5 Questions with Commander Connor Marshall (DePauw)
Interview
In our next issue we’ll be following up with some of the Commanders who attended the 2017 College of Chapters to see how things are going. As a sneak preview we talked with Beta Beta (DePauw) Commander Connor Marshall to get his take on his chapter’s path to excellence thus far.
What was that first chapter meeting like after College of Chapters?
It was a little rocky. Our brothers were returning after a month of winter break, and they had to brush up on some elements of The Ritual.
What were some challenges you encountered when you brought back your strategic plan?
It was hard to get members to buy into the idea that a concrete and actionable strategic plan can be useful to drive the chapter forward. It was also challenging to get individual members to see the big picture when most brothers are focusing their efforts on specific actionable items related to the committees they serve on as members.
What progress has your chapter made so far with their strategic plan?
We have emphasized the importance of open communication, which was one of our major strategies outlined in our strategic plan. I believe this has led to a higher-trust environment with increased collaboration between brothers. One of our goals was to increase involvement in philanthropic work. We just had a successful philanthropy event raising over $500 for charity, and brothers have become more involved in the local community. Some of our brothers are even volunteering as coaches for a local youth soccer team this semester. Another goal we’ve seen progress on is recruitment. We recruited six high-character men for our chapter this spring semester, falling just short of our goal of eight men. Despite falling short, we are thrilled with the values these men possess and are eager to see their contributions to the chapter moving forward.
What areas have been some major chapter accomplishments/improvements due to what you learned at College of Chapters?
I think general morale has increased. Our chapter has had major apathy issues in the past, and I feel they have improved with obvious strides still to be made in the future. Our committee system has been revitalized using some of the suggested practices presented at College of Chapters. We have also made efforts to improve our campus presence and build up our chapter image in a positive light for the greater Greek community.
What has been the biggest positive change so far in your chapter based on what you took away from College of Chapters?
I think chapter operations have seen real improvement since College of Chapters. As I mentioned with the committee system, we restructured involvement so brothers are now a part of two active committees instead of three. This has allowed brothers to get more involved in other areas on campus and has given us more freedom as individuals to contribute to the organization as well as to the greater campus community.