Phi Kappa Tau Blog

[modorney]

A few nationals have (official and unofficial) blogs. Sig ep is one - www.sigepblog.org/
Another good one is Phi Kappa Tau -
phitaublog.org/

Unfortunately, they use a hard to read white on black format.

The following posts are readable ones.

[modorney]

A Summer Challenge •July 1, 2011 • 2 Comments
By: Resource and Expansion Consultant Jason Sweet, Saginaw Valley State ’09

In this day and age there seems to be an ever-strengthening epidemic among the youth’s of our nation. With the emergence of social media, face-to-face communication has plummeted, and the ability to effectively manage and maintain a social life has shifted from personal responsibility to electronic reminders and updates from our favorite sites like Facebook and Twitter. While these social outlets are becoming an important part of networking, it has detracted from our desire to be around people.

So why does this matter? How does this affect Phi Kappa Tau? The simple answer is in recruitment and membership, but it is clearly not a simple topic. I understand the advantages and will not argue that these social medias have enhanced the ability to get people informed about events that are being put on. So again, how does this affect us? If there are clearly advantages, then why is it a problem? The problem lies in our detachment from personal relationships that have been replaced by being Facebook friends.

It is a more common occurrence for someone to “Facebook chat” a friend than it is for them to call or visit to catch up. This becomes an even bigger issue over the summer when friends and brothers depart from school and head home. We go back to the lives we left behind the previous eight months while in school, and our only contact with the world that we have come to call our reality is through these means of electronic communication.

We as a Fraternity will lose more interest from prospective members and will lose motivation as active brothers over the summer because of this lack of personal contact. We are becoming satisfied with reading about a friend’s current experiences and troubles through their status updates and tweets. We simply “like” their status and go on with our lives. How is this brotherhood? How is this recruitment? What part of this detached communication is helping our organization and chapters flourish?

I present us all with a CHALLENGE. Do not allow these interactions to satisfy the desire we have for brotherhood. Do not allow the great men on your campuses to lose interest in Phi Kappa Tau because they no longer live down the hall from you or sit next to you in class. Honor your commitment to the spirit of brotherhood.

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Words of Wisdom from Teddy to Boards of Governors Members •July 5, 2011 • Leave a Comment
By: Coordinator of Volunteer Development Tyler Wash, Georgetown ’06

Theodore “Teddy” Roosevelt (Oct. 27, 1858-Jan. 6, 1919) was the 26th President of the United States, serving from Sept. 14, 1901, to March 4, 1909. During Roosevelt’s tenure, he oversaw construction of the Panama Canal, pushed for regulations in the food industry, mediated a peace agreement between Russia and Japan to end the Russo-Japanese War (for which he won the 1906 Nobel Peace Prize), and established more than 125 million acres in national forest, including the first national wildlife refuge.

Roosevelt once remarked that, “I am only an average man, but by George, I work harder at it than the average man.”

Phi Kappa Tau volunteers that are serving on Boards of Governors across the country are simply men. Men with families, jobs, friends and responsibilities. While these Board of Governors volunteers are average men, they are working harder than the average man. By serving as a chairman, alumni advisor, chapter advisor, financial advisor, recruitment advisor, risk management advisor or scholarship advisor, they have accepted responsibilities above and beyond the responsibilities of normal alumni.

Because these volunteers have accepted these responsibilities, Phi Kappa Tau wants to offer all the resources they may need to be successful in their respective volunteer role. In order to offer these resources to all Board of Governors members, Phi Kappa Tau has developed an exciting certification program to accomplish three objectives:

Create a common vocabulary amongst chapters/colonies in an effort to generate synergies and share best practices
Provide resources for volunteers to ensure their success
Generate correspondence and enlist feedback from advisors about what resources are necessary for success
Each of the certification program’s three parts are approximately 20 minutes in length. The certification program will cover the basics of the topic, but supplemental resources are available on The Exchange.

