THE EXPONENT: Volume 1, Number 1

A publication of the Triangle National Council Fraternity Strengthening Committee

Contents

• What is the Exponent all about?
• Brotherhood
  • Brotherhood is the Best Salary
  • The Gavel Pass
  • Triangle Fraternity "Stuff"
• Chapter Management
  • Start at the Beginning
  • Triangle, The IRS, and You
  • Accounts Receivable
• Spotlight on the National Organization
• Chapter Spotlight
• Spotlight on Prominent Triangles

The exponent is a communications tool! It has a plethora of purposes that are too many to list them all here. The Fraternity Strengthening Committee of Triangle National Council was formed this year to try to come up with ways to improve Triangle Brotherhood and chapters. THE EXPONENT is one tool that we came up with to exchange some of those ideas with you.

Only you, at the chapter level, can decide to implement any of what you read and learn in this newsletter. No one at the national level can mandate that you take any of these ideas to make the bonds of Triangle Brotherhood better for you or your successors. No one can force you to make your chapter get bigger, better, and stronger either. What we can do is give you the vision and the tools to do those things. That's what this is all about!

Brotherhood

Brotherhood is the Best Salary

Charlie Hackerson minn89

As I think about my involvement in Triangle Fraternity, I am constantly amazed at the time and effort that is voluntarily donated by active and alumni members. Unlike the "Real World" where an organization offers you a salary to contribute your time, Triangle members donate it freely.

Why?

The answer is Brotherhood, which is as meaningful as it is abstract. There are many ways to feel a sense of Brotherhood; having a good time at a party, having a Brother help your through a tough time, or just having a group of friends you can count on. But here I am going to address the area of stewardship.

At the chapter level, the active and alumni members are the stewards of the Fraternity. They donate their time for many reasons, but mainly because they feel friendship and a common purpose. This is their "salary," and cultivating the sense of Brotherhood and common purpose is the most important thing a chapter does. Chapter functions - Rush, Social, House Maintenance, et. - depend upon the support of the membership and are only supported if the members are motivated to help. As a chapter, therefore, you need something to help expand this sense of friendship and common purpose.

The biggest event every year for both active and alumni members is Founder's Day. A good Founder's Day celebration reaches every member and tells him that the Fraternity has direction and a noble purpose. This cannot be overstated. For me, knowing that Triangle stands for something honorable and worthwhile makes the decision to contribute my time an easy one. Founder's Day is also a chance for everyone to have a great time. It's a chance to see some alumni you haven't seen in a while and to meet some for the first time. This event can also be a way for alumni to show their spouses and families how important and fun Triangle is. It provides an opportunity to rejuvenate pride and enthusiasm for Triangle. As a result, the success of Founders' Day plays a major role in the success of the chapter as a whole for the coming year.

So plan well. Don't forget to invite all area alumni, even if they aren't from the home chapter, and make the event as interesting and family-oriented as possible. If your chapter is struggling with the planning of Founders' Day, ask for help. Include alumni in the planning and execution of the event. Don't forget that the National Office can be a wealth of information. Ask questions to Brothers on the Internet Triangle mail exploder system. Call or email a Councilman, a Field Representative (your chapter consultant perhaps), or me. Every Fraternity and Sorority celebrates some form of Founders' Day, so don't be afraid to ask them for ideas. Planning and executing a Founders' Day celebration may seem like a big task, but the reward is a firm foundation of member support for chapter growth.

The Gavel Pass

Tim Eiler minn87

National Council

When I had just started out at the Minnesota chapter, times were not what we wanted them to be. There were problems getting folks enthusiastic about moving forward with plans, about becoming more Greek-oriented, even about doing simple things like house jobs (cleaning the bathrooms and such). There was much bitching and griping going on. It didn't feel like there was much real Brotherhood going on (even though there really was a tremendous amount!). Times were tough...

I don't recall what National Gathering it was...probably Convention in Milwaukee, or maybe Leadership School in Nebraska...but that's not important...where we learned a great tool for bringing some of the hard feelings and strife out into the open, but that tool is one of the best I've found. That tool is called a gavel pass.

The rules for a gavel pass are pretty damn simple. First you get all the Brothers together in one location. We found that it was easiest to do this after a SHORT weekly meeting, but others tell me that it works best to not do a meeting at all, choosing instead to devote the time to the gavel pass. Have everyone sit around where they are as comfortable as possible. Take the president's gavel (or some other suitable object), and give it to one of the Brothers. For some short period of time, probably a 2 to 3 minute period at most, ONLY that Brother may speak. He should be encourage to get any problems related to the fraternity he might have off his chest, to give praise to ANY or ALL of the Brothers, or to make some fraternity-related comment. While it should be strongly encourage that everyone say some fraternity-related thing, it should also be acceptable for the guy to say "pass." When he is done, the gavel moves on to the next Brother (hence the name gavel pass) until everyone has had a chance to say his piece. The only other rule is that every Brother should keep his temper so that the thing doesn't get unBrotherly.

