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Among those urgent problems which confront a fraternity, undoubtedly the most urgent is that of retaining the interest of its members when once they have left college and the active chapter. The majority of alumni appear to feel that the Fraternity has quite fulfilled its purpose by ministering to their needs while they are in college; after they graduate their attitude towards it is much the same as that of the butterfly towards the cocoon it has left. Of what use can it be to them outside the university world? How, even if they should wish, can they keep in touch with the other members of their organization? And, we too may well ask, what has been done to bind the alumni closer together? Making The Fraternity Real for the Alumni The Emerald Recovered

In this series, The Emerald committee finds past articles from the archives that are still relevant in today’s fraternal world.

The following article was printed in The Emerald, Volume VIII, Number 3 in October 1921, and was written by Hugh MacKenzie (Cornell 1917). All of us can perceive the advantages to be gained by arousing the interest of the great body of our alumni in Sigma Pi, and in making them feel as much a part of our organization as they did when they were actives. For indeed what constitutes the major portion of a fraternity, the actives or the alumni? A man is an active for but three or four years and an alumnus for perhaps 40 or 50. And yet in both of these periods he is equally a member of Sigma Pi. Fraternities seem now to emphasize the interests of the active members and leave the alumni to shift for themselves in large measure. But since a man is an alumnus for ten times the period that he is an active it would seem that the emphasis should be reversed.

It was not until a very recent date that any serious effort was made to solve this truly important problem, and strive to retain for Sigma Pi the whole-hearted allegiance of her alumni. The formation of alumni clubs was the first great step forward, and one that presages much hope for the future. But we must not stop there. It is in only a few of the larger cities, or in those sections of the country where several chapters of Sigma Pi are located near one another, that it is possible to bring together enough men to make such a club successful. And even then can the club be certain it has reached all the [Sigma Pi brothers] in the neighborhood?

The last national Convocation of Sigma Pi, in addition to authorizing the foundation of alumni clubs, enacted a second piece of legislation which appears to me to be almost as important in its meaning for alumni, while active members, too, will find it to be of vital interest. This was the provision that a directory should be compiled, containing the names and addresses of all members of the fraternity, both active and alumni. All the delegates agreed that such a directory, printed in handy form, was a real necessity, and the chapters pledged themselves to dispose of enough copies to make sure that the Grand Chapter would not suffer a financial loss if it assumed the responsibility of publication. The book was to come out in the near future. We recognize the fact that the members of the Grand Chapter are busy men and have but little time to spare. Still this matter of the directory is of such importance that we hope it will be published as soon as possible. Certainly it should be considered as important as The Songs of Sigma Pi, valuable as that book undoubtedly is. When it is remembered that a man may live in some city quite in ignorance of the fact that other [Sigma Pi brothers] are residing nearby, it is evident that the need of a directory is vital. Frequently a man drops into town a stranger. If he knew where to find members of his own fraternity he would certainly be gladly welcomed by them, and his stay made more enjoyable. This is creating a real bond of union between alumni, and indeed between all members of Sigma Pi. Since our numbers are still few, and we are scattered through the length and breadth of the United States, the need of such a directory is seen to be absolutely imperative. It has been mentioned only because it is one of the foundation stones required if we wish to make the fraternity real for our alumni.

While it would be folly to imagine that such an organization of alumni and actives could hope to rival great fraternal orders like the Masons and the Elks, it might yet be possible for it to fulfill many of their functions. Would not a fraternity employment agency be feasible and advantageous both for the men to be placed and for those placing them? We pride ourselves upon taking only a high type of man into our Fraternity, and we should welcome the opportunity to have this man work beside us in the business world as well.

Why do not those members of Sigma Pi who are able to do so advertise in The Emerald? A magazine is in large measure made by its advertising, and such a step would be of profit to both magazine and advertisers. It might also serve to promote a livelier interest in one another's affairs among the members of Sigma Pi. Such advertising was actually done in the 1920 edition of The Muse, the publication of Mu Chapter. Why not make the experiment in The Emerald and see how it works?

But to hold the alumni together and make of Sigma Pi a real fraternal order there is one prime requisite, without which alumni clubs, directories, and other agencies will help but little. The men of Sigma Pi must make real in fact as in theory the bond of brotherhood which holds them together. Members of the same chapter seldom have scruples about visiting one another, asking favors, or rendering services. All Sigma Pi members, whether they have met before or not, should show as little hesitation. Then we shall have a real alumni association, and there will be no reason, when speaking of a Sigma Pi, to say that a man forgets his fraternity as soon as he leaves college. Would not this project of persuading the alumni that they belong to a live organization in which they may be actives again settle many of the problems of the fraternity? Certainly there would be increased interest in The Emerald, and an enlarged circulation for our magazine. Alumni would also, we may be sure, do much more for the cause of a permanent endowment fund for the Fraternity. And so when we send out our traveling secretaries to look after the affairs of the active chapters, let us also give thought to our alumni, who should form the backbone of the fraternity. An effective organization can not be built up in a day, but we may made steady progress towards an ideal. The speedy publication of a fraternity directory would surely be a step in the right direction quite as much as was the formation of alumni clubs. Other measures are bound to follow. A number of prominent national fraternities have made themselves real for their alumni; what they have done Sigma Pi can do and even improve upon.

theemerald.org The full article is available within the digital archives, just click on the "Emerald Archive" button at

The New Executive Office From the Fraternity's Archives

In early August, the Executive Office moved from its previous headquarters in Lebanon, TN to an office space at The Oaks Office Complex near downtown Nashville, TN. The move to a more practical office space took time to transition but was essential to maximize resources. This transition has allotted more space in our fiscal planning for member resources, plus more engaging staff collaborations with all members in one office environment. Check out the gallery on theemerald.org to see the new space and all it has to offer, from the bold lobby to showcasing areas of the Fraternity's history, the new office embodies the best of Sigma Pi Fraternity. Each photo area that line the halls has significant meaning, from brotherhood and travel to conferences and service. Additionally, a wall dedicated to The Emerald will rotate with updated issues of the cover, photo finish, and archive sections.

An exciting new addition to the office is a studio area for creating video content that ranges from education and training to social media fun. Additionally, the conference area allows for collaborative work among departments to review content with the new meeting display. Finally, the new office features cabinetry showcasing items from the historical archives of Sigma Pi. Included in this are various items from the origination of Tau Phi Delta, badges from throughout the history of the Fraternity, items from the original Delta Kappa Fraternity, military and governmentrelated items, and more.