory.
To our colors white and blue,
We will be forever true;
To Phi Delta we’ll always raise
Voices of Eternal Praise.”

To hear a rendition online, click here.

The post What’s in a Song? appeared first on Phi Delta Theta.

Sound Learning. It’s why college exists.

Learning occurs in many different fashions during one’s time at college. Whether it’s learning about different subject matters in the classroom or strengthening vital soft skills outside of the classroom, it’s a fact that around every corner on campus, there is an opportunity to learn.

The age-old argument comparing the importance of in the classroom learning versus outside of the classroom learning will always exist. Truthfully, for the majority, both are extremely important. Luckily, for members of the Greek community, the fraternal experience inherently cultivates the many soft skills needed to successfully work with others. If structured correctly, the Greek experience can also be that extra push needed to succeed in the classroom.

When looking at averages, members of Greek organizations do succeed in the classroom. However, we’ve all witnessed members who struggle to maintain their GPA for a variety of reasons, and their struggle brings down the whole.

In an ideal Greek community, only those who are committed to academic success would be recruited. If this was the case, there wouldn’t be a need for academic programs or policies within our walls. However, we all know that this isn’t reality.

Having been a fraternity scholarship chairman and from working with many chapters on their academic goals, I’ve seen a plethora of techniques implemented with the hope of improving the chapter’s GPA. Some work better than others, but what I’ve realized is that most academic programs are way too complicated. They have great intentions, but they are generally very difficult to manage.

I’ve found one simple academic policy that trumps any other, and I recently saw it succeed in action. I’m the Chapter Advisory Board Chairman for the Iowa Gamma Chapter of Phi Delta Theta at Iowa State University, and improving academic performance has been a main goal for the chapter. At the beginning of the Fall 2014 semester, the chapter ranked 18^th out of 29 fraternities on campus with a 2.90 GPA. After one semester using the policy, they rank 6^th with a 3.09. Yes, it has only been one semester, but the policy’s positive cultural changes are already being realized.

So what is this secret academic success sauce? We call it the “3 Strike Policy.” It’s simple. The chapter started by selecting a 2.5 threshold. If a member obtains a semester GPA below 2.5, he receives a strike. Three strikes and he is no longer a member of Phi Delta Theta. No questions asked. It’s really that simple, and the policy is the ultimate measure of accountability. Each individual must look himself in the mirror and determine what he must do in the classroom to remain a member of Phi Delta Theta.

You may be wondering how to create buy-in for such policy. It can be done with one simple phrase for each class:

Seniors –You only have two semesters left. You’re safe!

Juniors – You’re telling me that in your four remaining semesters, you can’t achieve a 2.5+ GPA once?

Sophomores (The only tough-ish sell) – Do you see any negatives that can come out of us pushing to you to succeed?

Freshmen – Here is our academic policy. If you don’t like it, we’re not for you.

At the end of each semester, the scholarship chairman can divvy out the strikes to those below a 2.5. If it’s strike #3, we’re sorry, we think you need to focus your energies elsewhere. For those who receive their first or second strike, require them to meet with your chapter’s scholarship chairman and academic adviser to develop a plan. Another smart move is to hold a membership review after the second strike. Doing this gives the chapter the opportunity to take action a strike early if the academic case is severe or if that members is causing other issues.

A chapter can do all of the programming it likes (study hours, time management seminars, competitions, incentives, etc.), but without a policy with a backbone, these practices will never create long-term success. Long-term chapter academic success will only occur when each individual has something to lose and must take on personal responsibility for his performance. Membership standards always win.

After a few semesters, begin to increase the minimum threshold. Change that 2.5 to a 2.6 and see what happens. Your chapter GPA will without a doubt increase as the threshold increases. Ultimately, you’ll begin to recruit those who are more likely to succeed academically, and the policy itself will become an afterthought.

But we’re brothers, some may say. Pause, smile, and calmly say, “Real brothers challenge each other to become the greatest version of themselves.”

The post The Only Academic Policy Your Chapter Needs To Drastically Improve Its GPA appeared first on Phi Delta Theta.

As I type, the 2015 Presidents Leadership Conference (PLC) is underway in St. Louis, Missouri. More than 200 Phis have the opportunity to experience this wonderful, three-day leadership development conference each year. Your chapter president is there, and he will surely return to campus with confidence, vision, ideas and a plan to improve your chapter.

The vast majority of our undergraduate members will not have this experience. From a statistical perspective, the PLC delegates make up just over 1.5% of our undergraduate members today. Yes, individuals with incredible leadership skills can move a chapter in the right direction, but as the maxim goes, a good leader must surround himself/herself with great people. If you’re reading this and you are not the chapter president, know that your chapter president needs you to lead as well.

My point – You do not need to be the chapter president to lead within your chapter. You must only have the desire the leave your mark and exhibit persistence to see your ideas executed.

The beauty of Fraternity is the inherent opportunity that exists for each individual to leave the organization greater than it was transmitted to him. A familiar phrase indeed.

Titles are simply words. Leadership is achieved through the actions by anyone who is compelled to take them. I’ve had the opportunity to see many Phis make wonderful strides as leaders. Some of them were chapter presidents; some were chapter officers; some had no official title or responsibilities. With the new-year rolling, there’s no better time for each Phi to resolve to lead in a positive way.

As I’ve grown older, I’ve also realized that being ‘the man in charge’ is not for everyone. I see this in myself, and I’ve learned that the best place for me as a leader is within roles that are generally out of the limelight. It’s nothing to be ashamed of, rather, it’s an understanding of my personal characteristics, strengths and weaknesses.

I recently discovered a great mobile app that can help you understand the answers to such questions as: What are your unique strengths? How do you come across to others? What are your networking strengths? What is your approach to getting things done? What kind of coworker are you? You can even see how your traits fit in with your friends or potential employers. These personal inventories and the understanding of who you are great assets to developing your leadership skills in any arena that you may be playing.

General Council President Rich Fabritius challenged each Phi to swing a heavier bat this year. It’s a simple, yet powerful analogy that is vital to the success of Phi Delta Theta. There are many ways to ‘swing this heavy bat’ for those who aren’t chapter presidents.

If you’re a chapter officer, become your chapter president’s go-to-guy. Approach him and say, “I’m here to help you and this chapter become the greatest version of itself. Here are my goals in the position and these are the actions that I’m going to take to get them done.”

If you’re an undergraduate without an official role, make one up and get at it. There are countless things that need to be done outside of the normal officer structure. Your innovation will impress others and set you up for further responsibilities. I work with a student at the Iowa Gamma (Iowa State) Chapter who loves helping others find their fit – in the chapter, on campus and in life. He took it upon himself to create his own position and now takes pride in working with others to understand themselves better. He also recommends areas within the chapter and on campus where they can succeed. I love it. Heck, become the “Director of Snow Removal” and own the parking lot and sidewalks. Have fun with it.

If you’re a Phikeia, take the time to learn about different positions and volunteer to help an officer in his role. Trust me, they won’t stop you from helping. You’ll help that officer make more progress while setting yourself up for future roles if desired.

