Chapter in Crisis

Does any of this sound familiar?

There are discipline problems with the school, perhaps including hazing. The house is in very poor condition. The chapter's finances are a mess and they owe the House Corporation money. The House Corporation and the chapter's advisors are fed up. Rush numbers are way down. Parents are complaining, and alumni that try to help are treated poorly or ignored. There is a drug problem. The House Corporation does not have enough money to make necessary repairs, or to bring the house up to code. The chapter spends all of its money on socializing. Grades are way down. The Dean or Greek Advisor has talked about the chapter losing its school recognition. The chapter is facing charges with the general fraternity that could result in a suspended or revoked charter. The chapter officers don't return phone calls (OK, I admit it, that last one is a symptom of ANY chapter, healthy or not, crisis or not :)

What are we going to do with this chapter?

It is the nature of volunteer-based organizations that this question is usually asked long after something should have been done. If that is NOT the case in your situation, i.e. the severity of the situation is far from grave or it has developed during the last semester, then give yourselves a big pat on the back. Chances are good that your organization doesn't need much of the advice contained here, although you may enjoy the reading. For everyone else, pay close attention. The balance of this article is aimed at chapters that are in serious trouble. For those chapters that are truly in crisis, it is our advice, based on years of experience with MANY situations, that you should ask/petition your general fraternity to suspend the charter for at least two years. Read on for other things that need to be done at this same time.

First, though, why be this drastic?

In most cases we come into contact with, once you've started thinking about drastic measures, the opportunity to do anything less and have it be effective is probably gone. At that point, it is time for a major "pattern interrupt." You may not want to hear this, but a 'break' from campus is the best medicine. It will allow any bad apples (if there are any) to graduate or leave school, or at least lose interest in being an impediment to a quality return. You also can use the 'break' as an opportunity to energize alumni about a triumphant return. Expect it to be relatively easy to get everyone involved: alumni, the general fraternity, and the school, onto the same game plan if you have a grand vision. This is much more palatable than continued investment of time and money into a questionable enterprise. Starting fresh is, in our opinion, the best way to begin a new and better future for the chapter.

But, are there reasons why to NOT be this drastic?

Yes, if you have MASSIVE resources you and others are willing to pump into a "crisis" chapter, and you are willing to give it ONE LAST chance, then do so. Just know that you're likely to end up back where you started in a relatively short period of time. Once a chapter starts to spiral, it is almost impossible to pull it out and have it stay out for a significant amount of time. It will be more difficult to energize alumni and your general fraternity, as well as your host school. Finally, it is very hard to get everyone on the 'same page' regarding WHAT to do: many are looking for massive and unrealistic change, others just want to return to a status quo, and others just want to do the minimum amount needed so they can fade away gracefully. This lack of consistent vision is NOT a recipe for success.

The remainder of this article is based on making the choice to "take a break." If you are going to try to resuscitate the chapter, much of the advice is still applicable.

How to "Take a Break" Right

• COMMUNICATE!!!!
• With your general fraternity, because they will have to be the ones to suspend or revoke the charter, and they are who you'll go to get it back.
• With your school, because how you leave is important when they will consider how and when you'll return.
• With ALL of your chapter's alumni. They need to be in the loop enough to have the opportunity for input; mostly, though, you want them to know that they'll be expected to step up during the "break" to be part of the triumphant return.
• There needs to be a "mea culpa" on the part of alumni! This is VERY hard to swallow, but it is a must, trust us. There is no doubt that the undergraduate chapter is usually to blame for much or all of the SYMPTOMS of a chapter in "crisis." The unfortunate truth, though, is that alumni generally let them degenerate to that point. If there is back rent owed that is more than a semester's worth, or if there are facility problems that have developed over the years and have not been attended to, then there is a very clear landlording problem. If bad behavior went on, undiscovered or unanswered, for more than a semester, then there is a chapter advising/stewardship problem. Now, having said all of that, you don't need to hash and rehash the history and the details for everyone, provided that everyone involved acknowledge that this was no way to run a railroad. The mistakes that were made MUST be acknowledged and taken into account in your detailed plan for the future, but that need not include finger-pointing and blame.
• There needs to be a "support" analysis, with an eye on recruiting new blood. Even if the alumni that were involved are not burnt-out and want to continue, they need to be augmented visibly with fresh faces and perspectives. This makes good sense from a division of labor perspective, but also from a sales and marketing perspective. Proper leadership includes a wide representation of era's and area's.
• There needs to be accurate housing market analysis. You need to know exactly what the dorms, other fraternities, and off-campus housing all offer and what they charge. This is the only way to develop a reasonable strategy for your position in the housing market.
• If fund raising from alumni will be part of your plan, either to rebuild, renovate, or buy and new house, then there is an INCREDIBLE amount of other things that need to be done, more than we have room for here. Keep in mind, though, that the house and any capital efforts are only half of the picture, the chapter is the other half.

Important Things to Remember as You Plan for the Chapter's Future

• The undergraduates are NOT the chapter, they are a part of the chapter. The chapter includes all initiates, including and especially alumni. Spouses, friends, and parents are part of the extended family, and they matter too. Unless you undertake to teach this to each new member early in their pledgeship, you will have to remind the undergraduate brothers of this fact often.
• The house is NOT the chapter. The chapter can exist without a house; many do quite successfully. That being said, the house can be a marvelous tool to broaden the chapter/fraternity experience. If not run properly, though, it can be a weight around the chapter's neck that drags it down.
• The house MUST be run as a business - to do any less is a disservice to all members of the extended chapter family. Alumni volunteers, with assistance from the general fraternity if available, comprise the stewards of the house. Even though they are volunteers, they should approach the running of the business will all diligence. Hiring out, with oversight, most or all of the management to a third party, should always be a consideration.
• A live-in manager / advisor / house mom is as close to being a necessity as it can get.
• The chapter is a classroom. Never forget that the same lessons will need to be taught over and over - after all, the students change from year to year.
• Undergraduate members, if left alone, will devolve into savagery; think Lord of the Flies. If we expect incredible things from them, and there is no doubt that they are capable of them, then we must do the right things to help nurture those talents and results. Otherwise, savagery.
• Stewardship of chapter must include alumni, the general fraternity, the school, parents, and the live-in. High expectations and close, regular observation are great strategies, provided they are carried out. There is NO substitute for close, regular contact and involvement.

That's it, and it's not very cheery, but then a crisis chapter usually is not. The good news is that the rewards of a good chapter, a solid and growing brotherhood, a quality facility, and the fellowship of working together with all brothers to achieve it, are some of the best feelings you can have.