A New Paradigm....and a New Chapter
 
This first weekend in March saw Zeta Psi expand with the installation of the colony at Georgetown as the newest Chapter in our Circle.  In many ways,  the Georgetown  [Gamma Epsilon] chapter is a good example of how we must expand in the future to succeed.
 
The last weekend in March we will install the Brock Colony, Theta Eta.  Now it's both interesting and important to understand why they chose that designation.
 
The Chapter had a successful Chapter to "buddy" with it from the beginning of interest and hopefully for the next few years  (U of Toronto - Theta Xi, hence the "theta" in Waterloo (Alpha Theta), Ontario IT(Tau Theta), Western Ontario (Theta Phi) chapters). (Another interesting story is Theta Xi chose their designation because the Xi Chapter at U of Michigan(1858) assisted in starting the Toronto Chapter(1879). 
 
  The strength and involvement of the Theta Xi chapter-particularly it's Elder involvement-is well known.  This kind of expansive dedicated core group--- young Elders to prospect and work with IHQ as well as a similar group of more "mature" Elders to provide guidance and experience-can provide the extra "support" so often unavailable in some of our expansion efforts.
 
I think it's safe to say that the Toronto "area" expansion, much like a planned effort in the DC area, would have been much more difficult, or impossible, without that strong active and elder group.
 
It is this kind of long range synergy that Zeta Psi must embrace at the Board, Chapter and Elder levels to focus our limited resources and goals to expand and enhance one of the most elite fraternity's in the Greek world.
 
We have to grow to remain competitive and effective given our size and resources.  We need to learn and apply effective rolling recruitment to focus Elders and Actives on the breadth of Zeta Psi's benefits and to educate new candidates who often have no, or even negative perceptions of the Greek system.  Creating "pockets" of chapters with similar academic standards, world views and available Elders immediately give new chapters a "leg up" on the process to avoid the deadly "sophomore slump" we often see.
 
This is particularly important in Canada.  Clearly, the educational system here is much more "benign" than in the US.  In the States, there is usually an enthusiastic endorsement and support of Greeks (an increasingly dwindling group,unfortunately), or resigned indifference to outright hostility.  Canadian Universities seem to see the Greek system as neutral.  Consequently, they lack University recognition, support, guidance, but are not specifically targeted either.  As in many things, this "ying/yang" cuts both ways---we are generally able to initiate a group if interest exists at a quality campus, but will get little or no support except from IHQ and local area Elders to make it work and support it as it grows.
 
Perhaps this situation is a factor in the much smaller size of our Canadian chapters, which is also an issue we need to change.  We seem to have more "ups and downs" in our northern chapters, closings and reactivations, large start ups and dwindling subsequent classes.  This isn't good for the chapters or the International.
 
We hope to have a more focused approach to these issues shortly.  But I think it's pretty clear that colonization and continuation are enhanced by strong local support.  Both of these efforts benefit from, and give back to, a localized "core" of chapters, active and Elder.  Brock will be the newest addition, and I am looking forward to present their Charter in a couple weeks.


Always in Tau Kappa Phi, 
David W. Busacca, Phi Alpha CXXXII