The goals should be pretty obvious...get out all those frustrations...tell everyone the good stuff...build the feeling of Brotherhood!

Triangle Fraternity "Stuff"

D. Peter Junkin oks88

This article is supposed to be about Triangle Fraternity paraphernalia, but it could just as easily be about advertising...or about pride. On most campuses where Triangle is present, I'll bet that there is not much Triangle "stuff" in the Fraternities & Sororities section of the local Spirit Store! This leads to a situation in which few Triangles wearing or displaying our "stuff." If you take any Pi Phi or Sigma Chi and look at all the "stuff" like t-shirts, hats, sweatshirts, stickers, cups, shorts, etc. that they have and then compare it to any Triangle, it is *almost* inevitable that the Triangle has less.

Like I said, this is advertising...and "free" advertising at that! The more passive exposure to "Triangle Fraternity" a person is exposed to, the more likely he is to want to find out what it is. The more that person wants to find out what Triangle is, the more likely he will Rush the chapter or the more likely she will want to socialize with the Brothers.

This article could have been entitled "Pride" also. Be proud of your Fraternity. Wear a Triangle hat every day for a week and see how it makes you feel. A lot of campuses have a "Greek Letter Day" on campus each week. Do you show what you think of Triangle on those days? How often do you wear your badge or your recognition pin? You joined Triangle, you are working to make Triangle the best fraternity it can be, and you are working to make a better Greek system, so build your pride and show it off!

Triangle "stuff" is great for Rush. When you are Rushing someone at the house or in your room, make sure that they are bombarded with Triangle pictures, trophies, plaques, your framed code of ethics, your framed shingles, books, etc. Having these types of things around will more likely leave the Rushee with a sense of tradition, strength, and a feeling that your fraternity is IMPORTANT to YOU. If you think Triangle is important and the Rushee is your friend (remember the first step of the "Right Way to Rush"), then pretty soon the guy won't be a rushee, he'll be a pledge!

Don't forget that if you can't find a Triangle hat at your local Greek store or campus store, you can have them made...pretty much just like you have t-shirts made up for Rush, parties, etc. Triangle National works with a supplier of Greek paraphernalia, too, so you can use that for a source of "stuff."

So why are you sitting here reading this? Put on that Triangle badge and go buy a hat!

Chapter Management

Start at the Beginning

Tim Eiler minn87

Abraham Lincoln once said, "If we could first know where we are and whither we are tending, we could then better judge what to do, and how to do it." What plan guides your chapter? If you don't already have such a plan, developing one should be one of your chapter leaders' highest priorities so that you can accomplish what Lincoln was talking about. Even if you are successful now, a strategic plan for your chapter can help make your chapter stronger. If your chapter is having problems, chances are that a strategic plan will aid you in your attempt to get on the right road to success. Strategic vision and planning are imperative to your chapter's success.

A strategic plan can do several things for your chapter. First, it will help you identify and/or establish your goals for your chapter. It also will help you analyze your environment and your chapter so that you can find ways to achieve your goals. Finally, the plan can be used to maintain continuity of ideas and ideals across years of chapter operations.

There are seven steps in the strategic planning process...

1. Analyze your environment:
   How are you perceived on campus? How are Greeks in general perceived on campus? What external opportunities exist for making the chapter more successful? What external threats is the chapter facing?

    

2. Analyze your chapter:
   What strengths do you have (good organization, strong Brotherhood, good Rush skill set, etc.)? What are your weaknesses (poor Rush skills, poor financial condition, lack of a chapter house, etc.)?

    

3. Define the chapter's mission and goals:
   Write down a mission and a vision statement. What things do you want your chapter to do and how do you want it to act? Write down your goals for your chapter. What do you want your chapter to be like? What things do you want your chapter to accomplish? You can find examples of mission and vision statements in just about any management textbook or management book you find in a bookstore. Don't worry, though, the next EXPONENT will have some more details in it (don't wait until then, though...you CAN start NOW).

    

4. Identify specific plans for the short term (this term, this year) and longer term (next year, next couple of years) that you will use to capitalize on opportunities and defuse threats, using and growing your strengths and repairing weaknesses. Implement these plans!

    

5. Evaluate the plan on a periodic basis and make needed adjustments. So what does all this mean? It boils down to this: how can you improve, thus turning your weaknesses into strengths, and how you can use your strengths to capitalize on opportunities and to overcome the threats?

   Write your mission statement down. Make it part of your pledge education cycle. Read it often. Frame it and hang it on the chapter room wall. Write down your strategic plan and review it often. Work on the areas you can easily get success in first. This will help you build momentum and help the chapter get behind the idea.

   Being without a mission is a lot like being without a destination for a long trip. Being without a plan is a lot like being without a roadmap for the trip. If you are missing either one, you will find it almost impossible to get where you want to be.

Triangle, The IRS, and You

Jason Evans oks88

As you know, Triangle enjoys exemption from income taxes due to our non-profit status. In order to maintain that status, however, each chapter is required to file an IRS Form 990 with the IRS each year. "So what," you may say, "That's the job of the alumni treasurer." Well, you are probably right, but the day-to-day record keeping done by the active treasurer is crucial. The day-to-day records are the basis for the 990. So what is needed?

