Parents:

The years your son is in college is a time of tremendous possibilities for his own personal growth and well-being. Young men develop best in a congenial and stimulating environment, and a fraternity chapter, with its group of men banded together for common goals, can supply such an atmosphere. 

The primary justification for the existence of a college fraternity is its value to the positive social growth and development of the young men who are its members. While scholarship, leadership and service to the community are our duty, it is the personal effect of theses activities on your sons that is most empowering and long lived. 

The furtherance of personal growth:

In your sons desire to join a national fraternity he is guaranteed to develop many lifelong traits and skills that will benefit him for the rest of his life. Listed below are a few of these traits, but the life long experiences and memories that can be gained are limitless.

1) Developing Interpersonal Skills

If your sons does not already possess the knack, he will quickly learn how to get along with people. He will learn how to adjust his behavior in the give and take of chapter life, at times, he will be forced to set aside his own personal desires for the betterment of the group, and on other occasions he will be placed in a leadership position in order to carry out chapter duties and projects.

The atmosphere of mutual helpfulness that exists in fraternity chapters assists in the development of character and personality. A man with developed interpersonal skills is an asset to any organization, regardless of what career or life paths he may choose,

2) Furnishing a College Home and Induces Cooperative Living

Fraternities provide a valuable service to both undergraduates and colleges on most campuses by furnishing living quarters for students. In fraternity housing, the traditions and character of Phi Psi will take the place of parental restrictions. If housed, the property is generally owned by a local corporation, comprised of Phi Psi alumni. A mutual partnership between chapter and corporation will prepare your son for the demands of maintaining his own residence after college.

More than that, Chapter life is an experience in cooperative living. Fraternity members learn to respect the opinions of others, to share with them, and to assume part of the group's obligations. Phi Psi will help your son develop poise, initiative, tact, and judgment. In addition, the Fraternity experience hopes to teach him discipline, obedience, respect, good manners, social duties, and responsibilities. 

3) Encouragement of Scholarship and Broadening of Outside Interests

Phi Psi chapters recognize that the primary goal in your sons attendance at the University is to strive and obtain a high degree of scholastic achievement. Phi Psi chapters around the country help students obtain their scholarly goals through and enforcement of concise and strict study rules and an encouragement of a serious attitude toward studies. Realizing that no device can force your son to study, chapters seek to stimulate, inspire, and support strong academic performance. 

Phi Psi chapters encourage participation of its members in worthwhile extra-curricular activities, simply because of the inherent value and enjoyment that can be garnered from them. Personal growth and skills can be advanced by joining athletic, political, journalistic, or cultural organizations on campus and, often, career or life-long hobbies flow out of such involvement. In athletics, fraternity teams form the mainstay of the Universities intramural sport programs. 

4) Increasing Social Poise and Providing Leadership and Business Training

By the time your son leaves college it will be expected that he possess a certain amount of social poise. In business or graduate school, he will be judged by his level of social sophistication. A fraternity chapter offers an excellent opportunity for constructively developing his social skills. A Phi Psi chapter insists on gentlemanly behavior as a matter of chapter pride and campus reputation. 

5) Offers advice and counsel 

Throughout their college careers, your son will be faced with scholastic challenges, the need to carefully plan their time, and dramatic personal and emotional experiences. Phi Psi will provide advice, counsel, and support, filling the void caused by the distance between your son and his family. Older Phi Psi brothers are often available and eager to help your son as they encounter the challenges and traumas of college life. 

A Letter for Parents 

Dear Parents of Prospective Rushes, 

To begin with, academics. The Phi Kappa Psi fraternity prides itself on maintaining the respectable academic standing of all our active brothers. It is these same brothers that are our greatest asset in doing so. Last semester our chapter maintained an overall GPA of 3.39 and a new member GPA of 3.49. We have brothers across all majors and disciplines, from engineering to political science, and every member of Phi Kappa Psi is more than willing to offer advice and help to any new or continuing member. During the first year having a group of people to study with or receive help from can be crucial in receiving those good grades that everyone desires. Phi Kappa Psi excels inside the classroom, but that is far from the only thing we do. 

Our next major goal is philanthropic in nature. Phi Kappa Psi has long been one of the strongest contributors on the University of Minnesota campus. Over the years we have been the top donors in events like Relay for Life as well as holding our own events like the Phi Psi Pumpkin Carve and others. Phi Kappa Psi is proud to volunteer for charitable organizations such as Feed My Starving Children, Catholic Charities, and the Boys and Girls Club of the Twin Cities. Our organization offers opportunities for new members to get involved with a positive cause early on, eventually having those members take those same leadership positions later on in their college experience.

Outside philanthropy Phi Kappa Psi members still find themselves involved all over the University of Minnesota campus. Over the years members of Phi Kappa Psi have held various positions in the Interfraternity Council, Greek Ambassadors, Welcome Week Leaders, American Marketing Association and other organizations. Phi Psi offers new members a chance to talk to older brothers about getting involved as well and finding what they are truly passionate about.

Our members do contribute much to the University of Minnesota, but they have also created a network of people throughout the Twin Cities as well. Half of any battle is in knowing the right people. Internships that were held by older members and alumni are consistently handed down through our organization. These include positions working for the Oakland Raiders, Wells Fargo, state legislators, Excel Energy, Polaris, and many other great opportunities. This means that new members can get access to opportunities very early on in their college experience which can be crucial when finding that job after graduation. We also have an active alumni network that offers services in resume counseling and just general advice on how to be successful in the real world, covering things like interview skills and etiquette.

While the above things are all very important to a college experience, we can not forget that college is supposed to be the best four years of your child’s life. Having fun is as important to any college experience as academics is. It is a time for young men to get out on their own and experience life. Phi Kappa Psi offers a setting in which these new members can make friendships that will last them forever. Pledge classes are often the tightest group a new student could ever hope to find and can go a long way to making a new member’s freshman/sophomore year the best they could have hoped for. Phi Psi also offers a variety of mixers, parties, and other social events that will allow a new member to meet people and create a substantive network of friends.

Phi Kappa Psi is truly the best fraternity on campus and we believe this because of our morals, our involvement, and our brotherhood. Please contact our President Sam Smet at smet0050@umn.edu with any questions you may have about our organization.

Sincerely, 

The Men of Phi Kappa Psi Minnesota Beta Chapter