Nu Beta Chapter - Newsletter

Convention Snapshot

2010-07-20T15:35:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to provide a quick snapshot of Convention and also discuss my retreat plans.

Convention

I am sure that there will be minutes on the list from Convention 2010, however I wanted to shine light on a few areas.

First of all, Sam will once again be the National President for our most honorable fraternity.
Second, there was a proposal passed that realigned our constitution which mainly defined undergraduate membership (active/inactive members). In summary, this proposal stated that a brother is active as long as he is enrolled full-time and meet his college's requirements for a Greek life member. A brother is inactive if he is in bad standing(dont pay dues and/or don't meet GPA requirement) for two consecutive semesters.
Also, a chapter can not be inactive. A chapter is either active, active with limitations, or closed.
The last thing I want to highlight is that dues are per member based. Therefore, when dues are sent, a member roster has to accompany it.

Retreat

Proposed dates: August 20-22
Location: Bowling Green
Venue: TBA
I will be talking to HQ in the upcoming week to get assistance and resources to help me plan retreat. I welcome all alumni to attend and/or to give support. The Nu Beta Chapter needs all the help possible to stabilize a foundation for the upcoming year and for the future of this chapter.

I look forward to seeing and hearing from you brothers.

Jeff White aka Jefe Blanco- Current Nu Beta President

Just a quote... and what it means.

2010-06-13T12:58:00.001-07:00

From Sam Centellas' second term presidential campaign:

"Be PERSONAL... the fraternity while it is a business this is most importantly a family. We end board calls talking about our personal lives, our kids, our hobbies, weekend plans... this is because above all else we are Brothers. Our titles give us more responsibility and we take that seriously, but I believe to lead you have to be personal. Brothers know I am always here to listen, to give feedback, to listen to a Brother vent, and to be a good Brother. On that note, I have posted on my Campaign Blog (http://2010slb- president. blogspot. com) the Brother profile that was on the national site when I was in graduate school as away for Brothers to get to know me better and some other information about myself."

Text in red is my point of interest. It's important for brothers to understand that the fraternity is a business, hence SLB Frat. INC. - which stands for incorporated.

We've had many debates about whether or not the fraternity should be run like a business. Many said "No, the fraternity on the chapter level should not be run like a business." such mentality led to the financial debacle we are in now. Feel free to comment. Some food for thought.

#29 Chris "Tu Bi" Nguyen

Alumni Involvement - Connecting the Dots

2010-06-10T10:42:00.000-07:00

Some brothers believe that Alumni involvement in undergraduate affairs should be limited - I agree.

I agree to the extent that - regarding social issues, governance, policy, and anything having to do with politics, Alumni should participate on a consultative basis only. To be clear, Alumni should actively consult and confer with undergraduates from a non-partisan position. Such is a means of fostering lasting relationships between brothers old and young while creating an environment where undergraduates can gain valuable insight from the experiences of alumn.

However, we must acknowledge the fine line between fraternal relationships and excessive involvement in undergraduate affairs. With that said, it's important not to sway too far from undergraduate affairs creating a detachment between alumni and undergraduates nor create a culture that exhibits a dichotomy of elitist alumni and struggling undergraduates.

So where can alumni and undergrads confer on sensitive policy based issues?

PAY ATTENTION!!! --> Project Management... Fund raising... Money.

It is essential for undergrads to solicit valuable bits of advice regarding project management. Experience is the single most valuable component of event planning. Our most valuable resource as a fraternity is our older brothers. They've been there, they've done that, and even if they haven't they've probably seen how to make it better and how it flopped. Successful events transcend into successful fund raising. If the undergrad chapter has successful events, people will come. It does not matter whether it's a philanthropy, cultural awareness, or community service event. It could even be a party. The key is to be able to define success and then achieve it according to however you have defined it. Others will notice your success; the more people who notice, the more money you will be able to raise for the future and the more money alumni will be willing to invest in the future of the fraternity.

At this point, it's also important to mention that if alumni donate money, they are entitled to have a word or two in the way that it is spent! They are further entitled to full disclosure of the disbursements of their contributions, the transparency of operations, and due diligence. So what does all that mean?

If alumni are giving back to the fraternity, they should be able to see how much of it is going where, when it is being spent, and ultimately - how it contributes to the viability of the chapter! Due diligence is the culmination of efforts by the undergraduate chapter to ensure that nothing could possibly go wrong with the funds such as theft, fraud, litigation, etc.

If alumni get their full disclosure and undergrads actively seek to maintain these relationships, the viability of the fraternity could never be threatened. Just think, how many of you joined because alumni were dedicated? How many other fraternities have this irreplaceable facet of culture?

Think about it... that's my 86 cents.

Brother for life,

#29 Chris "Tu Bi" Nguyen

2010-06-02T19:07:00.000-07:00

Brothers who were on the conference call re: financial status of the undergrad chapter:

Carlos Delgado
Keith Trevino
Juan Martinez
B.C. Carreon
Chris Ybarra
Hector Hernandez
Tim Hall
Chris Nguyen
Nick Carreon
Jeff White
Alex Rivera

Brother Contact Information:
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Please call each other when you're in each others towns respectively! It's always good to hear from a brother. Don't forget our conference call at 7p.m. 6/16/10. Same number, if you don't have it call a brother up!!

#29 Chris "Tu Bi" Nguyen

Convention Emergency - A Sinking Ship

2010-05-19T17:57:00.000-07:00

Brothers of the most beloved,

I am writing to you this evening because our chapter is in a state of emergency.

Many underlying issues play into the situation but the case in point is that the undergraduate chapter needs funding badly. Stemming from the over-recognition of active brothers, meaning that more dues were charged by HQ than were owed, the chapter is in debt to HQ with no means of paying the debt. There are 3 brothers who currently owe their full dues and 1 brother who has only paid half. The job market is unfruitful despite many brothers' efforts to secure part-time jobs.

Currently we are just beyond being able to pay for dues but the more serious matter at hand is sending delegates to convention. The cost of this privilege is in the $600+ ballpark. The $600 also excludes the cost of travel. The privilege becomes a burden when there is absolutely no way of funding this trip, as we were sanctioned by Greek Affairs disallowing us to hold any events (including fund raising) other than community service or philanthropic cultural awareness events, and if we do not attend, we will be fined double the cost of actually attending (HQs way of putting the hammer down).

I'm writing to all alumni brothers to please consider donating back to your beloved chapter. Every individual who has graced the yard in Bowling Green can reminisce about their hard work and efforts spent to keep the ship afloat at some point. Let's come together again and keep this ship from sinking.

Brother Juan and I are currently working on a paypal system for brothers to donate money that will be tied directly to the NuBeta Chapter checking account at Huntington Bank in Bowling Green. Any contributions are greatly appreciated.

#29 Chris "Tu Bi" Nguyen