Eight Brothers Walk Into a Bar…

Oh, balcoholic.

I hate to say it – but no chapter stays the same after we move on. It’s the hardest thing I know I’ve had to deal with as an alumn, and it’s a sad song that’s sung by nearly every alumn I’ve ever met.

The new brothers look to the old brothers and say “they don’t understand meeeeee”

The old brothers look at the new brothers and say “they don’t understand who we werrrrre”

It’s a sad fact of life that the chapter will change. It CANNOT be what it was when you were there. Because there are new people, with new ideas amd new views in it. And even if you still live nearby, you are no longer active, and cannot force the chapter to see things your way.

It can be a good thing. But it’s SO hard on us alumni. To go from having your hands on every aspect – to little or no say. It’s a BIG change.

All I can say (and it’s far too late for us now) is to try and be a good example to the new kids. I can’t say how proud I am that members of my family tree can still point me out in a crowd. They know I’m keeping an eye on the chapter, even if I can’t “officially” say anything about the way things are done nowadays. So they generally do the right thing. Even as the newer brothers get newer, and the older graduate themselves, the family tree remembers. Because my littles/sons remembered – and they made sure that THEIR littles/sons remembered – and so on and so on and so on.

*edit* Oh, and if there’s something REALLY important to the history and traditions? Make sure to let the new kids know (as early as their prospective classes) exactly WHY it’s so important. I heard a horror story from…one of the AZ schools? About someone who wanted to change something about their chapter song – and it didn’t go over well. Lots of unhappiness, that situation – which could have been avoided

Other than that? It’s hold your breath, hope for the best, and pray that this new “alumni program” the fraternity’s come up with is able to do something useful.