Commitment

"At the very core of commitment is the individual and his or her innate passion or desire.  This internal passion drives Commitment and requires active engagement."

Commitment is not a character trait that can be pushed onto someone, and in order to achieve the highest results, individuals of the group really need to put forth that passion or desire to succeed.  

This can be directly related to how Chi Phi functions.  As an organization, almost all of us were the guys who sat around a table and said, individually "Yea, I want to start a fraternity.  I want to make a difference at Ohio State, and I believe my niche is the fraternal system, so I am going to do whatever it takes to make this a successful student organization."  Nobody around the table was forced to be there, and nobody joined against their will.  We collectively shared a common interest in Sorority and Fraternity Life, and truly believed that this was the path we should take to optimize our experience in a fraternity, and as a student at Ohio State.  It is now our goal and job to find others on this campus that share this common passion with us.  It is not our job to push others toward passion and commitment, because ultimately they are making the decision based on themselves, "What will I do to better this organization" "How will it better me".  When they are able to answer those questions, the recruits will find a way to join.  Chi Phi is in the unique position that most fraternities and sororities never find themselves in, and that is where we have a very united vision (Due in part to how new we are to campus).  

A lot of men and women get lost in the system, because they join aimlessly, join these organizations for the wrong reasons (i.e. a great house, cool parties etc.), or are too afraid to stand up in the crowd when they believe the organization is heading in the direction that is not congruent with what the organization stands for.  Obviously no one is perfect, but in order to succeed at the highest level, the commitment has to come from within.  You have to join the fraternity or sorority that fits you, and then join with a goal in mind. It is so important to combine vision and commitment, because you need to visualize how you want to leave your organization, and then commit down a path that will take you to that goal.  Along that line, commitment is infectious. As I said earlier, passion cannot be forced upon someone, but it can be ignited.  As a recruiter it is important to find what makes your recruit tick inside, and then show them that your organization can offer that to them: service, family, growth & development, academia, the list goes on and on.  

At the end of the day, the fraternal system has more to offer than any other organization on campus.  The ability to quantify and express those offerings in a manner that helps a non-affiliate, or an affiliate-to-be find what they want to commit to ultimately determines the success of the organization.