Department: Features
Focus on Risk: Let’s Think This Through
Ask yourself this question: How do universiti es and the general public view fraternities? I would guess that most of our readers would answer that both groups see us in a negative way. Allow me to be more accurate and say that a great number of chapters do act responsibly and are good citizens on their respective campuses and in their communities. But based upon my experience for nearly 20 years, I believe many members continue to abuse alcohol and violate our risk-management policies.
How can we change this behavior? We certainly have provided education to our chapters through Regional Director visits, resources available on our websites, our risk-management guide in Minerva’s Shield, webinars and Leadership Schools to name a few. However, doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result is one definition of insanity. Our educational efforts have not changed the negative behavior of many of our chapter members. Though I’m not advocating ceasing our educational efforts, I’m merely saying those efforts haven’t made enough of a difference to see a change in behavior. Some people might say that enforcing our Fraternity Laws will solve alcohol-abuse problems. But think of it this way. Would the same be true for law-enforcement agencies if they enforced the legal drinking age? Would problems be solved? The issue goes deeper. I believe the problem with alcohol abuse is societal and not something that law enforcement can cure. In the same way, the Fraternity is limited on the enforcement we can provide. We most certainly have updated Minerva’s Shield and added additional fines to encourage compliance with our risk-management policies. The Supreme Council maintains a zero-tolerance policy and has closed chapters and expelled entire memberships for behavior inconsistent with our creed and regulations. I honestly believe our new fine system may have a greater effect on our chapters than the application of discipline or expulsion of members.
What else can we do to change negative behavior by our chapters and their members? The answer: refocus. We started an effort to refocus with this year’s inaugural DeVotie Ritual Institute, which places our fraternal values at the forefront of our membership activities. When you make the effort to refocus, you must also change the current focus. In the case of our chapters, alcohol had become the focus of social and fraternal values. Collegiate members may turn to alcohol and parties for recruitment efforts, which is the complete opposite goal of Noble Leslie DeVotie and our Founding Fathers. Professional studies and surveys show undergraduate students are abusing alcohol through binge drinking despite the best efforts of their parents and universities. I believe that many of our chapters think alcohol is the sine qua non of fraternities. If you take alcohol away, many of our members believe they will eventually have to close shop. If that’s true, what does that belief say about the young men we are recruiting? Yet I don’t believe all undergraduates feel the same way about alcohol. On average, only 10 percent of college men participate in fraternity recruitment these days, which means we are missing an opportunity with 90 percent of our market. Perhaps you think they’re deterred for financial reasons, but I believe they don’t consider fraternities because of the stigma regarding alcohol abuse and hazing. If you do a Google search for “Sigma Alpha Epsilon” or any number of fraternities, chances are you’ll find articles that are negative or that focus on hazing or alcohol abuse.
So how do we change chapter behavior and refocus on fraternal values? One major step is by removing alcohol from chapter houses across the Realm. That way, you take the chapter’s focus off alcohol and relegate it to a portion of social events. What’s left, then, is a chapter house with fewer broken windows and holes in the wall; cleaner, non-sticky and non-smelly floors; and an environment in which college-aged men want to live and relax. Men can study, young members will want to live in the house and residents can be proud to have their family and friends visit them at the house.
