The first line of the Panhellenic Creed:

"We, as Undergraduate Members of women's fraternities, stand for good scholarship, for guarding of good health, for maintenance of fine standards, and for serving, to the best of our ability, our college community."

As has been noted, there are a great many organizations open to non-student women who wish to be a part of something greater than themselves. NPC sororities are not open to the regular admittance of non-student women. Otherwise we would hold membership drives just like Junior League, etc.

One of the membership benefits that we tout when encouraging college women to sign up for recruitment is the lifelong aspect of sorority membership. Yes, we do provide opportunities for our members beyond graduation. But we do not provide them with recruitment tools or assistance for bringing in new members.

^^^Wow, excellent post, jwright!!!

That is a great point, jwright, and I never really thought of it that way, although all the AIs I have personally known did attend and graduate from schools where we have chapters, so I never really thought of them as non students. They've all been involved as HCB members or advisors etc, so they at least had some tie to the collegiate side of the sorority experience.

Personally, I probably would not sponsor someone to be an AI. But I also would not join the Junior League or the Assistance League or NCL, because their activities are pretty much the same experiences I've already had in GPhiB. Most of the women that I know that are involved in those groups do it because they have daughters they want to get involved in Sprites or debutante groups etc. and it just doesn't have that much appeal to me!

Forgive for my ignorance! I'm a Sigma Nu alumnus, have even worked for my national office, but am completely in the dark on the AI thing. I'm familiar with it only because of what I've read on here.

Question, I guess, is why would someone join a sorority after college? There seems to be no earning of membership. I'm not referring to hazing, or any "rites of passage", but I remember as a pledge I felt I earned my membership by learning history, brother info., participating in philanthropy, fundraisers, etc...

I think I would be pissed if someone wanted to join as a college graduate. Why not while undergrad? Would seem to be a lot of shadiness that comes along with someone not wanting to join while in school, but wanting to upon graduation!

Coming from a local... we obviously didn't have AI and I didn't even know what it was until reading about it here. However, we did initiate two members under honorary sister status. This is similar to AI and I didn't realize it until recently. One was a member of another local at another school that closed and was not going to reopen. Another was a graduate student, who at the time, was contributing significant amounts of time and effort to our organization. We thought we were doing the right thing, however as some of you know from another thread, the second AI (for lack of a better word) did not turn out so great. I suppose that is the risk that one takes.

I think that AI has a place within an organization that is open to it, and approaches certain members for whatever reason. It should be used sparingly and not as a way to allow members to have letters after the time that they should have.


[With our first AI member, she had already pledged another organization and was able to quickly assimilate into our "way of life" however, the second AI was not able to. She did not understand how things ran, or a simple code of sisterhood. She was in it for the popularity basically (and i'm not just saying this because I'm bitter, she's even admitted this to other sisters). I think the process of new membering enables members to understand... what sisterhood is all about ]

Depledge-Deactivate-AI???
 

As a member of a NPC org. I have to say something. I think "AI" is great to an extent. For instance, if a woman went to a university with no Greek System (Notre Dame is a good example) and later decided she was really into philanthropy and helping the greater good-I would have no problem say, "We would be happy to have you as a Phi Mu AI." If a woman came through and said, "Oh yeah-I didn't get a bid from Phi Mu and such-and-such sorority (insert NPC sorority on her specific college campus that maybe didn't have the best reputation) gave me a bid but, I knew I didn't want them-I'm destined to be a Phi Mu...I'd say, "No Thanks!" Although I love my organization-I'm truly for Greek Unity. If you chose not to even give a chance to another organization and just turn your nose up to them because they didn't have the best reputation (for whatever reason it may have been) I don't think I want you. Should we be selective of where we want to go-Yes but, I hate when girls who don't get a bid anywhere else and then the not-so-top chapter offers them a bid and they turn their noses up! Every NPC org. is awesome SOMEWHERE!!! I try to stress that to girls who want to deactivate, depledge-whatever! I've tried to push girls in OTHER NPCs to stay with their org. because they might really regret it later in life. My org. may not be the top at my school but, somewhere it is. If I had turned my nose up at it right away-I would have missed out! That's what is great about being a NATIONAL org. One of my sisters once said to me when I was upset about something going on in my chapter, "Our org. is so much bigger than just this chapter...stick with it...there are other women out there who hold the same values as you that are sisters!" I stuck with it and I'm glad I did...Every NPC has their "GREAT" chapters and then their "NOT-So-GREAT" chapters...if you go AI because you think you are better than any of the girls in the "NOT-So-GREAT" chapters-go join another club and stop wasting NPC time!!! All of our Orgs. have something to offer-don't turn your nose up at it and then want membership elsewhere-but, I'm not completely against AI....and that was my soap box for the day...Thank you:)

Extremely good post. Pennsylvania girls are the shiznit. :)

PA Girls
 

:)Hell Yes they are...Thank you....I've got Greek Love for all the organizations out there because I realize we all have something to offer!!!

