Originally Posted by AGDee (Post 1846742)

Alumna membership in our organizations is so much more than just assisting collegiate chapters. I am MUCH closer to women from my alumnae club than I ever was to my chapter sisters. We have gotten married together, had babies together, become single moms (divorced) together, cared for our sick parents.. the support system is amazing. It was an alumna sister who found a care giver for my mom when she needed one. Several alumnae were there for me at my mother's funeral. I went on a vacation with an alumna sister from another state who I met through being on our volunteer services team this year, because we are both single moms and needed some time away without our children, but who do you do that with when you're a single mom? Most of my friends at work, from grade school, college and who I've met through my kids activities are married and cannot do things like that. I've got a corp group of women and know that I can shoot an email to the club saying "Hey, this band is playing at the city festival next weekend and I want to go, who's interested?" The friendships I've made with sisters from all over the country through volunteering as an alumna are some of the strongest I've ever had.

I was a collegian for 4 years, I am an alumna for life (22 years so far). My life as an alumna has been rich and rewarding. I think the NPC groups are lacking in this area because we are too focused on the collegiate experience. The majority of our members are alumnae, not collegians.

I agree with those who have said that those hoping to live a collegiate experience that didn't happen would be very disappointed with AI. AI is the exception and not the rule and there is definitely an expectation for involvement. However, there is nothing is in the Alpha Gamma Delta Purpose (or any other NPC creeds, symphonies, etc.) that allude to the collegiate experience only! These are lifelong value systems for which we strive to meet. Being involved as an alumna doesn't necessarily have anything to do with collegiate chapters. It IS about sisterhood, philanthropy and living up to the ideals of the organization. It IS about support, friendship, genuine caring and sharing the bond of our ritual as we live our lives, for a lifetime.

Originally Posted by 33girl (Post 1846878)

I thought of a good NPC vs NPHC point.

From what I have gathered, meetings for NPHC chapters - whether they be undergrad or grad - are conducted the same way. Well, as far as NPC goes, meetings for collegiate vs alum chapters are NIGHT AND DAY. (Or even more than that - Vineyard Vines and Ed Hardy. LOL.)

Plus it would be kind of hard to institute the same membership selection process for all alum chapters because some of them are basically 5 little old ladies meeting for lunch at the Dew Drop Inn 4 times a year. Some are huge and dynamic. If we told the 5 little old ladies they had to change, they'd tell us to F.O. and quit sending us their yearly dues.

Also, a PNAI's tie/sponsorship to a collegiate or alum chapter varies widely from group to group within NPC.

This probably sounds kinda scattered but I hope it adds something.

Originally Posted by 33girl (Post 1846878)

I thought of a good NPC vs NPHC point.

From what I have gathered, meetings for NPHC chapters - whether they be undergrad or grad - are conducted the same way. Well, as far as NPC goes, meetings for collegiate vs alum chapters are NIGHT AND DAY. (Or even more than that - Vineyard Vines and Ed Hardy. LOL.)

Plus it would be kind of hard to institute the same membership selection process for all alum chapters because some of them are basically 5 little old ladies meeting for lunch at the Dew Drop Inn 4 times a year. Some are huge and dynamic. If we told the 5 little old ladies they had to change, they'd tell us to F.O. and quit sending us their yearly dues.

Also, a PNAI's tie/sponsorship to a collegiate or alum chapter varies widely from group to group within NPC.

This probably sounds kinda scattered but I hope it adds something.

Originally Posted by tld221 (Post 1846913)

Has it always been this way for NPC alumnae chapters? Im sure there is just as much variety in NPHC alumnae chapters (from "5 little old ladies" meeting at the local diner or whathaveyou, to bigger chapters that meet in auditoriums and conference rooms), but the format, in regards to frequency (and related to running the business year-round) seems to be consistent. I'm just thinking that the amount of responsibility or duties an NPC alumnae chapter sets out to accomplish in a year may vary VASTLY if youre only meeting 4x a year (like, to bring it full circle, if AI happened more consistently or was more of a regularity, you'd have a need to meet more, or if you were holding events...?)

