If there is one book that has changed my life in such a profound way, it would be What Would Google Do? By Jeff Jarvis. I suggest every person read this book, with it’s simple easy to read and straight to the point style, it is a quick read. Jarvis focuses on businesses, but many of the lessons and laws put forth in the text can be easily used for every day life, and more importantly a fraternity. I have taken many of the lessons to heart, and because of this I created this section of Committed To Lives of Excellence.
Here are some simple things that every chapter should be doing no matter what stage of the CLE you are on. If you are a new chapter, or you are a chapter who has had a Hugh Shields award for the past 50 years, you can all benefit from this.
Every Chapter should have an up to date website. There is now no excuse with the invention of Google Sites. Google Sites, is ridiculously easy to use, and it is most importantly free.
This website should include the following:
- A Calendar of events
- A page about your shelter, if you have a shelter
- A page for Alumni committees in your chapter
- Up to date photo album, and at the very least your newest Composite.
- A page about your Community Service Projects
- A National Fraternity History page
- A Local Fraternity History page
- A page about the core values and principles of Delta Tau Delta, the mission etc.
- A link to the National fraternity site, and your School’s page.
Also your chapter’s webpage should be linked to each of your brothers personal webpages(more on this further down.) Also your chapter should have at least one blog, if not on your page, attached to it.
So why are these important? First of all, people use the internet for everything now a days, to the point where many people decide where to go for dinner, or where to stay depending on if that venue has a website or not. If you don’t believe me read What Would Google Do? The internet is a new platform to help boost your recruitment, as well as help you stay in contact with alumni of your chapter. Let’s look more in depth on some of the basics.
A Calendar: At the most basic level your website should have a calendar that includes recruitment events, and Alumni events. If you are feeling really adventurous you can make multiple calendars, one for each type of event: Recruitment, Alumni and Community Service. Keep in mind when doing calendars, you need to keep them up to date. Nothing is worse then an out dated calendar on your site, to make it look like you do not care about your fraternity.
A Shelter page: If your chapter has a shelter, why are you not showcasing it. A house is a huge benefit for a chapter during recruitment. Also it will help other Delts see what your house looks like. Don’t think that is important? I look at chapters in an area I am going to travel to, to see if they have a house so I can go and visit them. I mean isn’t that one of the perks of belonging to a national fraternity? The ability to meet men from all over the country? To gain new perspectives on old issues?
Alumni Page(s): You need to have a page dedicated to your Alumni, this honors and informs your alumni about your chapter. Also this can be a way to get more alumni connected to your chapter again. If you have an active alumni group, or maybe you have a couple alumni groups why not give them each their own page? Give them the password so they can update their own page?
Photo Page: I love to look at other chapter’s photo albums. Why? Because it gives me new ideas for events. Also it shows potentials some of the really cool stuff your chapter does. As for composites, it is really important to have at least your most recent up. This way it can help people see who is in your chapter. In my opinion it is in your best interest to make digital copies of all your composites and make them available online. Think about it what is one of the first things an alumni wants to see at homecoming? Either his composite, or his room. So why would not not make it so he can see them online? Or even better order a copy of it to have in his home?
Community Service Page: This one should be self explanatory. This is a way to show case how you are helping strengthen your community through community service projects.
The other ones you should understand why they are mentioned, so I am not going to go into why you should have a values page, or a history page.
Personal websites: Again you do not have an excuse for not having a personal website now a days, with all of the free webpage hosts out there. At the very least your personal website should include, an up to date photo. An up to date resume, awards you received, and things you created and are proud of. These could be an assignment from school, or it could be an awesome program you designed for work.
A Blog: This is another thing I think every chapter should have, if not every brother. Even if you only have one blog for your chapter, it is a great way to keep everyone informed with what is going on with your chapter, especially your alumni. There is really no excuse not to have one since there are so many free blog sites out there now. I am personally fond of Blogger, but it all comes down to personal choice. Some things that should be included in your chapter blog are recruitment updates, alumni information and things that make your chapter special, like community service or education events.
Other ideas for your website: How about something like a Leadership Library list? Ask different brothers and alumni to submit a title of a book and a short description of it that changed their life? Or something else you think is important to share with the world. Maybe you have a brother who designs shirts and wants to sell them? The possibilities are endless for this section so have fun with it.
Other awesome things that are online: Google Groups. Make a group and invite all of your alumni, this is another way to share a lot of information with your alumni and it is free. GoogleDocs is a really cool app as well, here is a way to collaborate with everyone about upcoming events and/ or recruitment. Another thing that can be used to make your life easier is something called Constant Contact. This unfortunately is not free, but could be worth while to look into. This service helps you create easy and professional newsletters, and sends them out to all of your alumni regularly.
Social Networks and your chapter: If your chapter does not have a Facebook page, stop reading and make it right now. Who isn’t on Facebook these days? Creating a page is another quick and easy way to share information, and it is an easy way to reach out to a broader group of potential new brothers.
So now you have some really cool stuff for your chapter. You have created a website, and have all sorts of information online, and new ways to connect with both potentials and alumni alike. So what else is there? Time to think bigger. One of the most important lessons with that can be learned from Google is how to Collaborate. In this new age of technology the key to survival is learning to be open, and how to collaborate with all sorts of new people. So what does this have to do with you? Imagine if you will for a few minutes this. You have an issue, say with community service. You can’t seem to find an organization where your brothers can volunteer for a couple hours a month. What if you could log on to a forum for your school’s Greek life and post a question about the best places to go for volunteer opportunities? What if you logged on later that day and have responses from different members of Greek life, each with new ideas? Wouldn’t that be awesome? So how hard would it be to go and talk with your Greek Advisor about creating something like this? Imagine how much better it would make being Greek? You know the saying “ No matter the letter it’s all Greek to me.” What is the point of being part of the Greek community if you all can not help one another when you need it?
Now think even bigger! What if you had a brother who spoke computer code as a second language, what if he could create a website/forum for Delts to do this very thing? Imagine having a network of thousands to help you solve problems? Keep in mind things like this do not happen over night, and it might take a few months for this idea to catch on, but once it does watch out world.
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