When brothers return to their campuses this fall, they will educate their new pledges under the auspices of Preparation for Brotherhood, Sigma Chi’s official pledge program. In the pilot stage since the beginning of the 2015 to 2016 school year, Preparation for Brotherhood introduces for the first time in the Fraternity’s history a Headquarters-designed approach to pledging, ensuring that every potential new brother has access to the same resources as they learn about Sigma Chi and approach their initiation. The program was officially launched at last week’s Balfour Leadership Training Workshop.
Centered around an eight-week model calendar, the program provides Magisters with structured activities and schedules that maximize a pledge’s experience and helps ensure he emerges from it with the training necessary to become a contributing brother to Sigma Chi. Chapters whose institutions mandate pledge periods shorter than eight weeks are allowed to adapt their programs accordingly.
In addition to Magister-led learning, new pledges will be introduced to Sigma Chi U, which houses the Fraternity’s online component of pledgeship. There, potential new brothers will hear directly from past Grand Consuls what they value about the Fraternity, and access online pledge tests. Headquarters officials estimate that a pledge will spend 12 hours on Sigma Chi U-centered training during his eight-week pledgeship, leaving the majority of his time to engage with his pledge brothers, Magister and the rest of the chapter.
As of July 19, there were 3,654 registered users on Sigma Chi U. The Fraternity expects 4,000 or so new brothers to be trained this fall under the Preparation for Brotherhood program’s teachings.
For more information about the Preparation for Brotherhood program, contact Jim Cogdal, BRADLEY 2003, senior director of membership development at Headquarters, at (847) 869-3655, ext. 253. Questions and comments about Sigma Chi U can be directed to Chris Brooks, COLLEGE OF IDAHO 2006, director of online learning and Sigma Chi U at Headquarters, at ext. 266.
