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FAQ ON TKE
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Why should I join a fraternity?
Why should I join a fraternity?
Belonging to a fraternity offers many advantages. We realize
that your first purpose for coming to college is to obtain an
education. We also realize that a college education encompasses
more than academics and that the ability to deal and live with
people is a demand that will be made on you for the rest of
your life. As a well rounded man you must merge a solid academic
background with intellectual and social maturity, and with confidence
in yourself to deal with the problems that will face you in
later years. TKE is the most unique fraternity at Sam Houston
State University in that we provide an environment that will
encourage you to strive for academic excellence, while at the
same time discovering new social horizons in a variety of campus
settings. Our fraternity is involved in enhancing scholastic
achievment, hosting social events, developing men into tomorrow's
leaders, participating in sporting events, and much more. A
fraternity gets you involved, which helps you to develop different
skills. It also allows you to develop contacts with other students,
and a variety of alumni involved in all areas of the business
world. People join organizations for different reasons. Most
of our members joined Tau Kappa Epsilon because they enjoyed
the events, liked the people they met, and felt that our chapter
had the best to offer them at Sam Houston State University.
You will also become part of a larger network of over 300 chapters
and 200,000 members across North America.
What makes TKE different from other fraternities?
Since our founding in 1899, Tau kappa Epsilon has always seen
itself as different from other social fraternities. this perception
has led TKE to become the WORLD'S LARGEST INTERNATIONAL FRATERNITY.
Our founders felt that fraternities had degenerated from institutions
of scholarly attainment to mere social clubs. Our founders started
an organization "whose avowed purpose was to aid college men
in mental moreal, and social develpment," and that is a mission
we have not strayed from. Our mission is no different than it
was in 1899 and the challenge is no less intimidating. Building
better men is what TKE has always been about. For nearly 100
years, Tau kappa epsilon has been building better men. Taking
young men and building them into young leaders. leaders who
are prepared to face the world complete with a set of values
and beliefs that add a distinctive advantage to a man's efforts
throughout his life. We have always based our membership "not
for wealth, rank, or honor, but for personal worth and character."
One only needs to read THE DECLARATION OF PRINCIPLES to understand
what Tau Kappa Epsilon stands for.
How long will I be a pledge?
The word "pledge" and all the unflattering remarks which accompany
it does not exist within Tau Kappa Epsilon. The new member education
program is based on a "no pledgeship and no hazing" commitment.
Every fraternity will claim that they do not haze, but TKE was
the first fraternity to implement a new member program that
replaces senseless tasks with educational and inspiration programming.
The APOLLO PROGRAM is the name of Tau Kappa Epsilon's new member
system. It is a six week program which teaches new members about
the history of the Greek system, the history of TKE, the history
of Rho-Rho Chapter, and how they fit into this system. It allows
young men to become young leaders through motivational and instructional
programs and activities. The Apollo Program gets you on your
way to success and facets of it will continue with you for the
rest of your life.
Do you guys party all the time?
Because Tau Kappa Epsilon is a "social" fraternity many people
have taken that to mean simply "partying." Part of becoming
a socially mature adult involves interaction with those around
you, and TKE holds several social events throughout the course
of the school year to aid in that development. You don't have
to belong to a fraternity to party, but the risk you take by
mixing people in unfamiliar and uncontrolled environments can
be costly. The rumors that you have heard or clips from ANIMAL
HOUSE simply do not exist within our chapter. We follow specific
Risk management guidelines which are designed to allow everyone
to have fun, but without any unfortunate side effects. TKE has
created a social fraternity that defines "social" not simply
as parties and celebration, but rather one in which celebrations
and parties are the rewards for our successes. We hold several
dances and formal events which have taken Teke's and their dates
from Riverboat cruises to Hotel Ballrooms. Each social event
we hold optimizes enjoyment and reduces risk.
What do you do for community service? Do I have to do
it?
Philanthropy is one activity that TKE has always been heavily
involved in. Our national philanthropic organization is the
Special Olympics and last year alone TKE averaged 49.6 philanthropy
hours per man last fall. Teke's have donated their time and
effort to the Good Shepherd Mission, Rita B. Huff Humane Society,
The Sam Houston Folk Festival, the Local chapter of Special
Olympics and many others. Philanthropy events are a great way
to meet people, have fun, and provides needed support within
the Huntsville community.
What kind of leadership positions are available to freshmen?
Because new members in Tau Kappa Epsilon DO NOT spend most of
their freshman year as pledges, who are unable to get involved
directly within the chapter, they are able to get a head start
on leadership experience. Each year TKE holds Regional Leadership
Conferences and the THE LEADERSHIP ACADEMY which are both designed
to teach more effective leadership methods. From the very beginning,
TKE teaches it's members to be leaders and not followers. Typically
freshman choose committee chairs to begin their leadership role
in the chapter. Because new members are always considered on
an equal level with all other fraters they are able to jump
right into a position that they feel they can succeed the most
at. There will also be officer positions that will open up to
you as a freshman before your first semester is over. TKE is
actively involved in the Interfraternity Council and you will
have the chance to obtain a directorship that would begin during
your second semester. Why wait a year to begin on your road
to success when you can begin today in Tau Kappa Epsilon? College
offers you a clean slate in life, so why not get a jump on the
competition while they're still scrubbing floors.
