As we begin looking for potential candidates for membership in Tau Beta Sigma, we always need to be aware of one of the reasons our chapters get suspended and shut down… that dreadful ‘h’ word.
Keep up with the conversation this week and really think about what your chapter does and how it educates its members.
Here are some ways to get involved:
1. Join the Facebook group- “Take a Stand for Tau Beta Sigma.” Founded by Kathy Godwin, past National President and current Board of Trustee, this group is a hotbed of conversation, not just about hazing, but instead about Tau Beta Sigma’s image. We always remember, “it is an honor to be selected to serve.” But that spans beyond just our work with the organization. This group has posts concerning social media abuse, drinking, etc. I highly encourage viewing and joining this group!!! https://www.facebook.com/groups/18218985852/
2. Use the hash tag #4Gr8rAwareness this week on your social media to join the conversation that Tau Beta Sigma is starting. How can we get involved in hazing prevention week and show the world how sororities and fraternities, especially our own, are working to end hazing!
3. Kathy Godwin asks the following from all of us, get involved and participate!!!
“I’m asking that everyone think of doing at least ONE of the following next week:
a) participate in a Twitter, Instagram, Vine, Facebook, etc. discussion or post once, next week.
b) Discuss hazing with your chapter and membership candidates. The easiest way we can start to work on this is to openly talk about it
c) Discuss/watch any of the videos or posts with your chapter and share it with all of us!
d) Ask your student affairs office or club office or whomever on campus if there are some workshops they offer on risk management or hazing (some of you may already know). Find out the cost and availability. Let them know that you’re doing it as part of Hazing Prevention week
e) Find one “tradition” you have in your membership education program OR in your band. I want you to audit that tradition. What in the WORLD am I talking about? Every chapter has traditions…some really are MANY years old and some are surprisingly new. I’d like you to look at one of them and consider everything about it: Why does it exist? What’s the purpose? Does it fit with the Tau Beta Sigma purposes? Would you be willing to explain all the details to your director, someone’s parents, the president of the university, to me, to a lawyer? I’m not trying to find your problems…to me a big part of this is education and understanding. SOOO…take a look. If this is what you want to do and you want a walk through, hang on. I’ll post more later.
f) Take pics and videos of activities for your band and chapter that DO promote our ideals and are what we should be posting on social media to help promote Tau Beta Sigma. Post them and tag them with our hashtag of #4gr8rAwareness. IF you are AT ALL concerned that it’s not the right image, ask!!! This could be a service project. It could be talking to your membership candidates about hazing or service. Think through it…if I asked you to submit pics so we could show a director or school how amazing TBS is, that’s what you should be doing.”
If you ever have any questions or doubts about the image your chapter or any individual may be releasing, let’s talk about it. If you have any questions or want more information about Hazing Prevention Week, feel free to contact any member of your SED Council for more information! Let’s get ready and Take a Stand for Tau Beta Sigma!!!