Or maybe yall have figured out a superawesome way to be efficient in your work to only have to meet 4x a year vs monthly. which i would personally enjoy.

This comes from someone who has no clue what an NPC meeting looks like, collegiate or alumnae.

Originally Posted by AOII Angel (Post 1846916)

Many NPC alumnae chapters are moving away from business meetings all together and are having mostly social events. My chapter has an executive committee that keeps up with any of the needed business and we have two business meetings a year. Previously we had 7 meetings a year that were always fully business. We never got anything done because we always argued about the same things. There really isn't that much "business" that the average alumnae chapter has to deal with other than arranging philanthropy projects which our philanthropy chairman handles. The other main work we do is recruiting alumnae from our list of local sisters each fall. Other than that, we mainly concentrate on spending time together as sisters. Collegiate meetings are far different, but they have a far busier schedule.

Originally Posted by tld221 (Post 1846931)

To the first point: is that intentionally, or do you think that other chapters (and organizations) are going the same route (meetings going from business to social)?

and to the second: if NPC alumnae chapters' focus is on reclamation/retention vs AI, i think thats a way better response to the "i don't get AI" argument. from what i gather, there is a hard transition from collegiate to alumnae (between both councils but especially) for NPC women, so if energy is spent on getting your members to go from PNM --> active collegiate --> active alumnae without missing a beat, then AI isn't as important.

i just wonder if that deters new alums - the day-and-night factor of how sorority business runs. going from weekly meetings and a packed calendar to meeting, potentially, a few times a year on business and hanging out every so often for social.

Originally Posted by tld221 (Post 1846931)

To the first point: is that intentionally, or do you think that other chapters (and organizations) are going the same route (meetings going from business to social)?

and to the second: if NPC alumnae chapters' focus is on reclamation/retention vs AI, i think thats a way better response to the "i don't get AI" argument. from what i gather, there is a hard transition from collegiate to alumnae (between both councils but especially) for NPC women, so if energy is spent on getting your members to go from PNM --> active collegiate --> active alumnae without missing a beat, then AI isn't as important.

i just wonder if that deters new alums - the day-and-night factor of how sorority business runs. going from weekly meetings and a packed calendar to meeting, potentially, a few times a year on business and hanging out every so often for social.

Originally Posted by AGDee (Post 1847805)

The new grads are always totally shocked when they come to a "meeting" and it's social, not business. We are a social organization, sisterhood is the main goal. We do philanthropy. Some reporting is necessary, but certainly not to the extent that it was for collegians. We are different from the NPHC.

We have three different types of alumnae groups. Alumnae Chapters have specific requirements and are dedicated to assisting a specific collegiate chapter. Alumnae Clubs are primarily social (and that's what I choose to be in because I work hard for the Fraternity in my Volunteer Services Team position and need "just sisterhood" from my alumnae experience) and Junior Circles are affiliated with a chapter or club but are focused on women below the age of 35 (and are social in nature). Chapters have to have business meetings more often than Clubs. They have more extensive newsletters and a lot more to manage. All of the groups do some community service/philanthropy, but the main focus is most definitely social :)

Originally Posted by RedRover (Post 1851742)

"If I ain't good enough to enter by the front door, I ain't gonna come in by the side door."

Originally Posted by RedRover (Post 1851742)

A few years after graduation, some friends asked if she might be interested in joining ABC sorority as an alumnae initiate. My friend said thank you but no thank you. When her friends pressed as to why she was dismissing their offer out of hand, she said explained she went through rush with disappointing results and she told her friends "If I ain't good enough to enter by the front door, I ain't gonna come in by the side door."

Originally Posted by myopicsunflower (Post 1851911)

If the GLO is doing the asking, alumnae initiation is hardly the back or side door to membership. It's an honor, and you'd better believe that sororities aren't handing out AI invitations like Halloween candy.