|
|
How Big Does it Get?
Gentlemen. Did you know that your chapter extends past the university? Duh. There are other chapters and a national office you say. But what do they do? Oh just regulate stuff, let us exist. Enforce anti-hazing and dues payment policies. Stuff like that right? It goes a little beyond that though. I wrote in a previous article the importance of doing good things for your chapter and letting the community know. That way, when it comes down to the wire, the University has good things to look at in Greek life, rather than the mistakes. It goes a little higher than that. IFC doesn’t just exist at the collegiate level. In fact, some of you may have heard of the NIC. Your IFC delegate has, and most likely your delegate will be going on a conference trip soon for IFC. For anyone that doesn’t know though- the NIC is the North-American Interfraternity Conference. It has existed since 1910 and has meetings with a “House of Delegates” comprised of a single representative from every fraternity in the conference. Currently, the NIC represents 75 different fraternities. They have a volunteer exec board and a professional administrative team, similar to national office of our own Greek organizations. So why is this significant, how does it affect you? Well, whether or not your fraternity is represented (Some, such as Kappa Sigma or Phi Delta Theta withdrew membership recently), NIC acts as a trade organization. It doesn’t attempt to govern or regulate chapters- that is the national office’s job. The NIC acts with a specific purpose of encouraging pro-Greek life legislation, better public image and higher community education for Greek life members to empower their respective campuses. You can see how, the NIC works towards bettering Greek life transcends specific fraternity names, and how this organization can affect everyone. If you’re interested in learning more, you can go to www.nicindy.org. In the meantime, I’ll name a few things that are offered across the board. Firs,t is the IFC academy ( we have reps going to this), which is a one day 14 hour program teaching representatives how to develop a high perfoming IFC on campus. Another event is called “UIFI”, or the Undergraduate Interfratenity Institute. This is a five day co-ed program that helps bring realization ofGgreek life on the national level and significance home to the attending member. I went to it myself this past summer and had a blast meeting greeks from across the nation, we stayed on the Indiana University campus in Bloomington, Indiana at a a Greek house (which by the way up north are HUGE). Another type of event is called IMPACT, which is up to campus leaders to host over the weekend with help and direction by NIC directors, and finally there is the Futures Quest retreat, which is intended for new initiates and leaders to attend. Applications and further information is all on the web page I listed earlier. Impact and UIFI are open to sorority members, but on the whole NIC is related to mens fraternities. Sororities have something similar that I’m not completely familiar with called NPC (national panhellenic conference, go figure). Anyway, I encourage everyone to check these out and enhance your own collegiate greek experience.
|
