From: Arthur G.
Gilkes
To: the PA Alpha Brothers
Subject: December Meeting
with W&J Officials Concerning Phi Psi Housing Crisis
On
Friday, December 8, 2006. I had the pleasure of meeting with Gerry
Stebbins and Natalie J. Giantsos. She is the Assistant director of
Greek Life and Gerry is the Associate Dean of Student Life.
The major
point that Gerry impressed on me is that he is a friend of the
fraternity system generally and has made the Phi Psi’s his project to
be on campus, in a house and a strong fraternity in particular. He is
willing to go the extra mile because he is a fraternity man who has a
great desire to preserve the “Alpha” chapter. Not only are his
sympathies with the fraternity concept but he is also active in his
fraternity both nationally and at his college. In addition, he has a
longstanding friendship with Shawn Collinsworth, Executive Director of
the Phi Psi national. Finally, he said that he is even willing to be
Pa Alpha’s facility advisor, but he did say that that might scare the
brothers too much.
Once the
bona fides were out of the way, Gerry went into what he saw as the
problems of the PA Alpha chapter. I felt the order of these were
interesting. Conduct was not at the head of the list but from
what I have seen, as opposed to what I have heard, fourth-and
fifth-hand, it is a problem. Nevertheless, Gerry’s listing starts with
the nuts and bolts of an organization:
First, he
said that there was a problem with dues. According to him there are a
number of undergraduate brothers who were are delinquent on dues. He
suggested that realistic collection methods and practices be put in
place, such as having a collector, signing promissory notes, and going
to the magistrate, if necessary. But the real problem is recognizing
the obligation and the responsibility of being in the “brotherhood.”
Gerry also suggested that this area might be an opportunity for older
alumni brother to provide financial counseling to the new
undergraduate brother fellowship.
Second
was the inability of the chapter to recruit new members, to not only
fill the ranks but also to have brothers who will recognize the
responsibility of a fraternity commitment and actually live in the
house.
Third,
the Brothers were not good citizens in that they did not participate
in community service. Gerry is concerned that the fraternity must be
more that a place to drink beer and do crazy things.
Fourth
involved the exercise of judgment and recognizing that there are
rules; house rules and college rules. He recounted a couple of
instances of juvenile hi-jinks or just irresponsible conduct which was
plain stupid. Of course, “us old guys from the big house era” were
model citizens. As an aside remember: Move over Big Betty, Hirsch is
serving beer and pizza.
The next
area of discussion was the annual review. Gerry gave me the documents
for the Annual Chapter Review. This is a college-wide endeavor which
involves all fraternities and not just the Phi Psis. The areas to be
evaluated are: ritual and fraternal values, scholarship, community
service and philanthropy, campus involvement, leadership alumni/ae,
graduate members, and parents, finances, total membership development,
risk management and housing.
This
review process is an interesting and important endeavor because it
focuses on the relevancy of the fraternity system in today’s college
environment, where the college provides living quarters and food
services. In spite of the fact that it has been more than 30 years
since the college took over these functions from the fraternities, I
do not believe that the fraternities have found an alternate raison
d’etre, since the housing and feeding functions have been taken away.
It is surprising to me how many fraternities have been suspended or
just went out of existence at W&J.
Getting
back to the Annual Review. Values and risk management are the bookends
of the College and the fraternity/sorority life. Basically what is the
talking point and what the real concern of the College, and also the
national fraternities, is: are these kids doing things that will
increase the chance of lawsuits. These potential lawsuits would not
only be against the College, which is an obvious target defendant, but
also increasingly against the national.
Gerry
also emphasized that the fact of life in today’s world is that the
College has to minimize its exposure to lawsuits, not just liability.
Gerry also emphasized that he and the College do want to keep college
life as unencumbered with rules as possible.
Gerry
said that he has a good relationship with the newly elected Phi Psi
president. The problem is that the new president does not live in
the fraternity house, but there was some talk that he might in the
near future. I took the “good relationship” to mean that the new Phi
Psi president and Gerry are working on the Annual Chapter Report.. The
Report is due April 2, 2007.
Although
I did not meet with the new chapter president, I did get a chance to
speak with several undergraduate Phi Psi’s. These young men seem a
little oblivious to the crisis; concluding that the more
serious problems will be corrected with the graduation of the present
chapter seniors. The brothers I have met are all underclassman and
believe that the Phi Psi’s will have an outstanding pledge class.
Still, I have been to the College a number of times in recent years
and the Phi Psi house has never looked well kept. The chapter members
appear to be in need of some hands-on fellowship by the alumni!!
Gerry did
mention that the Phi Psi’s were the only chapter that did not have a
faculty advisor. Gerry also gave me some grade point average tallies.
Phi Psi’s were last in grade point average in every category.
In
conclusion, the future of PA Alpha at W&J is uncertain. Time is
growing short. Alumni assistance is vitally needed.