Leadership Diversity?????

The hot topic in industry, politics, education, and everything else is "diversity." Did you see the latest brochure from CampusSpeak ? Most of the speakers listed are either focusing on diversity issues or STD's. Since the historic changes in our by-laws and Ritual in the 1950's, Sigma Phi Epsilon has espoused ethnic and religious diversity. And within the past decade we've extended this to sexual orientation. Whether all chapters fully accept and embrace these collective inclusions is yet to be determined. Whether these changes were done in light of "political" expediency or not, it WAS the right thing to do. Although some of these changes were not fully embraced by our living founders at the time, it is this spirit of inclusiveness that is contained in those core values that form the cornerstone of our fraternity.

While we have changed greatly in the area of social diversity, we are still in the "dark ages" of organization and leadership diversity. The "Past Staff Conundrum" was mentioned in an earlier BlogPost here. It forms an ever-widening chasm between the general membership and the inner circle of the elite. In case you haven't noticed, the membership of the National Board of Directors and the constitution of the majority of the members (particularly chairs) of our national standing committees is comprised of this select inner circle of Past Staff, and the majority of them being members of that fraternity within a fraternity – the "Freearks".

(For those of you who aren’t familiar with the Freearks, this is a group composed primarily of past-staff. It was named for Clarence Freeark, who was the first “traveling secretary” of Sigma Phi Epsilon. There are a few non-Past Staff “honorary” members. Honorary membership is by invitation only. This group normally holds their “initiation” complete with “ritual” each Conclave. There are some non-Past Staff who, for whatever reason, have chosen not to participate in this “Skullesque” fraternity in a fraternity. Note: watch the BLOG for more on this later.)

We are an organization of 250+ chapters located in almost every possible geo-cultural milieu of this nation. Do your think that your particular geo-cultural attitudes are understood or appropriately represented on the National Board of Directors or the standing committees? The reason we operate on a "one shoe fits all" philosophy is because of the lack of this type of leadership diversity!!!

It is time we redistrict our organization and restructure the National Board and our Committees to more appropriately represent our chapters. It is time we bring other alumni besides Past Staff into the ranks of leadership. It is time we become really a democracy rather than a self-perpetuating, in-bred oligarchy. We should continue to work not only toward greater social diversity but toward leadership and organizational diversity as well.

Other fraternities’ “grand chapters” have seen the problems and hazards of this type of leadership aristocracy (or should we say, lack of "leadership diversity"). Two organizations (add names and links to info) have, at their annual or biannual national legislative sessions in recent years, totally removed National Boards of Directors. Other organizations elect their National Boards by district or region.

Will we change? The odds are against it. The undergraduates control the show and they are too swayed by "group think" when Conclave rolls around.