In order to fill out the 990 form, several classifications of expenses are used. These include telephone, utilities, insurance, minor improvements, capital improvements (over $500), payroll taxes (yes, you do have to pay taxes on any employees you may have!), printing and publications, and the like. In order for the alumni treasurer to properly fill out this form, he needs the expenditure information broken down into these categories. Otherwise he will have to look at each of the expenditures while he fills out the form and make a classification judgment at that point. It is much easier to keep track of the classification as YOU go. Through trial and error (and a few years of business school), I have found that if you keep records as you go, financial work is much easier. A simple spreadsheet, or even a multi-column ledger can be used. Simply record each expenditure item in the appropriate category as it is made.

It is also important to keep accurate records of income. The basis of Triangle's tax status is that we are a non-profit organization. That doesn't mean that we can never show a profit. The IRS sets limits on what income in excess of expenses can be. It is important to keep track of who has paid how much, who owes how much, any donations that the chapter may receive (there is a separate item on the 990 for donations), and interest income. Enter these items into the worksheet as they are received.

So what now? You need to cross-check the numbers against the bank statements. First, reconcile the checkbook with the statement. Then confirm each check and deposit. Also, make sure that each item is classified properly on the worksheet. "And what do I do with the worksheets," you might ask. It is a good idea to provide the information to the alumni treasurer on a monthly basis. This allows the Alumni Board to spot potential problems and then to offer you advice and help. Also, be sure to keep a copy for the chapter's records.

All of this effort should not take more than three or four hours per month. As you write a check or accept payment for a debt, record it in the appropriate category. Reconcile the worksheets with the bank statement. Send a copy of the records to the alumni monthly and always keep your records organized so you can find information as it is needed. If you, the Active Treasurer, follow these basic guidelines, anybody (even an engineer) can successfully appease the bureaucratic giant that is the IRS.

Accounts Receivable

D. Peter Junkin oks88

The rules are there for a reason. They need to be followed to the letter to preserve the integrity of the business. That brings up an interesting point: we are a business! For us to stay "in the black," it is gonna take some work. The last thing a business needs is to have excess accounts receivable because that means it won't be able to pay the accounts payable (that means bills for you non-business types ;-) on time, which probably will lead to penalties for the business.

Some interesting conclusions can be drawn from studying this problem. We are less expensive than the dorms on some campuses. And, yes, you can use that as a rush tool. But, if the people that you sign do so for the main reason that you are cheap, then you are likely to have some major problems! Aside from the fact that they are not all that interested in Triangle and what it means to be a Brother, they probably won't be paying you the full amount and probably what they do pay won't be on time. What does this mean? You need to be careful about who you rush and whether they will be able to follow the Code of Ethics. sometimes Rush is done by the axiom "quantity, not quality" with the thought that quantity will mean that the chapter will be able to pay bills. This makes sense for about a second...the more people you have in the house, the more money you are taking in. After that second has passed, though, you will see that this reasoning will inevitably backfire. It fails for two reasons: First and most important, it's likely that these "quantity" men won't live up to the ideals of Triangle Brotherhood...you obviously didn't screen them well to identify if they would be and, hey, if standards aren't important to you guys, the ones that are already Brothers, why should they be important to a pledge? Second, if you don't take a Rushee's financial abilities into account, you run a great risk of not being able to collect money from him...exactly the opposite effect of your original intent. This is not to say, of course, that you should be asking Rushees in your most highbrow voice, "Soo, just how much money does your father make?" This is just one of the factors you should take into account when weighing a Rushee for membership in Triangle.

Spotlight on the National Organization

This section will contain information about National staff and volunteers, how Triangle's National organization is organized, and information about National policies and plans. In the next EXPONENT, you will see a spotlight segment about your current National President, Steve Heitert and we'll also have a report that explains the Chapter Size Standard policy.

Chapter Spotlight

This section will highlight one of our more successful chapters...as written by them! You'll get to hear some of what they think makes them successful and what they are doing. If you would like your chapter spotlighted here, submit your article to me NO LATER THAN March 31, 1995. There is no size limit per se, but try to keep it to about one page so that the file size doesn't get too big! We are run as a federation of chapters and can only be successful if we exchange ideas with each other...this is one forum for doing that. If you are proud of your chapter, let us know why we should be too! I will choose one of your entries for the next EXPONENT.

Spotlight on Prominent Triangles

I don't know about you, but I am very impressed by some of our notable alumni! This section will give you a chance to "meet" one for each edition (assuming I can find someone to "interview" them!). Look for alumni news here, too.

Well, that's it for this, the first edition of THE EXPONENT. I hope you like it and will spread the word that it is worthwhile to other Brothers. If you like this, talk it up on the net! As always, if you have suggestions for improvement, let me know.

Tim Eiler
Triangle Fraternity National Councilman

Relentless Pursuit of EXCELLENCE!!!!