Being a member of a fraternity is a great experience that students remember throughout their after-college life. What is even more exciting is founding a new fraternity. Such a move can create interesting social and student bonds, as well put its founder(s) to the focus of the college audience. However, it is not a simple task and numerous things have to be analyzed in advance.
Brand New Unit or a Chapter?
If you have been thinking about breathing new life into the stale social situation at your college by starting a fraternity, you have to resolve some dilemmas before you get into the project. The first important decision you need to bring is whether your fraternity is going to be a completely independent unit or a chapter of an existing fraternity. The former choice gives you a free hand to express all your creative ideas. On the other hand, the latter option is worth consideration, because it gives you an already established brand, which might save you from some going through the difficulties of starting a new thing.
Type of Fraternity
When founding a fraternity, you have to determine its profile. A common characteristic of every such community is that there has to be a predominant idea behind it. The smartest option would be going for a fraternity type that still does not exist at your college. That would definitely generate interest of your fellow students in your project. For instance, every college needs a fine drama fraternity. If you connect such an organization with engaged social activities, it could be a real treat to the entire college community. Here are some interesting tips on amateur acting, published by the Guardian.
Mind the Partying
Even if you start a serious fraternity, do not turn it into a duty. Students like fraternities because they give them amusing free time and activities. No matter how high- or low-brow your organization becomes, leave at least one term a week for parties and hangouts. On such occasions, you and your bros could invite people from other fraternities and share your experiences, both about studying and about the way you run your fraternities. Of course, such parties would be incomplete without booze. This is why it is important for every fraternity to establish connections with well-stocked, cheap alchohol stores. You might get discounts and better offers when you are a loyal customer.
Fraternity Branding
What will make your fraternity become easily recognized? Apart from your creative activities and devoted members, you also need to have a strong visual identity. Fraternity founder(s) and members should join their forces to come up with a unique visual solution that will represent them. You should pick a mascot and a slogan, as well. But what makes a fraternity a real thing is definitely the frat house. When you have that special point of gathering, organizing meetings and parties becomes much easier. Moreover, the fraternity will grasp the attention of a larger number of students if it has its own headquarters; have a look at some modern frat houses on the Huff Post website.
The whole process of starting a fraternity can be compared to establishing a business, the only difference being the fact that the main purpose here is mostly fun. However, you should take the commitment and determination from the business field and mix them with a laid-back approach, to create an attractive fraternity with clear purpose and fine organization.