The chances that the national organization of Beta Theta Pi national fraternity will re-recognize a Dartmouth Beta chapter are "slim to none," a representative from the national organization said in an interview with The Dartmouth on Friday.
The national organization's Board of Trustees will discuss the issue further this weekend and representatives from the Dartmouth Beta alumni group remain convinced that recognition is possible. The alumni group plans to hold student information sessions at the College beginning Jan. 27.
Jud Horras, Beta national's executive director, said the alumni group's disregard for recognition protocol as the main obstacle to recognition by Beta national.
"It's difficult. They have a tendency to act unilaterally without authority from our organization, which indicates problems later on in the future," Horras said. "I've worked with over 40 alumni groups to bring back their chapter. I have never had a group go this route."
Under Beta national rules, any group wishing to reinstate a chapter of the fraternity must seek sponsorship from Beta national, under the authority of the national fraternity's trustees and "general convention," which includes chapter delegates from various colleges and universities, Horras explained. The alumni group working to bring the fraternity back to Dartmouth has not yet received this sponsorship and Horras said he believed the group was unlikely to receive it in the future.
"At this time, we're not supporting the plan," Horras said. "There's a 95 percent chance that's not going to change."
However, Scott Sipple '84, co-chairman of the Dartmouth Beta's Board of Trustees, said he believed the national organization was "interested" in recolonizing at Dartmouth.
"There's still a five percent chance," Sipple said. "There was a 95 percent chance a few years ago that Beta wouldn't have reached an agreement with the College."
Sipple said the alumni group is committed to continuing a dialogue with the national organization.
"We've shown that we've been pretty tenacious and resilient over these 12 years," Sipple said. "We would anticipate working with the national in the same spirit."
Dean of Residential Life Martin Redman said the fact that the national Beta trustees' plan to address the issue of a possible Dartmouth chapter suggests progress.
"Given what this Board is probably dealing with, if it's really a 95 percent 'no' answer, why would they have it [on the agenda]?" Redman said. "The executive director believes that the outcome is going to be 'no,' but it's on their agenda so that they can have honest conversations about it."
Beta national's guidelines for recognition also stipulate that any group that was de-recognized for "risk management" issues must be alcohol-free upon reinstatement, which Horras said has been a point of conflict with the Dartmouth Beta trustees.
In the event that the Dartmouth Beta alumni group is unable to reunite with Beta national, the group will consider affiliating with another national organization, Sipple said.
In conversations with College administrators, Sipple said, the possibility of joining with Delta Upsilon fraternity has been discussed, though the group has not yet contacted any national organization other than Beta.
The College suggested Delta Upsilon because the fraternity allows for dual membership -- an unusual trait which would allow current Dartmouth Beta alumni to become members of Delta Upsilon and preserve a connection to undergraduates, Redman said.
Other national organizations, including Sigma Chi fraternity, which existed at Dartmouth before it was replaced by the Tabard in 1960, have expressed interest in affiliating with the Beta alumni group, Redman said.
Though the Beta alumni group would consider affiliating with another national fraternity, Sipple reaffirmed the group's commitment to Beta national.
"Obviously if you've been with one organization for over a century, your natural proclivity and preference is to stick with them," he said.
In the coming weeks, the alumni group plans to hold two information sessions at Dartmouth. Redman said these sessions would serve as opportunities for students to communicate their ideas for a possible new organization. He predicted the meetings might see discussion about the possibility of an alcohol-free fraternity or a co-ed organization.
During the Spring term, the alumni group plans to hold meetings to present interested students with a more complete "vision for the organization," Sipple said.
In the Fall term of 2008, the group will participate in fraternity recruitment to gain a base group of members; the College requires at least four members for recognition. In order to apply for recognition from Dartmouth's Interfraternity Council, the group must have 10 members or a quarter of the membership of the smallest IFC organization -- whichever number is smaller.
"Students truly are the only ones who can say 'yes' or 'no,'" Redman said. "If nobody shows up in the fall, then that's a clear indication."
Once it has met these membership requirements, the group can begin the processes of seeking recognition from the College and the IFC.
In order to gain College recognition, which generally takes a year and a half to two years to complete, the group must affiliate with a national fraternity, Redman said. IFC guidelines similarly stipulate that only national organizations are eligible for recognition.
IFC rules for sponsorship state that the presidents of Dartmouth's 13 existing fraternities, who vote to recognize a new organization, should consider factors including alumni support, strength of the national fraternity and success of recent colonized chapters of the group.
Michael Kreicher '08, president of Psi Upsilon fraternity, said he supported the reintroduction of Beta at Dartmouth. Kreicher is a staff columnist for The Dartmouth.
"The organization owns its house and appears to have worked closely with the College to develop a process through which it can get re-recognized," Kreicher said in an e-mail message to The Dartmouth. "The brothers responsible for the misbehavior that led to the sanctions are long gone from Dartmouth, and I see no reason why the new Beta brotherhood won't be a positive addition to Dartmouth's Greek community."
Ryan Mahoney '08, president of Gamma Delta Chi fraternity, similarly said he thought the return of Beta was a "good thing."
Several other fraternity presidents contacted by The Dartmouth declined to comment on the issue.
Though Beta had strong ties to the football team during its years at Dartmouth, Sipple downplayed this perceived affiliation.
"We really are looking for a very diverse organization, as we frankly have historically been," Sipple said. "We're not looking to have the kind of organization that is very one dimensional."
Sipple said the group will look to attract students with "upstanding character," pointing to what he called a "legacy" of leadership among members of Beta at Dartmouth. He also noted that the group would attempt to attract students who were not previously interested in the College's Greek system.
"This is an organization that we want to really be proud of," Sipple said. "There were periods at the end of its existence that we were not proud of, and we're certainly not looking to recruit those elements."
Sipple said the group will likely face challenges in terms of publicizing the new organization's aims and eliminating negative impressions of Beta's previous existence at Dartmouth, which Sipple termed "conjecture and urban legend."
"We have to reshape that in the thinking of people, and educate them about who we are," Sipple said. "They don't have a blueprint to look at."
Given the high proportion of football players among GDX's membership, Mahoney noted that the re-institution of Beta could have a greater effect on recruitment for GDX than other fraternities, but added that the character of the new Beta chapter remains uncertain.
Mahoney and Marlon Alebiosu '10, both members of the football team, said some of their sophomore teammates have discussed moving from GDX, which has been on probation for much of this academic year, to Beta in the event that the fraternity returns to campus.
Kevin Gallagher '11, a member of the football team, said he contacted Beta alumni to learn more about the group.
Freshmen members of the team are interested in a range of fraternities, he said.
"Guys are looking at Theta Delt, guys are looking at GDX, guys are looking at Beta," Gallagher said. "We're not saying that Beta is going to be the next football frat."