“You are only an average man, but by George, you work harder for Phi Kappa Tau than the average man!” Phi Kappa Tau thanks each and every Board of Governors volunteer for working hard and making the Fraternity successful.

Become a “certified” Phi Kappa Tau volunteer today!

www.phikappatau.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=424&Itemid=475
Resources:
Volunteer Certification Program
The Exchange

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Opportunity vs. Obligation •July 12, 2011 • Leave a Comment
By: Expansion Coordinator Alex Koehler, Mount Union ’07

Twice in the past few weeks I have found myself inquisitively sitting on the other end of the phone as someone tells me, “We can only get one person to Leadership Academy this year.” From national participation to community service to philanthropy, I have heard several people limit themselves and their leadership. Their message is heard loud and clear – “We have this obligation, and we have not met it. What now?”

As the Phi Kappa Tau expansion coordinator, I have the honor and privilege of working with colony leaders all across the country. From Resident Councils to Domain Directors and Boards of Governors, and even the occasional potential new member (or a hundred!), it is a pleasure to help create the opportunity for men to become the artists and engineers of tomorrow’s world.

However, whether it is a chapter or a colony, it astounds me when men look at the Borradaile Challenge only as an obligation, not as an opportunity. A list to go through and put check marks in boxes.

NEWS FLASH: The Borradaile Challenge is both an obligation AND an opportunity!

Don’t believe me? Ask those members who have been lucky enough to walk up on stage to accept the Maxwell Award. I have always been a believer that the journey is more important than the destination, but if you see some of the metrics as more of an obligation than an opportunity, you need to rethink the purpose of the Borradaile Challenge. If being a Maxwell Chapter isn’t your destination, what is your journey made of?

Tennessee Titans quarterback Jake Locker was recently featured in Men’s Health magazine, where he was quoted as saying, “Being first is not the goal. Being great is.”

Do service because it’s what a good man does. Submit your reports because it’s necessary to build a tradition of excellence within Phi Kappa Tau across the nation. Do philanthropic work because you can; honestly think about how many blessings you have in your life! Attend national events because you get to experience an entirely different side of Phi Tau and see the world (who doesn’t want to go to Nashville for Convention in 2012?!). Work with your BOG to figure out financing options; neither money nor interest should hold a chapter back from fulfilling their mission and attending any national event. Strive for excellence, not perfection.

Chomp at the bit … it may just end up being one of the best moments of your life!

Resources:
Borradaile Challenge

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Making The Journey •August 3, 2011 • Leave a Comment
By: Resource and Development Coordinator Ray Sophie, Southern Illinois ’08

“Life is a journey, not a destination.”
—Ralph Waldo Emerson

And yet it is almost always the destination that consumes us. For athletes, the destination is a championship or individual best. For students, it is graduation, possibly with a certain GPA or class rank. For members of Phi Kappa Tau, it has, unfortunately, become Maxwell chapter or Maxwell champion.

I don’t want to belittle our past winners or current qualifiers because I think the work they put in to achieve their Maxwell standing is incredible and a testament to their dedication as a chapter in this Fraternity. But as I have talked to many chapter leaders and members-at-large across the country, the universal problem seems to come back to one issue.

The issue sounds something like this:

“Our members don’t want to focus on Maxwell because they want to have fun.”
“We want to focus on brotherhood first, and then we will work on Maxwell.”
“Our members don’t care about ‘a status.’”
Somehow, working together as a brotherhood to achieve a common goal has become “boring.”

Somehow, working together as a brotherhood to achieve a common goal has ceased to build brotherhood.

Somehow, the journey that is brotherhood has been replaced by a destination.

It is a false (and somewhat lazy) assumption that brotherhood is on the same plane of existence as achieving Maxwell status. To quote one of Kevin Costner’s better movies, “If you build it, they will come.” In Phi Tau, if you build the brotherhood, Maxwell will come. The caveat to that statement is if you build your brotherhood with the right tools.

