All Greek members can attest that every fraternity or sorority has members who aren”t fulfilling the guidelines set by their organization for one reason or another.
In a Greek house, a general member can be expected to accomplish a myriad of things like maintaining an above average GPA and participating in philanthropies or other house activities.
Alexander Milles
Argonaut
But some members fail to accomplish the expectations of their house and are ultimately called to the Judicial Board or Standards. Standards, or “J” Board, are the group of elected officials who maintain the standards set by their house.
Depending on the organization, decisions are made to ensure what”s best for the fraternity or sorority as a whole. Tough ethical decisions can come into play. When cases are severe, membership termination is a possibility, but no one wants it to come to that.
For members who do accomplish the standards of their organization, it can be frustrating to see other members failing to do what”s needed to make their house the best it can be. Some members try to take all the stressful responsibilities of their fraternity or sorority on their shoulders. The responsibility of living in a Greek house does not depend on one member, however.
We are only as strong as our weakest link, which is why all Greek houses should look to utilize their members” strengths and build their members up in a positive way. Taking the high road is nearly always better than looking to punish people.
Personally, I have struggled to meet the expectations of my brotherhood in the past. I know that all members care about the organization they are a part of. If they didn”t, they wouldn”t be a part of their group at all.
There is a saying on Greek row, “These letters don”t make me better than you, they make me better than the person I used to be.”
I truly can attest that fighting to be a member of your house can make you a stronger person. Even though meeting the standards of most fraternities and sororities can be difficult sometimes, it is definitely worth it.
I know many can feel exhausted by all the responsibilities of Greek life, especially during the spring semester. I also know everyone wants their house to be a top house.
In order to do that, members must hold each other accountable and set themselves to a higher standard – one above the norm.
When I say hold each other accountable, I mean all members no matter the pledge class, status or those holding a higher position. People in leadership positions should remember to look at the good in every member, and members should remember the people in their house are one big family. We all just want to succeed.
Alexander Milles can be reached at [email protected]