1. Setting the
Standard
Matthew Greer
Alumni Advisor, Assistant
Alumni Advisor, Graduate
Intern for Fraternity and
Sorority Affairs Office
Xi-Rho, 2011

2. The “Hero Journey” motif*
Underworld
Threshold of Adventure
Call to adventure
Threshold
crossing
Death
Dismemberment
Crucifixion
Kidnapping
Night sea journey
Abduction
Dragon battle
Whale’s belly
Wonder journey
Helper
Teachers
Tests
Nadir: the lowest point
Character and
competence
Father atonement
Sacred marriage
Elixir theft
Secret knowledge
Return
Resurrection
Rebirth
Reconstitution
Threshold
struggle
Flight/escap
e
Reintegration
with secret knowledge
as the guardian of the
culture’s deepest
values
* Joseph Campbell, The Hero
with a Thousand Faces. New
York: MJF Books, 1949
The hero is often
orphaned or
exiled.
Summer
Autumn Spring
Winter
Copyright 2014, Michael Evans
Not to be used without permission
Threshold of Adventure
Underworld
Threshold of Adventure
Underworld
Threshold of Adventure
Underworld
Threshold of Adventure
Underworld
Threshold of Adventure
Separation
Initiation

3. What are values?
• Values are the expression of those things as a
culture that we hold most dear.
• They are what we hold in common as members
of Kappa Sigma and, according to our Ritual,
with the best of our fellow men.
• They define who we are, what we believe, and
guide our actions: what we will or will not do.
• They are encapsulated in our Ritual and
summarized in the Star & Crescent.
• We know our values!

4. “The Star and Crescent shall not be worn
by every man, but only by him who is
worthy to wear it. He must be a gentleman …
a man of honor and courage … a man of zeal,
yet humble … an intelligent man …
a man of truth … one who
tempers action with wisdom and,
above all else, one who walks
in the light of God.”
The Star & Crescent

5. What do we mean?
• Are honour and courage (integrity?) the same
thing as loyalty?
• To what or whom is your loyalty owed?
• How do you decide?
• What is zealousness? Humility? How are they
reconciled?
• What does it mean to temper action with
wisdom?
• What is “the light of God?”

6. Integrity and credibility
• Integrity at its core is when you “do what you say
you would do”
• Our credibility is damaged when we do not live our
values
• When we live by our Ritual and the Star &
Crescent, we bring credit to ourselves and our
families, and honour to our college and Fraternity.
• When we don’t, as individuals or as a Chapter, we
lose credibility and damage the Fraternity.
• These are questions of character.

7. Men of character …
Men of intellect are admired;
Men of wealth are envied;
Men of power are feared;
Only men of character are trusted.
Leadership cannot exist without trust.
Kappa Sigma is the leader among Greek fraternal
organizations.

8. Our actions, which are the outward
demonstrations of our character,
must align with our values

9. Social licence is essential
Host institution
Recruitment pool
Active chapter: “Many
hands make light work”
Executive Committee
Leadership and
execution
Accountability
Public-at-large
“Social licence”
Authority
Authority is
derived from …
Accountability
is to …
SEC
“Fraternal licence”
Authority and
accountability
are manifest
values and the
result of trust

10. We are losing trust

11. Do these headlines reflect
our values?
Chapter Closed after Hazing Incident
Fraternity Accused of Violent Hazing
Paralyzed Student Sues Fraternity After Hazing
Pledge Sodomized by Stripper,
Among Charges Against Fraternity
After Drinking Ritual Death, Evidence surfaces that
Fraternity Charged Pledges $200 for “Social Fund”
Colony Closed due to
Hazing, Alcohol
Former Frat Alumni React
to Hazing Allegations
Student Dies, Hazing Blamed
Greek Camaraderie Turns Toxic
Alleged Hazing Leads to
Students Expulsion
Student Injured,
Hospitalized, in
Hazing Incident
Fraternity Placed on Temporarily
Deferred Suspension
Due to Violations
Greek Organizations Nationwide
in Trouble over Hazing

12. Restoring trust
• People who complain that fraternities are
“elitist” miss the point.
• Democracy at its best is a meritocratic system
that rewards excellence.
• “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that
all men are created equal, that they are
endowed by their Creator with certain
unalienable Rights, that among these are Life,
Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”
• We should be elitist; but what defines “elite”?

13. The Code of Conduct
• Some of you think the Code is only
about protecting SEC and
volunteers.
• It does that – but that’s only part of
its purpose.
• It’s more about protecting you,
your families and our very
existence.
• If you follow the rules, we will
protect you if an accident happens;
if not, you’re on your own.

14. The Code of Conduct
• What is the Code of Conduct?
• To whom does it apply?
• What areas does it address?

15. Kappa Sigma does not haze
Matthew Carrington, deceased
“I did what I did out of a misguided
sense of building brotherhood, and
instead I lost a brother. I will live with
the consequences of hazing for the rest
of my life.
“My actions killed a good person.
Copyright 2014, Michael Evans
Not to be used without permission
“Hazing isn't funny, it's not cute. It's stupid, dangerous. It’s not
about brotherhood, it’s about power and control.”
- Gabriel Maestretti, 22, altar boy, high school
homecoming king, volunteer coach, Chi Tau
fraternity upper classman, “tormentor,” “mean
drunk,” convicted killer.

