Sigma Phi Epsilon
From OSU Wiki
Contents |
History of Sigma Phi Epsilon
Richmond College in the early 20th Century was attended by less than 300 students. Almost half this number belonged to five fraternities previously chartered on the campus. The little Baptist college, founded in 1830, became home to Sigma Phi Epsilon.
Sigma Phi Epsilon was founded because 12 young collegians hungered for a campus fellowship based on Judeo/Christian ideals that neither the college community nor the fraternity system at that time could offer. The desire for brotherhood was in the young men's souls. Sigma Phi Epsilon was needed. Carter Ashton Jenkens, the 18-year-old son of a minister, had been a student at Rutgers University, New Jersey, where he joined Chi Phi Fraternity. When he transferred to Richmond College in the Fall of 1900, he sought companions to take the place of the Chi Phi brothers he had left behind. He found five men who had already been drawn into a bond of friendship and urged them to join him in applying for a charter of Chi Phi at Richmond College. The request for a charter was forwarded to Chi Phi only to meet with refusal. Chi Phi felt that Richmond College was too small for the establishment of a Chi Phi chapter.
Wanting to maintain their fellowship, Carter Ashton Jenkens, Benjamin Gaw, William Carter, William Wallace, Thomas Wright, and William Phillips decided to form their own local fraternity.
The six original members found six others also searching for a campus fellowship neither the college campus nor the existing fraternity system could offer. The six new members were Lucian Cox, Richard Owens, Edgar Allen, Robert McFarland, Franklin Kerfoot, and Thomas McCaul.
The 12 met in October, 1901, in Gaw and Wallace's room on the third floor of Ryland Hall. They discussed the organization of a fraternity they would call "Sigma Phi." The exact date of this meeting is not known. However, the meeting was probably held before the middle of the month, because the 12 Founders are named as members on November 1, 1901, in the first printed roster of the Fraternity. Jenkens is listed as the first member.
Sigma Phi Epsilon at OSU
Sigma Phi Epsilon is located on the corner of 26th street and VanBuren. Originally it was located in current Oxford house. But because of the man power they decide to move and make there home at there current address on 26 and Vanburen.It was on the 9th of February 1918 at Oregon Agricultural College that the Dean of Students, Dr. U. G. Dubach , founded the 55th chapter of Sigma Phi Epsilon. Alpha quickly established itself as a premiere fraternity dedicated to scholarship. Guided by the wisdom of Dr. Dubach, Oregon Alpha took great pride in becoming the "Ideal Chapter" of any fraternity anywhere in America. Decade after decade Oregon Alpha demonstrated uncanny consistency to upholding the moral atmosphere that the chapter was founded on, and it's efforts did not go overlooked. Eighteen times Oregon Alpha has earned the Buchanan Cup for Outstanding Chapter Operations, far more than any SigEp Chapter in the nation. In 1979 a national consensus was conducted by College Survey Bureau, Inc. of Los Angeles, CA that reported the Oregon State SigEps were one of the top three best fraternities in the entire country based on their dominance in activities, achievement, and grades. After 61 years of success on the OSU campus, Oregon Alpha's presence was titled a "SPE dynasty", and ever since then Oregon Alpha has taken great pride in being a perennial powerhouse. Leading the Greek Community in grades and athletics the SPE's have been the leader in Brennan cup, which are given to the best Fraternity on campus at Oregon State.
Philanthropic Events
One of our proudest events at Oregon Alpha is our annual philanthropy, Red Carpet Film Festival. The Red carpet Film Festival was developed in winter of 2005 and its innagural showing was during spring term of 2006. This event become an instant campus wide favorite. With all the proceeds going to Youth Aids, the members of Sigma Phi Epsilon were able to raise over $2500. The RCFF was packed with over thousand people, 10 home made videos of 3-5 min. in length, and surprise performances. Apple supplied the event with prizes ranging from iTunes gift cards, iPods, and a grand prize for the best film voted by the audience--an Apple computer. The 2007 Red Carpet Film Festival is going to be held on April 5 at 7:00pm. If you are interested in making a video or attending the film festival, you can find more information about this event at wwww.osu-sep.com.
SigEp: The Balanced Man
The Balanced Man Program is the Fraternity's award-winning leadership development program. First implemented by Sigma Phi Epsilon in the fall of 1992, the BMP is a self-paced, personal development experience. The premise of the Balanced Man Program is the idea of “Universal respect for self and others.” SigEps are encouraged to live a balanced life based on the foundation of the Balanced Man Concept of sound mind sound body.
In standing with the notion of a “Universal respect for self and others,” SigEp has eliminated the pledge process completely. The program grants all members the same rights and privileges from day one, which is contrary to the idea of a two-tiered, pledging model. Because we recruit the best men year-round, we grant them full responsibility as soon as they accept the invitation of our membership.
Throughout the four year development program, the Balanced Man Program builds a bond of lasting friendship that fosters an environment conducive to leadership and academics. Our brotherhood is built through four challenges that evolve though a member’s status in his college career.