If you’re a senior, take pride in modeling great behavior and continue to show up. Many younger Phis look up to you, and your approach will set the example for them in the future. Nobody likes the senior who only complains but doesn’t do anything about it.

2015 is going to be a great year and leadership is vital in all corners. I hope that this is the year that you make a positive impact, no matter your title.

The post You Don’t Need To Be The Chapter President To Lead appeared first on Phi Delta Theta.

It’s no secret that graduating college is no easy task. No matter the college or university, undergraduates across the world are completing required courses, submitting assignments, writing papers, and taking exams; all undertakings that will push them towards receiving those coveted diplomas. Acquiring a job consequently follows graduation. There are a number of questions to face throughout this process as well, one namely being “What am I going to do with the rest of my life?” Luckily, when it comes to a career, just because it’s the first job doesn’t mean it has to be the last. There is always the chance to change paths. One thing however, that cannot be changed or escaped that daunts 71% of graduating college students, is student loan debt.

Nothing screams, “welcome to the real world,” like managing the stress of starting or looking for a job, moving away from what was your “home” for the past four years, and on top of that dealing with the looming student debt that you’ve likely piled up since the first day of freshman year. According to Project on Student Debt, seven in 10 college seniors who graduated last year had student loan debt with an average of $29,400 per borrower. While paying off student loans may seem like an uphill battle now, there are three key steps that every graduate with debt should follow in order to pay it off…and quickly.

Step 1: Assess all of your debt

From futons to physics books, you’ve paid for a lot over the course of your undergraduate experience and now it’s time to evaluate all of these expenses. There are many types of student loans, and debt can take many forms. In terms of student loans, there are direct subsidized loans, direct unsubsidized loans, direct PLUS loans, direct consolidation loans, private loans, and even “parental loans.” In terms of debt aside from loans, recent graduates typically hold credit card debt. Because there are various types of debt the first essential step to tackling the problem is to list all of your student debts.

Categorize the importance of each account by assessing its interest rates. Typically student loan payment rates are around five percent to eight percent. Rates reset on July 1 of every year for new loans and loans that do not have fixed interest rates. Credit card interest is quite a bit steeper than that of student loans. With interest typically hovering at around 18 percent, credit cards make their money on the amount you spend on your credit card as well as the length of time it takes you to clear your outstanding balance.

List your loans from highest to lowest interest rates. It will probably list credit card debt first, followed by private loans and finally federal loans. This is the order in which you should tackle your debt in order to avoid the extra weight of heavy interest costs. Although you’ll want to pay off your highest interest loans first, still continue to keep in mind the payment due dates for all of your loans.

While listing all of your loans, take note of how payments will be made to each loan servicer. In terms of making payments, each loan servicer has their own payment process, so be sure to understand how and when they expect to receive your payments. Keep a list that records the lenders website URL and contact information, account login information, and lastly the current balance and interest rate on the loan.

Step Two: Make a Payment Plan

The last thing you want to do is live paycheck to paycheck while scrambling to make old and new payments post-graduation. One large mistake frequently made by borrowers is waiting to create a plan. Most lending services provide borrowers with a number of choices for paying back loans and it’s important to explore these options. There are four most frequently used options. The first possibility is the standard repayment, which consists of monthly payments of identical amounts. Graduated repayment allows the borrower to start with small payments. The payments will then gradually increase. The third most frequented option is income-sensitive repayment, which allows borrowers to make payments based on your monthly income. Lastly, if you are eligible, you may exercise extended repayments, which allows payments to be made over 25 years.

Each loan servicer may also have some type of grace period. The Office of Federal Student Aid, for example, provides all borrowers with a six-month grace period. This grace period begins the day you stop attending school and ends on the date upon which you will make your first payment. Be sure to check with your lending service to see if your loan interest is accumulating during the grace period timeframe. Remember, do not wait for your grace period to end to make a plan so that you don’t succumb to scrambling to write the first check. Each loan servicer should provide you with a clear payment schedule for you to utilize.

If you haven’t done so already, make a budget for your current expenses. Create a spreadsheet or utilize the tools at Mint.com showing what your weekly, monthly and yearly budget looks like. Record all of the money going out (expenses) and all of the money coming in (income). Although you may not consider it as important, budgeting for anything from public transportation to holiday gift spending is essential. Work all loan and debt payments into your budget and note what your minimal payment will be for each loan each month. While factoring your payments into your budget, calculate what it would take in order to put an extra $500 to $1,000 extra each month towards paying your student loans (again, this should be on top of the minimum payments you are already making). It is always to your benefit to pay off early than save more for later (plus interest).

Staying on track with your plan will relieve stress on your repayment process and also serve you well in terms of interest costs. Some borrowers may receive benefits from making timely payments. For example, some lenders who offer Stafford loans take two percent off your interest rate if you make your payments on time for four years. Be sure to ask your lender if they have a reward plan similar to this.

You can also save on interest if you set up a direct deposit system as your payment plan. If you set up your loan account to have payments automatically withdrawn from your checking account each month some lenders will give you 0.25 percent off of your loan’s interest rate. This can be a win-win for both you and your lender, making sure you pay and they receive payments on time. Keep in mind that with this option you may be running the risk of over-drafting on your checking account in the event that you have insufficient funds. Lastly, if your starting salary isn’t impressive to good ole’ Uncle Sam, you may be eligible to get a tax break on the interest you pay on your loans. The Student Loan Interest Deduction permits you to take a deduction of up to $2,500 with no need to itemize. To learn more about this opportunity see IRS Publication 970 for more information.

Utilize College Board’s student loan calculator to help you calculate how much your monthly loan payment should be.

Step Three: It’s not about how much you WANT to pay; it’s how much you CAN pay.

No one wants to be on a tight budget, but student debt will not disappear on its own and the best way to tackle it is as quickly as possible. Don’t be nervous to address what appears to be a mountain of student debt head on, the sooner you conquer this debt, the sooner you can put your money towards where you need it most. You can begin to build credit, save for a new car or house, and most importantly, save for (hopefully) an early retirement. The worst thing you could possibly do is ignore your debt which is why there are many ways to manage your student loans as well as make enough money to sustain a comfortable lifestyle post-graduation.

Don’t forget to continue to keep up with the debt you hold on your credit card. To encourage you to have a balance on your card, banks will typically offer you a low minimum payment on each bill but it is hugely important to pay your entire balance before the end of each month. It’s frightening, but if you never used your credit card again from this day forward and made only minimum payments it would take you roughly 29 years and $13,000 to pay off a current balance of just $4,000! Spend responsibly. If you consistently cannot pay off your credit balance every month you need to start adjusting your budget and the allocation of your spending money.

Struggling?

If you are struggling to make your payments, consider your options. It is no cost to you as the borrower to switch payment plans if need be. A simple example is the difference between opting for auto-debit (automatic withdrawal from your account) versus making a manual one-time payment per month. If you are constantly experiencing overdraft, this is one simple solution that can be made. Also, consider your long-term options. Typical payment schedules (depending upon the loan amount) extend over ten years or 120 payments. If this is unmanageable for you due to unemployment or other budgetary circumstances the government has some deferral and substitute payment plan options. Private loan servicers may also have flexibility with repayment options. Be cautious while exploring these alternative payment plans, because although the loan servicer may allow you to pay less per month, keep in mind that it will be costing you more in interest over time.