Success in the Borradaile Challenge and a strong brotherhood are not mutually exclusive; in fact, they are directly related. As achievement in its metrics increases, so too does brotherhood.

Brotherhood in Phi Kappa Tau is a lifelong journey, starting with your association and ending with your funeral rites. Our brotherhood is built around our allegiance to protect and serve our Cardinal Principles, because those principles are what separate us from every other organization in the universe.

Like every journey, you will need direction. And therein lies the function of the Borradaile Challenge—to guide your chapter on the path towards strong brotherhood. The Borradaile Challenge is more than a road map to chapter success. It is a commitment to your brothers, your chapter and the thousands of members who came before you to provide a powerful experience to the thousands of members who are yet to come.

THAT is the brotherhood our Founders envisioned more than one hundred years ago, and THAT is the path towards the true ideal of brotherhood we all seek in Phi Kappa Tau.

Resources:
Borradaile Challenge
The Exchange
Required Reports

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The Perils of Hazing •August 12, 2011 • 1 Comment
By: Resource and Expansion Consultant Jason Sweet, Saginaw Valley Sweet ’09

As per my (and assumingly many others people’s) morning routine I spend a few minutes reading through my Facebook news feeds to see if anything catches my eye. Most mornings nothing seems overly worth my attention, but on one recent occasion that was not the case. One of my chapter brothers had shared a link to an article about a hazing death due to a large, forced consumption of alcohol.

The organization and individuals involved are now facing a multi-MILLION dollar lawsuit. Although the story had just broken, there were already about 15 comments on the article featuring the reactions of the readers. As would be expected, the reaction was very negative. Most were calling for bans against “frats” and sororities at colleges and universities.

All of us already know that we are fighting a losing battle against the media and the perceptions they have of our organizations, but there is no need to justify these presumptuous accusations by making them reality. Why not go the extra mile to break the mold?

The mission of Phi Kappa Tau is to champion a lifelong commitment to brotherhood, learning, ethical leadership and exemplary character. The vision of Phi Kappa Tau is to be recognized as a leadership organization that binds men together and challenges them to improve their campuses and the world. We have all learned and cherish the words of our creed written by our esteemed brother Roland Maxwell, Southern California ’22. Nowhere in any of these statements about our organization does it condone hazing, or any actions like it.

In recent editions of The Laurel, articles are being published with the title “We are Phi Tau.” This segment discusses the achievements of brothers from across the nation, none of which highlight these members for their great hazing practices. As members of Phi Kappa Tau, we hold ourselves to a higher standard. We are rewarded for positive actions that affect our campus and community.

The Phi Kappa Tau Risk Management Policy states, “No chapter, colony, student or alumnus shall conduct nor condone hazing activities. Permission or approval by a person being hazed is not a defense.”

The article I read is only one such reminder of the dangers of hazing. We see stories like this all the time. So I ask you, is hazing worth it?

Resources:
Phi Kappa Tau Risk Management Policy
Risk Management Chairman Job Description and Resources

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Be the One

By: Expansion Coordinator Alex Koehler, Mount Union ’07

One of my first jobs in college was with the local YMCA. As an education major, I looked at the opportunity as a resume builder–working with youth programs and educating our members on healthy lifestyles and physical fitness. Little did I expect that the biggest lessons I would learn would come on my first day of orientation. I was given a wallet-sized booklet of employee expecations and one rule stood out amongst all:

See it. Own it.

Whether it was walking by a mess in the employee lunch room, or seeing equipment left by a member at the gym – the expectation was simple. See an issue? Fix it. Whether it was you who created the issue or not. Own it.

I want to offer each of you a similar challenge within Phi Kappa Tau …

BE THE ONE.

Be the one to help someone in need. Be the one to make change in your chapter. To stand for what is right. To recruit every great man on campus. To run a marathon. To climb a mountain. To try something new. To study abroad.

Be the one to teach others to fish. To build bridges, not burn them. To be successful. To define successful. To acknowledge that fraternities everywhere need to be better.