Within the Balanced man Program, SigEps are exposed to leadership, experiential learning, personal development, mentoring, and other positive activities that focus on a core of universal respect and balanced living. Members track their progress through the Quest workbook, which evolves with a member from the day he joins SigEp to the day he graduates. Member expectations are based on experience level in the academic, campus, and personal aspects of their life and link those to the value and ritual of our fraternity.
The cornerstones of the Balanced Man Program center on Mentoring, Community Involvement, Experiential Learning, and Brotherhood, and are not only the foundation for becoming a Balanced Man, but also a mature professional.
Mentoring
Mentoring plays an important role in the Balanced Man Program. All members both have mentors and serve as mentors, with the idea that asking someone to be your mentor allows you to experience many different personalities, interests, ideas, and careers. A mentor is selected for his or her talents, values, and experience. Your mentor may be older or younger, as long as you are able to learn and receive advice from that person.
Your mentor will help you succeed throughout the program and in life, becoming one of your closest friends. The mentor relationships involve regular communication, clear expectations, and the sharing of dreams. Mentoring plus brotherhood into action! With over 13,000 SigEp Alumni currently signed up for the Mentors Association Program nationwide, there is no better way to network.
Community Involvement
Expectations for community involvement provide experiences meeting and working with many people of different backgrounds and diverse experiences. Through such contact and involvement, you will learn what issues face the community, how to be helpful, and how to work well with others.
The Balanced Man Program takes community service beyond simply cleaning up highways. It emphasizes service learning by truly growing as a person through efforts in the community. Preparation, hands-on-involvement, and personal interaction are the keys to service learning experience.
Conducting a service learning project could mean working to feed the homeless, providing day care for children, or tutoring adults in a literacy program. It could also mean building a house, driving an elderly neighbor to the grocery store, or working in an animal shelter.
Service learning and other elements of community involvement are critical to leadership development. Through such involvement, a SigEp will become a balanced individual who has developed empathy for his neighbors, a broader world-view, and a dedication to responsible citizenship for a lifetime.
Experiential Learning
Every experience in life teaches us valuable lessons. The Balanced Man Program offers a wide range of opportunities for you to learn. Through experiential learning, you are provided with planned, structured activities, to facilitate these learning experiences.
I’m not talking about learning in the classroom sense. I’m talking about “learning by doing.” Fun learning. Getting outside and participating in a ropes course, a team challenge, developing individual skills, group communication or paint ball games, to name a few.
These challenges contribute to leadership development, enhancing your self-awareness, and increase your self-confidence. Additionally, they will build the bonds of brotherhood by improving chapter communication, motivation, and cooperation.
Brotherhood
Men join our fraternity for friendship, brotherhood, and fellowship. Through these intangibles they experience personal growth and self-fulfillment through both traditional and innovative opportunities.
The long-standing opportunities are formals, homecomings, retreats, meal sharing, and chapter meetings. The innovative opportunities revolve around experiential learning, community service, inter-Greek relations, alumni networking, mentoring, leadership seminars, and our Grand Chapter Conclave. All align and attribute our goal of Building Balanced Leaders for the World’s Communities.
Sound Mind and Sound Body
The ancient Greeks believed that a body’s good health was vital as the vessel of the mind. The mind houses your humanity, and, therefore, an exercise of the mind is just as important as the exercise of the body for full maturing and development. The purpose of a human’s time on earth is to live the best, balanced life and to explore the unexamined facets that make us better men.
SigEp chapters use the balanced man ideal of building a sound mind and a sound body to frame their programming ideas. To help develop the Sound Body concept, chapters do not simply participate in intramural sports, but are also encouraged to sponsor annual physicals that measure cholesterol, blood pressure, and screen for different types of cancer. Many chapters have also begun to educate their members on how to prepare healthier meals, which begins by serving healthier meals in chapter facilities.
To pursue a Sound Mind, we look to grade requirements and study hours as only the beginnings. SigEp takes the next step by inviting political candidates and university professors to speak to the chapter. SigEp promotes greater diversity understanding by inviting historically African American fraternities and sororities to chapter meetings, and by volunteering at the university’s international houses. SigEp chapters are committed to providing an intellectual atmosphere that benefits themselves, their university, and their community, and strives to center on the Balanced Man.
The Sigma Phi Epsilon Educational Foundation is committed to helping develop the Balanced Man, from avenues such as funding every chapter with free subscriptions to Men’s Journal magazine to providing testicular cancer shower cards. Sigma Phi Epsilon continually exhibits its dedication to helping a man develop not just a sound physical body, but moreover a healthy, lasting vessel for the mind.
You Ask Why
Since the beginning of the Balanced Man Program many issues and questions have developed. I’ve decided to answer the questions in four separate sections:
1. Why the Balanced Man Program?
2. How does the chapter work?
3. What kind of membership issues do we have?
4. How do we use volunteers?
Why the Balanced Man Program?
Why did the Fraternity change anyway?
