Training In 10 - Balanced Man Program part II

In this week's webisode SigEp's Balanced Man Program Director, Kyle Sutton, Cincinnati '12, continues our series on the basics of the Balanced Man Program. (Click the image to get started)

Last week he covered the Philosophy of the program and this week he walks us through the People and the Process.  

Please be sure to send any questions you have about the Balanced Man Program to Kyle.Sutton@SigEp.net.

Training in 10: "Time with the NBD"

Since not all of our volunteers are able to attend a Carlson Leadership Academy or Conclave we decided to bring the "Time with the NBD session" to you! In this  week's edition of Training in Ten, National Board members Daniel McVeigh, Texas Wesleyan '90, and Marshall Miller, Valparaiso ‘14 and special guest host  Seth Irby, Louisiana State '11, answer questions that were submitted by SigEp's members and volunteers.

UF’s Sig Ep Chapter Closed for “Numerous Violations”

Florida Alpha has been closed. Sad to see that old and large chapters have such a difficult time adapting to the current times. Even more upsetting is that this is current Grand President Bert Harris' home chapter. That must have been a tough decision. More to the point, it shows how serious SigEp is about living our values in the 21st century.

KnightNews.com » UF’s Sig Ep Chapter Closed for “Numerous Violations”

UF’s Sig Ep Chapter Closed for “Numerous Violations”
BEYOND UCF, NEWS, UCF GREEK LIFE — BY JACOB SADOWSKY ON DECEMBER 10, 2012 AT 5:37 PM
 

Sigma Phi Epsilon of the University of Florida is no more.

Sig Ep’s Board of Directors has withdrawn the charter of the Florida Alpha Chapter of Sig Ep at UF for several reasons relating to conduct issues.

The chapter is currently being investigated by UF for numerous violations of the University’s code of conduct.

“When the cultural issues within a chapter conflict with our values and are too deeply rooted to effect change, we have no other option but to withdraw the chapter’s charter,” a statement from the Sig Ep Fraternity said.

The chapter has existed at the school since 1925.

Lt. Colonel David Yockey, 1965 ~ 2010

Lt. Colonel David Yockey, 1965 ~ 2010

died 2010-06-03  

The life of David Leland Yockey ended on June 3, 2010. He was born Aug. 9, 1965, in Ft. Wayne, Ind., to Judith King Yockey and Leland K. Yockey.

David’s family moved to Williamsport, Pa. when he entered second grade. There, even in grade school and junior high, his accomplishments began to exhibit the leadership qualities that would develop throughout his life. He played basketball, golf, and baseball, competing in Little League and playing at Lamade Stadium, the home of the Little League World Series games.

David’s family moved to Moab, Utah, and he began eighth grade. He was inducted into the Junior National Honor Society that year. At Grand County High School in Moab he excelled academically, played basketball, golf, baseball, and pitched for his team, which won the state tournament. He was inducted into the National Honor Society, held class offices, and was elected student body president.

During two summers, David went to Hamilton, Mont. to live with his grandfather and grandmother, Elizabeth and Hersch King. He played with the Bitterroot Bucks one summer and worked in the pro shop at the Hamilton Golf Course the other.

Prior to graduation, Sen. Orrin Hatch nominated David to the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, Rep. Howard Nielson nominated him to the United States Air Force Academy, and the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, and Sen. Jake Garn nominated him to the U.S. Military Academy at West Point.

After high school, David spent his freshman year in college at Utah State University, where he pledged Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity and was selected as a member of the President’s Leadership Council. After his freshman year his family moved to Hamilton, Mont., and Dave transferred to University of Montana to complete his B.S. in business administration.

He held the office of president of his fraternity and was one of three students in the United States to be elected to hold a position on its national board of directors. David was a Montana University Peer Advisor and was invited to membership in Silent Sentinel, the only honor society selecting from the university at large. Since the U of M was founded in 1893, only 742 men and women had been nominated for Silent Sentinel. He was also a University of Montana Advocate.
 
David and Tamara Frey were married on Sept. 2, 1989, in Hamilton, just prior to his entrance into the United States Air Force. His military career began at Officers Candidate School at Lackland AFB in San Antonio, Texas, and then began his first assignment as officer in charge at Norton AFB in California.

Within two years he was competitively selected for a 15-month master’s degree program at AFIT, the Air Force Institute of Technology, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio. After completion of the degree he remained there as logistics support manager for the C-17 System Program Office, was directly responsible for the logistics support elements of the C-17 mission systems, and analyzed and validated logistics requirements for the Department of Defense’s acquisition program, the largest at the time. He then went to Rota, Spain where, as squadron maintenance office and director of operations, he led 120 assigned personnel to perform quality maintenance on Air Mobility Command weapon systems for global mobility mission.

At his next assignment at Scott AFB, Ill., he began as the C-17 weapon system manager responsible for monitoring and managing the C-17 Globemaster III fleet, and later becoming the executive officer, directorate of logistics, HQ Air Mobility Command. At Scott AFB he was selected for position as the general’s right hand, above 114 majors of all logistics disciplines in Air Mobility Command.

