What am I going to write about

The IFC just spent a whole bunch of money renting out the SKY TERRACE at the Columbus Blue Jackets game. I think the goal of this event was to foster fraternal friendship, but it did not happen. First off, there was no place to socialize other than in your seats. No food or drinks were available for purchase on our level, so we needed to go down an elevator to purchase them. Consequently, we did not mingle while eating and casually watching the game because the setting did not allow for it. We sat in our chairs with our individual chapters spread out among three times as many seats as attendees. The single guy that invited and came with two Pi Beta Phi girls made the right decision--even though this was an IFC only promoted event. Sure, the game up to the last fifteen minutes when Detroit went from down one to up three, but I did not get to know any other greek men. I write this so we keep in mind this fun but somewhat failure of an event when planning other “fraternal love” events. How do we get chapters to get to know each other rather than just hang within their own chapters? I propose not having anymore IFC only events at sporting events and instead have multiple councils participate. I hypothesize that if it is a coed outing, then conversation between chapters will occur, and our investment in dues to the IFC will have greater returns. 

Qualifying statement: Now that I think about it, a few of the chapters were seating together. So it was successful for some groups. 

Values Based Selection Process

Before FH decides who to pursue and pass bids to next quarter, we drew up values based selection criteria. "To have the capacity to meet and make friends" is the first requirement for membership stated in our object; therefore friendship is the first of four values. Tangible ways to measure friendship capacity is having 1-on-1 interviews, three or more brothers speak on his behalf, and if he provides at least two other PNMs to add to the master recruiting names list. Second, scholarship--GPA being above the all-IFC average, which means as the community improves so does the requirements of joining FH. Third, character--distinguished by interviews, but definitely by the spiritual chair. Finally, leadership is essential--being involved in 2+ other student organizations, having a job and in another organization, or being an officer in another organization.

One tactic to stimulate conversation about the fraternity at 1-on-1 meetings is for us to show him our values based selection criteria.

For the most part, fraternities have similar values, but it is the ones that hold their members to them that are the best. Hopefully we follow through.

Oh Shoot

It's 11:18PM now and the house is calm. Several of us are sick--someone is coughing up a lung down the hall. But it is calm. Perhaps out of emotional exhaustion or perhaps by the fact that Eddie George's $3 burgers are now settling in our stomachs and the grease is oozing into our brains as our engines are shutting down. We escaped today's bumpy ride. 

6:30PM "Happy Valentines Day guys!" Gina proclaims as we all start yelling out what kind of candy we want her to throw to us from the bag of goodies she purchased. The theme for tonight's brotherhood night is Funny You Tube Videos. Sugar and top rated clips go well together. After the video with talking animals wins the most votes from the chapter, the meeting is called into order...

"I just don't see the purpose." 

"I'm a senior. I don't know anyone."

"I did not want to do this in the first place."

"Everyone [] and sit down and help!"

"[edited out]!"

...and 7 were left. 

It's 11:35PM now and I have spent the last 4.5 hours working on building relationships with my brothers rather than working on compiling a large list of names for recruitment purposes. When I caught up with my brothers at Eddie Georges after many of them stormed out, I was grateful that my big brother had already calmed them down as he was heading into the house as they were leaving. Dinner was conversational and fun despite less enjoyable food. Once home, I sat down with one of my brother's to listen and work things out. Though I did not lose my cool during the meeting earlier, I could have communicated the meaning of what we were and included brothers in conversations about recruitment before throwing a large task of coming up with 50 names each before we left for EGs. 

Over the next week I will need to build relationships if this large undertaking of a recruitment system overhaul is going to work. PhiredUp comes in a week from tomorrow.

*Tired; therefore may be errors in writing. Sorry.

Cigars, Collaboration, and Civility

We are in the beginning stages of renovating our living room. The necessity of this was reinforced when an 82-year-old brother sent us a box of pictures taken over the past half century. While looking through the old photographs on Sunday during our annual "Super Bowl of Wings" party, we noticed that our living room has not been updated in several decades. At our chapter meeting Monday several proposals were presented by an interior designing group. During Q&A time, a chaotic and out-of-order session commenced with nearly everyone sharing his opinion about the proposed ideas. Since I was trying to hold this meeting under an hour, after several minutes I called the meeting back to regular order and moved on to committee reports (We succeeded in holding it under an hour).

Remembering last night, collaboration took place. Fortunately, the chapter widely accepts the general motif of the renovation—a rustic yet collegiate atmosphere where, if cigar smoking was allowed in the house, it would look appropriate in our new living room. One comment stood out that was not about the details of the ideas, but about other projects in the house; he said there were more pressing projects to spend money on than the living room. An older member of our chapter, who sits on the alumni board, realized that this statement could squelch our current state of creative thinking and energy, so he quickly answered the concern by saying the board is dealing with other house projects too. Collaboration was easily achieved for several reasons: we all bought into the vision of renovating our living room; we all come from similar backgrounds and have similar tastes or have learned to appreciate those of their brothers, and professionals did the hard work of putting together pictured proposals of options that increased excitement. Conflict was mitigated because each brother shared his opinion in an atmosphere of civility—even though some ideas received laughter.