A.C.E. YOUR VALUES
Excerpted from, Good Guys, Matthew G. Mattson and Joshua A. Orendi.
Note: This book excerpt comes from a guide for service fraternities to increase membership and membership contribution. In the reading below, replace the word "fraternity" with "organization" and you'll immediately see how this advice can help any member or all-volunteer organization improve its appeal to current and prospective members.
[A.C.E.-ing your values] is about the quality of your current and future members. It is also about whether your chapter abides by the "truth in advertising" law.
In this step, your organization re-commits to Achieving, Communicating, and Expecting (A.C.E.) the values of the fraternity. Doing what you say you'll do as an organization is vital for successful recruitment. After all, who would join a group of hypocrites, liars or con-artists?
In order to not exemplify any of those unflattering terms you must actively exemplify the fraternal values you do espouse. Those values are displayed internally through your rituals, teachings, and code of conduct. Externally, those values are announced loudly through your publications, history and mission statement. People outside of your organization have a predetermined idea of what you are supposed to represent, so you are expected to do what you say you will do. All you have to do as an organization is A.C.E. your values!
1. Achieving To achieve one's values, one must first know and embrace them. Once you have pried open the secret closet, blown the dust off the ritual book, and taken a peek inside, take the time to consider what changes in your organization and personal life need to be made in order to know that you are ACHIEVING what your founders hoped for. If you aren't working to achieve your fraternity's values, you may be leading your prospective members into something they aren't expecting.
2. Communicating Your words, your outward appearances, and your actions are clearly COMMUNICATING your beliefs. Every minute of every day your members are sending messages to the world about what a fraternity man that wears your letters is all about. This is great, if the message is on target with your stated purpose. What is your chapter communicating?
3. Expecting You must also EXPECT the values that you espouse as an organization of your members, and especially of yourself. This means holding each other accountable to the pledges that you make as brothers. Prospective members can tell when a chapter lacks integrity. Do you actually hold your members accountable to the things you say are expected of them?
In recruitment, when you A.C.E. your values, you:
- Create a better public image.
- Get more brothers involved in recruitment.
- Prepare your brothers to help others understand your organization (because you understand it).
- Separate your chapter from other "frats" on campus.
- Establish a benchmark for identifying quality new members.
Permission is granted for organizations to reprint this excerpt. Reprints must provide full acknowledgment of source, as provided:
Good Guys: The Eight Steps to Limitless Possibility for Fraternity Recruitment, Matthew G. Mattson and Joshua A. Orendi (Phired Up Productions, 2006). Available in the Energize, Inc. Online Bookstore at http://www.energizeinc.com/store/5-228-E-1
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