David then went back to school, having been one of the top 15 percent in his peer group selected to attend the 42-week professional military masters program at Maxwell AFB, Montgomery, Ala. From there, he was assigned as squadron commander of 281 personnel maintaining systems on the 41 KC-135 aircraft, Fairchild AFB, Spokane, Wash. Also at Fairchild AFB, he was selected to command the largest squadron on base, leading 400 personnel and providing fleet management, mission configuration, launch and recovery of 41 KC-135 aircraft. He was hand-picked as the wing’s deployed maintenance group commander during Expeditionary Operational Readiness Inspection. At Hill AFB, his next assignment, he was deputy director, Electronics Maintenance Group, and he assisted the director in leading 900 personnel.

During this assignment he deployed to the Middle East as the deputy director of logistics for Air Force Forward, in support of Operation IRAQI and ENDURING FREEDOM and Combined Joint Task Force Horn of Africa. After his deployment he became the military deputy, hand-picked by the wing commander to initiate aerospace maintenance throughout an 8,500-person wing.

David retired in January, 2010, after 20 years of service and dedication to his country. He received the following awards and decorations:

Meritorious Service Medal, (three awarded), Air Force Commendation Medal (three awarded), Air Force Achievement Medal, Meritorious Unit Award, Air Force Outstanding Unit Award (two awarded), Air Force Organizational Excellence Award, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, National Defense Service Medal (with device), Air Force Expeditionary Service Ribbon, and many Office and Professional of the Year Awards.

During his time at Wright Patterson AFB in Ohio, Dave and Tammy’s son Kyle was born, and while they were in Rota, Spain, son Ryan was born.

The pride of service to his country was paramount to David and was superseded only by his devotion to his family. David was an amazing, bright, accomplished, humorous, thoughtful, loyal, and loving person. Life will never be the same without him.

He is survived by his wife, Tamara; sons, Kyle and Ryan; parents, Lee and Judy Yockey; brother, Greg, his wife, Amy, and their children, Megan, Kellen, and Quinn; grandmother, Elizabeth King; aunt, Marlene Blankenship, her son, Jeff, and daughter, Kris Heckaman; uncle, Tom King, his wife, Diane, and their children, Chris King, wife, Kristin, and their, daughter, Claire, and Kelly King, and her husband, Jon Zogg; and numerous other aunts, uncles, and cousins.

The Yockey family would also like to acknowledge its third son, Terry Frey. David loved you like a brother, Terry.

The Malmstrom Air Force Honor Guard honored David at a memorial service that took place on June 14 at Daly Leach Chapel. June 14 had significance as it was Flag Day, and the birthday of his late grandfather, Herschell King. A reception immediately followed at the Elks Club.

The family has asked that donations in David’s name be made to the Ravalli County Sheriff’s Department. Sheriff Hoffman and his staff have shown great professionalism and caring throughout this family tragedy.

NBD Meeting - You Are Invited!

He said he wanted to have transparency...

Dear Brothers…. The National Board of Directors will hold our Fall meeting at the O’Hare Hilton in Chicago starting at 2pm Friday…October 29th through Saturday…October 30th. As always, the meeting is open to everyone and we are hopeful that you will be able to attend. Though it is not required, if you do plan on attending…please email Stacy Dudley at stacy.dudley@sigep.net so we can plan accordingly. Hope to see you there…. HFF, Garry

 

Next NBD Meeting to have open format

A step toward increased transparency. Great idea, lets take him up on his offer.

Brothers….

The SPE National Board of Directors will meet on Friday and Saturday, April 23-24 at the Hilton Chicago O’Hare at O’Hare International Airport.  The meeting is scheduled to run 2pm to 8 pm on Friday and 9am to 6 pm on Saturday.  Although there might be limited times during the meeting when we will be required to go into closed Executive Sessions, ALL Sig Eps are invited to attend and observe your National Directors in action.

This is a “first” for SigEp and we have increased seating to accommodate 50 Brothers.  Though an RSVP is not required, it would be helpful if you could let me know if you plan to attend by replying to this email.

Many thanks…..and looking forward to seeing you in Chicago.

HFF

Garry

Garry C. Kief 
President

STILETTO Entertainment
8295 South LaCienega Boulevard
Inglewood, CA 90301

310-957-5757 x220

GCK@stilettoentertainment.com
www.stilettoentertainment.com

The Financial Crisis and SigEp

Anyone who has a 401-K plan, a mortgage on a house that has lost value, or works for a company that needs to borrow short term money knows that these are troubled times. A loss of value like we have seen in the last two weeks will not be recovered quickly, and the loss of confidence in the working of the markets may lead to significant changes in the way financial business is done.

Bro. Gene Schurg sent these thoughts about the recent meltdown of the financial markets and how it may affect SigEp:

Anyone reading a newspaper or watching a newscast the past few weeks knows that the United States and the world is in a financial meltdown. Fannie and Freddie are under government control. Banks won't loan money to other banks. Student loans are becoming more difficult to find.

As corporations cut back the workforce in this crisis our young brothers will find it more difficult to pay for “optional” activities in college or may be pulled from school totally when their parents lose their jobs. Young men who were able to live in the fraternity house in past years will find it more economical to live at home and commute to campus.

