It seems that SigmaChi.com has created a Facebook Application that allows you to update your SigmaChi.com profile information from Facebook. There was a hint of this when we did our podcast with Jim D’Amico (former Project Manager of SigmaChi.com) discussing the just launched SigmaChi.com and I am very glad to see the fraternity reaching out into social media.

The best part about this idea is that it makes it so easy to update your SigmaChi.com profile.

• Install the app and sign in using your SigmaChi.com login information.
• After that all you have to do is click on “update your members profile info”.
• Then update your info and it will save it to your SigmaChi.com profile.

Anytime you want to update your SigmaChi.com information, you can just go to the Facebook App and do it from there. I went ahead and did some testing and it works just fine. Here is a short video showing you how to install the app.



I am just guessing here, but I would think that probably 80% of all Sigs are on Facebook and this means that the fraternity just made it that much easier for 80% of the fraternity to update their information (which is always a good thing). Plus Sigma Chi controls this data that is getting updated, not Facebook. This is important for the fraternity, because this helps them stay up to date with us.

If you are reading this and haven’t downloaded the new SigmaChi.com Facebook Application, then go do it right now. I hope HQ continues down this road and starts branching out into other forms of social media. *cough*  Twitter  *cough*

You can hear more about what Sigma Chi could do when it comes to social media by checking a podcast we recorded with Brad Wellman discussing Sigma Chi & Social Media.

Feel free to share this post with others by using this short url: http://bit.ly/1C8LsZ

In Hoc,
Jacob Cook
contact@sharesigmachi.com

There are a number of “projects” that I feel could be very beneficial and interesting for Sigma Chi. One of those is what I refer to as the “Maps Project“. The Maps Project was something I originally created because I wanted to get some experience with the Google Maps API as well as create something that could be useful for Sigs. Lots of undergrads enjoy taking road trips to other Sigma Chi chapters, conferences, events or as a chapter activity. After doing a lot of research around the internet I couldn’t find a site that could map out numerous important/historic Sigma Chi locations, so I decided to try and build one.

Nov 2007 I uploaded a very simple webpage that could map out a handful of locations. Here is the blog post I wrote once the “Maps Project” was uploaded. The plan was to hurry and get a working prototype out and then add features later on. It wasn’t long until I had moved on to other features and quit building onto the Maps Project.

Sometime around 6 months to a year later I stumbled upon this Google Maps collaboration that Eric Jon Bolt (former Online Specialist at HQ) had created in May 2008. I was really impressed by the sure volume of information this map contains.
[update 11.08.2009] After contacting Eric he has been gracious enough to pass along his data. Hopefully we’ll be able to create something even more useful. Thanks Eric.

Then around June of this year a Sigma Chi who was initiated at the same school as me (Adrian Burks) created a site with similar functionality (http://findsigmachi.com/beta_map.php). I don’t think he has done much work since he originally created it, but I think the idea is great.

I really think it would be nice to have a website solely dedicated to mapping out Sigma Chi (chapters, monuments, grave sites, etc…). It would give options and allow a lot of customization. Taking the data from the Google Maps mash up and move it to findsigmachi.com would allow us to get creative with it could be extremely beneficial for all Sigs.
- You want to be able to map out alumni based on their zip code? -
Alright, then lets build it into the website. We wouldn’t be limited to what Google allows us to do and having the url “FindSigmaChi.com” would make it easier to find and remember.

I’ve been in contact with a few people to see if we can get this done and I’ve gotten some really good responses. If you’re interested in helping out with the “Maps Project” or if you have some ideas that you think would be helpful, then please feel free to leave a comment on this post or use the contact info below.

Feel free to use this short url & share this blog post with others: http://bit.ly/3L39up

In Hoc,
Jacob Cook
contact@sharesigmachi.com

This month is definitely the busiest month of the year for me when it comes to Sigma Chi activities. Homecoming, banquets, golf tournaments and football (maybe my favorite reason) keep me busy throughout the month and I love it. It would be nice if other months had this much Sigma Chi stuff going on.

