A MESSAGE FROM THE GRAND CONSUL - Week 3

Post date: Aug 24, 2019 10:28:25 PM

Thanks to all who have followed my charge to urge their individual page members to join the Sigma Chi International Page. We are at 15,450 members so let’s get that to 16K and keep going (yes, Justin, I am not trying to give you more of a workload). Continue to cut and paste and PASS IT ON.

As we are finishing or just about to start recruitment season at our undergraduate chapters, it is a good opportunity to talk about Values Based Recruiting and the future of Sigma Chi Fraternity. I will be interested to see our total pledge numbers once we get all the forms in for P4B and see if we are over/under last year’s totals. I am interested to see what impact the negative press will have had on our overall recruiting numbers- which will vary wildly based on the area of North America. I will be interested to see if there is any impact in Canada- although I doubt it.

As members of a fraternity, we are consistently labeled and judged by outside parties- parties who are not fair and unbiased. Whenever there is a salacious story about a fraternity OR sorority being disciplined or closed- we all fall under that negative spotlight. We have stressed accountability, both personal and group, for several years. Even with that, we still have situations where our brothers just plain let us down. Do I think we are making progress on the personal accountability front- yes, I do. Having served on CAMAC and now being an ex-officio member, I am keenly aware of chapter issues, personal conduct issues, and such. We must continue our efforts to hold each other accountable and EXPECT MORE of each other.

The most prudent path to reducing our risk management exposure is to recruit the most risk adverse new members. Brothers, that simply means we must up our game in recruiting and focus on VALUES BASED RECRUITING. If we are committed to recruit new members who are aligned with Sigma Chi’s values, they are less prone to be a risk management problem.

As the Chairman of the EC, I see each meeting names come up for conduct and financial suspension and expulsion. Personally, every time a see a name I think about what did we do wrong? Did we fail to tell them what would be expected of them? Did we miss something in P4B? Did we not create an environment conducive to the concept of true brotherhood and personal and professional development? Nothing would make me happier than not to have any names on these lists. Brothers, the only way that is going to happen is to recruit the right men. Men who are aligned with our values and can easily grasp what they are getting into. Disciplined enough to understand personal and group accountability.

We are a social organization. College life is about pursuing academic progress- but it is also about spreading your wings on your social skills development. In an impersonal environment that college can be, we provide an opportunity to grow and excel in the personal social skills needed as an adult and in the business and professional world. However, we are a values-based social organization. We do need to grasp that you will be held accountable in your college life and your adult life. Learning the life skills that you will need to navigate that path is what Sigma Chi and the Greek fraternal system can do. Recruit young men who can align themselves with that task. Men that will not only have your back, but that are not going to embarrass you due to a lapse in judgement. Spend that extra time in the recruitment process to look for those answers which can give us a level of confidence that they will thrive under P4B and beyond. Recruit guys who you will be proud to say in the future- “He is my brother”.

Best of success in this recruiting season. I know you all have it in you. We are all here to help.

IN HOC,

-Steve Schuyler, ARIZONA 1979 - 71^th Grand Consul