GreekChat.com Forums - Sorority Shopping?

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- - Sorority Shopping? (https://greekchat.com/gcforums/showthread.php?t=80022)

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Originally Posted by Adelphean

Alexandra Robbins? Is that you?! I see you're working on the sequel to 'Pledged'! Can't wait! I'm shaking with anticipation!

Pooped: The Secret Life of Preschoolers

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Originally Posted by adpiucf

If the NPC organizations wanted to make AI a highly publicized activity, they would do so by aggressively promoting it within their memberships and holding open house events for PNAMs.

I've said this on another thread. NPC and its member organizations werefounded for the benefit of undergraduate membership. Alumnae membership is a completely separate bag and more of a way to keep members connected through friendship, community service and keeping the collegiate arm running through long-term strategic planning and programming.

Many alumnae are uninvolved because, quite frankly, there's no compelling reason for them to stay involved. Their membership won't be revoked if they never contribute another service hour in the name of sisterhood or pay a penny to the Foundation.

Sorority shopping would be a great thing is AI was structured as a recruitment-oriented activity. It's not. AI is an honor given to a few whom the sorority believes will add prestige, honor and/or service to the sorority. Once initated, AI's are sisters. Sure their experiences are a bit different from someone who had 4 years as a college member. That doesn't mean they won't make great advisers or alumnae officers once they get up to speed on sorority policies and activities-- heck, many of the alumnae advisers and officers I have worked with over the years have had to completely re-learn their sorority ABC's because they were not actively involved in undergrad or its been years since they have been involved and things have changed.

For those telling us that collegiate members are ungrateful, lazy and complain about all of the work: here's a cookie. Tell me what college students are happy about all of the work involved in classes that they have voluntarily registered for? If someone is going to transfer to another school or break up with her boyfriend due to peer pressure, that isn't due to the organization: it is that individual's personal sense of self that should be blamed. And just because you don't know any sorority alumnae who stayed active post college doesn't mean they don't exist.

Sorority as a resume builder? You must be joking. I am loathe to put my lengthy alumnae involvement on a resume: I'm not interested in being a martyr for the "Why don't you stand up and show people your involvement?" cause. Post-college, professionals and academics view Greek life differently. The "alumnae network" is something that you seek out by making calls, emails and sending letters-- not an established party line that finds you a job with an alumna. This doesn't make me less proud of my membership-- but there is a time and a place. I wouldn't list my faith-based activities on a resume, either. Discrimination exists, and I'd rather not be passed over for a job or a program because of someone else's personal biases or in trying to make a statement for all of Greekdom.

Shame on anyone speaking poorly of our collegiate members. These girls are incredibly overprogrammed, balancing school, sorority and life (which for many includes working at a real job), and the angst that comes with being 17-24. They're learning how to be an adult, be out on their own and how to make responsible choices. I applaud them for their service, programming and activities. Like it or not, collegians come first. We were founded for the benefit of undergraduate students, and that will continue to be our focus until NPC changes their creed from "We as undergraduate members..." And we're not there yet.

I totally agree with and applaud this post!!! :)

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Originally Posted by KLPDaisy

Pooped: The Secret Life of Preschoolers

LOL!!! that's great! :)

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Originally Posted by adpiucf

NPC and its member organizations werefounded for the benefit of undergraduate membership. Alumnae membership is a completely separate bag and more of a way to keep members connected through friendship, community service and keeping the collegiate arm running through long-term strategic planning and programming.

Further, many groups realize that it is a saavy business move to get their alumnae involved and connected, because that is where the money is in terms of funding programming for collegiate members.

That said, there is a move in several NPC groups, just from my observation and information I have read, to focus more on alumnae membership because you will spend most of your "lifetime of sisterhood" as an alumna member. I went to a Panhellenic luncheon for a group that has more than 350 alumnae chapters versus 125 collegiate chapters--there is obviously a great focus on services for alumnae in an organization like that, and it requires an immense amount of support and infrastructure to keep it going.

So I don't wonder if, as others have suggested, that AI is becoming less rare and potentially more of a business opportunity. I know that ruffles feathers--and it ruffles mine as well because I think there have to be good, solid reasons for why you would choose a sorority over another kind of social organization--but I think is naive to think that some groups may not have considered AI as a way to improve their bottom line.

ok, when i saw the title, I thought it was about shopping for sorority related items......lol.

I think it makes sense to shop in terms of comparing different groups and seeing which fits better before you commit, ie wouldn't you do the same thing when you're looking for new shoes? You try a few on before you buy a pair.

