Blog

Dealing With "Post Charter Syndrome"

by Nicholas Reid
University of Iowa, ‘21

Brother Nicholas Reid (University of Iowa, ‘21) speaking at the Chapters re-chartering on September 28th.

Brother Nicholas Reid (University of Iowa, ‘21) speaking at the Chapters re-chartering on September 28th.

Initiation.

It is the time that every fraternity brother will remember for the rest of their life.

Eighteen of our Iowa Delta brothers were available to experience it for the first time at the Iowa Delta Chartering this past September.

Members were excited, nervous, anxious and overall cold. It was a cold day.

The initiation was an incredible experience, followed by a resound “PHI” Phi Kappa Theta chant.

After the weekend, the greatest question from brothers was, “Where do we go next?”.

Usually, this can cause an infamous “Post Charter Syndrome” where members become relaxed and aren’t as motivated as they used to be. Thankfully, that is not the problem for Iowa Delta. Brothers immediately after the ceremony were asking what they could do to work harder and help better the fraternity.

One of our brothers, Sam Sharp (University of Iowa, ’21), came up to me directly and said, “I want to be more involved and help this Fraternity in any way I can.”

Nicholas Reid (center) with members of the Iowa Delta Chapter, picking up trash in support of CMN.

Members like that, that will do anything for their brothers, are the reason fraternities will never die away. No other organization is able to create a closeness that arises because of Greek life.

As Iowa Delta advances, we hope to not only advance the Fraternity but the University of Iowa. By becoming the ideal gentlemen we are meant to be, we can create a lasting impact on the people around us, hopefully changing their lives for the better.

We are excited to continue this journey, and we hope that all of you continue to keep updated with us on this blog.

As always, PROUD TO BE A PHI KAP!


About Nicholas:

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Brother Reid is pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science and Engineering with a focus in Business Management. He is the current Vice President of Fraternal, Recharter Head and Social Media Chair for Phi Kappa Theta Iowa Delta. Nicholas grew up in Peoria, Illinois, attending St. Vincent de Paul grade school and Peoria Notre Dame High School. He was involved and active in many things, including scholastic bowl, numerous sports with his primary being soccer, key club and French Club. Nic also received the Presidental Award, National Honors Society, Old Gold Scholarship and an Illinois State Scholar. He is the first person of his family to move out for college, attend a big 10 school and join Greek life. Knowing nothing of what Greek life is about graduating, Nic has since taken a strong passion towards Phi Kappa Theta and bettering himself, along with his brothers. Nic is also involved in Dance Marathon and Intramural Sports, along with numerous service projects through the Fraternity. In his freetime, he loves to workout, play sports, hunt, fish, play video games and hang out with friends.

How Phi Kappa Theta Has Impacted My Life

by Drew Clark
Trine University, ‘20
UGAC Vice Chairman

Drew Clark (Trine University, ‘20) at the 2017 Biennial Convention in Washington D.C. after has Chapter received the Founders’ Cup.

Growing up I was a fairy quiet kid.

I had no trouble with my school work and was the star wrestler all through high school.

After high school I decided to attend Trine University to wrestle and study chemical engineering. I had chosen Trine University over Purdue University because I was extremely impressed when my tour guide said hi to everyone we passed on the tour. I liked the small campus feel where everyone knew each other. That was my comfort zone.

Going into college I had no intent on joining a fraternity and really didn’t know what it even was. My first day on campus some of the wrestlers invited me over to the house to hang out. There, I discovered that my tour guide was the current president of the fraternity. I talked to him for an hour or so and got to meet some of the other brothers, we had a good time.

Throughout the semester, we played volleyball almost every day. I felt like I belonged there. Once the end of the semester came, I received a bid to the fraternity, however, I was right in the middle of wrestling season and knew I couldn’t do both. Come Christmas break, my grades were falling and my back was giving out due to wrestling.

I had to make the hardest decision I’ve ever made to quit wrestling. I had wrestled for as long as I could remember. It was who I was.

Brother Clark (right) playing volleyball outside the old chapter house at Trine University.

Brother Clark (right) playing volleyball outside the old chapter house at Trine University.

Returning to school for the second semester I decided that I would join the Fraternity. Little did I know how much that decision to join would impact my life.