Lastly, consider consolidation if applicable. Consolidating loans means you’ll be able to combine all of your student loans into one monthly payment and possibly lower your interest rate (given that the rates are lower at the time of consolidation than when you originally borrowed). You only have one shot at consolidating your loans and you cannot undo your consolidation. Make sure that if you’re considering consolidating your loans you do so at a low interest rate and you’re sure you’ll be able to pay the lump sum. Look into consolidating while you are within your grace period since in any given year, the rates on Stafford loans are lower during this time.

Check out the helpful hints below:

Not every entry-level, post-grad job has an attractive starting salary. Luckily there are some fun and easy ways to rake in the cash to help you pay off your student loans:

Pick up some Odd Jobs:

1. Babysitting – Pretty self-explanatory. Bouncing a baby on your lap for a couple of hours a week can add some serious cash to your pocket. Check out Sittercity.com or Care.com to find opportunities near you.
2. Focus groups – Organizations in many major cities are in need of individuals to talk about and rate consumer products and services. You can find research groups that pay at findfocusgroup.com.
3. Mock Jury Jobs – Lawyers need practice too! Look for “mock jury” on Craigslist or Google to get paid to participate in practice trials.
4. Pet and plant sitting – People pay big bucks to have someone check on their plants and animals while they are out of town. Jump at the opportunity to pet or plant sit for people at the office who are going out of town.
5. Airbnb – Ever thought about sharing your space? If you live in a convenient place in a big city you may consider registering your place on Airbnb. You’ll be able to earn fast cash by lending your residence to a visitor while you crash on a pals couch. Lucky for recent graduates, you’re not too far from the futon days to live out of a suitcase at friend’s place for a long weekend for a few hundred bucks!
6. Odd Jobs – Apps like Field Agent and Gigwalk are great apps to use to find temporary positions. Also check out the “Temporary Gigs” section on Craigslist.

Manage the expenses in your life:

1. Rent – Keep it low. Now is not the time for you to pay an exorbitant amount for the penthouse apartment. You won’t be in your first loft, house or apartment forever so think practically and focus on functionality and safety.
2. No Relocation Package? – If you are more than 50 miles from your former home, you are eligible for a tax break to cover expenses that your employer doesn’t pick up. This moving deduction does have guidelines however. You must be employed for 39 out of the next 52 weeks, and although you can use it to cover the cost of lodging and a moving van, Uncle Sam won’t pick up your tab at Applebees or pay for those Taco Bell stops.
3. Cable – Who uses cable anymore? Today, dealing with cable isn’t worth the hassle. You can likely find yourself a better deal on the Internet. Hello Hulu and hello Netflix!
4. Gym – Join a running or free fitness group using Meetup.com or stream free workout videos online until you can afford that pricy gym membership. Also take a peek into your city’s parks and rec opportunities. Many communities have outdoor walking, running and hiking trails and some even have community gyms with discounted prices.
5. Phone Bill – Data is likely where all of your money is going… turn off that Data Roaming and consider switching to a cheaper plan.
6. Entertainment – Find free events in your city on apps or websites like Meetup and check into Living Social and Groupon for discounts on concerts and other events near you.
7. Mystery Shopping – Getting paid to pretend to be a customer at a hotel, restaurant, entertainment venue, or shopping center doesn’t sound like a bad gig. Check out the Mystery Shopper Providers Association to find opportunities to go out, stay at a hotel, or have a meal for free in exchange for your review.
8. Travel – Go outside your comfort zone and travel the road less traveled by…It will likely be cheaper. Pick a location with a good exchange rate and while you’re there eat locally, stay in hostels (check out hostelworld.com) or use Airbnb.com, and check Trip Advisor for cheaper attraction options (like ticket pre-ordering).

You don’t need to be plagued with your student loans or credit card payments until you’ve got grandchildren. Handle these payments by taking advantage of all of your options in order to become debt free by your thirty’s. Take care of your student debt now so you can start to build your personal finances as soon as possible. Find the balance between living lavishly and living paycheck to paycheck, so you can live comfortably while making strides towards clearing your debt.

Now, embrace your debt-free mindset, Class of 2014, and good luck!

The post How To Diligently Pay Off Your Student Loans appeared first on Phi Delta Theta.

My introduction to Neil Alexander, Pittsburgh ’12, came through a random act of kindness, an act that very much reflects Neil’s character and approach to life. I was sitting on a Megabus, travelling from Des Moines, Iowa to Chicago, Illinois as part of an eight day, multi-city running trip to raise funds for Phi Delta Theta’s Iron Phi program.

That day, I received three donations to my effort from members of the Alexander family. I had never met them, but I was encouraged by the note they had left me—“Thank you for what you are doing.” By the end of the trip, I had learned more about Neil, his family and the battle they were facing, a battle with ALS. Two years later, I consider Neil Alexander one of the most positive influences in my life.

On a sunny Pittsburgh afternoon in June of 2011, Neil Alexander received the kind of news we all dread. The progressive muscle-twitching he had experienced for the previous 18 months was diagnosed as Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), the devastating and incurable condition better known as Lou Gehrig’s disease.

During the days that followed, as Neil struggled to process his doctor’s findings, he focused on his family—his wife, Suzanne, their daughter Abby, 11, and nine-year-old son, Patrick. Concern about their security when he was gone; thoughts of his wife with whom he now knew he would not grow old; children he would not see blossom into adulthood; future grandchildren he would never know.

But then Neil, 46, transformed the crushing news of his diagnosis into a courageous rallying call for fellow sufferers of the disease. He and Suzanne established a fund at The Pittsburgh Foundation, LiveLikeLou.org, to raise public awareness about ALS, to help finance critical medical research and to provide urgently-needed support for victims and their families in Western Pennsylvania.

As stated by Neil, “I decided not to spend my time being angry. We all live with limited time on this earth, and I am on the same journey that everyone is going to take at some point. Unlike most people, I am able to personalize my journey, and hopefully in the time I have left there is a lot we can do to help others.”

In addition to the great support that the Alexanders and LiveLikeLou. org have given to others who are affected by ALS in Western Pennsylvania, including grants that provide financial support to fund activities and programs for children of people diagnosed with the disease, Neil has helped Phi Delta Theta take its partnership with The ALS Association to new heights. He has also provided immeasurable inspiration along the way.

At the 2012 General Convention in Washington, D.C., Neil was initiated into Phi Delta Theta as a member of the Pennsylvania Iota (Pittsburgh) Chapter. The Phi Delta Theta community has embraced the Alexander family, and the Alexander family has embraced Phi Delta Theta.

In December of 2012, the Alexander family introduced a collection of LiveLikeLou scholarships eligible to Phi Delta Theta undergraduates whose lives have been affected by ALS. The first scholarship, a $1,500 amount that renews each year, was awarded to Phi David Martin, Creighton ’15, of Burlington, Wisconsin.

David is the second oldest of six children. His father, James Martin, 45, was diagnosed with ALS two and a half years ago and has had to retire from his occupation due to the illness.

