News and Commentary for Triangle Leaders "Our Goal is Simple: You Achieving Yours"

Even if you're on the right track, you'll get run over if you just sit there. - W. Rogers

To be successful, you don't have to do extraordinary things. Just do ordinary things extraordinarily well. - John Rohn

If you are an active, when you get this, it is likely to be the start of a new term (Winter 1998). If you are an alumnus, then you aren't tied down to that same schedule. No matter when you get this, it is an opportunity for you and your chapter to learn, to become better, and to improve. Will you take it? Will you utilize this opportunity? Or are you going to sit there and get run over by the train of progress?

Making yourself and our Fraternity better is a big thing best done in small bites. The first is finding value in yourself and Triangle. If these are worthwhile, then it is worth making them the best they can be (or it's time to cut and run). I would bet that every one of you already feels that both himself and Triangle are worthwhile. Therefore, these are worth making the best they can be.

The next step is to plan out how to make the situation better. This is not an extraordinary step. Look at you or your chapter and compare them against their reasons for existing and their current goals. Find the strengths to capitalize upon and the weaknesses to shore up. Are these entities going in the right direction? Are they useful? Are they fun? Are they nteresting? If the answer is no, figure out what changes you need to make. If the answer is yes, how can you ensure that they will stay that way for the next "generation" of Brothers or for yourself? Ask questions. Challenge assumptions. Get everyone involved.

The final step is to do those ordinary things it takes to make a spectacular success. Is your chapter too small to weather financial and recruitment crises? Go recruit. Is there a problem with participation and collections? Talk to Brothers, individually and in groups, to discuss the Ritual and how they are living up to it (or not). Are your grades too low? Prioritize the work that needs to be done. Study more hours. Get to a tutor? Are you not learning anything but "technical" things? Take a liberal arts course. Read more books outside the technical realm. The list of things that you could do is too long to discuss them all here, and the ones you need to choose will be based upon you or your chapter's current situation.

No matter what, do something to make you and your chapter better. Don't sit still. Love Triangle as yourself. Make them improve.

Contents

• Recruitment
• Exciting News from National Council
• Nothing Happens by Accident: Planning an Alumni Event
• How Could There Be a Creativity Process
• Better Ways to Improve Your Study Habits

Recruitment

Tim Eiler minn87

Unfortunately, I could have also located that story at a job rather than in a classroom. Too often actives and alumni alike hide their Triangle affiliation. That makes recruiting more difficult, though obviously not impossible.

Are you like the active in the story? Do you "hide" your affiliation with Triangle by not telling other people about it? How would recruitment be easier if you were to tell more people about Triangle (alumni, that's for you too)?

Exciting News from National Council

The process to get to these decisions was a welcome and unifying work. It allowed all Councilmen to discuss, within the framework of past agreements, their thoughts on where Triangle is headed. The decisions themselves will be used to help us plan better for efficient, effective planning and roll-out of programs and practices that will help make Triangle more relevant, important, and interesting to you, the individual member.

The detailed minutes of this meeting will be available for your review at Triangle's National Chapter WWW site (www.triangle.org) at the beginning of January 1998. The next planned National Council meeting will be at the beginning of March. During this meeting, we will plan and review the tactical implementation area in more detail.

Nothing Happens By Accident - Planning an Alumni Event

C.R. Dowdy, PKA Fraternity
from http://www.pka.com/wfarel.html

The most popular Fall alumni event is usually Homecoming, and it has a way of creeping up on us. Coming off summer break, the start of classes, Fall rush, new pledges, new friends, football season, intramural athletics and many other activities distract your attention from planning this event. The next thing you know, the Homecoming date is a couple of weeks away and you have nothing planned. The chapter attempts to pull off a miracle, and the reality is that alumni see the chapter as unorganized and poorly run. They feel as if the active chapter doesn't want anything to do with them, because little or no effort went into making this a special event. Nobody wants to be where they are not wanted and appreciated.

This is a prime opportunity to "rush" alumni. Encourage them to get involved and make them remember how proud they are to be members of their fraternity. This is the easiest alumni event to plan: your date has already been chosen and your activity is a small part of a bigger event, the football game.

The following suggestions are not in any specific order, but should all be addressed by the chapter and alumni relations chairman in planning your Fall alumni event:

• Establish realistic goals: If you haven't had a well planned event recently, you can't expect to pull 150 alumni to your first event. Don't get discouraged.
• Work with the chapter alumni association: If one doesn't exist, you may want to promote the event as an interest meeting to establish one. You would be amazed by the number of alumni who want to get involved in an alumni association but are never asked.
• Contact past chapter leaders: These men's records are on file at the Memorial Headquarters. They know more alumni and can sell the event, as well as giving you ideas on what alumni might be interested in doing. Your event must interest the group you want to attract. The event might highlight a certain class or generation of the chapter.
• Budget for this event: It should not be costly, but it will involve some expenses. The alumni relations chairman should submit a detailed budget of his activities. In some cases, the alumni association may split costs with the chapter.
• Send an official invitation to each alumnus member: They need to be made aware that you are having an alumni event and that they are invited. As simple as that sounds, many alumni may not know the chapter is having an event and may not feel welcome if they didn't receive an invitation. An RSVP phone number or address should be on the invitation, so you can get an estimated number of attendees.
• Request use of university phones to call alumni who do not respond: The office of development or office of alumni relations may give you free long distance access to call your alumni. It doesn't hurt to ask.
• Invite local alumni who may have been initiated at other chapters: They may have become fans of your school and can add some flavor to your event. Because of their location, they could be a big asset to your chapter.
• Consider alternate locations: If relations have not been good recently or your house is out of the way, you may want to set up a tailgate party close to the football stadium. The chapter could make or buy some banners that "Welcome [Triangle] Alumni". However, if you chose a tailgate event do not leave the house in a mess. Some alumni will wander by the house and may ask where the event is being held. So it must be spic'n span clean with directions to the tailgate location.
• Prepare for an alumni event in much the same way you prepare for rush: This is a time to put your best foot forward and leave alumni with a positive image of their chapter and Fraternity. Schedule people to do specific jobs: greeters, servers of food, set up, clean up and all other work that goes into putting on your particular event. If you keep everyone's task simple they will enjoy the event much more than if they have to guess what to do.
• Have a sign-in book at the event: It is a great place to get addresses of alumni who may have moved. Also, you will need these names and addresses when you send thank you notes to all alumni who came to the event. The notes should tell them how wonderful it was to see them, and inform them of opportunities to get involved and assist the chapter. If you have a date set for Founders Day, and you should, include that in the note as well.
• Plan the event: Put some thought into planning this event. If it is a day game, you may need to plan pre-game and post-game activities. If it is a night game, a pre-game activity is necessary. A Homecoming game has a set kickoff time and an approximate ending time. It isn't going to change. The opportunity to host a good Homecoming only comes around once a year.

Should you ask alumni for money? It may not be the best thing to do if you have had poor relations up to this point. If you solicit donations, make sure it is done in a tactful way. One person should be in charge. You should solicit for a specific purpose and not just to fill the general coffers of the chapter. Don't make those who decide not to give feel bad. You never know, they may not have enough cash on them at the time and want to give later. They may contribute to the chapter endowment set up by the Educational Foundation for each chapter. Don't burn any bridges with alumni.

The bottom line is that each year an opportunity is presented to your chapter. This year is your chance to set an annual tradition in your chapter that will make coming back even more special when you become an alumnus. It is your calling now to set the standard for years to come. Make this a year that alumni walk away proud to be an alumnus of [Triangle], and more specifically your chapter.

How Could There Be A Creativity Process?

Tim Eiler minn87

Foraging is being on the outlook and exploring your environment for new ideas; seeking inspiration through nature; getting an education, and developing your abilities and talents.

Reflecting is questioning the information which you have collected; using your imagination; thinking, pondering, and daydreaming; brainstorming and "what-if-ing."

Adopting means selecting among your generated ideas; making decisions; borrowing ideas from others; inventing

Nurturing requires objectively evaluating an idea and rejecting what doesn't work; simplifying the over-complicated; lots of hard work; failing and trying again (over and over again).

Hunkering means marketing your idea; dealing with critics; maturing with courage and patience; and surviving success.

The challenge is to use this information to make your own life better and to improve your chapter. What are some ways to make that happen?

Better Ways to Improve Your Study Habits

Chauncey A. Fahey wis48

Today, the "refreshment break" is probably the most abused policy in existence (whether it be company policy or personal policy). It serves as the basis for our most extreme rationalizations. When one is studying, or doing any kind of work, and he feels like taking a break, he shouldn't. Instead, he should choose a sizable amount of additional work with a logical stopping place and say, "When I complete this, then I will take a break." The correct size of this additional work is quite crucial; it should not be so long as to create a frustrating restlessness, nor should it be as short as one would like to rationalize. Another trick to combat this sort of restlessness is a temporary change of position, say from the straight chair to a stuffed chair, but be sure to keep in mind that this change of position is just for the sake of change, not for a rest. This serves two purposes, it avoids wasting time but it also provides motivation.

Another important factor for successful concentration is appropriate working conditions. The first item that should be mentioned here is quiet; noise, always distracting, cannot be tolerated. The best students realize that, for study purposes, even soft music is distracting. There is only one excuse for having soft music: As a low-level, continuous sound, in itself pleasing, for disguising unavoidable background noise. This does not admit that soft music is acceptable, only that it is the least objectionable. Not only must noises whose source does not intend them to be distractions be avoided, but so must interruptions be avoided. The study place must be secluded, because interruptions in the middle of a train of thought are frustrating. The whole sequence of logic must be repeated, and somehow it always seems to take longer the second time. Other working conditions to be mentioned are good lighting, a large desk for spreading out material, a good straight-backed chair, good ventilation, and good, comfortable temperature.

DILIGENCE: To carry out the procedures indicated by these study elements, one must be dedicated to his studies. He must declare to himself that he will do a complete job of learning the required material, and learn to enjoy it. Once a student experiences mastery of his studies, then he comes to enjoy the intellectual challenge, his ego now gives him the desire to learn. This persistence is not the only aspect of diligence. Another is the resistance of distracting temptations. The good student is unwavered by the beckoning of friends (or relatives, or television) to "take a break." He is able to overcome the fear of being classified as an oddball, or as ambitious, or what-have-they, realizing that such classifications are just irrationalizations. Too, the tempters are soon trained not to bother.

Here is probably the best place to discuss the value of "bull session" in learning. In general, they are useless wastes of time and result only because everyone wants to believe the sessions are useful. Make it a policy to avoid general discussions, unless you have a specific question to ask or are approached with a specific question.

TRIANGLE FRATERNITY

Is Serious about Scholarship

Sets and Demonstrates High Standards

Celebrates Achievement