Some of the most well-known men from acting, music, politics and business have come from fraternities. For some college men, it’s an ideal setting to be groomed and prepare for life on the other side of school, to create a network of contacts, create lifelong friendships, and find opportunities for career.
Here are several famous fraternity members and their houses:

Alpha Delta Gamma
• Babe Ruth – Athlete
• George Brett – Athlete
• Chuck Norris – Actor

Alpha Delta Phi
• Ben Stein – Actor

Alpha Epsilon Pi
• Wolf Blitzer – Journalist
• Jerry Lewis – Entertainer
• Paul Simon – Musician
• Mark Zuckerburg – Founder of Facebook

Alpha Gamma Rho
• J.C. Penney – Founder of retail store of same name

Alpha Kappa Lambda
• Chuck Woolery – Game Show Host

Alpha Phi Alpha
• Martin Luther King, Jr. – Activist
• Keenan Ivory Wayans – Entertainer
• Lionel Richie – Singer

Alpha Phi Delta
• Frank Sinatra – Singer
• Tony Danza – Actor

Alpha Phi Omega
• Bill Clinton – Former President


Alpha Sigma Phi
• Vincent Price – Actor
• Warren Buffet – Entrepreneur


Beta Theta Pi
• James Arness – Actor

Chi Phi
• Walter Cronkite – Journalist

Chi Psi
• Bill Belichick – NFL Coach

Delta Chi
• Ashton Kutcher – Actor
• Kevin Costner – Actor

Delta Kappa Epsilon
• George H. W. Bush – Former President
• George W. Bush – Former President
• J.P. Morgan – Entrepreneur
• Dick Clark – Entertainer


Delta Tau Delta
• Drew Carey – Entertainer
• Matthew McConaughey – Actor
• Will Ferrell – Actor


Delta Upsilon
• Tommy Hilfiger – Designer

Kappa Sigma
• Edward R. Murrow – Journalist
• Jimmy Buffett – Singer
• Robert Redford – Actor
• Ted Turner – Entrepreneur

Lambda Chi Alpha
• Benjamin Bratt – Actor
• Kenny Chesney – Singer
• Will Forte – Actor

Pi Kappa Alpha
• Colonel Sanders – Founder KFC
• Bobby Bowden – College Football Coach
• Tim McGraw – Singer
• Jeremy Piven – Actor

Phi Gamma Delta
• Jack Nicklaus – Professional Golfer
• Donald Trump – Entrepreneur
• Matthew Fox – Actor
• Johnny Carson – Entertainer

Phi Kappa Tau
• Paul Newman – Actor, Entrepreneur
• Bob Hope, Entertainer

Psi Upsilon
• Bud Wilkenson – College Football Coach

Sigma Alpha Epsilon
• David Spade – Actor
• Fred Savage – Actor
• Nick Lachey – Singer
• Troy Aikman – Former Pro Football Player

Sigma Chi
• Brad Pitt – Actor
• Andy Rooney – Journalist
• David Letterman – Entertainer
• Mike Ditka – Former Pro Football Player
• Tom Selleck – Actor
• Warren Beatty – Actor
• Matt Groening- Simpson’s Creator

Sigma Nu
• Eli Manning – Pro Football Player
• Paul Rudd – Actor

Sigma Phi Epsilon
• Dave Thomas – Founder of Wendy’s
• Dr. Seuss – Author
• James Naismith – Creator of Basketball

Tau Kappa Epsilon
• Elvis Presley – Singer
• Les Paul – Musician
• Willie Nelson – Singer
• Ronald Reagan – Former President

FRATERNITY AND SORORITY CRISIS MANAGEMENT PROCEDURES

It is an unfortunate reality that from time to time a serious injury, loss of life, major property loss, or criminal activity will occur in a chapter.

Strong preventive measures will prevent most losses.  Safety inspections, fire drills, the elimination of improper and illegal activities, and liability and risk management seminars are all essential to control risk.

Should any event of a disastrous nature occur, however, the chapter must be prepared to respond quickly and appropriately.

MAINTAINING CONTROL

Be certain that everyone in your chapter knows the president is in command of every emergency situation.  In the absence of the president, you should have a rank ordering of officers (chain of command):

l.  President

2.  _____________________________

3.  _____________________________

If a crisis has occurred at the chapter house, close the house at once.  You cannot give instructions if your members are leaving and strangers are entering.   Permit only members and appropriate officials to enter.   Halt all incoming and outgoing telephone calls, except those of an emergency nature.

In most crisis situations, you will want to call a mandatory chapter meeting, for actives and pledges/associates, as soon as possible.   Make sure your chapter advisor or other member of your alumni advisory board is present. At this meeting:

• Explain the situation and gather facts.
• Project a strong leadership image to let your members know everything is under control so they will remain calm.
• Clarify who is the spokesman (normally the chapter president).  No one else should make statements or answer questions about the situation.
• Instruct members not to discuss the incident with anyone, including boy/girlfriends and family members, until the situation has been resolved.  In the event of a fire or accident, members should, of course, be encouraged to notify their parents to let them know they are okay.