This year October is even more hectic than usual because me and some fellow Sig alumni scheduled a trip to Kansas to visit a fellow Sig alumnus and watch the Cowboys/Chiefs game in Kansas City. We had a great time and it was really nice getting to see a fraternity brother that I hadn’t seen in over a year. Even though all of us hadn’t hung out together in years, it only took a few minutes to feel like we were in college again. We got all the same old questions out of the way like “how are things going? what’s new?” and then we went back to treating each other like we did in college. Now don’t get me wrong, our conversations are a lot different then they were in college. We mostly talked about our wives and work. Only one guy in the group has a kid (with the rest of us soon to follow), so you can imagine the numerous questions we had for him throughout the weekend. But for the most part it felt like we were back in college hanging out and the only thing that had changed were our conversations. It’s situations like these that remind me how close of a friendship we had in the fraternity house and how lucky I was to become a Sigma Chi.

This weekend my chapter at Arkansas State (Theta Chi) is having the Scott Hale Memorial Golf Tournament and Banquet in memory of one of my chapter’s members. I’m signed up for the golf tournament and my wife and I will be attending the banquet Saturday night. There will be a lot of Sigs at these events that I haven’t seen in awhile. There will probably be a lot of the “how are things going? what’s new?” and then everyone will settle down and it will feel like we never graduated. If you’re interested in donating then please check out their website.
[update] 10.22.2009
The Golf Tournament and Banquet was a huge success and surpassed many expectations. It also accomplished it’s goal of endowing it’s scholarship. Great job to everyone who participated.

Next weekend is Homecoming at Arkansas State and of course our chapter will be tailgating before the big game. Like most chapters Homecoming may be the one chance out of the year to see a lot of old fraternity brothers. It’s always nice to hang out and tailgate before the game with guys you haven’t seen in forever. This year’s tailgate will be slightly different than in previous years, because our undergraduates will have their tailgate right next to the alumni. At Arkansas State they divide up the “student tailgates” & “alumni tailgate” by having them on different sides of the stadium. Well this year our undergrads are moving their tailgate right next to the us on the alumni side of the stadium. This should be a nice change since it will allow everyone to hang out together and allow alumni to meet the guys that are running the chapter now. Should be a fun ending to a very eventful October.
[update] 10.26.2009
Our Undergrad/Alumni Tailgate went pretty well. It was definitely a lot nicer and easier for everyone to have our undergrad and alumni tailgates close to one another. I was never a fan of having to walk from side of the stadium to the other, just so I could say hi to everybody. I hope the undergrads enjoyed tailgating with the alumni and maybe we can keep this going from here on out.

October is definitely my busiest “Sigma Chi” month of the year. I know Homecoming plays  a big role, but I’ve always wondered if this is the same for other chapters. What is your busiest “Sigma Chi” month of the year?

Feel free to share this blog post with others. Here is a short url to make it easy to share: http://bit.ly/2siK2t

In Hoc,
Jacob Cook
contact@sharesigmachi.com

Before I get this post started I want to thank everybody that has sent me their recruitment information and stories. As you have seen I posted a couple of these to the blog for everyone to read. Those “guest” posts did a great job of letting everyone know what recruitment week was like for them. Also they gave everyone a different look at what they could do during their own rush week. What I really enjoyed was seeing in the comments and on Twitter was that Sigs were sharing their ideas and experiences. That is the one of the main reasons I created ShareSigmaChi.

I choose “Hard At Work” as the title for this post cause lately I’ve been working hard at a couple of things.

• working hard at my real job
• working hard at spending time with my family
• working really hard at watching football
• working really hard on a new Sigma Chi website

That’s right a new Sigma Chi website. This new site will kinda serve as a “sister” site to ShareSigmaChi.com. It’s something I have been wanting to do for over a year now and I decided late this summer that I would get started on it. I don’t want to give out much information right now, but I will say that if you have followed ShareSigmaChi for awhile now then you have probably seen tidbits of this new site. Ever since I started ShareSigmaChi I have noticed some trends from you guys and I think this site will be very beneficial to a lot of Sigs. I’m pretty excited and really wish I could say more.

Hopefully in the very near future the new site will be ready for testing and I’ll need some help with that. So if you’re interested in being a “BETA” tester then please let me know. You can leave a comment on this post, email me, or send a message on facebook or twitter.

Feel free to share this post with your friends. Here is a short url that will make that easier: http://bit.ly/2CkdQ9
Thanks everyone for your support.