In 1901, twelve men decided that the status quo was no good enough and set out to make a change for the better. As founder Carter Jenkins put it, “This fraternity will be different.” Their changes resulted in the birth of Sigma Phi Epsilon and the Balanced Man Program. As the founders addressed changes in their environment, the Balanced Man Program addresses changes in today’s fraternity world.
Why is the Journey of Brotherhood idea the basis of the Balanced Man Program?
Neither a brotherhood nor an individual can develop and flourish overnight or through one quick experience. In addition to strengthening fraternal bonds and developing individuals, continuous experiences are critical for a man to appreciate and understand the values and ideals of the fraternity. Brotherhood is not a destination, but a road to be traveled.
Why should a chapter become a Balanced Man Program chapter?
The Balanced Man Program offers many unique opportunities for SigEp’s. The program builds a strong brotherhood by developing individual members and group bonds, and by installing the notion of “universal respect for self and others.” Implementing the Balanced Man Program provides chapters with many advantages:
• Programming for older members that keeps them involved.
• New opportunities for alumni and community members are involved.
• An organized mentoring program for all members.
• Year-round recruitment opportunities.
• Programming that that promotes the development of a sound mind in a sound body.
How does the chapter operate?
Will the other chapters lose their traditions in the process of changing?
There is plenty of space in the Balanced Man Program for traditions. However, tradition for the sake of tradition is not healthy. If activities have become a tradition because they have value in themselves, then there is nothing wrong with keeping them. It’s the non-productive traditions that are kept because “we have always done it that way” that tend to cause the most problems.
How do Balanced Man Chapters build bonds and support group development?
While the program places a greater emphasis on personal development, it also places a heavy emphasis on group activities. These activities result in stronger bonds of brotherhood. Some examples of additional group activities include:
• Brotherhood events.
• Celebrations of achievement.
• Intramural sports participation.
• Chapter service projects.
• Programming events such as homecoming, socials, and parties.
How does a chapter recruit year round?
Due to the flexibility of the Balanced Man Program, men can enter the fraternity at any time during the school year. It allows men to enter individually. There are several steps a chapter can take to accomplish year-round recruitment:
1. Have the VP of Recruitment maintain an on-going list of candidates.
2. Make sure members understand that recruitment can be done on an individual basis.
3. Invite recruits to chapter intramural games, community service events, etc.
4. Be creative and devise a plan that is tailored to a specific chapter and campus.
What kind of membership issues do we have?
What happens when a member is not meeting chapter expectations?
Here, membership “lapsing” occurs. A lapse in a man’s membership is defined as permanent removal from the chapter’s rolls due to non-performance. It is really a decision by the member not to complete the chapter’s goals. If a member does not complete a challenge in the required time due to negligence and non-performance, any member may submit a complaint to the Standards Board with the recommendation up to and including expulsion.
How do we remove a member from the chapter?
There are three major reasons why men would be removed from the chapter:
1. Non-payment of money owed: This is an automatic occurrence. When the bill is thirty days past due, the man is suspended and forfeits all rights. When the bill is sixty days past due, the man is expelled.
2. Non-performance: If a member chooses not to meet his goals about the chapter’s expectations of any Challenge, in the given amount of time, his membership will lapse upon Standards Board review.
3. Behavior: A chapter may wish to expel a man for other reasons. This must be done in accordance with the trial procedures outlined in the Grand Chapter Bylaws. The following violations of membership obligations subject a member to trial and punishment:
a. Offenses against statutory law, crimes, felonies, and misdemeanors.
b. Offenses against common law not made crimes by any statute.
c. Offenses against moral law, not punishable as crimes.
d. Misrepresentation of eligibility of himself or another member to enter the next challenge.
How is a member expelled from the chapter?
The process for expulsion is covered in the trial procedures in the Grand Chapter Bylaws and is accessible through Headquarters.
How are men held accountable for their expectations?
If the Challenge Coordinator decides that a man should not progress to the next tackle, he makes a written list of the expectations to be fulfilled. If any member of the group feels that the decision was not in the best interest of the man or the chapter, he can file a written appeal to the chapter’s Standards Board.
How do we use Volunteers?
What is a Volunteer Challenge Coordinator? What does he do?
This is a person recruited from the community to advise, support, and work with an undergraduate Challenge Coordinator. Each chapter should have four volunteer Challenge Coordinators.
What is a Steward? What does he/she do?
He/she is a volunteer who assists in implementing and supporting the Balanced Man Program in a chapter. He/she acts as a mentor to the Challenge Coordinators and the VP of Member Development.
What role do Alumni play in the Ritual?
The Alumni serve to ensure that the Ritual is performed consistently and is performed well. Alumni attendance at Ritual meetings is beneficial because it shows that they continue to believe in its teachings and find it important.
How can undergraduates best work with Alumni and community volunteers?
Volunteer support and participation are critical to the long-term success of any chapter. To help foster a successful relationship, the chapter should:
• Encourage monthly Alumni Board meetings.
• Be sure that many members attend these meetings.
• Always be honest and direct with the Alumni Board; they cannot help you if they do not know the truth.
• Distribute the chapter calendar to volunteers.
• Invite volunteers to chapter events and give them plenty of notice.