Be the one to host a chapter Ritual Retreat. To live our mission and creed. To support others in any honorable undertaking. To know the difference between pride and arrogance.

Be the one to celebrate Phi, nurture Kappa, and live Tau. Be the one to exemplify what it means to be a Fraternity man.

Who better than you? When better than now? See it. Own it.

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You Gotta Do Something! •September 8, 2011 • Leave a Comment
By: Resource and Development Coordinator Ray Sophie, Southern Illinois ’08

“There’s a fine line between fishing and just standing on the shore like an idiot.”
–Steven Wright

Recruitment has become the fraternity equivalent to weight loss for Americans. Both have fads and gimmicks that are supposed to be “revolutionary,” and “instant successes.” Both include a number of people who want “quick fixes” or “miracle solutions.” Most importantly, both have simple solutions that can be summed up in three words:

Eat healthier. Exercise.
OR
Make new friends.

While both seem oversimplified, they aren’t. However, people tend to overcomplicate these solutions because it requires hard work and discipline.

It may mean waking up an hour earlier or passing on a delicious sandwich for a less tasteful salad. Or, it may mean getting outside of your comfort zone and talking to [GASP] strangers.

How terrible.

You see, like many things in life, the answer is straightforward. But so, too, is the work. To make recruitment successful, just like any weight loss plan, YOU have to do the work. Not just your recruitment chairman.

Your recruitment chairman is the chapter’s personal trainer for recruitment. The recruitment chairman coordinates the training exercises and schedule (recruitment activities calendar), monitors and assesses your progress (coordinates the 5-Step Recruitment Process via the names list), and challenges you to push through the pain and not give up on a goal because it gets hard. So, if being disciplined about healthy eating and working out is the proven path towards weight loss, how then can we apply these lessons to recruitment?

Here are a few tips to make your chapter’s recruitment successful this year: MEET NEW PEOPLE. Chapters always want to “create buzz.” This is a term for lazy people that want to be cool without doing anything. You know why the cools kids are cool? It’s because they BUILD RELATIONSHIPS with other people. They talk to men, women, professors, janitors, secretaries, and on and on. You want to create buzz for your chapter? Go meet a bunch of new people.

DO SOMETHING. If Aldous Snow can figure it out, you can too. Doing something does not include throwing an event at your house, putting up flyers, and waiting for people to come over and see how awesome you are. Doing something means INVITING the new friends you make in class, clubs, sports, jobs, etc., to do something with you and your other friends. This could be lunch, video games, studying, Parcheesi, hopscotch, whatever!

Be proactive, not reactive (lazy). DO IT ALL YEAR. Meeting new people and asking them to hang out with you is not and SHOULD NOT be limited to one to two weeks a year. The more people you become friends with, the more opportunities you have to change someone’s life by introducing him to Phi Tau.

You have a gift. Phi Tau has changed my life, and over 90,000 others. Will you change somebody’s life this year?

Resources:
Recruitment Chairman Job Description and Resources
Good to Great Retreats

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Philip Lacey “Phil” Parker, Muhlenberg ’66, and Peter Edward Mardikian, Ohio State ’92, were working in the World Trade Center on the morning of September 11, 2001, when two commercial jets were piloted by terrorists into the North and South Towers (WTC1 & WTC2, respectively). Ten years later, their legacies continue to live within the hearts of their loving friends and families.

Peter Edward Mardikian, Ohio State ’92
At 9:05 a.m., September 11, 2001, Peter Mardikian navigated his way through the thick smoke to find one of the only working telephones in the Windows of the World restaurant on the 106th floor of the North Tower. He called Cori, his wife of only 6 weeks, and told her that he thought a bomb had been detonated and that the smoke was starting to overtake him. He said that he was going to try to get to the roof.

