Palm Spring 2012 : Page 2

ato palm G O O D OF THE ORD ER SPRING 2012 VOLUME CXXXII, NUMBER 1 Editor: Wynn R. Smiley Managing Editor: Matthew S. DeWolf Magazine Design: Todd Shelton Contributors Bradley Carter Eugene Bichlmeier Publishing continuously since 1880. The ATO Palm is the official publication of the Alpha Tau Omega Fraternity. Membership: The Alpha Tau Omega Fraternity is a participating member in the North-American Interfraternity Conference, the Fraternity Executives Association and the Fraternity Communications Association. Closing night at the 79th ATO Congress in 2010 with ATO staff including the “front line” consultants. “WOW, ARE THOSE GUYS GOOD!” It’s not as though the woman who said that hadn’t witnessed fraternity leadership consultants at work before. As a staff member with a greek-focused service company, she has had plenty of interaction with fraternity staff. It wasn’t a surprise that ATO leadership consultants were presenting to 200 undergraduates…she was surprised that they were impressively presenting to 200 undergraduates. Indeed. Watching leadership consultants evolve is akin to watching time-lapse photography. Six months ago, both grasp and delivery of information of the newest class of leadership consultants was, to put it charitably, less than stellar. One of the many beauties of fraternity consulting is the front line – that almost magical, if not somewhat intimidating place – where National Fraternity meets chapter. Even with weeks of training prior to consultants hitting the road, the front line is inherently powerful and transforms a new consultant into a highly credible expert in a very short amount of time. Of course, it can also send lesser men fleeing. Thankfully, and to ATO’s great benefit, the front line has positively transformed the vast majority of leadership consultants. The front line also exerts its will in the other direction. Chapters that are smart and perhaps brave enough to engage it, and by extension their leadership consultant, get stronger. Regardless of whether a chapter goes from bad to better or better to good or good to great, more times than not, the chapter’s leadership consultant is the spark or the coach or the pebble in the chapter’s shoe encouraging it to progress. True Merit chapter presidents who publicly thank their leadership consultants aren’t just being polite. It is heartfelt and warranted. The job is tough and rewarding. I have had the privilege of knowing and working with the majority of men who have been consultants for ATO. ATO would not have a healthy and growing family of chapters, would not have the caliber of chapters it does and would not be an interfraternal leader without the men willing to give – and get – on the ATO front line. 2 Wynn R. Smiley Chief Executive Officer On the Cover: Since its inception, the consultant program for Alpha Tau Omega has been an important part of the ATO experience. The latest evolution in consulting tools includes live studio consulting, on-demand. AT O PA L M S P R I N G 2 012

Good Of The Order

“WOW, ARE THOSE GUYS GOOD!” It’s not as though the woman who said that hadn’t witnessed fraternity leadership consultants at work before. As a staff member with a greek-focused service company, she has had plenty of interaction with fraternity staff. It wasn’t a surprise that ATO leadership consultants were presenting to 200 undergraduates…she was surprised that they were impressively presenting to 200 undergraduates. Indeed. Watching leadership consultants evolve is akin to watching time-lapse photography. Six months ago, both grasp and delivery of information of the newest class of leadership consultants was, to put it charitably, less than stellar. One of the many beauties of fraternity consulting is the front line – that almost magical, if not somewhat intimidating place – where National Fraternity meets chapter. Even with weeks of training prior to consultants hitting the road, the front line is inherently powerful and transforms a new consultant into a highly credible expert in a very short amount of time. Of course, it can also send lesser men fleeing. Thankfully, and to ATO’s great benefit, the front line has positively transformed the vast majority of leadership consultants. The front line also exerts its will in the other direction. Chapters that are smart and perhaps brave enough to engage it, and by extension their leadership consultant, get stronger. Regardless of whether a chapter goes from bad to better or better to good or good to great, more times than not, the chapter’s leadership consultant is the spark or the coach or the pebble in the chapter’s shoe encouraging it to progress. True Merit chapter presidents who publicly thank their leadership consultants aren’t just being polite. It is heartfelt and warranted. The job is tough and rewarding. I have had the privilege of knowing and working with the majority of men who have been consultants for ATO. ATO would not have a healthy and growing family of chapters, would not have the caliber of chapters it does and would not be an interfraternal leader without the men willing to give – and get – on the ATO front line.

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