The Journey Brotherhood Program
Twenty years after ZBT eliminated pledging, the Supreme Council, based on feedback from undergraduates and alumni, voted to continue the evolution and development of what was initially called the Membership Development Program, then became the Brotherhood Program. The newest evolution is called the Journey. The Journey implements a number of significant changes. It is a structured, user-friendly program that develops college students into ZBT men. The Journey adds the position of Provost, in addition to the Brotherhood Development Director (BDD). In the past, the BDD was responsible for all education in the chapter. Now, the Provost guides brothers along their Journey by teaching them about the history, values, and traditions of ZBT. The BDD oversees the Provost, and still is responsible for brotherhood bonding, Big/Little programming, and the overall Journey program.
Through the first six-eight weeks of the Journey, newly initiated ZBT men learn the history of the fraternity, delve into the credo, mission statement, and ritual, the skills needed to succeed in college, and how to make wise life decisions. Upon initiation, all ZBT brothers are given full rights and privileges, within days of accepting their bids. This is true for all versions of the Journey.
The Journey then continues to develop brothers for the next four years, offering education on building a better brotherhood and strong leadership skills. The Journey also offers a leadership track.
The Supreme Council also approved two variations on the Journey that certain chapters can implement, contingent upon approval from the Supreme Council. The Pilgrimage and Journey (P&J) offers chapters the option of deferring some esoteric material until after the eight-week initial education program. However, P&J chapters are subject to tight oversight by the National Fraternity, to ensure they do not slip into pledging.
The most ambitious iteration is the Journey Challenges Program, currently implemented by some of ZBT's top chapters. The Journey Challenges Program is identical to the Journey for the initial period, then offers challenges that brothers may choose to embark upon, with incentives and privileges offered to those brothers who pass the Challenges. The Zeta, Beta, and Tau Challenges consist of a blend of education, community service, involvement with the National Office and the Jewish community, and leadership.
Read more about this topic: Zeta Beta Tau
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—Friedrich Nietzsche (1844–1900)
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