IHSV,
Jacob Cook
contact@sharesigmachi.com

If you’re interested in hockey and want to join a fantasy hockey league for Sigs only, then you’re in luck. All Sigs are welcome so feel free to share the league info with others. I would suggest signing up as soon as you can because these leagues seems to fill up pretty quick. Good luck and In Hoc to everyone in the league.

League Info:
League Url: http://hockey.fantasysports.yahoo.com/league/sigmachihockey
Signup Url: http://hockey.fantasysports.yahoo.com/hockey/register/joinprivateleague_league_select?.scrumb=
League Id: 189757
League Password: inhoc

Why not share this blog post with other Sigs, here is a short url that will make it a lot easier for you: http://bit.ly/39mbH

Follow ShareSigmaChi and check us out on Twitter & Facebook

Sigma Chi podcast by ShareSigmaChi.com – Sigma Chi Podcast with Brad Wellman

In this episode we will be discussing what Sigma Chi does when it comes to social media and some things that they could be doing.

Host: Jacob Cook Running Time: 1:04:03

Show Links:
http://wellmania.wordpress.com
http://www.twitter.com/bradwellman
http://www.facebook.com/bradwellman

Its easy to stay up to date with the podcast and many ways to subscribe.

Subscribe to the Podcast or use iTunes

This is a guest post by Isaac Chavez from Kappa Xi Chapter at Tarleton State University and is the 2nd guest post we’ve posted about recruitment week. Thank you Isaac for sharing your recruitment experience.

I’m sure every Sigma Chi brother has their own amazing recruitment story.  After all, it’s because we saw something special during rush that we all decided to pledge Sigma Chi over all the other organizations on campus.  Where does a high school senior start? There are the big guys: UT, Texas A&M, Texas Tech… but not to be forgotten were University of North Texas in Denton, St. Mary’s University in San Antonio, and St. Edwards in Austin.  I got some information from a little heard of university – Tarleton State – at a recruitment fair.  They seemed on the up and up, but my academic adviser in high school actually warned me against TSU because of the small minority population and “small minded Texans”.

Being a progressive city boy who hates to be told that I can’t overcome adversity, I decided to check out the campus for myself.  I’m not sure if it was the small town environment, the nice scholarship offer, or the amazing hospitality that first drew me in, but after a campus visit, there was no other choice for me.  Tarleton State University it is.

Tarleton was far enough from home to spread my wings, but close enough for parental approval.  My adviser was right: but there were only a handful of minorities at TSU.  Guys from the dorm were all talking about Rush, but I had no clue or concept of what they were talking about.  They talked me into it and we went as a group, I guess there is power in numbers.  After checking out Lambda Chi, Kappa Delta Rho, Delta Chi, we came to the Sigma Chi Omega room.  They were smart, didn’t focus on girls, drinking, or partying.  They explained they had the highest GPA among the fraternities.  I felt like there was more substance to their presentation.  It drew me in and it seemed I fit in well with the Sigma Chi Omegas.  They seemed to have more substance than the other groups at Rush.  So, after much contemplation, I rushed and got a Bid from Sigma Chi Omega.

As it turns out they were a petitioning local chapter to Sigma Chi. As a freshman who had just pledged, the terms “petitioning local” meant nothing to me, but I was told things were about to get much better than they are now.  So, after my pledge period and Sigma Chi Omega initiation, I turned into paperwork master.  There’s so much work involved in becoming a Sigma Chi chapter, and we all worked hard to make it happen.  We actually obtained our charter faster than it had ever been done before (at the time) and became the Kappa Xi chapter of Sigma Chi on 9/26/06.  I’m a charter member of the chapter.  My parents came to the banquet put on by the Fraternity/University and instantly became fans.  Thankfully, they paid my Sigma Chi dues thanks to a personal conversation they had with Dick Hester, Grand Consul at the time.

The friends I made will last a lifetime.  They extend all over the USA.  Sigma Chi taught me confidence, taught me composure, and after serving on IFC board, it taught me great negotiation skills.  All of the above helped my professional life and have groomed me into what I am today.  To any gentlemen asking themselves “Should I rush”, the simple answer is Yes! Is Sigma Chi for everyone? No. But we’re smart enough to realize each individual is comprised of different temperaments, talents, and convictions, and if they align with our vision, we welcome you with open arms.

