My chapter has a hard time believing that sober brothers are necessary for any type of social event. How can I show my chapter that in order to be at the top, we need to start with managing the risks a fraternity brings on campus?
Answer:
Great question.
The reason is obvious. World-class organizations manage risk and focus on ensuring the longevity of their organization. By not doing something as simple as having a single guy sober to make tough decisions if they become necessary, your chapter is showing a stunning level of irresponsibility.
Here are ten instances where your chapter would be hosed if they didn’t have someone sober at an event:
1 – Who talks to the cops if they show up at the house? Do you really want drunk guys doing it?
2 – What happens if someone needs a ride or someone needs to get something? Do you want a brother driving drunk to get it?
3 – What happens if someone is injured at a party? Who is going to be in the right mind to make sure the situation is handled properly?
4 – What happens if someone has alcohol poisoning? Is a drunk person really the best person to get help?
5 – What happens if someone shows up the party plastered? Is a drunk person really the best person to ensure they don’t get into the party?
6 – What happens if a fight breaks out? If there is no one sober, are you confident that this situation won’t spiral further out of control?
7 – What happens when it is time to shut the party down? Can you ensure this will be handled properly without someone sober?
8 – What happens if a university official shows up? Do you really want a drunk guy talking to the Greek Life director?
9 – What happens if someone makes an accusation on your chapter in the middle of the night? Having drunks as your only witnesses and having drunks gathering facts is a recipe for disaster.
10 – What happens when a brother gets a ‘great idea’ when in actuality it is horrendous idea? Do you trust a drunken crowd to make sure the chapter doesn’t do anything stupid?
Every single one of those situations happened to my chapter when I was an undergraduate. We were fortunate to have someone sober and responsible present to handle these situations.
While you posed this question as a risk management issue, I see it as a bigger issue. It is a leadership issue. If your chapter can’t get something as simple as this right, then chances are there are other glaring weaknesses in your chapter’s operations. If one guy can’t man-up and avoid drinking for one night, then I worry about the longevity of your chapter.