[18007] in APO-L
Re: aren't you getting tired of this yet?!
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Elizabeth A. Strachan)
Tue Dec 16 18:41:31 1997
Date: Tue, 16 Dec 1997 16:56:15 -0500
Reply-To: "Elizabeth A. Strachan" <eastrach@MTU.EDU>
From: "Elizabeth A. Strachan" <eastrach@MTU.EDU>
To: Multiple recipients of list APO-L <APO-L@VM.CC.PURDUE.EDU>
In-Reply-To: <199712151941.OAA20605@mtu.edu>
Brothers,
This is my first time posting to the list. It concerns the
all-male chapters, so if you are a Brother who doesn't want to hear
anymore about this issue, the rest of this message can be disregarded.
I was on the Chapter Operations committee at the last national
convention. What we ended up recommending to the legislative body was, in
effect, quite neutral. However, I came away from the convention with the
firm personal belief that all-male chapters should be left alone.
I come from Epsilon Lambda, in Houghton, MI. Some of you may have
heard of us. We have some long-standing and very strange traditions here,
and we tend to be kind of odd. I don't want anyone coming into my
chapter and telling me how to run it, and I don't think it's fair for me
to do that to someone else. These all-male chapters have a very strong
service program. They have strong leadership within the chapter. They
certainly have a very strong Brotherhood. How do I know? That's what
they tell me, and I believe them becuase I trust in my Brothers. What
else can we ask? They exemplify Leadership, Friendship, and Service.
I'm a female brother, and if I went to a school where females
aren't allowed to join APO, then it would be disappointing. But
membership in APO is definately not a birthright, and I'd just chalk it up
to the fact that I chose the wrong school if I wanted to be involved in
APO. I came to convention not understanding the all-male chapter's point
of view, and I still don't understand it. But that doesn't mean that I
think we should all just jump right in there and tell them how to fix
themselves. If they say if will hurt their Brotherhood to let women in,
who am I to tell them they are wrong? Why would they lie? I'm not there
on a daily basis; I don't know how they work. The members of the all-male
chapters themselves know best how to run their own chapter; don't force a
change upon them. If and when the time comes for them to allow women in,
then THEY should make that decision, not me.
I believe that one of our many strengths of our national
brotherhood is the fact that we are all different. I don't want to clone
my chapter, or force other chapters to operate like we do here at Michigan
Tech. We just celebrated our 50th Anniversary last weekend in Houghton,
and that's 50 years of doing things OUR way.
I'm also in a social sorority, and we have things shoved down our
throats by nationals all the time. Fines, and policies, and new offices
that should be created, and how to run our meetings. I have always
respected APO for not doing that to their membership. This fraternity is
run by undergraduates, not advisors, alumni, national board members, or
sectional or regional chairmen. The authority rests with US, the
undergraduates. And I trust my fellow undergraduates to decide what is
right for them in their own chapter.
The all-male chapter members are not cold, heartless men who hate
women and "can't grow up". They are very much "living in the 20th
century", and they recognize the fact that there is another gender on
the planet. I've talked with some of them; they're just Brothers like you
and me who believe in the Cardinal Principles and want to serve humanity.
They chose to do it in a way that is different from most chapters. Well,
let 'em do it. Trust them on this.
Just one final point (yes, I'm very long-winded, thanks to
those who have stuck through it all and are still here with me!) I'm all
for discussion and controversy and expressing your viewpoint. That's what
this list is for. Just please be respectful of others opinions, and no
more flaming. I've seen some really truly nasty stuff
posted on this subject. If you can't give respect to your Brothers'
comments, no matter where they are or what kind of chapter they come
from, then I believe you have no right to express your own.
YiLFS Forever,
Beth Strachan
Epsilon Lambda Chapter
eastrach@mtu.edu
PS Does anyone know how I can get hold of someone on the committee
investigating Toast Song changes?