IHSV,
Isaac Chavez
Tarleton State University ‘00
Kappa Xi Chapter – #32
——————————————————-

Isaac once again thanks for sharing your story and helping begin a  new chapter at Tarleton State University.

If you’re interested in writing a guest post  about your Sigma Chi experiences then please contact me at:
contact [at] sharesigmachi [dot] com

IHSV,
Jacob Cook

This is a guest post by Martin Erbele from Theta Epsilon at North Georgia College and State University. Martin has been gracious enough to share his experiences when he was “rushed” by Sigma Chi.

My recruitment week experience was one that actually started many months before – Our school has deferred recruitment and I was not yet convinced Greek Life was something I was interested in once the Spring came around.  I watched a lot of my friends go off and join different Fraternities and though they seemed to have fun with their pledge brothers, it didn’t seem as meaningful I as I hoped, and I was pleased I chose not to participate.

But about halfway through the Spring semester, I started to grow closer towards a few new friends in a couple of my classes.  I just knew them on a first name basis at first, but my impressions of these guys were reflected on the fact they behaved well, held the door open for women, even dressed nicely.  Most importantly though, was how genuine they seemed and how incredible close they became throughout the semester.

And though I became closer friends with them all, as well as more guys they introduced me to, it was evident they were forming a bond much closer than friendship.

I saw they all wore a small little blue and white pin over their heart and shortly after I met them I asked what ‘Frat’ they had joined.  They told me they were hoping to become Brothers in the Sigma Chi Fraternity – they kindly told me they don’t shorten it to ‘frat’.

And even though I still wasn’t convinced that I would join any Fraternity, Sigma Chi was clearly a different group than the ones I had first hung out with at the beginning of the year.  So with mild, but growing interest, I came to several Intramural games and even a community service event one early Saturday morning.  Furthermore, Several Brothers and the Pledges I had first met told me I had a place to sleep in their apartment just seconds away from campus and I was invited to a few camping trips and school athletic events with the guys too.

All this kindness and inclusion for someone who had repeatedly said, ‘No thanks, I’m not interested’.

Then shortly before the end of the Spring semester, after a week of silence and a weekend where I heard nothing from the guys, my friends came back to class not wearing their pledge pin.  The 5 of them were Brothers.  And if I thought they were tightly-knit before, I was amazed at how they grew closer still.  They were true Sigma Chi Brothers, visibly living the values they had briefly told me about in the Jordan Standard and the Sigma Chi Creed.

It only took a few days before I realized that I had seriously misjudged this group of men.  Sigma Chi was not your stereotypical ‘Frat’ – they were men of value and honor.

I spent the entire summer going to baseball games and grilling out.  I was fortunate to meet nearly all the Brothers who I found were all very different and diverse, but all treated each other and me so well.  I took the Brothers up on the offer to stay at their apartments more and more often.  It was one of the seemingly shortest summers I can remember just because I was enjoying myself so much.  I was so caught up I realized, I had never officially said anything other than the ‘No thanks, I don’t to join’ I had vowed during the Spring.

So in the Fall, again our school follows deferred rush, I told the Recruitment Chairman that I changed my mind, and if I was lucky enough to receive an open bid, I would gladly accept it.

A few days later on a very informal bid acceptance day, I got a call from the Greek Life Office.  Inside an envelope with my name on it were a few bids.  Ms. Ledford, the Greek Life Coordinator said I could take a few hours to decide which one to take.  I actually cut her sentence off a bit in excitement, but told her I didn’t need to think about it.  I’m rushing Sigma Chi.

I feel really fortunate.  Sigma Chi has made my college experience.

Martin Erbele
North Georgia College and State University
Theta Epsilon Chapter, Fall ‘07, #572
——————————————————-

First off, I want to thank Martin for sharing his story and I also want to thank the brothers who continuously rushed Martin even when he said he wasn’t interested. Because they practiced Mission365 they were able to initiate a brother who has already accomplished some great things for Sigma Chi. In Hoc fellas.