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Originally Posted by Heather17

So I don't wonder if, as others have suggested, that AI is becoming less rare and potentially more of a business opportunity.

Of course--I personally see huge business potential and revenues (and leadership/involvement!) in making huge changes in alumnae membership, including recruitment of members post-college. There are greater gains and opportunities to be made. However, the focus would need to drastically shift from collegiate and undergraduate programming to lifetime membership-- making us similiar to organizations like the Junior League. (Some leagues allow you to join at age 18. Others at age 21-- you have a few years of required active membership before moving into voluntary "sustainer" level where you have limited membership obligations-- but these are still obligations nontheless! You don't just coast on your lifetime membership.)

However, it seems that a good deal of research has gone into identifying membership trends, and we've observed that most collegiate members are likely to drop after their first year. I think right now there is much focus on improving collegiate programming to address why women aren't actively involved for all 4 years of college as they used to be (I think that has a lot to do with changes in the ways students learn, women's lib, what is considered a "traditional" student and general social change). Until the programming goes away from a primarily collegiate focus and more big-picture lifetime membership outside of "lifetime member in name only," I don't think this will be an across-the-board shift. Change is slow-- it takes a long time to implement policy changes that have such wide-scale impact (even if it is for the better), changing the members' perceptions of membership, changing the way we do recruitment, etc. The possibilities are endless.

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Originally Posted by rho4life

I think it makes sense to shop in terms of comparing different groups and seeing which fits better before you commit, ie wouldn't you do the same thing when you're looking for new shoes? You try a few on before you buy a pair.

In terms of AI, it isn't about buying or choosing. It is about being invited. NPHC membership intake can be considered similiar to this-- you research the NPHC groups and then profess your interest in ONE. You then rush that one organization. The organization then may or may not invite you to become a member.

ETA: I admire the level of alumnae activity among the NPHC groups and the way they have structured their membership. If their membership intake process is a part of this pride and involvement, there is a lot to be said for rushing one organization.

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Originally Posted by adpiucf

NPHC membership intake is like this-- you research the groups and then profess your interest in ONE. You then rush that one organization.

Yes, and even though I am not in an NPHC group, what I've gleaned on these boards from the posts of NPHC members, is that you'd better be bringing a lot to the table in terms of service/volunteering, good academic grades, etc.

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Originally Posted by CutiePie2000

True--- we expect that for undergraduate and graduate prospectives.

And it is also true that we expect our prospectives to be interested in joining our individual organizations, and not just one of the NPHC organizations. Again, however, this is on both levels. I could see however how a PNAM (of the NPC groups) might not think that there would be a problem "forum shopping" if they understood how rush worked on an undergrauate level.

Would you have less problems with "forum shopping" if the PNAM told the groups she was pursuing that she was interested in other groups as well???

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Originally Posted by jessikay1922

Would you have less problems with "forum shopping" if the PNAM told the groups she was pursuing that she was interested in other groups as well???

Would you have less problems with someone persuing SGRho, if she told you that she was persuing ZPhiB as well?

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Originally Posted by AlphaFrog

Would you have less problems with someone persuing SGRho, if she told you that she was persuing ZPhiB as well?

The membership intake process for NPHC groups is based on people making the decision to pursue ONE group. With that being said, in order to make the decision which group is right for them, people must do their research. Would I have problems with someone pursuing Sigma after attending functions of the other groups, such as interest meetings or community service events? No. I know that some others in the NPHC would answer that question differently. I personally think that doing your research can include meeting with several groups to see if you think you would fit. I don't think that doing so means you are pursuing those organizations, but instead you are gaining information. With that being said, the number of events that you do with another group will have some weight in terms of my thought as to whether you want to be just a NPHC member or a member of Sigma. This applies on an undergraduate as well as graduate level.

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Originally Posted by jessikay1922

I think this is a completely reasonable answer, and could be applied to AI as well.

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Originally Posted by AlphaFrog

Would you have less problems with someone persuing SGRho, if she told you that she was persuing ZPhiB as well?

she can't do both at once. I would like her to look at both before she picks which is best for her. It just strikes me as odd that the NPC'ers don't want potential AI's to look at the different orgs before taking the plunge.

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Originally Posted by rho4life

I think you're misinterpreting that. I think everyone has encouraged PNAM's to do their research before doing anything, but some start contact with multiple orgs all at once, not one at a time.