[17164] in APO-L
Re: Risk Management?
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Brooks L. Moore)
Sat Aug 16 15:49:06 1997
Date: Sat, 16 Aug 1997 15:47:18 -0400
Reply-To: "Brooks L. Moore" <bmoor02@EMORY.EDU>
From: "Brooks L. Moore" <bmoor02@EMORY.EDU>
To: Multiple recipients of list APO-L <APO-L@VM.CC.PURDUE.EDU>
In-Reply-To: <199708152113.RAA17740@graf.cc.emory.edu>
Tandee,
First of all, I'd like to thank you for taking the time to consider
seriously the risk management policy. As the chairman of the committee
that oversaw the risk management policy at the last national convention,
I can tell you the RMP was designed first and foremost as an educational
tool. Our goal was to increase awareness in chapters that certain actions
they take may have a degree of risk,and that the risk they take in
performing those actions puts more than those individuals on
the line.
While individual safety and responsibility is at the heart of the
RMP, it is folly to ignore the fact that the current litigious environment
of our society poses a potential threat to individual chapters and the
fraternity as a whole. Therefore, in addition to calling upon all
brothers to exercise the best of their common sense in activities tied
formally or informally to the fraternity, I believe that chapter
leadership should take a very active role in protecting our common
interests.
To get to the heart of your question: No waiver can PREVENT a
lawsuit. This is a fact I have heard borne out by attourney after
attourney. However, a waiver would go a long way in
minimizing the burden of risk taken on by your chapter in the event of an
accident, partucularly if you are ever called to defend your chapter's
policy on educating brothers on risk management issues.
To solve the immediate issue of your waiver, I would have all
active brothers sign a waiver that they have read the risk management
policy and agree to abide by it. As each new pledge class
initiates, have them also each sign the waiver. Keep all of these on file
for as long as that brother is active.
But, to truly MANAGE risk in yuor chapter, reading the RMP is not
enough. I strongly encourage the leadership and membership of every
chapter to sit down and discuss how the RMP affects their chapter. In
particular, I think each chapter should examine their safety policies
towards service projects, their alcohol policy, their driving policy, what
sort of financial protection and money management system they use, safety
at fellowship events (sports, in particular), and what defines an
"official APO event." This last one should have particular attention paid
to it. While there has been a great debate about this in some circles,
suffice it to say that wearing APO letters or being at an APO function may
too narrowly define the words "official function." Please be aware that
the APO tie that brings ANY group of people together may constitute
examination as an "official event."
Finally, I would like to make a plea to those of you out there who
oppose the risk management policy. Time and again, I have heard the
sentiment that having a risk management policy imposes a set of rules over
our chapters, and ignore the fact that most of us have a greal deal of
common sense. The RMP was never intended to be an "end-all, be-all" set
of rules to govern the behavior of the brotherhood. It's purpose is to
EDUCATE, not imprision. I ask you to soften your opposition long enough
to think as to how one foolish action, no matter how innocent it may ave
been, could affect the life of every other APO brother. Please, do not
let pride stand in the way of common sense and cautious behavior.
To anyone out there who would like to hear my views on risk
management, or if you have specific questions on how to manage risk in
your chapter more effectively, I would be happy to write to you. Please
contact me at bmoor02@emory.edu. However, please be a little patient with
my response -- my med school classes have already started. In fact, I
have my first final on Monday!
In L, F, S,
Brooks Moore
