Think your school is small… how about 1,000 students total? Think your Greek system is bringing you down… try an average chapter size of about 10. That's the situation facing the chapter we highlight in this issue. Even in this difficult situation, this chapter has risen above chapter culture and overcome various obstacles on its way to winning this year and ensuring future success.

Tri-State

Here is a university you don't hear much about on the national stage. With 1,000 students, Tri-State is one of the smallest campuses where SigEp is represented, and most of the fraternities blame the student population for their low manpower. At the beginning of the 2005-2006 school year, the Indiana Theta Chapter was the second largest chapter on campus with 18 men. The former Buchanan Cup chapter, with a large group of seniors, quickly realized that if it didn't do something to change, the chapter would die. That's when then-Chapter President Blair Donat sprang into action. The chapter began scheduling recruitment events directly reflecting the ideals of Sound Mind and Sound Body. Volleyball games, a self-defense course, and various social gatherings provided the environment for the chapter to recruit 11 outstanding upperclassmen last fall, many of whom were varsity athletes from the football team.

Chapter Counselor John Milliken said the chapter members made a conscious decision at the beginning of the year not to settle for mediocrity; they wanted to win. The chapter, which is pledging model, began to focus on the Balanced Man Ideals. He quoted Past Grand President Bill Tragos from the 2005 Conclave when he said, "We needed to focus on the ‘BM' and not get so hung up on the ‘P'. This is the stuff that makes us different and allows us to succeed."

Current Chapter President Alan Feller says, "We realized that we couldn't have the same type of experience as everyone else on campus; we had to show recruits that we were balanced men." So the chapter made a few changes.

• Shook up the new member program to maintain good traditions and eliminate hazing.
• Continued to focus on recruitment for the entire semester
• Held Sound Mind, Sound Body events
• Invited individual recruits to the chapter house for dinner and to talk SigEp.

Tri-State's recruitment success continued with 13 more recruits this spring. The chapter now has 42 men, and its future is secure, as long as the good work continues. Alan says, "Now the other fraternities are really nervous. We're twice as big as anyone else, and they are starting to realize that you've got to change to keep up."

Creating a product based on Sound Mind and Sound Body and executing their recruitment plan has led the Tri-State chapter to thoroughly dominate its campus.