Educational saving funds accumulated by the families of our members that were adequate for a 4 year education a year ago now are valued at significantly less today.

Faced with buying books or paying fraternity dues, books are required... fraternity is not.

In the bigger picture, our key contributors to the foundation are finding their savings cut by the loss of value in their stock holdings. Will they still give to the programs of SigEp? When manpower drops how will we keep doing the programs at the national level? AVC's previously strapped for cash in good times will find it exceedingly difficult to keep the doors of the fraternity house open.

As a fraternity we can stick our heads in the sand and pretend that "this won't affect SigEp" or "my school is above all of this financial mess." Poor leadership would do this. What should SigEp leadership do to adopt a defensive position against what may be a long recession or worse a depression?

Now more than ever SigEp has to show the value of our fraternity. Chapters that fail to show value of the SigEp experience to the member and recruits will become that “optional” expenditure for men on our campuses. Our men must be able to communicate how a man will have a better opportunity for employment and better prepared for life after college if he joins Sigma Phi Epsilon.

It could be gloom and doom... or we could survive if our leaders plan now.

I would be interested in discussing how the financial meltdown is affecting our chapters across the country.

The Trustees of the foundation and the leadership of the Fraternity include some very astute financial minds. I hope we don't have to cut back on the good programs and guidance that are provided to our undergraduate members. This would be a good time to "put your money where your heart is" and help SigEp remain a strong and respected builder of leaders.

Often on this blog we talk about those areas where we believe the Fraternity could be better, and Gene is certainly not shy about offering his opinion. But no one wants to see SigEp fall by the wayside. We all care deeply about the brotherhood. All fraternities will face challenges like those Gene refers to and we need to make sure - with our time, talents, and treasure - that OUR fraternity continues to offer the best undergraduate leadership experience.

Lots of Talk - Any Action?

Houston, We Have a Problem . . .

There have been several comments on the S&P Blog of late that when you put them all together begin to paint a picture that might well warrant concern and attention. Here are a few quotations from those postings – see if they catch your eye:

In times of economic uncertainty, successful organizations return to their core business and delay any/all expansion plans including growth in staffing modules.

I have no idea what business model Craig is following, but it sure isn't the one that tilts toward success. He reminds me of a Democrat controlled Congress; spend more and continue to raise taxes.

And then
Absolute power corrupts absolutely...

It looks like the NBD (and the ED) have been operating without any checks and balances for some time now. Or at least just chose which checks and balances they would follow.

Class action lawsuit?

Followed by:
Any consideration for any punitive measures against the NBD or ED for purposefully ignoring its own (NBD) rules or the rules of the Grand Chapter? Censure? A vote of no confidence? Impeachment? A return of a certain amount of fees to local chapters?

Here is a very clear statement that needs to be followed:
The real issue is one of transparency. What may have been acceptable year's ago is not acceptable for businesses and non-profits alike in a post Sarbanes-Oxley environment.

There is a difference between customers and contributors, staff and volunteers.

Poor allocation of limited resources by requiring a staff to participate in a junket at donor expense is a mis-use of resources and should become a priority.

The NBD has historically held a pre-meeting at the next GC Conclave site and for good reasons --- to scope out the facility, and to do so at potentially lower over costs --- a wise use of resources.

I am very proud of my Fraternity, and happy to serve as one of its long-term volunteers. I have personally benefitted from the experience beyond measure. And we "get it right" 95% of the time across the board, far better than anyone else.

However, it saddens me when we fritter away our resources unnecessarily in a day when the dollar is hard to get and keep. Mark my words, it's going to be a bumpy ride worldwide economically for the next five years and those that spend unnecessarily now will live to regret their foolish ways.

There have been concerns about what is happening to senior staff members disappearing and suddenly retiring and then concern about costs of staff and an October staff meeting in Las Vegas:
The staff expense went from $765,000 in 2000 to $1,700, 122 in 2007. That’s the number. $59.22 in 2000 per member now $118.45 per member. A 101% increase!

So, reduced staff coverage by 11% by increasing cost 100%.....stellar results in a decreasing wage inflation environment, especially for a non-profit.

Isn’t another expense a PR firm on retainer? Need to use it.

The point was also made again about a massive decrease in marketshare.

Perception becomes reality
The staff meeting is a perception thing. We tell chapters to be careful not to host events that would make the fraternity look bad yet Craig sees nothing wrong with spending undergraduate fees to host a staff vacation in Vegas. The staff who are on the BOG should be paying their way to the party like everyone else. It is just wrong.

Grand chapter by-laws not allowed to get in the way of progress
Check the grand chapter bylaws....editor of the Journal is supposed to be a Brother. When is Gay-Lynn Carpenter being initiated? She clearly is listed as Editor in the publications and on the website.

And then there is the stuff about money and charges to chapters
The bylaws clearly state that the fees to chapters may not be raised unless a 2/3 vote of the GCC approves it.

Specifically, the Grand Chapter bylaws state:
Sigma Phi Epsilon Administrative Policies and Procedures
Section D
EXPENDITURES
9. The National Board of Directors may authorize expenditures from the funds of the Fraternity
for the general operation of the Fraternity, including the operation of the Headquarters, and
for such other purposes as are specifically provided for in the Bylaws and Administrative Policies and Procedures.