Neil has also spent much time speaking to Phi Delta Theta undergraduates about the disease and was part of the Phi Delt presentation team this past summer in San Francisco, when Barry Zito of the Giants was given the Lou Gehrig Memorial Award.

“I am awestruck by Neil’s courage and character in fighting ALS head-on,” said Chris Brussalis, Member at Large of Phi Delta Theta’s General Council and board member for The ALS Association. “Because of men like Neil and Lou Gherig, Phi Delta Theta’s partnership with The ALS Association isn’t just a charity, it’s very personal for us. I am proud to call Neil my brother and to be a part of an organization that is so committed to fighting alongside him to beat this disease. Phi Delts across North America are raising hundreds of thousands of dollars each year to find a cure, and all 200,000 of our brothers will always have Neil’s back.”

Neil is a real-life Lou Gehrig. He embodies everything that Brother Gehrig stood for, and would be the first to tell you that he considers himself the luckiest man on the face of this earth. Neil’s appreciation for everything in life, no matter the circumstances, is contagious. His goal, “to leave ALS better than he found it,” is simply inspirational and parallels a pledge that all members of Phi Delta Theta have taken. Our Fraternity is a better organization because of the Alexanders, and many of our members would tell you that they are better men because of their relationship with Neil.

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A few years ago, I became a fraternity adviser again by accepting the Chapter Advisory Board Chairman role for the Iowa Gamma Chapter at Iowa State University. The role itself is both rewarding and challenging. Like anything in life, fraternity chapters have their ups and downs. From giving praise and lighthearted debates to tough conversations and holding the students accountable, each day is a new adventure. I wouldn’t trade it for the world.

Through this experience, I’ve come to realize how important creating a mentality of greatness is to the long-term health of a fraternity. I’ve also realized that achieving this mentality is extremely tough. This has nothing to do with the quality of student within the chapter, as I’m fortunate to work with great students. Proof. It does, however, have everything to do with the simple fact that everyone has their own definition of what greatness is, and to reach collective greatness, each individual definition must be flexible.

At Phi Delta Theta, we challenge our members to “Become the Greatest Version of Yourself.” Personally, I love it, because it empowers each individual member to find his own personal greatness and encourages uniqueness over conformity. For a chapter to become the greatest version of itself, the path is a little more difficult, as the chapter’s people must first determine just what the heck greatness means to the group.

If you ask an undergraduate Phi, alumnus, chapter advisory board member, house corporation board member and GHQ staff member what Phi Delt greatness is, you’re going to get responses with variability. It makes great sense as the metrics that these audiences use to define greatness may be different based on age, priorities, knowledge, roles and responsibilities.

A chapter accomplishes the greatness mentality when it takes time to get all audiences together to compare definitions and find that Venn diagram sweet spot. While metrics may be different, odds are, there are strong principles or philosophies that congregate in the middle and will lead to a shared mentality of greatness.

Does creating the greatness mentality by itself make a chapter great? No, but it can be the guiding light to getting there. The only proof of greatness is results.

Below are a few examples of how the greatness mentality works and a metric that can be used to prove your greatness in that area.

Academics:

Average Mentality – “Our chapter GPA should be above the All-Men’s or All-Fraternity average.”

Greatness Mentality – “We should actively help our members find the right majors for them, and our chapter GPA should rival the top sorority GPA on campus.”

Proof – An ever-increasing GPA as compared to your past performance.

Campus Involvement:

Average Mentality – “We encourage our members to join student organizations on campus.”

Greatness Mentality – “We expect our members to lead student organizations on campus.”

Proof – Increasing the percentage of your members in leadership roles on campus outside of Phi Delt.

Recruitment:

Average Mentality – “Let’s recruit enough guys to fill the house or get above the fraternity average on campus.”

Greatness Mentality – “How do we get to the point where the best guys show up on campus wanting to be Phi Delts?”

Proof: Dollars spent per new member recruited. Over time, this number should go down as people come to you. Think about Harvard University. They do much more selecting than recruiting.

Alumni:

Average Mentality – “I was a Phi Delt in college and enjoy meeting up with my contemporaries at the Homecoming game.”

Greatness Mentality – “I am a Phi Delt and take great pride in continually enhancing the chapter through my time, talents, mentorship and treasure.”

Proof – Increasing number of alumni mentors, active alumni advisers, alumni donations for campaigns, internships/jobs landed through Phi connections, % of good email/mailing addresses.

Philanthropy/Service:

Average Mentality – “Let’s create an annual event that is recognizable on campus.”

Greatness Mentality – “Let’s make the greatest impact for our cause with the dollars that we raise and the hours that we serve.”

Proof – Increasing $ raised/member, service hours/member, # of hours of education about the cause, and a decreasing cost/$ raised.

To recap, to create a mentality of greatness within your chapter and to prove to others that you are achieving it:

1. Realize that each person defines greatness differently.
2. Bring all chapter entities together to compare definitions of greatness.
3. Identify the commonalities in definitions and shift mindsets to create the ideal mentality for how the chapter wants to achieve greatness in each area.
4. Get to work
5. Track your results each year and compare them to where you started.

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I consider myself very lucky as I reflect on my first weekend at Kent State during my freshman year. I followed a group of new friends to a fraternity cookout, where I was told there would be food, beer, and girls. When I arrived to the house that afternoon, there was no beer—or girls for that matter—but plenty of food, volleyball and a group Phi Delt brothers. Later that night, I went back for a bonfire, talked with several members, played chubby bunny (look it up), and I was hooked. On day one of my college career, I found a great chapter from the best fraternity on the planet. Like I said, I was lucky.

I texted my dad that day to tell him I was hanging out at a fraternity. He replied, “Be careful”. And I said, “No Dad! Would you believe that the fraternity has an alcohol-free property? Don’t worry!” He said back, “Isn’t that an oxymoron?”

In a way, Phi Delta Theta is sort of an oxymoron in the fraternity world. Over the past decade, we have grown faster, stronger, and smarter than many any other fraternal organizations. In the words of Brother Rich Fabritius, “We have colleges calling us, wanting us on their campuses.”

It’s a turbulent time for many Greek communities, and many organizations are doing little to help themselves. Excessive drinking and hazing has pushed many chapters and organizations to the brink of existence. I’m proud of the tough decisions that Phi Delt has made, the example that it has set, and the benefits that it provides to young men.

I think the reasons for my pride and the Fraternity’s success is simple, but it may not for the reasons you would expect. When Phi Delt adopted alcohol-free housing, we set the groundwork to become the best fraternity that we can be. Now, I am definitely not some anti-booze snob who will stick my nose up at the sight of alcohol, but I do believe that there is a time and a place for drinking, and our policies have established the guidelines perfectly.

Living in an alcohol-free property at Ohio Lambda for three years, I was reaffirmed of this over and over. Yes, my brothers and I would go out and have fun, but at the chapter house, we made our own fun, like kids playing on a playground. We bonded and grew to know each other in unaltered states of mind. In the absence of alcohol, we focused on each other, and we became a better chapter because of it.

