I think that if alums are invited, they need to come with the same respect as the active sisters and women about to be initiated...i.e. if their pink catsuit doesn't fit showing up in jeans is not appropriate. It's nice for them to come but not if their presence will be disruptive to the ceremony. And quite frankly, lots of alums don't have "things" that fit anymore.

Our initiations were usually on a "school night" and since Clarion is in the middle of nowhere, it wasn't that they were NOT invited...it's just that driving 100 miles away on a night when you have to work the next day isn't feasible.

For ADPi:
 

Chapters on Probation, or nearing Probation, MUST invite at least one alumna to every ritual. When I was Advisor, they weren't on Probation, but we still have an alumna at every ritual - it's just better to have someone there to explain any part which might be confusing.

When I was a freshman & sophmore, we had a space & catsuit problem (not enough of either to go around), so we did ritual more than once each time. Fortunately, they're at the place again, so we're asking alumnae to "adopt a catsuit" or at least donate towards one.

Alumnae should be invited, and are possibly required. I agree, they need to go into it with respect and the attitude that they're a guest of the chapter. But they can definitely help make sure that things are being done correctly according to the ritual and not just how the chapter wants to do them.

I don't know about anyone else, but as alumnae, we're to ask the chapter before just appearing at a (regular) meeting. That had me upset until I found out the reasoning behind it - they needed to make sure that there was enough room and also be able to introduce you.

We always welcome alumni to initiation :) In fact as alumni secretary I'm working with the active members to make sure it gets put on our calender and hopefully at least some of the executive alumni officers can make it.

We welcome alumnae to our ritual. We usually have at least a few advisers and alumnae and then mother's of legacies who come. I have found it is actually a benefit to the chapter members to have alumnae there.

Sorry - should have clarified. With Kappa, a chapter adviser is required at every chapter meeting (formal and informal), so the girls always know there is going to be at least one alumnae there. Other alumnae guests may be present, but the chapter is always given advance notice.

For other ritual events, the chapter will often invite alumnae to attend, so they know there again how many will be attending. Alumnae very rarely "just show up" for meetings or initiation.

If I'm going to show up, I usually always ask as if they need me to bring my own "attire" (if they don't have enough) since I know that I'm one alumna who will actually have something.

I don't think I've ever been introduced at initiation.......

Exactly what She Said.

Remember, if You have a stirring Ritual and Alums come back, they will remember the good times and maybe loosen Purse Strings for The Chapter.

I will never tire of seeing LXAs just for that reason and suggest strongly that Alums be invited back.

While I can only speak for LXAs, it is in Code and must be learned. But it is to be strictly adhered to at all times.

i think alumnae should be invited, too. i

but if you live in ca and your chapter of initiation is in nj, then i don't think you should be offended if you don't get an invite. if there is an alumnae chapter near by a collegiate chapter, they should invite the ac members. if you are an alumnae who leaves near a collegiate chapter (not the one you initiated into) and are not involved in the local ac, then you should not expect to be invited.

I agree, attire should reflect the occassion. When inviting alums, it's appropriate to remind them of what they need to wear. Many times some may not have been to an initiation for a long time----so how better to renew those bonds by inviting them? I went for several years without the experience until I went to national convention and then when I had a chapter near my home..

No matter how hard or inconvienient it may to be for them to get there, they should still be invited----that's up to them. As said before, when you want something else from them, they'll remember whether you welcomed them for other occassions.

I think you misunderstood what I said.

They were never told that they were NOT allowed to come - which is the topic of this thread - it's just that they were not about to drive 200 miles for a half hour ceremony when they would have to turn around and drive right back home for work the next day. We never had alums at initiation (or most events) for this reason, it wasn't a tradition. If someone would have showed up, I'm sure we'd have been ecstatic, but it was no more **expected** than you expect alums to show up at study hours or whatever. Sometimes people made a special trip if it was someone in their family, but that was it.

I know that no one was ever offended that they weren't specifically invited to initiation. It's a lot easier now to notify alums with listservs and yahoogroups and such. We certainly didn't have the money to send all 500 alumnae invitations for initiation.

Alumnae are always invited to our initiation. :) Speaking of initiation...it's coming up soon! :)

We're required to have an alumni at our initiation rituals. We invite Fraternal Fifties to the banquet, but I don't believe that we invite alumni to that b/c of the cost of the meals (though I suppose we could have them pay if we wanted to.)