[13220] in APO-L
Re: Chapter Salvations
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Thomas E. Brown Jr)
Sat Nov 11 02:33:37 1995
Date: Sat, 11 Nov 1995 01:33:49 -0600
Reply-To: "Thomas E. Brown Jr" <tebrown@LONESTAR.JPL.UTSA.EDU>
From: "Thomas E. Brown Jr" <tebrown@LONESTAR.JPL.UTSA.EDU>
To: Multiple recipients of list APO-L <APO-L@VM.CC.PURDUE.EDU>
In-Reply-To: <9511110247.AA10213@lonestar.jpl.utsa.edu>
That's a tough question(regarding wether or not to euthanize the chapter
instead of a quickie pledge class). I was also the founding president of
my chapter at the University of Texas at San Antonio, (AGO) and we had
some week moments during the second year. we even kinda of tried the
quickie pledge class or the solution of if you pledge you are
automatically in. Neither one worked. In fact it was a drain on our
limited resources and almost sped us on our way. But we had a few
brothers that were die hards (me included). The best way to bring back a
chapter, I think, is to concentrate on creating a top quality pledge
program. That means setting standards and if a pledge does not meet
those standards, do NOT activate him/her. Instead invite them back to
the next pledge class. The reason behind this is simple. If you have a
class of 7 pledges and you have two pledges that are gung ho and do all
the requirements and then some, and you have two members that do enough
to finish the requirements and then you have the last three that get
close, but do not complete all the requirements and you activate all
seven, you will lose most of the pledge class anyway. The gung ho people
will see that you don't follow your own standards of LFS and brotherhood
and wonder why he worked so hard if everyone was getting in anyway. The
three that did not do everything will leave anyway. And the two that did
just enought to get by will still stay active but may not take any
leadership roles for a long time and then they may let them slip. Now I
am not knocking those that get by or anyone else, this is just a
stereotypical observation(which can be dangerous) but the point is,
activate those that only pass the requirements, even if that is 2 out of
10. If the other eight really believe in APO they will pledge again with
a lot more enthusiasm the second or third time around. And ever so
slowly, the word will get around by word of mouth to the right people.
After all people tend to stick to similar people. It took us (ME) a long
time to figure this out, but keeping the quality at the pledge program
level high and the rest is dang sure to follow in as soon as two or three
semesters, maybe even the next semester. And remember a small chapter is
not a bad thing. I would rather be an active member of a quality chapter
of 10-15 than an active member of 60 (on the books).
Thats a little more than my two pfennings worth. I, of course, welcome
any and all replys.
Yours in Service,
Tom Brown
Founding President
(chartered April 3, 1993)
currently a co-pledge trainer of 14
with 8-10 possible new members.
Alpha Gamma Omega