I also believe that much of Phi Delta Theta’s success stems from the Fraternity’s approach to leadership conferences. The training that our members receive at Kleberg, Recruitment Workshops, and the Presidents Leadership Conference, in absence of alcohol, is second-to-none. There is NO WAY we could have an effective conference, waking up at 8 a.m. and going until 10 p.m. for three days, if our members were out drinking the night before. Because of this, our members return to their chapters after a conference and they are prepared and motivated to make serious change at their school.

When I was at PLC this winter, I had a friend also attending a conference for his fraternity at the same time. After the weekend, we exchanged stories. The majority of his energy was spent out at bars and wild excursions through the city. Although it sounded fun, I knew his experience could not top my own. Phi Delt takes preparing its leaders seriously, and it shows in the quality of our chapters and our alumni. We are a different breed of Fraternity man.

Phi Delta Theta has always been a leader in the fraternity world, but it has never been truer than it is today. I believe that in an uncertain future for fraternities, Phi Delt is preparing itself greatly for long-term success.  Because of the decisions we’ve made and the vision we possess, I feel confident that Phi Delt will truly be a Fraternity for life, and for my son’s life, and for his son as well.

I am grateful for an opportunity to give back to a Fraternity that has given me so much. I’m Proud to be a Phi.

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Although I’m absolutely thrilled to be joining the Phi Delta Theta staff in a few short weeks, I’m currently in limbo. Like many recent college graduates, I’m back at my childhood home, sitting in an old bedroom that both looks and feels different from when I left it four years ago. However, my stay here is brief; I’ve got adventuring to do.

In the time between my graduation from Iowa State and the beginning of my career as a Leadership Consultant, I’ll be going on a whirlwind of a trip. I will have traveled through multiple states, taken a camping trip garnished with days boating on a pristine lake, attended a three-day music festival and visited three of the largest cities the country. All the while, I’ll be fortunate enough to laugh and reminisce with the people whom I cherish most, spending time telling stories and hypothesizing about what the future may hold for us. It’s the perfect way to use these transitional days, both fitting and rewarding.

Even though I’m not in the “real world” yet, I’ve already done quite a bit of reflection on my college days – the people I’ve met, the places I’ve gone, the experiences I’ve shared, the roles I’ve filled, and the growth that I’ve undergone. As I embark on my post-grad road trip and prepare for life on the road with Phi Delta Theta, I can’t help but think of some of the most important things I learned while in college and how they have led me to my current journey. They are lessons that I plan on taking with me everywhere I go; lessons that I hope each undergraduate Phi Delt learns.

Value Your Values

The Cardinal Principles: Friendship, Sound Learning, and Rectitude. As men of Phi Delta Theta, these are the values that we have sworn to hold true. As a fraternity man, a college student, and a gentleman, I hope that you adhere to far more: acceptance, honesty, duty, integrity, loyalty, modesty, valor, etc., etc. To be honest, I’m far less concerned with which values you deem most important, but more so on how you choose to live through them.

In the words of John Stewart, “If you don’t stick to your values when they’re being tested, they’re not values, they’re hobbies.” Make your values known to others and internalize them. When faced with a difficult decision, it is always worth the extra second to examine how your decision-making has aligned with what you deem most important. You’ll thank yourself for it in the long run, I promise.

Try New Things

Your world is only as big as you allow it to be. Fortunately for college students, you find yourselves in a position of limitless potential. While on your college campus, pursue things that sound interesting to you, shake every hand you possibly can, get involved early and immerse yourself in whatever world you choose to explore.

Eat new foods with new friends in new parts of tow and explore your city’s hidden gems and secret hideaways. Take a weekend trip for every reason and for no reason. Go abroad and learn to appreciate a culture other than your own. Grow your world.

Don’t Be Afraid

Don’t be afraid of life. It’s going to happen to you no matter what and there’s no stopping it. The only difference between being a driver and being a passenger is that drivers decide the destination and receive better view for the ride. Be a driver.

Challenge tradition. When others act in a way that defies your values or our values, stand up. Do not fear the majority, do not fear failure, and always take the tough road if you know it to be right. The things you’ll regret most are the things you don’t do.

Make Mistakes

You will never have a better opportunity to make mistakes in your entire life than right now. You are young, you have a strong network of brothers to support you and you most certainly have a lot of things that you’ll need to learn the hard way:  staying up too late, under-preparing for an exam, breaking a friend’s trust and oversteping your bounds.

I’m not telling you that you should do any of these things, however, you’ll do them on your own. My advice to you is that when these things do happen to you, take the time to recognize your mistake and learn everything you can from the experience. Make these mistakes while you can still afford to.

Be Honest

Be honest with yourself and in your relationships. Be honest with your brothers. This was perhaps the most difficult lesson for me to learn. Don’t hide your emotions in an attempt to be “a man.” The best men I’ve ever met are full of honesty, emotion and life.

Your feelings, your past, your future, your fears and your desires are all part of what make you who you are. Not being open to them limits your potential for love and success. Love openly and love often. Honesty is easy to neglect, but sorely missed once gone. One dishonest encounter is enough to destroy a relationship that took years to build. Take it from me.

Love the Adventure

Learn to love the adventure. Chase the good, appreciate the bad and learn everything you possibly can along the way. Not every part of life is as fun or glamorous as a fraternity social, tailgating a home game or a post-grad road trip. Truthfully, many things in life are the exact opposite: summer jobs, trips to the DMV, study sessions, grocery shopping, conference calls, dusting, commuting to work, and filing paperwork, to name a few. However, only you are capable of determining how you feel about these other aspects of your daily life. Take time to appreciate the beauty and significance in every situation. Your happiness is always under your control.

By doing these things, I know that you will become a better and happier man. This advice is amongst the most valuable things I that I learned during my college years, and nearly all of it is directly related to my time with Iowa Gamma.

However, I write these lessons with no intention of suggesting that I have everything figured out or that I am a perfect model for my own advice. My practice is imperfect, and at times, I have found myself to be a hypocrite. Nonetheless, I have no doubt that my next two years with Phi Delta Theta will give me even more insight and even more advice to give. I don’t know how and when that will happen, really, but that’s just part of the adventure.

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To me, four years is a short period of time. As a history major, I am used to analyzing causes and effects over hundreds of years. Over the last few weeks of my undergraduate career, I have begun to realize and appreciate the effect that these four years have had on me and how they will continue to shape me. The relationships and experiences that I have gained are extensive and strong, and the majority of them were founded in the Phi Delta Theta Fraternity. I would not be the man I am today without Phi Delt and everything it has offered me.

With each semester and Phikeia class that entered the Fraternity, I was given opportunities to meet new people and form bonds that will withstand the test of time. I can think of brotherhood events, alumni events, or just regular weekday nights when the only thing that mattered was the fact that we were either talking about memories we had or making new ones. That type of comfort that comes from understanding what true brotherhood is tough to replicate during college.

