Do not join a fraternity if:
You do not believe in the organization and the tenets upon which it is built.
You sort of believe in those things, but have no intention of living up to them.
You give a nod to it all, but plan to do whatever you want, whenever you want.
You want to live the frat boy life, not the one of a fraternity man.
Find a few friends, rent a house and do whatever you want, without a thought to whether there are prohibitions against it. Tragedies that occur in a blue house at the corner of Pine and Maple rarely make the national news, and if they do, they are quickly displaced when the next story comes along.
When one frat boy or a chapter of frat boys screws up bigtime, all of us suffer the consequences. Those who believe fully in the positive qualities of fraternity done well cannot justify the acts of frat boys.
My heart breaks for the parents and families who are left to pick up the pieces of frat boys gone bad.
Is it finally time to see all fraternities and sororities dissolved and banned from existence? No, it is not. Fraternity done well is a worthwhile and rewarding experience. Chapters which are not living up to the ideals of the organization need to be closed right now. Members who can’t or won’t live up to the ideals of the organization need to resign or be dismissed. The future of all of our organizations depends on it.
(And while this is written from a fraternity point of view, it is just as applicable to sorority women.)
