Palm - Fall 2008 - (Page Cover2)

ato palm GOOD OF TH E O R D ER FALL 2008 VOLUME CXXIX, NUMBER 2 National Average Chapter Size 50 49 45 40 35 30 25 20 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 48 48 49 49 2.9 3.0 National Grade Point Average Editor: Wynn R. Smiley Managing Editor: Matthew S. DeWolf 2.87 2.8 2.7 2.6 2.5 2.4 2004 2005 2006 2007 2.83 2.82 2.84 2.86 Magazine Design: Todd Shelton Contributor Jay McGraw, Jr. 2008 Chapters At or Above 3.0 60 300k 250k 40 38 34 20 41 43 40 150k 100k 50k 0 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 0 2004 2005 2006 200k National Total Hours Social Service Publishing continuously since 1880. The ATO Palm is the ofﬁcial publication of the Alpha Tau Omega Fraternity. 221,175 203,494 199,028 180,120 187,278 Membership: The Alpha Tau Omega Fraternity is a participating member in the NorthAmerican Interfraternity Conference, the Fraternity Executives Association and the Fraternity Communications Association. 2008 2007 MY FATHER, AN ECONOMIST who decided he would put his education to use on a working farm, always had a lot of charts and graphs on the walls in his ofﬁce. Growing up, I never paid much attention to the organized maze of multi-colored lines. It was difﬁcult enough for him to get me to pay attention to the actual farming. Looking back, I’m not exactly sure when I embraced the world of statistics but clearly through osmosis, genetics or a realization that my dad was doing all of that charting for a reason, measurement has become part of the National Fraternity’s operating culture. Each year our Leadership Consultants sit down with chapter ofﬁcers and ask a series of 468 questions that goes into an electronic data base and is kept year after year. We have noticed some interesting trends. For example, the chapter activity most predictive of True Merit is the success of that chapter’s intramural program. Who knew? Chapter Portfolios are published annually for every chapter. Not only do chapters and their respective Boards of Trustees see how they are performing individually but chapters also discover how they stack AT O PA L M FA L L 2 0 0 8 up compared to every other ATO chapter in pledge class size, chapter size, scholarship, and philanthropic efforts. Above is a sample of National aggregate data beginning in 2004. The doors on most chapter houses should be revolving – at least as a metaphor reminding us how quickly generations of undergraduates come and go. Providing statistics year in and year out gives chapter ofﬁcers a snapshot of chapter performance and reminds them that their chapter has been performing for better or worse long before they were running the show. More importantly, it helps underscore the importance of their stewardship and hopefully serves as a catalyst to motivate them to build, grow and improve for their own learning and living experience as well as for the generations of Taus to come. 2 Wynn R. Smiley Chief Executive Ofﬁcer On the Cover: Representative of the new life stage described in Michael Kimmel’s book Guyland, this new stage presents both challenges and opportunities for the Greek system.

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Palm - Fall 2008

Palm - Fall 2008 Contents Navigating Guyland The Next Star 78th ATO Congress NHQ: Headquarters News SIR: Success in Review TAU: Alumni News ITS: In the Spotlight

Palm - Fall 2008

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