If I could identify one lesson that I was constantly reminded of throughout my time at Saint Louis University, it would be that everything happens for a reason. I chose Phi Delta Theta and everything that I gained because of that decision was because of the initial feel that I acquired during Rush Week. I chose to be an education and history major, and the classes that I was required to take provided me with knowledge and practical experience for my future field. I chose to student teach this last semester and therefore missed out on many of the social aspects of a second semester senior, but I was able to help countless numbers of students grow socially, academically and cognitively. I was recently asked if I had any regrets from my time at SLU. I was able to confidently state that I did not because of this mentality that everything happens for a reason. I would advise younger Phis to keep this is mind throughout their own time at school.

As I look forward to what is to come, I am proud to be able to look back and relive everything that has happened. There is excitement both in what we remember and what we have to look forward to. This is especially true knowing that I will continue to have Phi Delta Theta as a part of my life and knowing everything it has given me already.

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What do we think of when we see or hear the word brotherhood? The word “brotherhood” is used from the time we start recruitment and continues to be used everyday as a way to describe why we joined or what we’re looking for in the Fraternity. Few people ever find their true meaning to the word “brotherhood” but for some reason, Greeks everywhere use it because they think it is what brings us all together.

For me the word “brotherhood” was always something that I searched for within my own chapter, but I could never find a definition or phrase to describe it.  It took me losing one of my mentors and brothers on February 28, 2012 to realize what true “brotherhood” really meant to me.

Losing this person has been one of the toughest things I’ve had to deal with in my short 22 years of life, and it changed me for the better. Before, I thought losing a relative or friend was hard but this just seemed to hit a little harder than any of those. Although we love our friends and family, losing a fraternity brother who I respected caused me to feel a whole new series of emotions that I hadn’t felt before that day.

Michael R. Haines was someone we could count on at PA Pi. As a Founding Father and CAB member he was involved from the time he was initiated until the day he passed. Mike would have given anything he had if we as a chapter told him we needed it, and that man lived our values to the fullest in every extent of his life. Whether it was waiting tables at Eat N Park, selling phones at Verizon, collecting money in an armored car, or being there for his brothers, Mike Haines was passionate and put his whole heart and soul into every part of his life. We all had respect for him and although he was tough on every memmber of the chapter, we knew there was a reason behind it. He was sometimes stern but would also be the first person to shake your hand and tell you that you did a good job at something.

My first real connection with Mike came during the fall semester of the 2011-2012 school year, shortly after recruitment was over and we were beginning the Phikeia process with our new guys. We were talking outside of a building on camups just catching up before any of the brothers had arrived. It started off as a normal conversation about the week and what had been going with the chapter and just general things that were going on in our lives. I remember him being extremely happy about the new job that he was hoping to get and how good of a change it would be for him. But as we all knew with him, things went from happy to serious in the blink of an eye when it came time for business.

He started telling me how impressed he was with the chapter and how things had been going over the past year and that he couldn’t wait to see where we could be in five years if we kept up our hard work. As I look back on that now, I truly wish that he would be here to see how much of an impact he had on us as a chapter up to that point, and I wish I had told him that one of the main reasons we were where we were was because of him. We kept talking and after awhile he shook my hand, looked me in the eye and told me that he was proud to see how I had changed since my initiation. He also mentioned that in his eyes my pledge class was the “second founders” and without us, the chapter would not be where it is.  From that moment, until the minute I heard the news that Mike had passed, I had worked to make sure he was satisfied with the chapter, and at the time I had not realized it, but I had earned Mike’s respect. Every member of Pennsylvania Pi can probably say that Mike had a positive effect his life or on the way we thought about things.

My true meaning of “brotherhood” happened shortly after his passing when we were all sitting in a room together with local alumni, our Province President Jordan Palitto, General Council member Chris Brussalis and brothers that knew Mike since the day he was intiated. We were laughing and telling stories of how Mike had touched our lives or made us laugh. That “feeling” we all had sitting in that room, as our former CAB Chairman Mike Hortert described it, was “brotherhood” in every sense of the word. The feeling we get when we think of the others in the chapter. The feeling we get when we all come together to support each other and share memories. The feeling we get when we think of Mike Haines. I can honestly say that I have never been more proud to call myself a brother of Phi Delta Theta than I was that night. Seeing the amount of support and care that we all had for each other in a time of need is what this is truly about.

Today, I can finally say that I’ve found my definition of the word. It’s not something that can be defined with words or descriptions, but more of a feeling when you’re surrounded by those you call your brothers, and you see that they are willing to give as much of themselves to you as you are willing to give them. It’s that feeling we all get when we see a brother doing something that represents our values. It’s that feeling we get when we’re at a Phi Delt conference and get chills doing ritual with members of different chapters. It’s that feeling we get when we think of the person that brought us into Phi Delta Theta. It’s that feeling we get when we’re proud of our accomplishments as an organization or as an individual chapter. Sit and think about that “feeling” and a time that it has hit you during your time as a member of this great organization.

What does brotherhood mean to you?

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There is a well-known fraternity cliché that I am sure the majority of people reading this have heard before. It is said that fraternity brothers will be the first to arrive at your wedding and the last to leave your funeral. While I have yet to attend a fraternity brother’s wedding, I plan on making an early appearance. Unfortunately, I cannot say so much for the latter.

Trent Taylor was the kind of guy that you couldn’t help but gravitate towards. Trent was our star intramural athlete, our head of recruitment, the chapter member who always had a sorority date night to attend, he was my pledge brother, and most importantly he was the first person to meet you with a smile as you entered the chapter house courtyard. At one point I remember thinking of Trent as the Florida Gamma “welcome mat.” He was always there, always with a greeting, and always prepared to dust you off after a long day. Trent made everyone feel comfortable. Trent made everyone feel at home.

On April 7^th 2012, a fellow Phi, Trent Taylor was involved in an accident and suffered a traumatic brain injury. Over the next few days, the staff at Orlando’s Regional Medical Center struggled to find room for the influx of family, friends, and Phis that traveled to be with Trent and his family. We watched, waited, hoped, and prayed for Trent to improve. We cried, we joked, and we laughed at the many stories that Trent had been the center of.

On the evening of April 12^th, hundreds of friends from the Florida State community gathered on campus to memorialize Trent. Some told stories, some said prayers, and others came simply to support our chapter. For many, this was their chance to say goodbye. Ian Trent Taylor passed away on April 12^th as we gathered at Florida State’s Westcott Fountain to remember him.

In the year since Trent passed, I have tried to make some sense of his death and all of the experiences that surrounded such a tremendous loss. I am not sure that I will ever truly understand, but I have certainly learned a few things about Fraternity and Brotherhood.

Brotherhood is Support

As a leader in my chapter, I frequently felt that I was carrying my chapter through every situation no matter how small or large. I felt as if I was constantly supporting one of our one hundred forty members. I had a very different realization during Trent’s memorial service in Orlando. I sat in the second row behind Trent’s closest friend and roommates. I sat there to support them, as the same brothers were also some of my closest friends. What I noticed in that moment was the two hundred or more Phis who sat in the rows behind me, supporting me as I did my best to support those that sat in the row ahead. I believe this is an essence of Brotherhood that leaders frequently fail to realize. We do not support our brothers and carry their burdens because we are stronger or better suited to do so. We support them because while we struggle, there are always brothers behind us carrying a little bit of the weight.