Peter was the marketing director for Imagine Software, a Manhattan-based company that specialized in the analysis of derivatives. He had just finished preparing for a trade show when he felt the impact of American Airlines Flight 11 as it struck the North Tower just above the 94th Floor. He had left Ohio State in 1995 after having been graduated from the Fisher College of Business and returned to the New York area to pursue his dream of having a career on Wall Street.

He first worked at Paine Webber in 1996 where he earned his Series 7 and Series 63 securities licenses, and through a series of promotions with Imagine, traveled throughout Asia and Europe developing business. With his career path taking shape, he and Cori were married in July of 2001.

In addition to providing Peter with his future wife, Ohio State became the source of several very close friends. Affectionately called “Deeker” by his chapter brothers at Ohio State, Peter was remembered by Nathan Bryan, Ohio State ’92, “I am thankful for my family, friends, career, and for having known a very special and unique person, Pete Mardikian.”

According to a source that contacted Peter’s in-laws, Paul and Kathy Beskid of Cleveland, recounting his phone call to Cori that morning, Peter knew the situation was dire. He told Cori, “I probably won’t make it out of here. I just want you to know I love you.”

In addition to his wife, Corinne, Peter was survived by his parents, Alec and Jackie Mardikian of New Jersey, and his younger sister, Monica.

Philip Lacey Parker, Muhlenberg ’66
Phil Parker was the epitome of the well-rounded modern man. As a Senior Vice President with AON Reinsurance, Phil’s financial acumen was rivaled only by his skill as a musician and as a small aircraft pilot. A loving husband and father, Phil enjoyed cruising around in an old MGB convertible which he had meticulously restored.

After having been graduated from Muhlenberg in 1969, Phil joined the National Guard before entering into a series of successful roles within the insurance industry. His specialty at AON was in aviation risk assessment, but his love of flying was more driven by his natural curiosity and sense of adventure than his professional pursuits.

He had an early love of music and learned to pay the banjo and guitar as a teenager. He enjoyed storytelling and his taste in music reflected this nature. He was the founder of the Coffee House at Muhlenberg College which first featured folk music but then captured the rock music of the era, with covers of artists like Bobby Gentry, Otis Redding, and Van Morrison often eminating from the stage. Phil was described by friends as kind, compassionate, affable, and quit-witted.

At Muhlenberg, he joined Phi Kappa Tau and was initiated in 1966. The following year, Rod MacKendry, Muhlenberg ’67, a fellow graduate from Tenafly High School (NJ) joined him at Muhlenberg and became Phil’s little brother in the Fraternity. “I was born in the UK and Phil was born in Canada, so the guys used to tease us as the “aliens from Tenafly.” Rod also joined the same National Guard unit as Phil in 1970 and maintained a friendship that would last for decades, “Phil was gregarious and entertaining. He didn’t have to study like the rest of us. Things came easy to him. He would stay up all night to tell stories, but he wasn’t studying like we were. He was fun to be around and was always telling the brothers how great the Jets and Maple Leafs were.”

On the morning of September 11, 2001, Phil was preparing for a morning meeting on the 92nd floor of the South Tower (WTC2) when United Airlines Flight 175 struck the building between the 78th and 84th floors at 9:03 a.m. Although based in AON’s Philadelphia offices, he frequently conducted business in the New York and had arrived early to meet his colleagues.

Phil met his beloved wife, Joanie, through friends at work and they settled outside of Princeton, New Jersey, with their daughter, Stephanie. Stephanie was 12 years old at the time of the 9/11 attacks. He was also survived by his father, Leys (deceased several years ago), and his sister, Leslie, brother-in-law, Bill Bennison, nieces Vanessa and Dana, sister-in-law Kathy, and several relatives in Canada.

Resources:
The Phi Kappa Tau September 11th Remembrance Ceremony

Sources: Voices of September11.org, Cleveland.com/Cleveland Plain Dealer, The New York Times, americanmemorials.com, Legacy.com, aswiftkick.mu.nu, and nyjnews.com.

