New fraternity to recruit ‘founding fathers’; will use six weeks to train, organize group

The Phi Gamma Delta fraternity, also known as Fiji, will colonize on the UCA campus this semester.
“We’re doing a colonization, meaning we’re coming to campus for the first time,” Phi Gamma Delta Director of Expansion Wes Martin said. “Myself and other staff will be on campus the first full week of February.”
For six weeks the Fiji staff will recruit and train “founding fathers” of the fraternity, Martin said.
“We’ll be going and speaking to student organizations on campus and working with those organizations,” Martin said. “We’ll find founding fathers based off of recommendations or referrals. We’re looking for men who fit the Fiji values … men who are academically focused, were leaders in high school or are leaders on campus already, men who want to work together as a team and gentlemen who are well behaved or well rounded.”
Martin and the Fiji staff will be on campus every day in the Student Center.
“We’ll be on the second floor in the conference rooms or people can go to the Greek life office and ask for us. We’ll also be doing some tabling in the student center,” Martin said.
Weeks three, four and five of its visit, the Fiji staff will hold recruitment events.
“They’re for more understanding about the organization and for the men thinking about joining to get to know each other and see that they can do something really neat here on campus,” Martin said.
From that point there will be a selection process.
“We will meet with any man interested at least three times so they get all the information they need and we get all the information we need. Both parties have to make a mutual selection so they can make sure it’s the best decision for both parties,” Martin said.
The membership selection will take place the fifth week the staff is on campus.
“We’ll have an on-campus reception where we’ll invite everyone we met with while on campus along with the entire Greek community and introduce our founding fathers,” Martin said.
At the reception Fiji will give away a $1000 White Star scholarship to one of the men who joins.
All men who join and make a 3.0 or higher this spring semester will automatically receive a $250 scholarship from Fiji, Martin said.
“This is a unique opportunity,” Martin said. “Less than two percent of members Fiji members nationwide are founding fathers. Men who join can really make it and mold it info what they want it to be, not what it was 20 or 30 years ago. It’s kind of like entrepreneurship, building something from the ground up.”
Fiji contacted the Greek Life office last May about expanding to the UCA campus, Director of Fraternity Life Scott Isenga said.
“We don’t actually go searching for organizations,” Isenga said. “If an organization feels like they would benefit on this campus and would survive well and thrive here, typically what happens in the fraternity world is they send us a packet with information.”
Other groups contacted Isenga over the summer with interest in expanding to UCA.
“In October the Interfraternity Council approved a five-year expansion plan. Hopefully every two years we’ll add an organization. Fiji was the first group to ask and showed the most interest,” Isenga said.
After IFC approved the expansion, Dean of Students Gary Roberts, and Vice President for Student Services Ronnie Williams had to approve the expansion along with other student life staff members, Isenga said.
“I really think it’s going to offer something a bit different from what we have. There are guys in the UCA community that haven’t really found a niche on campus, especially in Greek life,” Isenga said. “It’s been years since we’ve had another group on campus. It adds a little bit more and gives guys a different option. It gives them something to start. Guys who start it can be looked up to as founding fathers … a lot of guys want to get involved but haven’t found what they want exactly in Greek organizations so this will give them something else.”
Isenga said adding Fiji to the Greek community would increase positive competition among fraternities.
“Fiji is a strong national organization that strives for excellence in the classroom and leadership … it will increase competition positively among fraternities. The ultimate goal is to create a better fraternity community than what we have. I think it’s a good step in the right direction,” Isenga said.
Martin said UCA is where Fiji wants to grow.
“We want to be a contributing member to the community,” Martin said. “UCA is a great place and a growing university. It’s a place to have a strong group with good men to recruit. I’m excited about the opportunity to meet a lot of men and start off with a strong group.”