That semester I had learned what made Phi Kappa Theta so special. I learned what it meant to be a servant leader and I had made 30 of my closest friends.

At the end of my second semester, I was elected by the chapter to attend the Biennial Convention in Washington D.C. At the convention, Jon Blanton (Trine University, ’17), my Associate Member Educator, was the current Undergraduate Advisory Committee Chairman (UGAC) and his term was up.

The night before the election, Jon told me that I should run for it, so I did. I ended up being elected as the Great Lakes UGAC and was later elected as the Vice Chairman of the UGAC. With this position I get to serve as a member of the Phi Kappa Theta Board of Trustees.

Through this position I have had the privilege of assisting chapters in Indiana, Ohio, Illinois, Michigan and Wisconsin with chapter operations, philanthropy and recruitment. I have also had the opportunity to attend the Boise Bollinger Leadership Academy in Bowling Green, Ohio as well as IMPACT18 in Orlando, Florida.

It is always so cool to me when attending these conferences to gain a perspective that there are hundreds of other people who share the same values and the bond of brotherhood all throughout the country, young and old. It is through these experiences that I have truly gained an understanding of what it means to “give, expecting nothing thereof”.

It was also through these experiences that I was able to meet Dr. Michael Brown and his team of life coaches.

My favorite thing that he had said at one of the leadership conferences was, “You will never wake up being someone you have not been becoming.”.

I have no doubt that joining Phi Kappa Theta was the best decision of my life.

I have truly been blessed with the opportunities that this fraternity has allowed me to experience.

I have developed from a quiet freshman, falling behind in class, and struggling in wrestling, to being a servant leader, top of my class and ready to accomplish anything life throws my way.


About Drew:

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Drew Clark is a collegiate student at Trine University. He grew up in Wabash, Indiana, and graduated from Northfield High School in 2016. Brother Clark is currently studying Chemical Engineering with a minor in Environmental Engineering.

He Serves as vice chairman of the Undergraduate Advisory Council for Phi Kappa Theta Fraternity, representing the Great Lakes Province, which includes chapters in Indiana, Illinois, Ohio, Wisconsin and Michigan. Through this position, he also serves on Phi Kappa Theta's Board of Trustees.

Being Authentic In Our Application of Brotherhood

by Doug Dilling
Kansas State University, ‘84
National Treasurer

Fraternity President, Adrian Gonzalez (University of Texas Austin, ‘78) (right) presenting a Charter to the University of Iowa Chapter President, Colton Miller (‘20), alongside National President-Elect Doug Dilling (Kansas State University, ‘84) (le…

Fraternity President, Adrian Gonzalez (University of Texas Austin, ‘78) (right) presenting a Charter to the University of Iowa Chapter President, Colton Miller (‘20), alongside National President-Elect Doug Dilling (Kansas State University, ‘84) (left).

I am just returning from a very exciting and proud visit to the re-installation of our Iowa Delta chapter at the University of Iowa. Just thinking about the DELTA in its name is a little humbling… the fourth chapter of our legacy organization Phi Kappa Fraternity carries with it some serious history. I can only imagine the original founding brothers’ commitment to Phi Kappa’s ideals and purpose – not significantly different than those of today’s Phi Kappa Theta Fraternity – actively developing men to be effective leaders who passionately serve society, Fraternity and God.

The committed and inspiring leaders of the new Iowa Delta Chapter are strong examples of the best of our fraternity… dedicated to the ideals we espouse and committed to living a life that ultimately makes a difference to society. It truly is invigorating to witness the enthusiasm and allegiance to our lofty ideals from our newest brothers.

I’ve been fortunate to witness this many times in other installation ceremonies over my 35 years of national fraternity involvement. The energy and passion the brothers of new chapters embody is infectious and inspires me to continue serving as a volunteer leader of Phi Kappa Theta. These experiences continue to reinforce my belief that we truly do make a positive difference in the lives of our brothers. I only wish more post-collegiate brother (alumni) could share in these enlightening moments so that they, too, could be reminded of the good work our brotherhood does.

I’m reminded that the commitment to the ideals of Phi Kappa Theta do not end at graduation. But also how easy it is to be diverted from these important principles as we evolve with jobs, family and the many distractions of adulthood. Hopefully your collegiate experience was sufficient and authentic enough to live on within you and that you can and do apply the ideals and lessons learned in your collegiate life well beyond your academic days. This to me is the ultimate test of our fraternity experience.