• Detail the plan for the next several days.

• Instruct your members to cooperate with campus or law enforcement officials investigating an incident.

INVESTIGATIONS

Make written notes of all details relating to any incident.  It will be especially important to get the names of all members present, the names and telephone numbers of any witnesses (in some cases you may want to get signed statements from the witnesses), and the names and telephone numbers of anyone injured (however slightly).  Some incidents may result in lawsuits, and if you are called to testify in court months after the incident, the notes will be invaluable.  Share the information you collect with your chapter advisor and any campus or law enforcement officials conducting an investigation. Itemize any property losses, and keep records of any expenses related to the situation.

MEDIA RELATIONS

Again, it is critical that the officially designated chapter spokesperson be the only person to speak with the media.  No exceptions!

Consult with your chapter advisor, the Greek Life Advisor, and your attorney (if applicable) so that they can help you prepare for any media contact.  They can also assist you in developing a prepared statement that can be read to the press.  Prior to the development of a statement the following standby statement should be used (avoid saying “no comment” — it sounds as if you are trying to hide something): “We can confirm that (describe the incident very briefly) occurred on (day) at (time) at (location). The chapter is cooperating with authorities and all interested parties.  Further information will be released when we have completed our investigation of all pertinent matters.”  Absolutely nothing else should be said.  The only response to other questions should be: “When we have completed our investigation, we will release more information.”

Instead of a press briefing, you may elect to simply prepare a statement and distribute it to the media.

When you are being interviewed, tell the truth.  Give only the facts.  If you don’t know an answer to a question, say so.  Don’t speculate or repeat hearsay.   Avoid exaggerations and inflammatory remarks.  Stress what positive action you are taking to resolve the situation.  If you are asked a question you feel is unfair, simply rephrase the question the way you would prefer to have it asked, then answer your question.  Never make “off the record” comments.

Consider your appearance.  Dress neatly (semi-formal).  Your members should also dress neatly even if they are casual (no beer T-shirts, etc.).  Clean up your house, being careful to remove trash, beer bottles, and anything else that may not look favorable in a photograph or on TV.  Consider holding a press briefing away from the chapter house, perhaps at a location on-campus.  Caution your members not to grandstand in the background during TV interviews.

Do not release any names until an investigation is complete and the timing is appropriate.

Don’t discuss the personal life of your members with reporters.

Keep your house locked.  Do not let television cameras or photographers into your house (unless you specifically want to invite them in for a press conference).

MEDICAL EMERGENCIES

Be sure your chapter has a complete first aid kit in an accessible place in your chapter room.  Take the kit with you at chapter retreats and other out-of-town functions.

Call the paramedics and give necessary information regarding the sickness/accident.

In the event of a serious illness or injury, do not notify the parents immediately.  The medical officials will notify parents and advise them of their physical situation.

MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS

In the event of a mental health crisis, for example a suicide threat or attempt, call emergency services as appropriate.  If time permits, arrange for a professional counselor to provide you with assistance. While awaiting the counselor’s arrival, talk with the member involved and provide him reassurance.  Don’t play psychologist–just be a friend and make the person comfortable.

In the event of a mental health crisis, do not assemble your members.  Discuss with campus officials steps you should take to handle the situation.  Campus officials will determine if the parents need to be contacted.

SERIOUS ILLNESS

There are several procedures and precautions that group members should take in the event one of your fellow members develops what appears to be a serious illness (including substance addiction or eating disorder).  An ill member may ignore his or her condition and may not take the initiative to seek proper medical attention.  As responsible adults, you must be sensitive to your members’ physical and psychological welfare.  If you become aware of a member who is suffering from a serious illness, take immediate action by following these guidelines and contacting appropriate people who can help:

• Initially bring your concern to the attention of the member.  Tell the member you are aware of his/her condition and that you are concerned.
• Determine what kind of medical or psychological counseling attention the member has sought.  What kind of care has been described?
• If the ailing individual continues to ignore his/her physical or psychological condition, contact your chapter advisor.  Information about the situation should be brought to the advisor’s attention, and consult the campus counseling center for guidance on establishing a specific plan of action to help the member.

It is extremely important that members be understanding and sensitive in dealing with cases of serious illness.  There may be some cases when a ailing person will not want your assistance and will strongly object to any contact with his parents.  It is important to respect the wishes of the person; however, you may find yourself in a situation where respecting a person’s wishes may not be medically wise or sound.  The realities of the situation should not be ignored.

DEATH

In the event of a death, do not notify the parents; this will be done by emergency or campus officials.