Since becoming a member of Sigma Chi Martin has

• Attended Balfour,
• Attended Horizons twice
• Met the grand executive board several times
• Held an executive office

If you’re interested in writing a guest post  about your Sigma Chi experiences then please contact me at:
contact [at] sharesigmachi [dot] com

IHSV,
Jacob Cook

In case you haven’t been following us on Twitter we just finished a promotion with the company Greek Challenge Coins. The promotion gave Sigs an opportunity to win a Sigma Chi Challenge Coin for free. Every time you added #GreekCoins to a tweet you were entered to win.  A few hundred tweets later there were 12 coins given away. For more details about the giveaway you can read our earlier blog post.

I must say I was very impressed with how well the promotion went. Everyone that entered the contest was excited and very appreciative for the opportunity to win. I have even heard from some of you that you plan on buying some coins, which is great. It would really be nice to see Greek Challenge Coins get some new Sigma Chi business because of this promotion and if you get a chance make sure and let them know how much you appreciate their generosity. I was one the lucky ones who won a coin and I was very impressed with it’s quality. I can guarantee you that it would make a great BigBro/LilBro gift.

So what’s next? Well I am asking you guys whats next. I have already had some interest from another company who is wanting to do a twitter promotion. This company sells various fraternity items so you would probably have different prizes given away each time. They are currently debating if they will do a promotion. If you want us to do another promotion where you could win free stuff, then let us know in the comments. Also tell us what products you want to see given away, because they have been asking “what products would they want”.

During the challenge coin contest I was lucky enough to win more then 1 coin. I kept the 1st coin, gave the 2nd coin to my little bro and trying to decide how to give away my 3rd coin. I have been wanting to do something for the ShareSigmaChi Fans on Facebook. So it is very possible that I could do some sort of Facebook promotion.

So leave a comment here on this post and let us know what you guys want or you can send us an email: contact [at] sharesigmachi [dot] com

Thanks again for all your support.

In Hoc,
Jacob Cook

The 2nd most important week for any Sigma Chi Chapter is quickly approaching and may have already started for some chapters. The week that follows months of hard work and preparation can become a huge boost or major let down to your chapter morale…. Recruitment Week. I say it is the 2nd most important because it is hard to argue against Initiation Week.

The events, schedule and actions during recruitment week are different for every chapter. Some may only have 3 days of campus sanctioned recruitment, your chapter may only be allowed to “rush” potential members during certain hours of the day and night, and some chapters may have a full week “free for all”. No matter how your recruitment week is setup it is crucial for every chapter to be as productive as possible.  This doesn’t mean that you have to give out the most bids or get the most pledges either.

Quality Over Quantity
I’m a firm believer in quality over quantity mostly because I’ve seen what happens when your main priority is the # of pledges you get. Sure its great at first going around campus telling everyone how Sigma Chi got the most pledges because most people on campus use that to measure how well you did during rush. The problem with worrying about your numbers and getting all these guys, is that you have “all” these guys. If you don’t do your due diligence and make sure you are getting quality guys, then you end up with a fraternity that has a lot of guys who don’t make your chapter better. This only makes things harder for your quality members to make your chapter successful.

The Standard

Every Sigma Chi knows what I mean when I say “The Standard”. The following are the minimum requirements to pledge Sigma Chi as stated in the Jordan Standard.

• A Man of Good Character…….
• A Student of Fair Ability…….
• With Ambitious Purposes…….
• A Congenial Disposition…….
• Possessed of Good Morals…….
• Having a High Sense of Honor and
• A Deep Sense of Personal Responsibility.

So make sure during recruitment week that you use “The Standard” while getting to know potential members. That’s what it’s there for.

Sharing Ideas
I wrote this post hoping it could serve as a central hub for Sigs to share their recruitment ideas, thoughts, events and questions. I encourage all Sigs to post comments with ideas for rush events or ask any questions you have about rush week.

I also ask you to spread this throughout other social media networks such as Facebook, Twitter etc…

Facebook: “I’m sharing Sigma Chi rush ideas on ShareSigmaChi’s blog http://wp.me/p66w1-4G“

Twitter: Please RT and share your Sigma Chi rush ideas on the #ShareSigmaChi blog http://wp.me/p66w1-4G

Remember that recruitment week can take your chapter to a new high or if not given the proper attention can bring a chapter down. So I encourage all Sigs to participate in their recruitment week, do the best that you can and let’s add some more quality guys to the 200,000+ that we already have.

IHSV
Jacob Cook