Dear Brothers, Rhoses, and Friends,

As the National President of Sigma Phi Rho Fraternity, Inc., I’d like to welcome you to the Sigma Phi Rho Fraternity, Inc. web site.  I know our members have made a good choice choosing to be part this fraternity, and we’re all proud to be part of a fraternity that cares about the quality of life at our schools, and communities.

 At our Last National Convocation the general meeting focused upon our chapters and what was special about each one.  In the process of listening to what was special about each of our chapters, we discovered that everyone was saying the same things in different ways.  I finally narrowed down seven traits that all of these excellent chapters possess.

 Going forward as we evaluate our chapters, and chapter leaders you should know if your chapter is falling short of its mission and goals, if so then you are missing one or more of these traits.

 These seven traits are listed below in no particular order.

 Consistent Chapter & Graduate Leadership

I have often used the analogy of the limousine.  The limousine is the chapter, the passengers are the chapter members, and the chauffer are the chapter president & graduate advisors.  The goal is to get the limousine to a destination.  The passengers set that destination and then acquire a chauffer to get them there.

 Consistent Regional Graduate Leadership

There’s not a lot of flip-flopping around.  Regional graduate leaders who passes well-prepared brothers on to the National Executive Committee who has a consistent direction for the National Governing Council is setting the direction of the fraternity consistently.

 Fraternity Wide Goals

All successful chapters have system goals.  Goals were not something just set up for the chapter leaders.  Goals went down as far as neophytes, rhoses, and trainees.  There were yearly, monthly, even daily goals present in one form or another.

 Common Teaching Language

There’s a common teaching language that is introduced to new brothers in their neophyte stages, and that language is then expanded on and enriched on all the way up to the National Governing Council.

 Supportive Graduate Consultant Layer

There is a supportive graduate consultant layer.  This graduate consultant layer, in successful chapters, is directed at the long-term success of the chapter.

 Stable Chapter Situation

The thriving chapters all had a permanent home, either official campus recognition or recognition from fellow campus organizations.

Maintain a Standard of Excellence

Each one of these chapters wants to be the best that they can be from neophytes to national governing council representatives.  There are not interested in being one of the former great chapters.

 2006 will be pivotal as we position the fraternity for continued growth while we responsible manage our chapters so that we are in control of our own destiny. 

 Phi Rho,
Nyam Smith
National President