I am also pragmatic. I know how the energy and enthusiasm of a new chapter can wane over time. I have seen once-strong collegiate chapters falter, forget or ignore our ideals and get distracted by the many pitfalls lurking in the background. Sadly, I have participated in far too many decisions to close once-proud chapters due to improper treatment of new members, abusive or illegal use of controlled substances or just plain lethargy. It happens.

The one, key difference I have seen consistently prevent such demise is a steadfast commitment to being an authentic chapter which constantly strives to remind itself of the ideals of Phi Kappa Theta in everything it does as a fraternity – from it’s recruitment activities to it’s alumni events. Those chapters who ensure that the recalling of our purpose… the retelling of our ideals… is always a part of everything we do. Even if it’s no more than a minute to reflect on who we are at the alumni homecoming gathering, it is crucial that we place our reason for existing – our relevancy – somewhere in the mix, lest we forget what separates us from just any group of friends.


About Doug:

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Doug Dilling joined Phi Kappa Theta at Kansas State University, where he graduated in 1984. He went on to earn his MBA from the University of Indianapolis. He is currently a real estate broker in central Indiana and leads a team of Mortgage Brokers, Appraisers, Inspectors and Contractors. Doug loves music and singing.

Addressing Mental Health in Your Chapter

by Dan Bureau, PhD
University of New Hampshire, ‘95
Board of Trustees
Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs at the University of Memphis

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You call him brother.

You call him friend.

You look out for him when it comes to lots of things, but do you look out for his well-being? In particular, do you look out for his mental health?

It can be tricky to identify if someone you care about in the fraternity is experiencing a mental health problem. Particularly for men, there is so much pressure to appear to have it calm and together. Pressure to come across like things do not bother you. The reality is that very few people can manage this pressure well. As the pressure becomes too much, it may be an indicator that your brother has a problem with his mental health.

Now, feeling stressed is a natural thing. Stress is the body’s response to managing all that is going on and sometimes when too much is going on, you are going to feel tense, stressed, upset. So, having some stress is not a problem and could potentially be good for you.

But when stress does overwhelm someone and it goes unchecked, there is potential for a number of mental health concerns, including depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, thinking problems, personality changes, problem behaviors (think overuse of alcohol or demonstrating a lack of concern or civility to others), and even suicide ideation. Student debt can also play a factor. The reality is that even with the very minimal differences in actual mental illness between men and women, men are far less inclined to seek help. This results in a number of issues for us in Phi Kappa Theta.

You call him brother.

You call him friend.

You look out for him when it comes to lots of things, but do you look out for his well-being?

In particular, do you look out for his mental health? If you don’t look out for his mental health, there’s a good chance you’ll miss an opportunity to be the best brother you can be.

Your obligation is to find the resources on your campus that can help. This may be having the Counseling Center conduct a stress management workshop for the chapter. It could be walking your brother over to the Counseling Center. Whatever it is, find out on your campus who you can turn to in order to address mental health in your chapter.

Phi Kappa Theta is launching a partnership with the JED Foundation. A number of other fraternities including Alpha Chi Rho, Alpha Epsilon Pi, Delta Upsilon, Pi Kappa Phi, Sigma Alpha Epsilon, and Sigma Chi have announced national partnerships with the JED Foundation. The JED Foundation’s website provides a number of resources that can be helpful in learning about mental health and mental illness. Check them out today! Look for a launch of the partnership between Phi Kappa Theta and the JED Foundation launched sometime by the end of this year. In the meantime, “seek him with hours to kill and reach out to him with hours to live”, can guide you. A meaningful statement within the ritual and an explanation for why looking out for your brother is so important to his well-being and yours.


About Dan:

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Dan Bureau joined Phi Kappa Theta at the University of New Hampshire, and graduated in 1995. He later earned a PhD. in Higher Education and Student Affairs at Indiana University. Dan works for the University of Memphis as the assistant vice president for student affairs. He also volunteers for the Council for the Advancement of Standards through the Association of Fraternity/Sorority Advisors. Dan enjoys spending time with his family, playing tennis and staying fit.