Brotherhood is more than Friendship

As Brothers of Phi Delta Theta, we all recognize Friendship as one of our cardinal principles. But I believe that Brotherhood is more than the word friendship could ever explain. Friends share experiences and memories, as Brothers we share a bond that few outsiders will ever witness. We feel with one another through every success and every failure. We laugh and cry as much for each other as we do for ourselves. When Trent passed, I shed as many tears for my Brothers’ loss as I did for my own. We are connected by far more than Friendship. We are truly linked heart to heart.

Brotherhood is real

No one would argue that members of Phi Delta Theta are Brothers. We have defined our relationship as such. What I am talking about exists outside of our definition of our association. Common knowledge would suggest that as my chapter mourned the loss of Trent, we were one less member and therefore our Brotherhood had shrunk. In reality, it had soared to levels that I could have never imagined. Trent’s passing had ignited a flame in all of us. We may have been one less member, but our Brotherhood was stronger than ever. As we returned to Tallahassee for classes, exams, and eventually graduation, I could not help but feel stronger and closer to my Brothers than ever before.

As Brothers we are far more than the sum of our parts. We are more than chapter meetings, parties, and even the ritual that guides us. Brotherhood exists outside of the individuals that embody it. Trent will forever be a part of that Brotherhood.

As I travel the country growing our great Fraternity as an Expansion Consultant for Phi Delta Theta, I carry Trent’s memory and our story. Through our Brotherhood, he touches every campus, colony, and individual that I work with. Trent, and what he meant to my chapter, will always be a part of how I define Brotherhood and Fraternity. Brotherhood is the good and the bad, the smiles and the tears, the weddings and the funerals. But most of all it is real and it is lasting. And it has changed my life for the better. Though we are separated by distance, Mary Todd Taylor, Tanner Taylor, and the Florida Gamma Chapter will always be in my thoughts.

The Florida Gamma Chapter will be hosting the Inaugural Trent Taylor Memorial “Power Strut” 5k this weekend benefiting the Brain Injury Association of Florida.

If you enjoyed or related to this post in any way, please consider making a contribution in Trent’s memory at http://www.youcaring.com/nonprofits/trent-taylor-5k-power-strut-/49634

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In a lot of cases, the Fraternity/Sorority Advisor (FSA) on campus is an entry level position with a vast array of responsibilities, and is the only professional position that works directly with Greeks on campus. Since this is an entry level position, it shouldn’t be surprising that there’s fairly quick turnaround in these positions. Chapters can experience new people coming in and changing plans, policies, interpretations, and priorities more often than they would prefer. Personally, I had four different Greek Advisors in the span of three years as an undergraduate, so I know the feeling. New FSAs will have new plans, new perspectives, and new approaches to solving issues and generating ideas. As Chapter leaders, it’s important to build a positive, working relationship with the new FSA.

Over the past five years in the Fraternity/Sorority profession, I’ve found that Greek students enjoy new, flashy, and trendy, but can be extremely hesitant, if not resistant, to actual change. You’ve spent countless hours working with one administrator, building that professional relationship, that trust, getting a feel for their general attitudes and opinions. Now, they’ve transitioned out of their role and there’s someone else in their desk chair; someone with new ideas and a completely different personality. Maybe they’re going to be the fun Greek Advisor, maybe they’ll be the hard-liner, maybe they’ll be more of the philosopher and orator, or maybe they’ll be a combination of all the above. The bottom line is that you won’t know until you begin building a working relationship with them. So the question is: How is a Chapter supposed to build rapport with these administrators, learn their expectations, etc. when every year, you seem to start right back at the drawing board? I’d like to share three things that I believe will help you build rapport with new FSA staff members.

Understand the FSA as a Professional

When a new hire joins your community, that FSA may have just graduated from a master’s program, and sometimes they come into their position with a few years of professional experience. Either way, they are still new to the campus environment and the MOST important thing to realize is that they are not your old Greek Advisor. Conversations cannot begin with phrases like ‘Well Luke always let us do this’ or ‘Luke never asked us to turn this in’, etc. The new FSA is a different professional with a fresh set of eyes. Trust in the fact that their new ideas, procedures, and directions are all based in the fact that they want all Chapters to succeed and prosper under their watch. They will want to get to know you as a Greek, as a student, and as a person.

This can be a challenge since many FSA’s walk a very fine line between the advisor and the disciplinarian. Very often in that role, they not only have that advising relationship, but they also are responsible for organizational conduct. They receive the 3am phone calls from campus police and the Vice President’s office the next morning. Around the office, students may tiptoe around words and phrases, almost as if the FSA has an alarm button under their desk that sends an instant red flag at ‘nationals.’ I would argue that if you are following policies and your actions as a chapter align with your values, then there is no reason to tiptoe. The point is, you won’t be able to build that relationship with a new administrator if you are not authentically you. Realize that they did not take the job to get anyone in trouble, but at the same time, they will hold you accountable, so don’t try to slip one past the new professional.

Be willing to hear the word NO

Yes, I said it, and it’s completely possible that during the transition period, you may hear the word no. We have to understand that this is someone who is starting a new job and it takes more than a week or two to learn about the campus culture, policies, etc. They have to make priorities. While they may not actually use those dreaded two letters, they may ask for more time to think, suggest other options, etc.

Nine times out of ten, a student affairs professional is not going to say no, just to say it, or not because they don’t have time to explain fully. Rather, I tend to believe that the vast majority of advisors are going to make an honest effort to “Get you to a YES” (to quote one of my former supervisors). That ‘Yes’ may not look like the yes you wanted, but it is a yes nonetheless. Be flexible during this transition stage and realize the new staff member may not have an answer for you right now or it may not be a priority compared to other looming issues. This doesn’t mean they don’t care. Just ask them when it would be appropriate to follow up or when they will be able to have a decision for you. This flexibility can go a long way when building rapport.

Communicate

Find out how your new FSA prefers to communicate. Are they a phone person? If so, put their office number in your phone. Are they more of an email person? Then make sure you start checking your student email once a day, particularly if you’re the Chapter President. Take advantage of opportunities to introduce members to the new staff member. If you have meals at your Chapter house, invite them over for a dinner and make them feel welcomed. Invite them to speak or do a program at a Chapter or new member meeting. Remember, people decide to work in Student Affairs because of the interactions with students, not because they enjoy roster updates and grade reports. Ask them to help with or attend something outside of their office.

If you begin with these three things, I would venture to say that you’re on your way to building rapport with your new Greek official on campus. At the end of the day, they are there to advise, advocate, and support the Greek community, not to swoop in and close Chapters. If they didn’t believe in the vast potential and positive impact of the fraternity/sorority experience, they wouldn’t be in that role in the first place. Give them the opportunity to lead you and you may be pleasantly surprised where you end up.

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Full disclosure: I have never had an alcoholic beverage. That being said, you’re probably wondering why someone who has never had a drink is writing about alcohol awareness. Just as there are misconceptions associated with alcohol, there are misconceptions surrounding those who choose not to drink – misconceptions that, when cleared up, can help us to build a stronger, healthier brotherhood.