10. A two-thirds vote of the Grand Chapter shall be necessary on all questions involving the
expenditure of any funds of the Fraternity not specifically provided for in the Bylaws and
Administrative Policies and Procedures.

Grand Chapter Bylaws
Article II
Section 7. The Grand Chapter shall determine the sources of revenue to meet the expenses of the
Grand Chapter and shall fix the amount of fees as may be required.
Section 8. All fees except charter fees shall be approved by the Grand Chapter.

Conclave went from $500 to $675 this two year period.
According to minutes of the NBD and Conclave this was never approved . It was reported to the NBD but not in the minutes.

To review the way one commentator understood it:
The Sig Ep Foundation money is a grant to SPE inc. for an educational purpose.
HQ (by way of NLC) puts on the CLAs and bills the chapters an amount that should equate to the cost difference of producing CLAs.

However, the NLC changed the makeup and required attendees of CLA. This resulted in an extra cost which was NOT subsidized by the Foundation Grant.

To cover the additional cost NLC increased the fees charged to the chapters.
However the bylaws state that fee increases must be introduced and voted on by the Grand Chapter (at Conclaves)

So according to the bylaws: a) CLA fees cannot increase; b) the fraternity could shoulder the extra cost if the NBD directs; c) but the Grand Chapter would have to approve, by a 2/3rd vote, that expense.

And if they don't? Then what? Heads rolling down the aisles!!!

Is that about it?

CLA – Problems with cost and locations
According to Ron Binder, chairman of the NLC he seems to think that the NBD voted to raise the fee. The NBD liaison person OK'd the increase to the NLC. The change does not appear in the NBD minutes. Something like that would be more than a casual thing and would be on the record. It would have to be official and would then have to be reported to the Grand Chapter to be approved at Conclave after the fact.

It appears that the NBD has been doing this for years and ignoring the bylaws when it's convenient to them. We need more of the affected chapters to speak up and express their concern.

Can anyone recall if the when the past conclaves stopped ratifying the actions of the board since the previous Conclave? We have been operating in violation for some time, if that is so.

Location, location, location
If you draw a circle around the 5 cities they booked that is about 250 miles (5 hours drive) you see where the chapters who get screwed by the CLA Change.

Supposedly the staff ran the numbers to calculate that the average chapter only added 2 hours to their drive. One look at the maps and one can see long drives for many chapters.

Costs of CLA
The charge for chapters for CLA:

2005 - $175 (4 officers & CC)
2006 - $225 (4 officers & CC)
2007 - $350 (4 officers & CC)
2008 - $500 (5 officers & CC)

If the NLC keeps adding officers as they are planning to the CLA at this rate the small chapters will no longer afford to be SigEp chapters.

These costs are exclusive of the hidden costs of extra hotel rooms and transportation. While it's great to set a goal that chapters send all 7 officers we can't bankrupt our smaller chapters to support one program.

Will we be raising the $675 per year charge for the Grand Chapter Conclave in 2009?

One Commentator Stated:
We need to move the burden for these programs over to the Annual Fee or abandon our small chapters.

In the fall 2008 semester a young man in a 30 man chapter (40 men on the March PMR) will pay $199.17 to the Grand Chapter from his fall dues. If we keep increasing the chapter fixed costs the men in these chapters feel the pain more than the larger chapters.

It's getting more and more painful for our small chapters to meet the financial obligations to the Grand Chapter. Many of these chapters are at smaller state schools where many of the students are on financial aid and working to stay in school. When the fees go up these chapters have to either cut programming or increase their dues. Both of these options make it more difficult for them to grow their numbers.

I hope the National Board of Directors considers these things before we increase the tax burden to these kids.

The Much Expanded National Housing Corporation
The announcement of an additional employee for the NHC raised more than an eyebrow:
National Housing Corporation Fills New Volunteer Recruiter Position

Sigma Phi Epsilon is pleased to announce that Jessica Faison has joined the National Housing Corporation's staff as volunteer recruiter.

The National Housing Corporation created the new position to focus on recruiting to fill vacant volunteer positions for the 35 Alumni & Volunteer Corporation Boards that are targeted for housing fundraising programs over the next four years.

One writer commented:
Legally, the NHC needs to be such to protect the Fraternity. And if like the Ed Foundation they can support their revenue expenses, then okay. The problem is that they are using the chapter's money to operate and not being very prudent. From what I understand collections are way off, but that does not surprise me. RDs used to have to work to get chapters and AVCs to understand the importance of rent increases and full facilities...it now is at the NHC so falls under the 'not my job' function when in the field - when the conversations are most effective.

Another said
How many "non Brothers" are we going to employ at Headquarters? Could we not find a SigEp to be able to relate to volunteers?

It was learned long ago that staff is ineffective as a recruitment tool for volunteers. No one is interested in listening to a 22 year old.

Suggestion from several:
Someone should propose legislation requiring that the bylaws be amended that all full time jobs should be offered to members of the fraternity who have been initiated at least 1 year. An exception could be made for administrative positions. Should a qualified member of Sigma Phi Epsilon not be available then the NBD may grant an exception and it noted in the minutes.

