Stepping Up

In the Greek community, when it comes to alumni involvement, it seems that some fraternities are finding it hard to come by. If that's not enough, some alumni just don't realize how much of a difference they could make just by stepping in at the right time (or should I say, any time at all). And yet there are other alumni, who willingly want to get involved & rediscover their love for the chapter again, who are at a loss to know how they can get involved: "What can I do?"


There's always hope. Whether it's a Chapter Advisor, a Mentor, aiding in a chapter colonization or doing work as an Alumni Ambassador, the possibilities of volunteering are endless. It may be a daunting task at times but don't take it as stressful though: any alumni's chances of reaping immense rewards just by volunteering are if not outstanding, pretty flipping awesome. Seriously, you don't have to rip into the undergrads to make your presence felt: with an understated presence, a watchful eye, a caring heart, the undergraduate brothers can see alumni in a different light - as duders who actually care about the chapter & want to see good things happen. Not just that, but the undergrads may also provide the alumni with a spark to re-invigorate their love for Sigs/SAE/SigEp/etc. & all this because they took time out of their hectic schedules to stay involved.

True, some chapters are suffering from a shortage of "gray hairs," or older alumni. If that's not enough bad news, some chapters have alumni who aren't exactly eager to see changes & improvements where they are sorely needed. Which brings us to then & now: the prevailing cultural mindset of the alumni's day butting heads with the present: "Oh, we've always done these things in the past; it was all part of our house tradition," "It's just tradition; why try to fix something that isn't broken to begin with?" "Hazing back in our day was harmless; nobody got seriously hurt or anything like that..." If I heard such observations as the ones I just wrote, I'd draw those alumni aside & tell them, "What you think was right back in your day is wrong in 2008." The times have changed & with them the pledging/membership programs as well; to think that they should be left as is - complete with hazing, unnecessary obligations of any kind - is saying that reform or change is irrelevant. Any fraternity alumni worth their salt knows/is fully aware of this; on such occasions, they need to step in & make their voices heard - not in an imposing way but in an understated manner.

The recurring question, "What can I do?" is one with many answers for any given Greek alumni. But once the pieces fall back into place, once the passion for their respective fraternities returns with a vengeance, once their fellow alumni open their eyes to the endless possibilities which volunteering provides in spades, one answer is consistently clear: There's a lot that can be done. There's always a chance to get involved & remain involved. There's always the opportunity to step up & make the impact, that difference for the greater good of not just your own chapter but the whole organization in the process.

It's up to you on when to take that step though.