Fraternity Public Relations Challenge

 

This question was submitted by one of our readers. If you have a question you want me to answer go here to submit it: Fraternity Advice.

Question:

I am the newly appointed chairman of Public Relations of our fraternity. What are some new innovative ideas I should begin doing?

Answer:

Nearly every day I find an article related to a fraternity doing something stupid in a national publication. I post the link on my Facebook Page to make the point that this is the only thing that outsiders see of our chapters.

I’ll be honest with you – it is depressing reading about the kid who was screwing on the roof of his chapter house.  It is frustrating reading about the chapters with hazing, fighting and substance abuse issues.  Of course, these are the stories which form the perception non-Greeks have of us.

Just once I want to see a positive piece written about a fraternity.  I want to read about your community service and philanthropic successes.  I want to read about your scholastic achievements.  I want to learn about how being in a fraternity made a brother a better person and prepared him for the post-college world.

Do you want to make a difference in your PR position?  Write that article.  Put your heart and soul into it.  Write it like you are representing all of us – because you are.

Then send it to the editor of your school paper.  Send it to your local newspapers.  Send it to the Associated Press, Huffington Post and USA Today College. Send it to me.

Tell everyone about something great your chapter is doing.  I promise you someone will post it, and an outsider somewhere will read it.

Think about how awesome it would be to be the guy who enlightens a skeptical critic of Greek Life.  Maybe you can remind a graduate brother from long ago the importance of his membership.  Maybe you can prove to a non-Greek that being in a fraternity is a valuable and cherished experience.

In our digital world it only takes a little time and effort to get your message to reach thousands of people.

I congratulate you on being elected Public Relations chairman.  However, I will admire you if you accept the challenge and actually write the article.

For every brother willing to accept this challenge and actually get published in his school paper, local paper, AP, Huffington Post, USA Today or any other equally reputable news source, I will mail you a free copy of my book The Fraternity Leader – The Complete Guide to Improving Your Chapter.

In it will be a hand-written note, thanking you for representing fraternity men everywhere in a positive light.  Send me an email to get your copy of my book.

It is my sincere hope that many fraternity men take me up on this challenge.

This question was submitted by one of our readers. If you have a question you want me to answer go here to submit it: Fraternity Advice.

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