Do not announce the death until your chapter advisor has arrived to help.  You may also want to have a campus counselor present when you make the announcement to help your members deal with the shock.

Be very careful that the death is not announced until all members of the immediate family have been notified.

If the member lived in the house, do not remove any of the deceased student’s personal possessions.  If the member had a roommate, the roommate should be moved temporarily to another room.  You should call the family to offer sympathy on behalf of the chapter, and ask what their wishes are in regard to the possessions.  You may offer to pack them in boxes, but chances are the parents will prefer to do this themselves.  Before they arrive, be sure all borrowed items are returned to the deceased’s room and if possible, lock it.   When they do arrive, you may want to have empty boxes available and offer to help.  This is an emotional trauma for parents and they may not want privacy.

It is of course proper to send sympathy cards and notes, flowers, etc.   If the funeral is nearby, it will mean a great deal to the parents for members to attend.  Offer to make a statement on behalf of the fraternity at the memorial service.

If the funeral will be out-of-town, you probably will want to arrange a local memorial service.  You can contact the campus ministries for assistance in making arrangements.  Check to see if your ritual contains a ceremony for memorial services.

For some of your members, this may be their first experience in dealing with the death of someone close to them.  Keep an eye out for members who appear to be having difficulty coping with the situation and encourage them to talk with a counselor.

Student affairs officials will take care of notifying the deceased student’s instructors and other  campus offices of the death.

When someone close to you dies, it is difficult to accept the loss, and you and your members may find yourselves consumed by pain, fear, and grief.  Grief is a normal response to losing someone who was important to you.  Grief hurts, but it is necessary.  When a death tears your world apart, grieving is the process that puts it back together.

Grief runs thorough stages, although not everyone experiences every stage, and your members will pass through the stages at their own rate.  That is why it is important to understand the stages of grief:

• Denial – This response is nature’s way of protecting you and insulating you from what happened.
• Anger – You may feel angry toward the doctors and nurses who couldn’t save the life of the deceased.  You might even feel angry at the deceased for leaving you.  These feelings of anger may lead you to feel guilty.
• Guilt – You may feel guilty for simply being alive when someone else has died.  You might feel guilty about not saying goodbye, or you may remember a fight you had with the deceased.
• Depression – Even you are normally a committed, caring person, you may find that you don’t care about anything or anyone.  This is a common feeling as are the others.
• Acceptance – Hopefully, the grieving process will accept the death eventually.  That does not mean you have to forget the deceased.  It just means it is time to go on living.

One of the best ways to begin working through grief is to attend the funeral or memorial service.  A funeral confirms the reality of death and serves as a focus for expressing feelings of loss.   You begin to help the family of the deceased, and yourself, by attending the funeral.  Being there demonstrates that although someone has died, friends like you remain, and it demonstrates that you care.  Both before and after the funeral, it is important that you express your feelings.  Crying is both healthy and normal.  It may also help to hold a discussion to help members with accepting the loss.