Justification is that if we are truly graduating the best men out there we should be hiring from that same pool of men. Who best understands our business than our own members?

It certainly has been a busy few days with lots of concern. SigEp needs to pay attention to those who pay the bill - the undergraduate chapters and the volunteers. That would quickly return focus to the right source.

Is Zolly House for Sale?

We have been hearing reports lately of a rumor that Zollinger House, the SigEp Headquarters building, has been put on the market. Our crack staff made inquiries to HQ and we received the following reply:

Regarding the Zollinger House, I’m not quite sure where this rumor sprang up. I’m looking out of my office window and don’t see a for sale sign. Unless something significant happened while I was traveling, we’re staying in Zolly…at least for the foreseeable future. I’ll keep you posted if there is any change.

I have always held to the principle that if you see a rumor officially denied - bet the ranch it's gonna happen.

Despite the denial, a little research in the minutes of the last few NBD meetings shows that relocation of headquarters is an active topic. Apparently increases in HQ staff over the years have lead to rather cramped quarters, and nobody wants to be the guy who has to share an office with [redacted].

We don't have a pro/con position on the topic, we just wonder what will happen to all those tiles the HQ crew have been selling for so many years?

Undergrad NBD members request feedback

The undergraduate members of the National Board of directors are asking for feedback from chapter officers. They say they want to increase interaction between the members and the board. Great idea. We are all for it.

But..., Um..., er..., how come it took an entire year for them to figure out how to send an "eBlast"? We're just saying...

---

*Sigma Phi Epsilon eBlast*

---

TO: Undergraduate Chapter Officers
FROM:
Steven R. Dorsey, Student Director, American, '09
Michael J. Schlotterbeck, Student Director, Wichita State, '08
Jace A. Thompson, Student Director, Texas Christian, '08

As the countdown to Conclave 2009 begins, we are reaching out to our undergraduate chapter leaders to help us, your Student Directors on Sigma Phi Epsilon's National Board of Directors, find new ways of better serving you.

If you are not already familiar with our roles, at the 2007 Conclave in Atlanta, Georgia, we were elected by the Grand Chapter to serve a two-year term on the National Board of Directors. As the three voting undergraduate members, we represent more than 14,000 undergraduate brothers and work with the Grand President, Grand Treasurer, and alumni National Directors in governing the national Fraternity until the Grand Chapter convenes again for Conclave 2009 in Orlando, Florida.

We have been working hard during this past year, and now we would like your input into how we can better represent you to the national Fraternity-we are your direct representation and influence in guiding SigEp's Headquarters staff, national operations, budget, Leadership Continuum, and many other aspects of the national Fraternity. We would like to hear about your chapter's successes and struggles, where you would like to see Sigma Phi Epsilon headed, and what you think could be improved upon.

We are also starting work on a strategic plan to guide SigEp over the next five to 10 years. We will be looking for ways to strengthen SigEp nationally and on your campus, and build upon our strengths. Your input and feedback will be sought for this process in the following weeks and months.

Sigma Phi Epsilon is an undergraduate-driven Fraternity, and, therefore, we always welcome your feedback. We are working to increase publicity of your chapter's accomplishments in the Journal and on the SigEp web site. You can also expect regular messages from us throughout the year regarding national Fraternity updates, details on Conclave legislation submissions, and strategic plan announcements.

Please "reply" to this email with ideas for us to work on for you and your chapter.

Yes, the link will open an email to the proper HQ address.

Here's a suggestion - start a blog to communicate the ideas as well as using email. S&P would welcome the company.

New Board Member Announced

In a statement to be released later today, Sigma Phi Epsilon Grand President Steve Shanklin will announce the vacant position on the National Board of Directors will be filled by Archer Yeatts, Past Grand President and holder of the Order of the Golden Heart.

"In a special meeting of the Sigma Phi Epsilon National Board of Directors on June 24, 2008, Past Grand President and Order of the Golden Heart Archer L. Yeatts, III, was chosen to fill a vacant position on the Board until the Grand Chapter Conclave in August, 2009. In accordance with the National Bylaws, this appointment is on an interim basis until the meeting of the 51st Grand Chapter Conclave in Orlando next year. At that time, the unexpired portion of the vacated term will be filled by a brother chosen in the ordinary course of the Conclave election process by the undergraduate delegates.

Brother Yeatts’ term of service will begin immediately upon taking the Oath of Office as provided for all elected members to national office in Sigma Phi Epsilon. We are most grateful to Archie for his acceptance of the Fraternity’s call to service and extend our heartiest congratulations on his selection."

The vacant position was due to the resignation earlier this year of Brent Bentrim, who had been elected to the NBD at the 2007 Conclave in Atlanta GA.

Conundrum Redux

Most of the following was posted to the blog in 2004. It doesn't appear that much has changed in the past four years.

For a fraternity with so many alumni out there, it seems we are totally depended with just the talent that resides in our past-staff (former RD's and/or HQ staff). Now, in 2008, it is even more obvious when recently reviewing a copy of the current National Committee list. Almost every standing committee is flush with "past staff." Even a majority of the National Board of Directors (and you can’t count the undergrad members) is past staff. It raises some very serious questions: .....