Posted in Uncategorized

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Policy is Not a Four Letter Word •September 15, 2011 • Leave a Comment
By: Coordinator of Volunteer Development Tyler Wash, Georgetown ’06

The word “policy” has such a negative connotation these days; both democrats and republicans use the word “policy” as a four-letter word. I won’t get into the argument of what is good policy and what is bad policy or should we have more or less policy in our government. If you want to hear that argument all you have to do is turn your television to CNN, Fox News or MSNBC and you will hear 24-hour coverage of that argument.

Policy is not a four-letter word (in fact, it has six letters). Resident Council officers can use policy to make their jobs easier. When a chapter-related problem arises, it is much easier to revert back to a predetermined policy than to make up solutions on the fly. Predetermined chapter policy can also help officers make the tough decisions that have to be made from time to time for the good of the chapter.

Predetermined chapter policy is most important in area of finances. Each chapter should have local financial policies in place to prevent misuse of funds and hold each chapter member accountable to the financial obligations they agreed. Check your chapter bylaws to see which policies may already be in place; there may be some that surprise you. If you do not find any financial policies in your current chapter bylaws, consider drafting some.

There is a resource located on The Exchange entitled “Sample Local Policies.” This resource outlines eight sample financial policies that you can insert into your chapter’s bylaws. If you notice the need to update your bylaws any further, you can find sample bylaws on the Phi Kappa Tau website. These polices will help to provide long-term accountability and stability for your
chapter’s financial management.

Remember that policy is a six letter word (not a four letter) and there is a lot of good that can come from predetermined chapter policies in regards to finances and all other areas of Fraternity operations.

Resources:
Sample Local Policies
www.phikappatau.org/images/stories/Lead_your_Chapter/Treasurer/Sample_Local_Policies.pdf

Sample Chapter Bylaws
www.phikappatau.org/images/stories/learning/Sample_Chapter_Bylaws.doc

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Your Actions Define You •September 22, 2011 • 1 Comment

By: Expansion Coordinator Alex Koehler, Mount Union ’07

On a recent sorority visit at the University of Texas, the Phi Kappa Tau expansion team was given some feedback that became fuel to my fire. When the women were asked “what qualities they find admirable in a gentlemen,” one response put me over the edge.

According to one of our interfraternal sisters, a gentlemen is someone who “isn’t too fratty.”

When did something that is supposed to help elevate lives establish such a negative conotation that this verb describes someone lacking character?

Beyond that, why aren’t more people doing something about it?

Your actions define you. Plain and simple. For the rest of your life, you will be known by what you do. Not by wearing cargo shorts or flat fronts, Air Force Ones or Sperrys, gold chains or croakies. Not if you like dubstep, rap or metal. You will be defined by what you do. Start acting like a man and live a life that redefines fraternity through ACTION.

If you haze, you are not living the values of Phi Kappa Tau. If your brotherhood revolves around alcohol, you are doing fraternity wrong. If you haven’t paid your dues but have spent money on video games, take off the T-shirt … you don’t deserve it.

To take a quote from Parting Thoughts: “Live so that when your brothers think of fairness, caring and integrity they think of you.” Let’s live so that when people are asked about men they admire, they respond “Fraternity Men.”

I believe in a better world. I believe in a better fraternal community. “Do one thing every day that scares you.” Stand up for what you believe in, and live a life bigger than you have ever imagined.

Posted in Membership, Recruitment, Risk Management, Ritual

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A Catalyst to Understanding Phi Tau •September 27, 2011 • Leave a Comment
By: Volunteer Development Consultant Marty Dunning, Kentucky ’07

At the Association of Hole in the Wall Camps, volunteers talk about the moment that everything just clicked—why they were there, what camp was all about, etc. It wasn’t until after I graduated that I looked back on my experience as an active Phi Tau member and wondered, “When did everything ‘click’ for me with Phi Tau?”

