Gamma Chi Chapter Re-Organization

Dear Alumni Brothers,

For 51 years, the Gamma Chi Chapter of Delta Sigma Phi has stood proud on the campus of Drexel University. As evidenced by the success of our recent 50th anniversary celebration, the lasting impact that our chapter has had on nearly 1000 Drexel men is undeniable and something to be extremely proud of.

These accomplishments could never have been made possible without the countless hours and dedication of both the undergraduate leaders and alumni volunteers. In addition to that dedication, many difficult decisions have been made, and at times comfort and popularity put aside for the betterment of the chapter. The day has come for us to make one of those decisions. We have drafted this letter to inform you of our intentions and ask for your support.

As you well know, in order to fulfill our solemn obligation to help our brothers reach the highest standards of educational attainment, moral values and social responsibility, we must adhere to a very strict, non-negotiable code of conduct.

In recent years, the Alumni Corporation Board (along with the assistance of an ever-growing alumni base) has been steadily increasing our involvement to ensure that each and every undergraduate upholds these values and their commitments Unfortunately, in recent years and months, grades have been low, fiscal and personal responsibility has been lackluster and leadership positions have consistently gone to vote uncontested. These men are not bad men, but we have found that they are not living up to the lofty values that make Gamma Chi the respected institution that we work so hard to protect.

Unfortunately, simultaneous to our internal issues, several recent risk management violations have occurred that have cast a shadow on our house and directly put the chapter at risk of extinction. We simply could not stand idly by as we followed in the footsteps of the ten Drexel fraternities that have been shut down and had their houses seized in the last nine years. To protect both the charter and the chapter house, the ACB has made the very difficult decision to suspend and re-organize the chapter. Saturday, June 16th, the current undergraduates vacated the chapter house and all were put on suspended status.

We are taking this action as a pro-active step to achieve two main goals. We want to restore Gamma Chi to an organization that lives up to its values and to avoid the need for the Drexel administration to forcibly remove our chapter from the campus as they have done to so many of our peers. By initiating this action, we sent a clear message that the Gamma Chi chapter is strong and willing to do what it takes to uphold our values and integrity.

Moving forward, there will be a select group of brothers invited to remain in the house over the summer term to work closely with a team of alumni volunteers during the rebuilding process. These young men are being hand-selected based on a myriad of criteria to ensure a strong foundation for the future growth of our chapter.

The process will be both challenging and rewarding. The rebuilding initiative, led by alumni volunteers, will require countless hours of effort and dedication to succeed, but will have a profound, direct and immediate impact on our brotherhood. The selected brothers will be mentored over the course of the summer to ensure that they learn the leadership and risk management skills that the chapter should have been providing. Finally, the ACB will be taking this opportunity to revise and/or update Gamma Chi's operational guidelines to ensure that we remain on par with our peer organizations. We encourage you track our progress by visiting our website www.gammachionline.com throughout the summer.

This summer-long educational program will be molding the very future of our chapter. We have several dedicated alumni already on board, but are always looking for additional volunteers. The more alumni assistance that we receive; the stronger and more powerful our chapter will be when it returns in the fall. Furthermore, this will exhibit that the alumni of the Gamma Chi chapter are both willing and capable of overseeing our chapter without the need for drastic intervention of the Drexel administration and our national staff.

We realize that this news may come as a shock to many of you. Please know that this decision was not made in haste and was based on many factors, including ACB observations over the past several years. Do not view this as a reactionary decision - it is a pro-active step towards protecting and perpetuating what a half-century worth of great men have worked so hard to build. Gamma Chi is not going away. We are just taking a small step back so that we can continue to make great strides forward. We respectfully ask for you support during this challenging time and please consider joining us in this effort of rebuilding and re-birth.

YITBOS,
Charles Williams '98
President
Gamma Chi Alumni Corporation