Just had to get my "Yay PA" in there! ... :)

Can I also get a Yay-Penn State....We Are!!!

Penn State!!! That's my girl right there! :D

Late to the party but have to agree those Pennsylvania Girls are smart!

And by the way - the Lion in my username is a NITTANY lion!

I'm hearing the lion's "roar" from Beaver Stadium in my head but can't think of a way to type it out... :D

Big day tomorrow, girls! We need to take down the Spartans and hope the Wolverines and Buckeyes just bloody themselves into a non-scoring tie or something. Is it possible for BOTH teams to lose a game??? ;)

OSU won which is better than Ann Arbor going to the Rose Bowl.

GO STATE BEAT MSU!!

Well, you're right on that point, at least Michigan lost. I don't like OSU any better, but they had the better season.

http://smileydatabase.com/s/345.gif

I'm not going to jump into the debate of AI, but one comment I would like to make is that everyone seems to be jumping on the OP because she was cut. I'm sorry unless people on this board are members of that chapter and were privey to selection, we have absolutely no clue why she was cute. Heck, for all we know they could have cut her for grades. The point is, we don't know why she was cut. But telling her that she shouldn't bother with that chapter because obviously if they cut her she wasn't basically good enough for them, is just mean and nasty.

I get that it can be annoying, PNAM's coming and starting threads asking for advice (prior to reading the stickied threads at the top), but instead of being snarky all any of us have to do is say "please read these threads".

Anyways, off my soapbox.

Agree with me, disagree with me, just please be respectful that it is my opinion and that I haven't called anyone out.

If she had been cut for grades, she wouldn't have made it through most of recruitment. She would have been cut day 1.

And if my sisters cut someone who am I to second guess them.

Not only that, she went to UC Berkeley which is a pretty competitive school - I'm guessing that the GPAs of most students are above those required by the national sororities.

The school is competitive, but does anyone know about rush there? Is it competitve?

ETA: I found this thread about Berkley rush, and it seems the women on here have said that it's not competitve...therefore I would seriously question a girl who was dropped on day 4 of 7 from ALL 14 CHAPTERS. Grades probably would have gotten her cut on day 2.

To clarify, she's never said she got dropped from ALL the chapters - just the one where she would like to AI now. If she DID have other chapters to choose from...well, see als463's post.

Hello
 

I am just littel curious about my situation here. I was a PNAM in process of pursuing alumna membership with this one NPC group. I've been to several of their sorority functions and got to meet some of the ladies. One of the women emailed me and asked me if I was interested in membership so I said yes. After this, I never heard back from them and it's been almost 3 months. Am I supposed to keep on waiting for her response or just forget it and move on???

Email her back and ask the status of the process. You can reaffirm your interest in joining, but be prepared to hear that you were denied. Sometimes people handle bad news by avoidance. That being said, the process apparently does take a long time so everything if probably fine! Good luck! Remember to remain discrete.

I was an advisor there for 6 years. I don't remember a freshman's GPA ever being below DG's GPA requirement, due to the difficulty of getting into Cal. On the other hand, I'm sure there could be sophomores/juniors/seniors with GPAs that were not high enough, in which case they should have been released before the second round of parties.

Cal's recruitment is not competitive in the sense that a woman who goes in with an open mind and maximizes her options is likely to get a bid. Or, are you all using some other idea of "competitive"?

Anyone know this chick ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

I am regurgitating the post for a reason.

She just pm'ed me, claiming "...I am currently in the process of AI'ing "XYZ" as well, exactly in the same situation as you were, with the whole thing with being a former pledge" and had questions about the AI process..."

(By the way, I have been formally invited for alumnae membership and am being initiated into Alpha Xi Delta this spring. Stalk my postings if you want more info on my history with AXiD.)I saw this post after I replied to her, and obviously gave her no info, but I am guessing this chick is either a liar or a perp.

So beware.

Sigh. The thing I hate most in this world is dishonesty.

I just want to make a general PSA-type announcement to all of the women interested in Alumnae Initiation. I know that some people want to AI to relive their college days or because they think it will be easy. I was initiated into ASA as an alumna in April of 2007. It is now 12:49, I have been on a volunteer conference call since 9:00am and we are nowhere near to being done. After this call ends, I have to go write two presentations for our District Day and a short article for the Phoenix. AI is not a quick fix and it is not easy.

cuteASAbug - I completely co-sign with you on that. As an active alum of Gamma Sigma Sigma national service sorority, I have spent many hours volunteering, doing paperwork, and just about anything else that needs to be done...