When others learn that I’ve never had a drink, often times they rush to figure out why I “condemn” alcohol and those who choose to drink.  It can be frustrating to be written off at times for my choice to not drink. What they find soon after, however, is that it’s just that, a personal choice. I look forward to going out with my friends and having a good time. Being sober doesn’t keep me from having a good night out, and by no means do I expect others to make the same choice to abstain from alcohol.

I’ve seen fraternity chapters, however, where a schism has appeared. This level of mutual understanding either hasn’t developed or has gone by the wayside. It becomes a battle of those who enjoy a drink versus those who choose not to – a battle of brother versus brother. One group begins ostracizing those who “are irresponsible”, while the other group starts judging those who “hate fun”. As brothers, neither group is in the right.

This rough relationship is all too often the result of a lack of accountability and a consequence of knee-jerk reactions. As we’ve frequently heard, alcohol awareness in fraternities is a matter of taking ownership of your actions and the actions of your brothers. What does it say about our brotherhood if, instead of choosing to come together and find a middle ground, we choose to draw party lines?

There’s nothing more powerful than having a real one-on-one conversation and letting a brother know that you care about him. How often do instances of a brother going too far with his drinking end with a genuine conversation with him the next day? Instead, how often is that brother pushed aside, talked about, or taken to the judicial board? My hope is that we, as brothers who choose not to drink, can have these conversations and show concern without ever condemning our brothers or pushing them to the side.

And, on the other end, how well are these conversations, when they do happen, received? This is where I’d like the misconception about those who don’t drink to be cleared up. It’s not that those who choose to not drink see themselves differently. There isn’t a holier-than-thou attitude that comes with this choice. Instead of seeing these conversations with your brothers who don’t drink as someone’s attempt to levy judgment on you, do you see it as an authentic display of care and compassion?

I know that we can reach this level of mutual respect. It’s tough to sit down with a brother and let him know that you’re concerned when his drinking caused him to go a little too far. I can only imagine how hard it is to be on the other end, choosing to listen and take what he’s saying to heart. It’s this level of understanding that allows us to foster a true sense of brotherhood.

Brother Boulter joined the GHQ Staff as an Expansion Consultant in 2012 after graduating from Kettering University with a degree in Electrical Engineering. While at Kettering, Michael served his chapter, Michigan Delta, in a number of roles. Guided by his work as President, his chapter won the Kettering President’s Cup in 2011. While serving as Recruitment Chairman, he completely revamped his chapter’s recruitment program, which led to their largest pledge class in 20 years. Michael was a delegate to both ELI and PLC and returned to both conferences the following year as a Peer Mentor. Outside of Phi Delta Theta, he was President of the Running Club and Recruitment Chairman of IFC, a position in which he was recognized as the Officer of the Year. Being an Iron Phi, Michael is an avid runner with a 5 year “running streak.”

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What I have come to discover in my Fraternity experience is that you cannot live your Ritual until you are confident in your understanding of it. Think about the last time you heard the words of the Bond, and for our non-Phi Delt readers, think about the last time you read your Creed. Perhaps you simply listened to the words, perhaps someone has memorized the words, perhaps, even, you know the vast majority of the words’ definitions. But what does it all mean? We listen to the writings, but do we truly understand the words on the page?

Our Rituals were written using words, diction, and syntax that are 100-200 years old. They are from a time of intense academic pursuit and a significant appreciation for language; a time of spoken propriety and intellectual prowess for those with the opportunity to attend university. This appreciation for language has been long since forgotten by the general population, and thus poses the inherent question: How can Fraternity and Sorority members of today live their Ritual when its ceremonies and guarded meanings are written in an all but lost form of prose?

Think about the words on the page… When was the last time you used one of those words in such a profound way? When have you heard others use similar words in such an eloquent amalgamation? And when was the last time you stared at those sacred pages and looked beyond the words on the page, looked beyond yourself and your Brothers/Sisters, and sought out the hidden wisdom of the Founders? Unfortunately, the assumption is that we cannot fully answer any of these questions.

Herein lies the challenge for our members – to understand the words on the page to a degree that allows an individual or Chapter to internally process, and externally exhibit the principles and intentions of those words; to live a purposeful life that illustrates the clandestine meanings of those principles. When our vernacular persistently abbreviates and simplifies itself, can we seek the ability to comprehend words that in such a way, have transcended time and have remained unchanged since their inception?

If you are up to the challenge, then let’s talk about where to start. I believe the secret is not only in the words on the page, but also in the words, experiences, and tenets of members from the past that sought the same truths. I believe that living the Ritual of Phi Delta Theta is, quite simply, the actualization of the well-known quote by Walter B. Palmer:

“Phi Delta Theta was organized with three principle objectives: The cultivation of friendship among its members; the acquirement individually of a high degree of mental culture, and the attainment personally of a high standard of morality.”

Think about Brother Palmer’s words… these axioms echo the Three Cardinal Principles of Friendship, Sound Learning, and Rectitude. These few lines of text comprise the articulation of a lifestyle pursuant to the sacred principles we swore to uphold. It is the equation that defines how we can live our Ritual, and it is the map of how we, as members of Phi Delta Theta should live our lives. If this is the map, where is the compass? We can use other quotes from members of the past to clarify Brother Palmer’s words and discern the truth from the words on the page. Below are the three tenets with lines that I believe further-explain their concepts:

The cultivation of friendship among its members…

“It is the spirit of true brotherhood that touches the depths of a man’s inner life and wards off sorrows and disappointments, opens the way for the highest services, and furnishes the inspiration for right living.” – John Wolfe Lindley

The acquirement individually of a high degree of mental culture…

“The Fraternity must always work in harmony with the college for the true ends of education” – Arthur R. Priest.

The attainment personally of a high standard of morality…

“Every organization that is right and proper in its nature, will be what the men who constitute it are.” – Robert Morrison

See how each quote contributes to the clarification of each tenet? If you want to take this exercise a step further, I challenge you to write your own definitions for “highest services, right living, and true ends of education”. In addition, what is Brother Morrison saying in this quote? Take a few minutes and think about these words on the screen, and the fact they are on a screen and not on an actual page… These are just a few examples of thoughts and questions you can ask yourself and your members if you seek to decipher the words on the page.

The fact of the matter is that our members will only understand our Ritual to the degree that they comprehend the meanings of the words on the page. Now, by understand, I’m not referring to having a notion, idea, or feeling, but rather a level of comprehension that one can apply, voice, and model that understanding to others. This is not to say that every member should dedicate years to vigilant study and attaining meaning from the words of Ritual. It simply means that we should work together in helping each other to learn about the words on the page. It means that through sacrificing a little time and deriving greater truth and purpose from the words on the page, we will have the essential ability to articulate what it means to live out those principles and be the men and women we swore to be.

Brother Luke Benfield is the Director of Education at General Headquarters. Luke is a member from the Georgia Gamma Chapter at Mercer University. He has a bachelor’s degree in English literature and economics, as well as a master’s degree in educational leadership. Before coming to GHQ, Luke was the Fraternity and Sorority Life Advisor at Coastal Carolina University, as well as the IFC advisor at Florida Gulf Coast University in graduate school.

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