• Diversity. With our operational infrastructure being totally run and governed by past staff, where is the diversity? Certain chapters and regions of the country have traditionally been over-represented when staff members were selected. Do we currently have geographic, regional, or district diversity? How can the interests and regional differences be properly represented if there is not sufficient diversity within the leadership?
  
• Elitism. If only past staffers are deemed capable and competent individuals for positions of leadership, then we are implying that the only competent “leaders for tomorrow” are those who have passed through Richmond on their way to a career. Moreover we are obviously doing a terrible job of: (1) recruiting the best and the brightest campus leaders in our chapters, (2) member development in that we are unable to turn these quality recruits into quality leaders for tomorrow, and (3) educating our alumni volunteers that are not past staffers. This argument folds back on itself when you consider that the staff should excel at helping chapters to do those very things!
  
• Stagnation. By either actively or passively adopting the philosophy of utilizing only our "home schooled" past staff, we have become biased, we have develop tunnel vision, and we have lost the true ability to think outside the box. It is quite evident that anyone who is not past staff that expresses an opinion that goes against the "past staff party line" or calls attention to an obvious frailty is deemed a heretic and will be made a political pariah. The leadership of the Fraternity must be able to take its own inventory. It must be able to listen to different points of view with the idea that great concepts often come from unexpected quarters.
  
• Divine Right. Desire to serve is our greatest asset among our real alumni volunteers - the unsung heroes who really embody the essence of the fraternity experience to our undergraduates. The perception is that past staff members consider the positions of leadership as their divine right and the path to the elitist circles and lots of free trips. If we as an organization are unable to either grow, train, or recruit quality volunteers to serve other than the past staffers, then we have failed miserably.
  
• More about Elitism. In a passive aggressive manner, we have gotten away from the concept of providing opportunities for all members and further expanded our elitism through the Leadership Continuum. The only remaining vestige of global/corporate inclusion is now EDGE. In fact, these, for the most part, are also run by past staff, they continue to perpetrate the inbred concepts referred to earlier.
  

What should be done?This is a question with a two-part answer, and both parts must be addressed if the Fraternity is to continue to serve its stated Cardinal Principles.First, the current Leadership of the Fraternity must develop a strategy and specific goals to recruit and train alumni volunteers who have not served the Fraternity in a professional capacity. The ratio of non-staff alumni to past staff is extremely high, and we are surely missing some great talent. Second, the undergraduate membership must insist on competent leadership and be ready to provide it if called for. Conclave committees must not be a ‘rubber stamp’ but should do their own investigation. Unfortunately, at our gatherings like CLAs and Conclave, the smoke and mirrors propaganda works like cult indoctrination to mystify and wow the delegates and attendees so that any agenda can be easily accomplished. What would happen if all of a sudden our undergraduates said, "we're mad as hell and we're not going to take it any more," and do what one of our "peer" fraternities did at one of their conclaves - purge the board and HQ staff and start all over.......

Not with a bang....

So, now we see what HQ has to say. Not much.

It is really amazing what you can find if you know where to look and who to ask. This did not come directly from a staffer, but I am confident of its authenticity:

---

Subject: Re: Bentrim Resignation

All Staff:

Brother Brent Bentrim has resigned from the National Board of Directors and resigned his membership in Sigma Phi Epsilon Fraternity. This is an unfortunate ending to his long involvement in the Fraternity, apparently resulting from personal differences with members of the Fraternity's leadership.

The Bylaws state that the board shall elect a member to serve in an interim basis until the next Conclave, at which the Grand Chapter will elect a member to serve the remaining four years of Brent's term.

Sigma Phi Epsilon has long benefited from strong leadership on a clear mission to continue enhancing the relevance of the American college fraternity as a valued partner in higher education. We have an awful lot of work to do. We carry on.

Please make appropriate changes to membership and Board rosters and distribution lists.

Craig.

As much fun as it has been the last few days to wallow in scandal and speculate on who did what to whom, the facts remain stubbornly resistant to change.

Challenge the status quo and you threaten those whose "quo" is the "status." When threatened, the first response is to defend turf. Leaders are those who can inspire others to overcome their tendency to stay put, not those who insist that "not invented here (by me)" is a valid criticism.

From an undisclosed location, I am Diogenes, and I approved this message.

The Monarchy

Our upper level of leadership is much like a Monarchy. Only the chosen few have true eligibility to be elected to the National Board of Directors. For anyone who was ever nominated or self-nominated to be considered for a vacancy knows very well that the pretense of propriety is there but underlying it is a complex manipulation of political shenanigans that certainly look legitimate on the surface. As far back as I remember, which is well over 30 years it has been in essence the passing of the birthright to a select group of individuals. Let me give you a brief run through of how the process works.

