During the last Southwest District Summit we were given the 7 Stages of Brotherhood and the importance of each. A document by Brother Alejandro Builes and co-edited by Brother Omar Padilla. A definition for each stage was given and explained as in important part of a continuum. These are important steps that need to be taken for brothers’ personal growth and development.
The seven stages of Sigma Lambda Beta evolution are:
- Interest: Students who have or could be identified as potential members of the organization.
- Associate Member: New members of the organization currently partaking of the Educational Process.
- Neophyte: The first semester to a year after a member has completed the Associate Member Process. These brothers should not be holding board positions, if possible.
- Prophyte: The time period between the second semester of being a brother, and the last year before graduation. These are the brothers who should be running the operations and hold most of the board positions.
- Upperclassmen: Brothers in their last year as undergraduates. These brothers should hold limited board positions within the chapter, in order to focus on graduation and professional goals. However they should serve as the chapter’s spokesmen in situations where we would have to present or communicate w/ faculty, community or other organizations.
- Recent Alumni: Brother who has graduate in the past 1-3 years. Usually responsible for managing the operations of the regional Alumni Associations. Focused on furthering their career development and professional networks.
- Mature Alumni: Brothers who have progressed in their professional or post-graduate careers. Typically would act within an advisory role within the fraternity as well as serving as mentors for Recent Alumni.
I’m sure to many brothers this document is news. This documents hasn’t been used nearly as much as we should. It is a task on itself that we have created a road map for our brothers to follow in their quest to be brother for life, until Omega. After all it shows we have planned ahead and with planning comes success. It is monumental and innovative; however it is useless when not taken advantage of. Like giving a map to a blind man it can’t be a tool unless given to someone who can benefit from it.
For most of us we started this set of steps unaware that we were taking part in them. For a reason or another, we were lucky enough to run into a Beta man at a social, workshop, or community service. We began being an interest many times without knowing this was our title. I know this was my case I began as a friend, and then became part of a support group. I realized I wanted more, and found this through the brotherhood.
Once you become an associate member is a time for self-discovery and development. Growth beyond what we ever thought becoming part of a fraternity would ever be. There is a reason it’s called an educational process and nothing else. All of us are bonded by this stage of our brotherhood, regardless of what state, region or district we come from we understand the hard work it takes to be a Beta man and the life long commitment it is to obtain it.
Being a Neopythe was marked by many memories and fun times; however, things seem to become blurry from here on out. I was a Neo and chapter president the same. The Neo juice had me going so I was willing and ready to let the real work begin. This should however, looked a lot different, it should have looked as a time to shadow and learn to the next level the work and dedication it took to run a chapter, it should of looked as time for learning. However for many of us it is not, but instead trial and error is implemented as we take on position that we maybe not ready for.
Being a prophyte has the advantages of having the experience and knowledge of no longer being a Neo. The time for trying is gone and we are now running our respective chapters and have become finely tuned parts. No longer a matter of time since by now brothers are fully leading and no longer following.
Upperclassman is where I find myself today, like many other brothers I’m wondering and until certain point, I’m anxious of what is to come. Personally I find myself getting ready for graduation, my professional life, yet creating agendas to preside over chapter meetings, making sure events go as planned, filling in paperwork and taking on an active role as chapter president. A few weeks from now this will no longer be the case. It’s hard to adapt to change and the epitome of change, is going from undergraduate to alumni. Especially when we have enjoyed so much of our undergraduate years as Beta men. It is a change that is needed and part of our development; however many of us have not been told how to continue to be Beta men after graduation. Even though we have a document that gives us at least an idea on what to do next many of us have never laid eyes on it.
There isn’t much I can say about being and alumni since I have never walk in those shoes before. At the same time, I’m looking forward to what is to come. Even though I have enjoyed my years as an undergraduate, I understand it’s time to move on, becoming a Beta men to the next level. It makes me wonder if it will be different now that I have been giving a road map, of what is to come, or if it will be just another trial an error experience for me. Only time will tell.
As of documents like the Seven Stages of Brotherhood, need to be used more so we can truly grow as intended. First of all it is the hard work of brothers, but secondly they are great tools that need to be taken advantage of. Tools that will make our lives as Beta man a little bit easier and a lot more rewarding, giving us the opportunity to better enjoy the brotherhood and all it entitles.
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