100 Ways to Create Good Members with out Hazing

1. Participate in Ropes Course
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2. Teambuilding Activities (can be facilitated by campus professional – there are hundreds of these activities that you could use)
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3. Participate in and/or plan a Community Service project
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4. New Member Surprise Party hosted by members
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5. Have a Resume Writing Workshop presented by Career Services
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6. Attend Educational Speaker of new member’s choice and discuss as a chapter
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7. Leadership Book-of-the-Month/Semester Club facilitated by new members
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8. Invite Faculty Advisor to lunch with new members
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9. Have a discussion about the relevance of your organization’s Principles and Obligations today
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10. Study Skills Workshop presented by the Learning Center
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11. Successful Alumni Speaker to talk about how the organization gave him/her the skills to succeed
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12. Develop arts and crafts as a community service project
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13. Participate in a Recruitment Workshop
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14. Invite IFC/PHC/MGC/DGC/NPHC Officers to Speak about Community Governance
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15. Invite a Student Activities representative to speak about membership privileges and benefits
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16. Dinner and a Movie
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17. Shadow an Officer and assist in planning of a program/event
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18. Create a vision and goals for the organization
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19. Plan a fundraiser to pay for initiation fees
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20. Include new members in chapter meetings
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21. Include new members in regularly scheduled chapter activities
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22. Discuss fraternal values and how they apply (or don’t apply)
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23. Plan and present a speaker on a health/wellness topic
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24. Require active membership in at least one organization outside the group
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25. Evaluate the process during and after new member education
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26. Host a Parents Weekend activity
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27. Have consultant or national visitor talk about national programs
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28. Discuss what the General Fraternity does for the chapter with dues money
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29. Attend a Panhellenic or Interfraternity Council meeting
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30. Participate in all-Greek events
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31. Review parliamentary procedure and its purpose
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32. Ask leadership experts to discuss issues such as motivation and group dynamics
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33. Have new members take the Meyers-Briggs Personality Type Inventory or StrengthsQuest and discuss
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34. Ask a faculty member to discuss ethical decision making
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35. Ask a faculty member to facilitate a conversation on diversity in organizations
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36. Ask campus health educator to do a presentation on eating disorders or depression, etc.
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37. Ask Department of Public Safety to discuss the prevention of violence against women
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38. Ask a Student Activities representative to describe what the college offers student organizations
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39. Plan a philanthropy project for a local charity
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40. Have a contest for who can recruit the most new members to join and reward the winner with a fully-paid membership badge or initiation fee
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41. Members and new members make “secret sisters/brothers” gifts for each other
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42. Discuss risk management and liability with the University’s Office of General Counsel
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43. Brainstorm ways to recruit new members to present to chapter
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44. Have an all-campus or all-organization community “Meet Our New Members” Picnic
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45. Have new members play on the organization intramural teams
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46. Plant a new member class tree in the community
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47. Sponsor a big/little academic challenge with free textbooks to the winner
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48. Have a candlelight/pass the gavel ceremony about “what membership means to me”
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49. Have a senior Student Life administrator talk about history of student organizations at the University
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50. Brainstorm ways to improve scholarship (other than study hours)
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51. Attend theatrical production or athletic event of the new members’ choosing
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52. Ask the library to give a lecture on effective research methods
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53. Attend a program or event another organization is sponsoring
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54. Have a discussion about membership standards and expectations
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55. Have a chapter goal-setting retreat
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56. Ask new members to accompany members to regional leadership conferences
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57. Attend Student Organization Leadership Development workshops
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58. Deconstruct past hazing activity to determine intent and brainstorm alternatives
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59. Write a “letter to the founders” to thank them for the opportunity (not to be shared)
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60. Attend an Executive Board meeting
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61. Have new members help Executive Board develop an icebreaker for each meeting
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62. Develop a leadership “wish list” or time line of chapter and campus activities
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63. Invite the Chapter Accreditation Program Coordinator to speak about the rationale and benefits of the program
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64. Invite the Learning Center or Career Services to explain their services
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65. Develop a faculty advisor appreciation gesture
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66. Collaborate on a campus improvement project
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67. Develop an event with another organization that requires new members to ask Student Congress for additional funds from the Student Life Fund a campus event or activity
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68. Have new members develop a list of ways to end chapter motivation issues
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69. Ask the Mayor to discuss city issues and how the group can help
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70. Ask the Elections Commissioner to discuss politics in the city/county/nation
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71. Require members to register to vote. Give an incentive to those who do
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72. Require members below a 3.0 to attend a study skills program
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73. Develop a program that allows you to begin calling them “new members” rather than “pledges”
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74. Discuss the founding of the group and how the organization has evolved over time while maintaining the vision. If it hasn’t, how can the group return to its’ roots?
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75. Host a cross-organization mixer with a sister or brother organization
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76. Review the history of hazing, the evolution of new member education and the direction organization recruitment is headed
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77. Discuss the “old way” of pledging versus the “new way” with a panel of alumni, administrators and council officers
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78. Attend a Theatre production as a group
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79. Have a Student Life professional discuss the “Millennial Generation” and how groups can better recruit based on this research
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80. Offer a discount or reimbursement of part of the initiation fee if a new member completes Alternative Winter or Spring Break Extra money if completes Greek Alternative Spring Break
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81. Give highest new member GPA recipient a plaque or $25 gift certificate to nice restaurant
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82. New member who develops best recruitment plan (or scholarship plan) gets a free _____________
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83. Ask alumni to speak about lessons learned while in the organization
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84. Do a chapter fundraiser to send a new member to a professional or national conference
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85. Have a discussion about wearing pins
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86. Attend New Member Education and Hazing Awareness workshop hosted by Student Activities
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87. Select a book as a group and read it during a pledge period with occasional discussions
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88. Allow new members time for themselves to do and be what they want–Don’t monopolize their time
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89. Have a weekly forum for the new members to discuss their feelings
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90. Invite another group to develop a program to benefit the entire student organization community
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91. Invite a Campus Fitness Specialist or Dietician to discuss dietary fads – pros and cons
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92. Ask each member to list the offices/chairs they would be interested in. Have them list five things they would do differently about each. Compile results without names attached and have a constructive conversation
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93. Develop one memento of the new member class to present to the campus
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94. Eliminate the creation of pledge class “paddles”, no matter their use. They’re symbolic of hazing. Come up with an alternative
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95. Ask a professor to do a workshop on etiquette
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96. Have lunch together once a week in a dining hall with the entire organization
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97. Invite faculty advisor to new member meetings
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98. Visit the national headquarters
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99. Support Athletic programs by attending events as a group
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100. Question each activity and evaluate the program each semester with the help of the advisor and a Student Activities representative