Will the fraternity thake up a lot of my time?
Time management means something different when you get to college
than it did in high school. You now have so much available time
on your hands that you can either use it or waste it. TKE's
new member program not only teaches you how to manage that time,
but also how to get the most out of every day. As with any organization
you will get out of it what you put into it, and the rewards
will vary depending on the drive that you have. our goal is
to make you a better man. the time you spend perfecting that
goal will not be taking up time, but will instead be the most
important time you've ever spent.
Do you have a test file?
In addition to a large collection of old exams and class syllabi,
TKE works through various tutoring programs on campus, sets
up studying sessions, sets minimum grade standards, and our
big Brother Program helps new members to adjust to the academic
evnironment. We also have in chapter book exchanges and access
to other test files on campus.
My parents don't want me to join a fraternity. What
if I just didn't tell them?
Sometimes parents believe that fraternity life revolves only
around beer, women, and hazing, and unfortunately some fraternities
cannot offer much more than that to you. TKE takes a lost of
time to keep parents informed about what things will be like
in the chapter and how they can make the Teke Experience more
rewarding. Some students find this a strange idea at first,
but you should talk with your parents about which fraternities
you are interested, what kinds of opportunities they have to
offer, and what kinds of questions you need to ask each fraternity.
this will definitely show how seriously and responsibly you
are making this decision process.
How much does it cost to join?
In addition to having the lowest dues an any fraternity on campus,
TKE also has a very low fee for joining the fraternity. All
initial costs go to the International Headquarters who provides
the Apollow Program materials, membership card and certificate,
the TEKE GUIDE which is the Fraternity's membership manual containing
the history, organization, ideals, and a detailed explanation
of programs and traditions of our fraternity. This fee also
provides you with membership fees, liability insurance, a TKE
Calling Card, a subscription to TKE Today which is the official
publication of the Fraternity.
What intramural sports do you do?
TKE is actively involved in every aspect of intramural sports
from basketball to ping pong. Annually TKE competes in over
20 intramural sports on campus, as well as involvement in club
sports. We allow every member to play on whatever team whenever
they want to without having to wait until there is room for
them. Playing sports is a great way to relieve stress and to
keep in shape. Chapter members frequently work out in groups
at the HKC.
Do you pair with sororities?
Tau Kappa Epsilon is greatly involved with interacting with
Sororities on Campus. Rho-Rho has hosted sorority dinners, football
games, and various mixers. The new member program holds awareness
seminars with sororities on campus, and that's a great way to
get to know people.
What is your brotherhood like?
TKE is unique among fraternities in many respects and one such
difference is the importance we place on building brotherhood
within the chapter. We have been able to avoid rifts and clicks
that often develop between pledge classes because our new member
program treates every member on an equal basis right from the
start. The elimination of pledgeship and hazing withing TKE
strengthens our brotherhood because resentment and the sense
of inferiority is never present. TKE believes that there is
no point in a man's life more important than his college years.
Growth in a non-hazing and no pledgeship environment will allow
him to overcome the challenges he faces with the support from
those around him. TKE believes that brotherhood is a journey,
not a destination. Brotherhood involves more than just social
events and TKE holds monthly brotherhood events like barbecues,
team building exercises, retreats, brotherhood nights and weekends,
and much more. During the summer TKE holds events like alumni
weekends, cookouts, and work weekends on the house. Each member
has their own definition of brotherhood, but each revolves around
the three guiding principles of our fraternity.
"We believe that the essential elements of true brotherhood
are love, charity, and esteem; love that binds our hearts
with the sturdy chords of fraternal affection; charity, that
is impulsive to see the virtues in a brother and slow to reprove
his faults; esteem, that is respectful to the honest convictions
of others and that refrains from treading upon that which
is sacred to spirit and conscience; these are the triple obligations
of ever brother in the bond.
Our challenge as brothers is to live up to these guiding principles
and our strong belief in them has created a strong sense of
brotherhood that over 200,000 men just like you have shared
since 1899. College is only temporary, but Brotherhood is forever.
How active are you on campus
The Rho-Rho Chapter of Tau Kappa Epsilon is very active at Sam
Houston State University. We have had members in top leadership
positions on campus, as well as within the University itself.
TKE builds leaders by giving them the opportunity to get involved
and the skills to make them successful. If you've got the desire
for success why not join an organization that wrote the book
on it.
I heard that ABX hazes! Is that true?