You would think that the answer would be pretty simple or easy to come to, but honestly it wasn’t. It wasn’t when I got my bid. It wasn’t when I went through my MO period, not even during initiation—our Ritual didn’t actually kick in then. I think I got a lot out of my first Convention, but I don’t think Phi Tau completely clicked for me until my first Leadership Academy in 2009.

I don’t mean to discount everything else by any means; they all make up this organization’s solid foundation. But what made Leadership Academy special above all my other experiences was my own realization that I’m a part of a brotherhood that expands beyond my chapter, one that stems past the four years of college.

Most people look at Leadership Academy as either something that’s required of them, a program to help them become a better leader or maybe even just a few days with a group of strangers. Most people are kind of close to being right, but the way I looked at it (and still do) is that it’s an opportunity to better myself and my brothers from other chapters. A chance to be my brother’s keeper in a sense.

These guys weren’t “strangers” for long. I don’t even think I made it through the first day without thinking of these guys as brothers and new friends. By the end of the few days, I had so many brothers that I even felt closer to than a lot of my chapter, and that’s really something. We had bonded, hashed out a lot of our issues, and worked to be the best men and leaders that we could be. We cheered for our beloved YELLOW team, and also for our bros in red, green, blue and purple. We grew together. We ARE brothers now and ever.

Leadership Academy and the experiences there served as a catalyst for me to realize what Phi Kappa Tau means to me and my brothers. It isn’t something you can read, but something that has to be experienced and felt. Luckily, each undergraduate has multiple opportunities to experience this program and other education and leadership-development programs. I have seen several brothers go through the same experience as me, and I guarantee that if you’re ready to find out what Phi Tau is all about, Academy will get you there. I challenge you to attend next summer, become a better leader and brother, and understand what it truly means to be a Phi Kappa Tau.

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The Lunch Line Revolution •October 7, 2011 • 1 Comment
By: Expansion Coordinator Alex Koehler, Mount Union ’07

I hate standing in lines. I mean, there better be something amazing at the end of that line if I’m going to wait.

Roller coasters? TOTALLY worth it!

But lines for just about anything else? No thanks.

And lunch lines? Forget it!

I don’t know if it’s impatience, ADHD, or the fact that lunch lines tend to look a lot like Depression-era food lines, but anyone’s who’s ever eaten in a cafeteria-esque setting with me can vouch for this. Instead of standing in line to wait for food, I usually go sit with people I know until I notice the line’s died down.

That is, until I realized how big of an opportunity I was missing …

I have a friend who always says, “Your ability to connect determines your ability to lead.” While I was walking around talking to people I already knew, I was letting an opportunity slip by–connecting with people I didn’t know.

Next time you’re standing in the seemingly endless campus lunch line, strike up a conversation with the random person waiting beside/behind/in front of you. Here are your steps:

Make a comment or joke, just to see how they respond. “Man, I can’t believe we have to wait in line for this. We should at least be getting filet mignon at the end of this line!”
Find your hand.
Extend it for an introduction. (Congratulations! You just met someone.)
Get to know them them.
Be curious. “What’s your major?” or “What year are you?”
Be vulnerable. “Man, freshman year was tough for me. How’s your’s going?”
Be generous. “Let me pay for your meal!” or “Would you like to sit with my me and my friends?”
Above all, be authentic.
Are you wondering if you should ask this dude if he’s in a fraternity? If you are, the correct answer is NO! What are you, a used car salesman?

This is an opportunity to make a new friend (he may end up being your best man), to potentially add a name to your prospect pool, and to practice good recruitment skills as outlined in the Phi Kappa Tau 5-Step Recruitment Process.

Instead of drudging along in line with an antisocial attitude, start a lunch line revolution! If nothing else, people will be inspired by your positive attitude, and you should walk away feeling a little more confident.

