Founding a Fraternity Chapter

[deleted] · 2014-10-08T05:06:46+00:00

You've already made great points about the pros and cons. I will say that if you're at a decently sized school, you can probably find a fraternity that's not 100% focused on partying. It's worth rushing a few at least to make sure you find a worthwhile one.

As far as founding a chapter - it depends. Is your main motivation to be the founder of something new and shape its future, or to have the security and network of an established organization? Only you can answer that.

TheRpPhilosopher · 2014-10-08T03:49:59+00:00

Why do you need to start a fraternity at all? It's ok to not be a part of a group. You bring up the networking advantages, but you can network in many other ways as well (other social clubs on campus, internships, church groups, sport teams, hell even your classroom)

Starting a whole frat seems like a lot of trouble to be able to do the same things without one.

zetman0 · 2014-10-08T05:14:59+00:00

Where are you trying to colonize?

Aegent · 2014-10-08T17:38:44+00:00

This is not like starting a business. This is like investing 4 years of your life toward beginning to build a house, then giving the unfinished product away for the next guy to continue building, then he does the same thing, and so on... and you will likely never live in or reap the benefits of that house. In this context, it's much easier and more rewarding to receive a house that has already been built, and simply do a bit of maintenance while continuing to improve it.

Don't start a new fraternity, especially if you're talking about starting it up without the support of a national chapter. Here's why:

Insurance - A huge portion of fraternity dues goes toward this. Liability coverage for high-risk fraternity events is a fantastic safety net. Fraternity men will inevitably do some very dumb shit, and having a large national organization with the ability to send top lawyers and advisers to the school in order to bail you out is invaluable. Perhaps more importantly, you will not be able to hold large events on campus without at least $1 million of insurance coverage.
Network - Being in a fraternity is more than just being able to find a great group of guys from your local campus, it's about being able to instantly connect and share a common bond with brothers from other campuses too. It's a bit of social proof for everybody, guaranteeing a general "floor" as far as how well put-together they are (i.e., at least capable of paying dues monthly, not a complete social outcast, etc). Starting a new fraternity guarantees you won't see any of these benefits for many generations (likely ever). Even if you do have a national chapter, you won't have the benefits of alumni coming to the chapter offering internships and job interviews.
Clean Slate Fallacy - I promise, you won't do any better at "making sure all of the crap stuff doesn't get in" than the other fraternities. It's not that people aren't cracking down hard enough on the irresponsible partying and what-not, it's simply harder than you think to effectively manage an organization and balance responsibilities, school, work, and still cultivate that prime college experience. You may have gotten the wrong impression - fraternity men do enjoy having crazy parties and great stories, but don't underestimate the value we place in being a well-rounded, successful professional.
Unnecessary Effort - New fraternities will generally start at the bottom, especially without the support of a national chapter. You will have a hard time getting the organization off the ground floor due to lack of alumni support, insurance, and infrastructure. You'll have to develop all of the rituals, the best practices, and the desired culture - much harder than you think. As a founder, you will never see any return on these benefits. It's very easy to join a fraternity, get on the exec board, and begin effecting progressive change from the inside. Provided that you're able to garner the respect of the other men, you'll already have a framework to operate in. If you're a good leader, they will follow.

If the college you go to is big enough, you should be able to find a fraternity that is the right fit for you. If you do have a national chapter that wishes to colonize a chapter at your school, that's a lot easier than starting from scratch, but it will still be harder and less rewarding than joining an existing fraternity. You'll have nationals breathing down your neck to ensure that your chapter gets a good, clean start - trust me when I tell you, that's no fun.

Title	Founding a Fraternity Chapter
Author	vissil
Upvotes	3
Comments	6
Date	October 8, 2014 2:47 AM UTC (11 years ago)
Subreddit	Posted in /r/askTRP
Original Link	https://old.reddit.com/r/asktrp/comments/2imhft/founding_a_fraternity_chapter/
Archive Link	https://theredarchive.com/r/askTRP/founding-a-fraternity-chapter.142678 https://theredarchive.com/post/142678

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