16. Alcohol use and social events
• The Code has very clear rules about alcohol
use and social events.
• Why?
• What are the risks?

17. Illegal substances
• The Code has very clear rules about illegal
substances.
• Why?
• What are the risks?

18. Social media
• Does your social media presence
reflect the Star & Crescent or …?
• Mistakes often involve stereotypes,
sexism, cultural appropriation and
racism.
• The poster does not consider the harm implied;
he focuses almost exclusively on his intended
audience
• The inability to recognize harm points to issues
with empathy and critical-thinking.
• Stupidity is no excuse!

19. Stereotypes

20. Sexism - 1
• What is sexism?
• Why is it a problem?

21. Sexism - 2

22. Sexism - 3

23. Sexism - 4

24. Cultural appropriation - 1
• What is cultural appropriation?
• Why is it a problem?

25. Cultural appropriation - 2

26. Cultural appropriation - 3

27. Racism - 1
• What is racism?
• Why is it a problem?

28. Racism - 2

29. Racism - 3
Some people may say that fraternities are facing an identity crisis, but that underplays how resilient and
adaptive they have always been. They’ve existed since the time of the American Revolution, appeared in
modern form in the early 1880s, survived the Civil War, and rode the waves of social upheaval in the 1960s and
’70s. They thrived in the 1980s, nearly collapsed under the weight of lawsuits in the 1990s, and returned,
corporatized and professionalized, in the 2000s.

30. Social media - 2
• Once again, are we
getting this right?
• Just because you can do
it, does not mean it is
wise to do so.

31. Code of Conduct violations
Recent research into moral psychology suggests
we are hardwired for five essential elements:
1. Harm/care
2. Fairness/cheating
3. Loyalty/betrayal
4. Authority/subversion
5. Sanctity/degradation

32. So, what is the right thing to do?
First of all, know you will fail if
you do not prepare.

33. When undergrads fail
• There are four possibilities to explain a performance
failure: to deliver a plan, follow the rules, uphold an
oath, execute a promise, etc.
1. Lack of understanding
2. Lack of capability (aptitude and training/skills)
3. Lack of opportunity/resources
4. Lack of will/desire
• The first three are the responsibility of leadership;
only the last is in the control of the individual. Don’t
start at 4: start at 1! Copyright 2014, Michael Evans
Not to be used without permission

34. Start with “why?”
Visit: http://www.ted.com/speakers/simon_sinek
“People don’t buy
what you do; people
buy why you do it.”
WHY
HOW
WHAT
WHY
HOW
WHAT
Copyright 2014, Michael Evans
Not to be used without permission

35. Chapters closed in 2013-15
• Gamma-Phi (West Virginia), 1883
• Chi-Omega (South Carolina), 1890
• Beta-Xi (California-Berkeley), 1901
• Delta-Omega (Wake Forest), 1937
• Epsilon-Eta (Bowling Green State), 1947
• Epsilon-Xi (Texas-El Paso), 1949
• Epsilon-Psi (Lambuth), 1958
• Beta-Phi (California-Davis), 1951
• Epsilon-Phi (Texas Tech), 1953

36. Chapters closed in 2013-15
• Theta-Eta (Arkansas-Little Rock), 1963
• Theta-Iota (San Jose State), 1965
• Theta-Pi (East Carolina), 1966
• Xi-Sigma (Western Carolina), 2001
• Omicron-Beta (Long Island-CW Post), 2005
• Pi-Beta (Loyola Marymount), 2007
• Pi-Omicron (Colorado-Colorado Springs),
2009

37. Discipline 2014-15
• 493 expulsions
• 650 suspensions
• 258 resignations
• 1,401 Brothers removed from the Fraternity’s
roll or who remain suspended.

38. Your autonomy is yours to
keep or lose
The Code of Conduct:
• builds accountability;
• teaches responsibility;
• reinforces our values;
• enables self-governance; and
• makes Chapters and their members powerful.

39. Accountability
Compliance rests with every
Brother and every Chapter
“The day-to-day responsibility of the enforcement
of the Code of Conduct and these Standards rests
with individual members and Chapters.”

40. Not for a day, or an hour …
“If I accept you as you are, I make you worse; if,
however, I treat you as if you were already that
which you are capable of becoming, I help you to
become that.”
– Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

41. When accountability is
refused
• Charges submitted IN WRITING and signed
by one or more members.
• Charges filed with the Grand Procurator with
IHQ.
• Charges must be read aloud at one meeting;
trial scheduled for the next meeting.
• 75% of the Chapter MUST attend the trial.
• A majority vote suspends; 80% vote expels.

42. Appeals
• Must be filed IN WRITING to IHQ.
• By the Brother(s) FILING charges within 30
days after the chapter vote.
• By the accused within 30 days after receiving
notice from the WGS of the Chapter’s
decision.

43. No bystanders
• There are no
bystanders in a
heroic narrative.
• That applies to
Brothers’ sexual
conduct, use of drugs
and alcohol, application
to their studies, etc.
Threshold of Adventure
Underworld
Copyright 2014, Michael Evans
Not to be used without permission

44. You do not need any kind of
permission or authority to do the
right thing…