Whats the:eek: for???

Breeza,

PLEASE read the forum at the link I gave you. You will find information there about how to find a sponsor for the sorority you are interested in. Honestly, people here will need to know more about you before jumping up to sponsor you into a sisterhood.

Your best bet is to contact the Headquarters of the sorority you are interested so that someone can introduce you to a local alumnae chapter which, in turn, can find you a sponsor if you all agree to go ahead with AI. That is, in general, an alumna member from the town where you live sponsors you.

.....Kelly :)

When i started out, the first thing I did was to think of who I knew PERSONALLY (and fairly well) who is a sorority member. I think that having a close acquaintance who may be willing to sponsor you is of first and foremost importance. You may know of more than you think.

*headdesk*:eek: :confused:

Someone please explain to me how anyone...ANYONE on GC can be ready and willing to sponsor a "PNAM" based on 5 posts/PMs alone?

:eek:

Obviously I'm not an AI, but I know many who wouldn't even think of asking anyone for advice/sponsorship/hand holding PERIOD, let alone from total strangers, let alone online...and I'm shocked as to how forward some of these more recent AI threads have been.

It's not her fault...
 

I believe that the many success stories and rapidly growth threads have given posters a slanted view of what Alumnae Initiation is all about. This is not anyone's fault, but a quick glance at the AI board could make a new GC-er mistakenly believe that AI is something that you can "sign-up" for. (And I don't believe that I can say this about Breeza00 since I haven't even heard her story yet.)

Trust me, ladies and gentlemen. AI is hard. It is a real honor to be asked to join an organization beyond its usual parameters for membership. When you approach an organization about AI, you are basically saying, "I understand that your members are selected during their college years, but I believe that I could bring something special to your organization and that I would benefit from the bonds of membership. Could you please make an exception for me?" That takes guts! And it takes a lot of trust and faith in you and your sponsor for the organization to say "yes." The AI journey is VERY humbling!

I know that I look like a good candidate on paper. I've got a great academic record, good service experience, and a strong career path, but I also understand that in order for an organization to extend an invitation to me at this stage in my life, they must see me as an exceptional case, worthy of an out-of-the-ordinary procedure.

Even though AI is growing, it is still the exception...not the rule.

Sincerely,
LouisaMay
(a PNAM who has learned a lot in the last fourteen months)

Having said that...

Breeza00, I sincerely hope that you do have a successful journey. As you can see, AI holds a lot of emotional weight for many of us. For me, it is the answer to a lifelong ambition. I remember seeing stuff about sororities on The Facts of Life when I was very young, and from then on, membership was something that I REALLY wanted. Life threw me some curves. I made some decisions that I regret, but now I see AI as another chance. If sorority membership is something that you will hold close to your heart, GO FOR IT!!:)

LM

I hope I didn't come across too harsh on Breeza, I was trying to be careful.

My concern is for when people appear to not have taken any initiative to find out information for themselves - especially when people in this forum (like aopirose, CutiePie2000, myself and many others) have posted lots of instructional information in the AI forum.



It's one thing to come on here and say, "I've looked at the various groups and I have it narrowed down to two that I love. Should I e-mail the International Headquarters or a local alum group?" It's another thing to say "I want to be an AI, some one help me get started" in a manner which implies that you expect others to do all of the work for you. :o

How can we be expected help someone when we are given no starting points to work with? For example, statements like, "I am interested in a group that doesn't have a chapter near me" would give us ideas of what to suggest for advice. Breeza didn't do that....she just said "help me". Because said she was really new at this and didn't know where to start, I directed her to read the threads that have information for people who fit that bill.

It's ok to be new and not know where to start! I just want people interested in AI to understand that we've already covered most questions and that the information should be reviewed before asking further questions.

.....Kelly :)

No, Kelly. I thought you handled things beautifully. Your responses were appropriate given the information that you had to work with.

LM:)

I work in Greek Affairs as a Graduate Assistant. I had a girl call today who is in first semester of Grad School and would like to join a GLO. The ones she mentioned are not eligible for COR (at total) and will be for a while. Is AI an option for her? I called a few advisors and they were not too receptive about her going through Recruitment in the Fall (1-she will be graduating not ling after, 2-our school has no older members) I don't want to discourage her, but I know she needs to understand what she is up against.

roqueemae,

If your school has no specific recruitment rules against graduate student participation, you can’t stop her. (Sometimes policies were written so long ago that things are just understood.) You can gently explain to her that because she is a graduate student her chances are VERY limited.

To answer your specific question, “Is AI an option for her,” it could be. It just depends on a lot of factors. Does she know women who are members of her “favorites”? She could offer to volunteer at an open event like a philanthropy project. Have any of these chapters mentioned that they may need a little extra assistance in a certain area? For instance, they would like to do an auction and this young woman happens to be a licensed auctioneer. This could be an introduction to the group.

I know that all of the NPCs on your campus do AI. However, each group’s policy is different and each alumnae chapter is different. Some may be willing to speak with an unknown woman and others will be adamantly against it. AI is not an easy road for some and it is not a quick fix. Most often women must demonstrate years of dedication to an organization and its ideals before they are invited. In reality, AI is an honor and not an option.

You know,
I came to this board in hopes to find out more about the AI process. I am not the type to sit on my azz and read a bunch of crap to find out stuff. I like to get straigt to the point and obviously I offended some people by being straight and open. I simply wanted to know how I would go about getting started and I am getting talked about on here like I committed a crime! I took it on myself to contact a GLO Headquaters and they are being extremely helpful. I dont think you should bash someone for wanting to findout for about your sisterhood and possibly become a sister! Thats extremely rude!

Re: It's not her fault...
 

I know this isn't the topic, but I would like to say that this is a wonderful, wonderful description of the AI process. Beautifully written, LouisaMay.

I have a question too.

I met a girl the other night who had graduated in the last year. We got to talking, and she's pretty awesome. She said she regretted never having joined a sorority in college, especially since all her friends were in them. I told her about AI, and she seemed pretty interested.

Anyway, I gave her my email address and my National's email so she could find out more about it.

Now, was that the right thing to do, or should I have waited for more of my sisters to meet her? In retrospect, probably yes, but I got the feeling that if she were an undergrad, she would have been a girl I'd be interested in keeping during recruitment. I didn't commit to anything, just gave her contact info to find out more about it.

No, you did the right thing! You gave her your contact and the national's email. Now the ball is in HER court. She contacts Nationals and goes over what they give her and then let her decide if she wants to proceed. If she has any questions, she might contact you...

For now the ball is in her court