If you’re like me, the main reason we joined a fraternity was for the sisterhood. Each fraternity and each chapter has a different type of sorority. No matter what level of brotherhood your fraternity is in, it is important to maintain it and grow it.
So what happens when the brotherhood begins to fade? I have seen this happen in my own chapter and I know it can destroy a fraternity. If there is no brotherhood, what is a brotherhood?
Not a thing.
That is why we must constantly work to maintain and build the fraternity.
The following are five ways to strengthen brotherhood that have worked for my fraternity, and I’m sure will work for yours as well.
1. Congratulate your brothers for a good job
Receiving a genuine compliment or thank you can mean a lot to someone, especially when it’s sincere. Not only will they appreciate you going out of your way to say that, but it creates an image of you as a leader in their eyes.
According to this great leadership book called Gung Ho! Giving “REAL” compliments has been shown to keep employees motivated. The same tactics work for fraternities and their brothers.
“TRUE” compliments mean timely, responsive, wholehearted, and enthusiastic.
When you thank someone, make sure they have all four of the above qualities for maximum effect.
Even if a brother is doing exactly what he is supposed to do, or what his job says he should do, thank him and “cheer him up.” When your soccer team is supposed to win, we still encourage your first downs and the team’s progress on the field.
2. Make a retreat with brothers
Plan a weekend during a break from school to have a mini vacation with your siblings. This will help substantially improve the guild bonding experience.
During these retreats, you can do whatever you want. Depending on where you decide to go, it could be camping, swimming at the beach/lake, or making campfires next to a cabin in the mountains. It is up to you to plan the activities during the retreat.
I would only invite active brethren to attend to focus bonding only within their chapter. If alumni or brothers from other chapters attend, you are simply allowing “distractions” to prevent you from maximizing the fellowship benefits of a retreat.
3. Hang out together
It doesn’t have to be a frat event to spend time with your siblings. Spontaneously calling a few siblings over to kick it one night is a great way to build on those friendships. This is how we build friendships that last a lifetime.
It’s so simple, but I still hear from people who don’t do this. You may be able to find a way to encourage these gathering places by offering attendance points if your attendance policy allows.
4. Go out to eat after meetings
Everyone is already together, so it’s easy to have dinner with all your siblings at once.
Go to places that can accommodate large groups. Here in Southern California, we often go to BJ’s and TGI Fridays.
In addition to eating, you can also schedule parties or other quick events while everyone is together.
5. Play the game “Murderer?”
When I was first inducted into my fraternity, Delta Sigma Pi, everyone was playing this game I had never heard of before called “assassins.”
Simply put, everyone involved is a killer and the winner is the last killer standing, so you need to kill everyone else.
To do this, he uses creative methods to trick people when they least expect it. Look, this game is ongoing and it can go on for months depending on how good people are.
For example, if you make someone step on a yellow note with the word “bomb” written on it, they’re dead and out of the game.
If this sounds fun and interesting, look up the rules using Google search or find them on Wikipedia.