This story comes to us from California Zeta:
As you might have read in the Spring Quarterly, California Zeta lost its charter. The decision came not from California State Long Beach, with whom the chapter was in great standing, but rather from HQ and the Board of Directors...
The chapter was at its peak. The Fall 2004 grades were above the 2.5 requirement and only one other fraternity on their campus had a higher GPA. They were on their way to taking the IFC trophy, going undefeated in football, basketball, and soccer. This spring, their membership on the Interfraternity Council went from zero to three, holding the offices of Scholarship Chairman, Sports Chairman, and most importantly IFC President.
Last year the campus cracked down on Greeks, placing almost all the houses on probation due to partying, hazing, and frat boy acts. They later kicked a third of the fraternities off campus. California Zeta was never even considered for
probation.
They had no complaints of drug use, excessive partying, or hazing from the University or the Grand Chapter. Their charter was revoked due to grades and grades alone.
Two years ago, during the Spring 2003 semester, a few of their brothers fell onto very hard times. Rather than push them out of the house, the Chapter worked with them by implementing study hours and pairing brothers with like majors. Each semester their GPA was higher than the last. After three semesters they regained the 2.5 minimum GPA… just not fast enough.
A Cal Zeta Brother wrote this letter because he doesn't want this to happen again to anyone else.
He states: "No matter how strong a chapter is, if it doesn’t maintain a 2.5 GPA, it will lose its charter…permanently. "
The Brother concludes: "Being a SigEp was the greatest thing I’ve known and it was taken from me. Discuss this at your chapter meetings. Don’t let this happen to you."
This scenario is being repeated over and over again out there in Sig Ep land. It is an ethical delemma that could be discussed (and sometimes rationalized) for eons. The chapter had dropped below standards set by the Grand Chapter. Did we as an organization let this go unnoticed until it was too late? Could we have salvaged this chapter with earlier intervention? Is it the "national fraternity's" responsibility to provide intervention and assistance? Or was this one of those chapters that was blown off by the RDs over the past few years because it wasn't prestigious enough campus or chapter to spend time with?
Are we our Brother's keeper and do we really come to the aid of Brothers in need? Or have we simply become a corporate entity that focuses on cutting its losses rather than focusing on humanity?
Maybe it's time we revisited the Jenkin's Lesson and reevaluated our strategic direction with more focus on what our Ritual says we are supposed to be. I am not saying that the outcome would have been any different, but these are issues that need to be brought to the table (i.e., the legislative floor) and discussed. It is true that if you continue to lick the lollipop of mediocrity, you will suck forever; however, denial is not just a river in Egypt.
Even the Greeks agreed that in order to have a sound mind in a sound body you must ALSO have a sound spirit. Doesn't our badge tell us that we are a Fraternity with a heart?
Are you and your chapter Brothers living the Ritual? Or have you even read it lately??????