Prior to each Conclave the chosen heirs have already been selected. They are guaranteed an interview and make their debut before the nominations committee early on. Then those individuals who have been nominated or self-nominate by the specified procedure are listed and the nomination committee is counseled by one of the current board members or a past board member who is still in the inner circle who should be interviews from that list, time permitting. Once the interview begin it is a revolving door to the committee chamber by existing board members and their past-board minions to lobby for or against those individuals being interviewed. If the committee cannot be properly coaxed then they are intimidated. If that doesn’t work, then the propaganda force goes into action and the RD and staff are sent out to spread negative and positive comments about the various possible candidates. I personally know of an incident where the RD staff was sent out to slander a potential candidate by telling the Conclave delegates that a certain individual was a racist and a member of the Ku Klux Klan among other slanderous comments about his character and that it wouldn’t be appropriate for him to be elected should his name be put in nomination.

I have also witnessed where the heir apparent was knocked out of his position for Grand President when a former board member who had not been previously tapped played some strange last minute politics with the nomination committee. I
It has been an unwritten rule that alumni nominations are not made from the floor and that the delegates simply affirm what comes from the nomination committee. I do recall one instance where some nominations were made from the floor and the ensuing election was everything but “fraternal.”

One wonders why we as a fraternity spend so much time comparing ourselves to our “peer” competitors when we won’t consider some of the more democratic forms of leadership. In some organizations, members of the board are elected by districts or regional areas to balance the representation on a chapter/manpower basis. Some have a hierarchical system where even a district leader is elected by those chapters in the district. These then may be elected to regional leadership position within a region, and then the national board of directors is either composed of the regional leaders or elected from them. This has been suggested to Sig Ep; however, that would make it an openly democratic process that could not be easily manipulated.

I actually think ours would be an ok system if the politics wasn’t so clandestine and sometimes underhanded. Coupled with our politics is the unwritten concept that no one is really worthy to have a position of leadership unless they had served as an RD or staff person (collectively, past-staff). I haven’t done the tally lately but you may want to check out how many District Governors and members of the Board are past-staff.

"Breaking News" Musings

A recent post made reference to some unrest with the National Board of Directors and the Headquarters Staff. First let me give you an almost three decade perspective of what may have precipitated what has happened.

For as long as I can remember we have had a very unorthodox way in which the fraternity operates. First we have the undergraduate chapters who, in spite of the upper bureaucracy, manage to survive and in many instances thrive. Next we have the Headquarters which manages the day to day operations and is supposed to be a support entity for our chapters. And finally, we have the National Board of Directors which has operated more like a self-perpetuating Monarchy rather than the great democracy they claim to be. While there is supposed to be a symbiotic relationship between the three entites, there continues to be a considerable disconnect.

Having attended staff meetings and NBD meetings among other various "conflabs" where the HQ staff does their dog and pony act, it is quite evident that there is considerable smoke blowing by the staff in giving their reports and in interpreting their data so that they spend more time in trying to remain blameless rather than really present an accurate self-study of what is happening. It's basically an HQ CYA show.

Depending on the alpha dominance among board members at any given time determines in part the agenda du jour that august body chooses to champion at any one time. Over the years we have moved away from the typical academic model of fraternalism to the corporate business model. Perhaps a hybrid could work as we do definitely rotate around the encumbrance of the almighty dollar. Our strategic plan has not varied significantly for almost two decades. It's the same old set of tired powerpoints with just a new background and added slide animation. We have become stagnated in our being at the cutting edge of contemporary fraternalism that will meet the needs of an ever changing student population. The needs of today’s millennial generation is much different from that of the baby boomers and generation X.

We have done no in depth data analysis of that. The same tired harpies still haven't learned from our previous experiences with the demographic and attitude shifts we encountered a decade ago. Another issue facing us is the issue of cultural diversity along with the basic demographic parameters. Current data predicts that in the 2008-2009 academic year we will see one of the greatest increases in college enrollment we have had in over two decades. After that we are on another period of decline in available numbers. The cultural diversity of this population is also changing along with the attitudes and needs of this generation. Denial is not just a river in Egypt.

We continue to set our benchmarks based on the performance of our peer fraternities. One must remember that when people are free to do as they please, they usually imitate each other. And rather than really setting significant benchmarks we only strive to be "better" than our peers. If your peers are mediocre in their vision, when you just barely surpass them you are still mediocre. We as an organization once proffered achievement based on self-evaluation rather than norm comparison.

Our HQ staff has been considered as being unresponsive, non-communicative, and self-preserving. While this is not new, it has truly gotten worse. HQ staff positions are the breeding ground for our inbred bureaucracy and the fact that we had rather self-perpetuate on an almost incestuous level rather than broaden our horizons and let new ideas, organizational, and operational philosophies see the light of day. It is almost like continually watching Wrong Turn or The Hills Have Eyes over and over again. One might say that our way of developing leadership is analagous to the possible offspring of a sexual relationship taken out of Deliverance.

The Sig Ep standard mode of operation is to embark on a idea that is temporal with no long term forecasting or planning. We also generally embark on a project, report its initial success and then forget about it and let it die. We do too much in the now with no objective or evidence-based plan for long term implementation. We are an instant gratification organization.

I plan on commenting more on these talking points in sequel editorials but suffice it to say at this point that you should never underestimate the power of stupid people in large groups. I hope I have perked your interest (or your ire) for now and rest assured that I will do my best to further enlighten you on our Monarchy in an upcoming op-ed on avian fornication.