Unfortunately hazing is something that still does occur within
the Greek system. Even though every national fraternity has
banned hazing some individual chapters have continued this barbaric
and just plain stupid practice. It may make you wonder how much
you can believe the promises some fraternitities may make to
you. In recent years several fraternities at Sam Houston State
University have been disciplined for forcing new members to
endure hazing during their pledgeship. Hazing ranges from alcohol
related, physical, emotional, and psychological torment as conditions
for membership. You've never needed to undergo hazing to join
any other organization in your life, so don't believe that you
have to start now. The Greek system began as a way to improve
the lives of those who chose to join it, but sadly some fraternities
have forgotten this important fact. The best defense against
joining an organization that may haze its new members is to
ask a lot of questions about what is required of you to be initiated.
Find our how long the new member program will last, how much
time will you be expected to commit, and has the chapter ever
been charged for hazing. The more vague or shady the answers
the more you should be concerned about how truthful they are
being.
My dad was a Teke at another school. Do you honor legacies?
TKE is the Fraternity for Life and we take greate care when
legacies come to our attention. The values and ideals that are
passed to every member of TKE insures us that they understand
that their sons should be considered "not for wealth, rank,
or honor, but for personal worth and character" just the same
as every other potential new member. To this measure we consider
anyone who wants "the choice to belong" to Tau Kappa Epsilon
to to be an unbiased process. Legacies will still sit before
the Membership Quality Board before a bid to join Tau Kappa
Epsilon will be extended. Alumni members will understand this
policy based on our belief that "We maintain the exclusiveness
is the direct antithesis of a true fraternity" and we must include
any man who wishes to accept "the challenge to become."
I'm worried about my grades. What can your chapter do
to help me in school?
The academic success you make in your first few semesters at
college will largely limit or expand your future options. It's
always easier to maintain a GPA than to raise one. TKE provides
academic support from the very start with the Apollo Program,
you Big Brother, Chapter and Academic Advisors, Scholarship
Chairmen, Chapter Educator, tutoring services, and much more.
Along with all the adjustments you'll be making during your
first few months at college the last thing you want to worry
about is poor academic performance. If you want to know where
TKE is going then look at where it's been. The Rho-Rho Chapter
of Tau Kappa Epsilon has maintained a superb academic record
in the past, and will continue to do so in the future. Academic
success is simply oppurtunity meeting hard work, and TKE will
give you that opportunity.
Do you get a lot of support from alumni?
Part of belonging to the Fraternity for Life means continued
support even after your undergraduate years are over. We publish
an alumni newsletter, hold alumni events, and use alumni contacts
to help graduating fraters obtain job interviews. Our Board
of Advisors is made up of Rho-Rho alumni as well as Honorary
members from Sam Houston's faculty. We have always valued the
time and effort that alumni provide more than the money they
give. TKE teaches its members that the only price Brotherhood
has is dedication. Alumni offer everyone from our newest members
to our graduating seniors support in every area from finding
a job to recounting how they made the most out of their undergraduate
years in TKE. The support that our alumni give every year is
immeasureable.
What is the Apollo Project?
The Apollo Project is TKE's innovative and exciting new
member education program. TKE alumni and undergraduate mentors
will guide you down your "Pathway to Apollo" as you learn more
about what it menas to be a man...and the challenge that accompanies
that responsibility. The TKE mythological ideal, Apollo, has
served as an example for over 200,000 Tekes since our founding
in 1899. Today more than ever, the TKE Apollo Ideal proviedes
young men with an opportunity to learn and grow in an evnironment
of "love, charity, and esteem," the three essential elements
of true brotherhood in Tau Kappa Epsilon. The Apollo Man serves
as a model and as a guide for you during your TKE undergraduate
experience, and throughout your lifetime. It establishes a code
of conduct for your behavior and actions; it provides you with
an appropriate understanding of your relationship with your
fellow man; and with women; it establishes a model of academic
excellence, and of physical and mental health. The Apollo Project
takes young men and turns them into leaders, and the world of
tommorrow will need leaders not followers.
What are your membership standards?
If you are selected to receive an invitation to join our great
Fraternity, you can do so knowing that our chapter members have
applied an extensive set of criteria to your selection, and
you'll know that they believe that you have4 what it takes to
live up to our standard. We base certain membership criteria
on your past experiences and how you have turned "oppurtunity
out of defeat." If you accept the challenge to become a member
of Tau Kappa Epsilon Rho-Rho you will be expected to maintain
a GPA of 2.0(officers a 2.5), be involved on campus and within
the chapter, meet your financial obligations, obey all laws
& bylaws; fraternity, state, local, and live up to the ideals
of Tau Kappa Epsilon. Our biggest standard is the standard of
success that over 200,000 since 1899, have lived up to. It is
our goal to provide you with the oppurtunity, assistance, and
support that will see you through the most important years of
your life, and on to your most successful ones.
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