Resources:
5-Step Recruitment Process
www.phikappatau.org/component/content/article/53/451-the-phi-kappa-tau-5-step-recruitment-process.html

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How Values Maximize Profits •October 24, 2011 • Leave a Comment
By: Resource and Development Coordinator Ray Sophie, Southern Illinois ’08

“Starbucks represents something beyond a cup of coffee.”
—Howard Schultz, Founder, Owner and CEO of Starbucks

Successful businesses don’t exist purely to make money; shoddy businesses exist to make money. That’s why, in my opinion, a lot of big businesses in America are struggling right now—they aren’t great. And, that’s why a select few companies are not only surviving in today’s rugged economy, they are thriving.

There’s a reason Southwest Airlines is consistently the only profitable airline in America.
There’s a reason Apple is always selling out of products that society never knew it needed.
There’s a reason Starbucks created and still owns the worldwide market on the coffee shop experience.

THEY ALL BELIEVE IN THEIR VALUES.

I bring this up for several reasons.

One, I am reading Howard Schultz’s book “Onward.” Schultz writes about his experiences returning to Starbucks as the CEO after nearly a decade to restore the company’s core values and mission.

This is Starbucks’ mission:
“To inspire and nurture the human spirit – one person, one cup and one neighborhood at a time.”

If you look closely, nowhere does it mention coffee or profits. Coffee is just the conduit by which they achieve their mission. Making money helps them re-invest in and achieve their mission.

That leads me to my second point. If you look at our mission statement as men of Phi Kappa Tau, “To champion a lifelong commitment to brotherhood, learning, ethical leadership and exemplary character,” you will also notice that nowhere in our mission is fraternity mentioned.

That’s because Phi Kappa Tau uses fraternity to achieve its mission; its mission is not fraternity.

Finally, as a master’s of public administration candidate, many of my classes talk about the inherent differences between non-profit/public organizations and private-sector organizations. From where I sit, it seems that no matter what kind of business—non-profit, public or private—if your organization believes in a set of values and makes them priority number one, your business will find sustained success.

People don’t buy what you do, they buy why you do it.

To me, Phi Kappa Tau provides the only lesson you will need to be successful in business and in life.

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Lessons Learned from a Wise Source •November 2, 2011 • Leave a Comment
By: Resource and Expansion Consultant Jason Sweet, Saginaw Valley State ’09

“No! Try not. Do, or do not. There is no try.” This iconic phrase resonates in the hearts and souls of many people. While it is spoken by a short, green, pointy-eared being known as Yoda from Star Wars, there are no truer words to apply to one’s life.

In the world of fraternity, there is an ever present trend. When looking at the success, or lack there of, of a chapter, three questions must be asked:

Do they know what they need to do to be successful? In most situations the answer is yes.
Do they know how to achieve these necessary steps for success? Again, in most situations the answer is yes.
Did they actually take the steps to become successful? We have established at this point that most chapters and individuals know what to do and how to do it, but curiously, this last question is more often than not answered with a no.
It is here that the lesson of Jedi Master Yoda can be applied. I would be willing to bet that in most sitations the necessary steps were attempted but there was no follow through.

Herein lies our problem, and hopefully our solution. There is an ever growing number of college-aged men who are content with saying they tried and failed because after all they gave it a shot didn’t they?

WRONG!

We as men must find it within our selves to never be satisfied with simply trying and failing. If we fail, we re-evalute and attack from another angle with increased vigor until we have achieved what we set out to do.

In that same vein, if it is a task that is too overwhelming for you alone, do not attempt it alone. There is no shame in asking for help.

Do or do not, there is no try. The Executive Offices and National Fraternity, through training programs, volunteer structure and online resources, do everything possible to supply the information and tools necessary for the “what” and “how.” All that needs to be done is to follow through!

In all aspects of fraternity, do you have what it takes to be successful?

Resources:
The Exchange
www.phikappatau.org/learning/pkt-u.html
“The Menaissance” by Brett McKay (video)
www.youtube.com/watch?v=_AxLaCltp2o&list=FL4byfCG2N55cIf3kNSUTkpQ&index=4
artofmanliness.com/