Breaking News - NBD Resignation

We have received word that a member of the SigEp National Board of Directors has resigned.

Brent Bentrim sent his resignation in an email to the board members last Thursday in which he cited his differences with certain policies. The strongly worded email, called "the Buzzard letter" because of certain references, ended with his statement of resignation from the Board. A source who requested to remain anonymous but is acquainted with the facts has confirmed that the board is in the process of accepting the resignation.

Bentrim (College of Charleston '94), was elected to the Board just last year at the Atlanta Conclave.

Our source also confirmed that the process of replacing Bentrim will take place "by the letter" as provided for in the bylaws. Details of the process of acceptance and replacement were not provided because of "possible legal action."

Additional questions about the termination of a key HQ staffer were answered with a comment that the contract runs until later this year and the executive council will make a recommendation to the full board regarding its renewal.

Bentrim's information has already been removed from the fraternity website.

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Editor's Comment: Because of the sensitive nature of the comments in "the Buzzard letter" we have made a decision not to publish it. In our opinion to do so would not be in the best interests of the Fraternity.

HQ Resignation

Chris Minnis, Director of Operations, has resigned from the staff of SigEp HQ. In a letter reporting results of ongoing operations Minnis concluded with:

On a final note, this is my last report to you. After eight years of service and earning an MBA from the University of Richmond, I am leaving my role with the Headquarters staff. The Fraternity has been very good to me over the years, I am thankful for this fact and all the hard work that you, as volunteers and fraternity leaders, have put into making our fraternity successful. There are many more mountains to climb, and I look forward to SigEp's future exploits. I will be taking on a role with Dot Foods, Inc. out of St. Louis serving as District Sales Manager for North and South Carolina. My family and I are very excited for this new chapter in our lives.

Goodbye Chris, and best of luck in your future endeavors. After eight years at HQ it is high time you started earning what you are worth!

(PS: No, this is not what the "teaser" is about.)

Stay tuned...

We don't normally do "teasers" at S&P, but we got some information yesterday that could be very significant relating to the Fraternity leadership.

For the moment, all we can say is that there may be "gaps" (note plural) soon in some of the senior level positions, both voluntary and otherwise(ambiguity intended).

As soon as we can get solid confirmation pro or con we'll post it here.

Merry Christmas from the NBD

Several members of the National Board have joined in to wish everyone all the best for the holiday season.

Way to get in the spirit, guys! Click the link HERE to see their greeting.

Usual and Customary Politics

I and I am sure everyone else was glad that the National Board of Directors and the elusive -  membership unknown - and double-secret OGH Nominations Committee saw fit to suspend the rules unilaterally established by a previous NBD and present Brother Archie Yeatts with the much deserved Order of the Golden Heart at the end of his term as Grand President. Probably few undergraduates really do appreciate the years and years of service Brother Yeatts provided to the Fraternity prior to his tenure on the NBD and subsequent election to GP. Congratulations, Archie, and let's hope that such silly rules established by a scorned board member(s) don't repeat themselves in the future.

So, now that I have your attention, perhaps a little history lesson and one clear resounding example will give you a peek behind the curtain of mystery in our Fraternity's body politic.

As far back as I can remember (over 15 Conclaves), it was always customary to present the outgoing Grand President the Order of the Golden Heart Award (if he didn’t already have one). It is much deserved as anyone who has diligently served a term or two on the National Board and then a two year run as Grand President has devoted a considerable amount of concentrated volunteer time to the Fraternity. That is up until the 1989 Conclave when a dark horse candidate trumped the heir-apparent in his campaign for Grand President. This, of course, sent shock waves through the "good ole boy" politics much more than most will admit. Once the "dark horse's" reign was completed in 1991, there was retribution to be delivered. The first move was to enact an emergency resolution to immediately go into effect with the 1991 Conclave that the Grand President would no longer be given the OGH at the end of his term. It then became “tradition” that the Past GP would receive his OGH at the next Conclave. In 2005, this was suspended for appropriate reason and, in this writer's opinion, was appropriate again in 2007. However, retribution continued for our 1989 Dark Horse GP who should have, according to the new rule, received his in 1993 .... He did not receive his OGH in 1993, 1995, 1997, 1999, but finally did in 2001. Guess it would have looked bad for the Fraternity if a living Past Grand President didn't have an OGH by the Centennial. 

It is interesting to also note the Heir Apparent that the Dark Horse upset was closely tied to the OGH Nomination Committee (while the constitution of this committee is possibly the best kept secret in the Fraternity, this author knows for an absolute fact, that the Heir Apparent served and may still be serving on the OGH Nomination Committee).

This author feels very strongly that we should go back to the earlier precedent of giving the outgoing GP his OGH. It just makes sense.

The other lesson here is that when you begin to upset the body politic there are penalties to be paid. It would be interesting to see what other clandestine, double-secret activities might be discovered if one lifts the curtain higher and lets the light of day in. Does the old boy politics still extend to alumni nominations process? That will be an insider story in the next installment of Usual and Customary.

Great indeed is the mystery of the Fraternity (politics, that is).