Dilemnas/Opportunities facing the fraternal movement

Fraternal organizations are one of the oldest and most unique organizations on college campuses today. Most fraternities were founded about 200 years ago, and some were founded even before that. Fraternal organizations are one of the few organizations that require an oath to join. Since the founding of fraternities, not much has changed. The oaths are still the same, the Rituals are still the same, etc. Coming into the new millenium, year 2010, it is time to make a change in the way fraternal organizations act and are perceived. Fraternal organizations should be the centerpiece of the student organizations on a college campus, and should contribute to the students' academic and social careers in a positive way. Fraternal organizations on campus should also work together to promote this positive image. However, many fraternal organizations are seen as a bad influence in the eyes of students. Students stereotype members of the fraternal organizations as partying and drinking all the time, hooking up all the time, and not doing well in their academics. Well, the time has come for the fraternal community to change. While there are many opportunities for positive change in the fraternal movement, there are also some dilemnas as well.

DILEMNAS:

The dilemna facing a positive change in the fraternity is clear. Not everyone who joins a community joins for the right reasons. Even in our 10 week class, through surveying various fraternity members and going to AFLV, we see that rather than joining a fraternity for the brotherhood and academics, some members join just to party more, drink more, or hook up more. These types of members need to be punished or prevented from joining because they give a bad reputation to their fraternal organizations and the Greek fraternity in general.

Another dilemna facing a positive change in fraternity is a hesitance to work together between fraternal organizations that are in different councils. Collaboration among fraternal organizations is key if we are to promote a positive image of the fraternal community overall. My fraternity, Pi Delta Psi, is a good example of this. We usually do not interact with fraternities and sororities outside of MCGC, and I hope this changes in the future.

OPPORTUNITIES:

While there are some dilemnas facing the fraternal movement, I also see any opportunities out there. In order to create a more positive image, fraternal organizations could cut back on the partying and drinking. Dry houses are a good way to discourage drinking, and many fraternal organizations have already implemented this idea on their campuses. Another way for fraternal organizations to create a more positive image is to be selective in their recruitment. Organizations could spend more time getting to know their potential members rather than just having two weeks of rush at the beginning of every quarter. Punishments could also be made more severe for members who do not represent their organizations well. This will discourage members from performing stupid acts if they know that they will be severely punished. Fraternal organizations could also participate in more community service and philanthropy events to show how they are positively affecting their communities.

Like I said before, one dilemna facing fraternal organizations today is a lack of collaboration. There are many opportunities for organizations to collaborate. Organizations can do fundraisers, social, or community service events together. Organizations can also attend events thrown by other organizations to support them. These are all ways in which the fraternal community can become closer to each other. By becoming close, the potential for growth of the fraternal community is infinite.

The opportunities and dilemnas for a positive fraternal movement are out there. It is the job of the members of the fraternal organizations to seize the wheel and act on these opportunities and overcome the dilemnas.