These are MY personal opinions, based on my past and current (thus far) experiences:

My sponsor in Alpha Xi Delta has specified areas that she believes my skills and experience may benefit different areas of the Fraternity. Together, we came up with some ideas that both interest me, and that will support the Fraternity's more immediate needs and goals.

The work that alum members do is rarely glamorous, and serves the greater good. Much of it goes unrecognized, as the work of alumnae associations are to help develop new members and to continue to cultivate the Fraternity's missions.

My initiation will not be a means to an end; it's the "aha!" personal recognition of one of the paths that I have already been traveling; one that will continue to challenge and surprise me as I continue my journey.

(apologies for coming across so dramatic....it's hard to explain to people who aren't in the same place...thank you in advance to those who do understand what I am trying to say)

I.Love.You.

You do ASA proud, cuteASAbug! :)

AMEN (Panhellenic) SISTER!!!

LOL...I feel you. After helping organize a Gamma Phi Beta luncheon, and being the guest speaker at said luncheon yesterday, our Alumnae President e-mailed me this morning with the following laundry list of things to do:

- Send her the names of everyone who attended yesterday

- Send her the group photo from the luncheon

- Follow-up up with one of our alums regarding a possible future activity

- E-mail her the names of three specific sisters who attended a function last month

- Add a new member to the roster and our e-mail list


I guess I'm supposed to do all of that right after I send the Fall 2007 scholarship information to the chapter advisers and right before I type up the minutes from our last House Corporation Board meeting! Unfortunately I am a little bit behind because I was already busy sending in two submissions for the next edition of The Crescent.

Hehehehehe....I'm glad to see that you're being as utilized as I am!! Sometimes I wish I could be a collegian so that I would "only" have to attend chapter, dinners and mixers. LOL

Yeah, giving presentation on disaster preparedness to a group of "senior sisters" is hardly glamorous. I think some potential AIs don't quite realize that they won't be in a position to relive their college days. As an alumna, it's more about what you can do to serve a chapter or the greater organization.

High five to the AIs who don't sit on their behinds!

.....Kelly :)

Formal recruitment is this week for the chapter I advise and it is Sarah Ida Shaw award time so there is much paperwork, Columbus Area Advisor Training in February, and we have a field consultant coming in the next 2 weeks...busy busy bee....but again I would have it no other way;)

Ummmm......if you don't like how much you do, just say no. It's as easy as that. But whether you mean to or not, you all have a "look at everything I do, feel sorry for me" sound to your posts.

And don't even think about jumping down my throat about what I do or don't do for my sorority......

I think they are just saying that AIs can, and do, contribute a great deal of time to their GLOs - just as those of us who were collegiate members can/do.

I don't think any of us were saying "feel sorry for us." Personally, I was just stating what I all do for my organization as an AI. I love being involved with Tri Delta and I would not change a thing. I'm sure the others who have posted feel the same way about their respective organizations. I don't see any reason why any of us would "jump down your throat" about what you do or don't do for your sorority.

I didn't get the "look at everything I do, feel sorry for me" impression at all from these posts.

If it means anything, and I know I'm not speaking for them at all, it just seems like it was put out there to show those interested in AI (especially the ones who only want to join because they want to re-live their college days/missed out on sororities in college) that it's not about sitting on their asses and getting to wear letters after Initiation Day.

Exactly.

If I didn't love what I do, I would've said no a long time ago.

Oh no, that's not at all how I intended my remarks. I'm sorry if some readers perceived them that way. Buckeye and I both had smiles and laughs in our posts so I don't think either of us was trying to whine.

I don't need anyone to feel sorry for me because I don't feel sorry for myself. I am very proud to be a Gamma Phi and I do what I do for the organization because a) I willingly volunteered and b) because I'm having a darn good time too. :)

My point was to agree with CuteASAbug that potential AIs who think they're going to be reliving their college days via Greek sings and fraternity exchanges are mistaken.

On reflection, could it be that perhaps you're "irritated" because we sound like we're bragging? (Which would explain the "And don't even think about jumping down my throat..." comment) Again, that's not what I meant; but I can see how it could be perceived that way.

I think we're just trying to set an example to potential AIs about what it means to give back to the organization which invited you for membership. After all, I think we'd all be disappointed in an AI who initiated, got her badge and then promptly tossed it into a dresser drawer never to be seen again. My sorority experience these past 3.5 years has certainly been enriching; but it hasn't been a "good ol' college time". That's all I meant...does that make sense?

You don't need to justify your participation to me - I know that you contribute to our sisterhood. See you at convention?

.....Kelly :)

Ah! You posted while I was typing my response. Yes, that was the intention of my post.

.....Kelly :)