Now, now, ladies, let's not be hasty. Nhfulmer is new here and she's learning new things about GC and other areas of Greek life, just like we all are.

First, Nhfulmer, welcome to Greek Chat. No matter how long you've been Greek, you're going to find out all kinds of things from across the country as fast as you can take it in! :D

Second, as to your question as to "why would anyone want to join a group that
has as its basis collegiate membership".

There are a few ways to answer this.
One, is the way you described it yourself in the ZTA forum:

You have already experienced the fact that sisterhood is a lifetime. Life does not end at college graduation!

Let me describe this another way: There are several ways that people join families: they can be born into it, adopted, or marry into a family. There may be several paths and many circumstances, but once you are in that family, that's it. You're
all related, one way or another. I never had any siblings, but when I married my husband, I "inherited" his two sisters. Now there is a 20-year age difference between them and me, we were born to different parents, grew up in different states, but the minute Mr. Adrienne and I performed our wedding ritual, the bond was sealed. (Anyone foolish enough to tell one of them that the 3 of us are "not really sisters" will get an earful that will rattle the rafters of high heaven!)

The more time you spend browsing the many threads of GC, the more stories you will hear of post-collegiate women who didn't pledge a GLO because of one circumstance or another,
but still have much to offer an org. You'll also see stories of problems with sisters disaffiliating, depledging, or just being inactive alumnae. Some NPC orgs have begun to look at post-collegiate women as an untapped resource. There is no greater demonstration of a worthwhile, lifetime sisterhood than a woman who is willing to go the extra mile and make greater effort to pledge themselves to it.

Now you are absolutely correct in indicating that not all NPC orgs approach alumna initiation ("AI" in GreekChat shorthand) in the same way. There are some orgs that practically advertise and invite prospective AIs to contact them. Others will accept
self-recommendations, but are subtle about it. Others, like ZTA and ADPi will only accept recommendations from current members. There is nothing wrong w/ any of these! In fact,
I think ZTA does an *excellent* job of explaining their policy on the topic in a straightforward and civil manner, without any guesswork on the part of the PNAM (Potential New Alumna Member - also a GreekChat term). I wish all NPCs were so honest with the public on this issue!

So Nhfulmer, I hope you stick around. It sounds like we have a lot to teach and learn from each other.

Adrienne (PNAM-2003)
:D

Well said, Adrienne!

Re: Well, like it says on the tshirt
 

And if you want to be *really* persnickety, explain how you can know all there is to know about a potential member when there are 600 women going through rush at once?

My own personal experience was a great deal like rush - I didn't know the groups I contacted and they didn't know me. I approached them all, met two of them, and narrowed down my 'pref' choices.

Sounds an awful lot like what dozens of young women post in the Rush threads every fall & spring...

PS - Alumnae initiation isn't a new tradition among all fraternities and sororities. My beloved Alpha Phi initiated their first alumna initiate in 1874. :D

PPS - well said Adrienne. You're going to make an absolutely phenomenal alumna initiate someday!

Well spoken, Adrienne!! :)


From one PNAM to another,

.....Kelly :)

Re: Re: Well, like it says on the tshirt
 

Well said, adduncan and well said, Sistermadly. I have to say, it saddens me to know that Nhfulmer's associates take exception, or rather, treat it as suspect, that someone who want to get to know several groups before choosing which group was mutually the best fit? I always thought that one of the cornerstones of Panhellenic Recruitment is "mutual selection". Apparently, that's not the case with alumnae women.

I also wanted to emphasize that all of the women who were alumnae initiates were "vetted" very thoroughly before the decision was made to sponsor them for membership (GPhiBLtColonel can attest to this).

I don't know of any alumna initiate who just "signed up" and they were "in". I would say that prospective alumnae initiates are "sized up" more throughly than women participating in the collegiate rush process, where rushees are only met perhaps 4 or times. I would also say that prospective alumnae initiates are "sized up" on things that matter, such as achievements in life, goals, a desire for volunteerism and a love of sisterhood. All too often in the collegiate recruitment arena, girls are cut because they did not "dress the right way", or were not confident in face to face rush parties. It's nice to know that there is a 2nd chance out there for women.

And I would like to erase any notion stated or perceived that somehow the women who are doing AI were somehow "not good enough" to get in to their respective GLOS as collegians, or that this was their easy way in.

I won't discount that their are people who want to be in GLOs that shouldn't be. I'm glad that GLOs are careful about who they take in and that they have very stringent procedures to follow. I think it strengthens them in the end.

Lastly, honor initiates are one thing but AI to me is different. It isn't just a fancy celebrity you ask to join with the hopes of attracting more girls at rush. I had a conversation about this with a national officer recently. She said a lot of chapters want to initiate their house mothers etc as AI to honor them. But that is not what AI is supposed to be about. AI is more than an honor, it is an obligation to support your GLO ongoing with time and talents and resources.

would like to add
 

Re read this post on the ZTA board from the convention initiate:

click here

It speaks to why women want to be AI. It doesn't matter if you are a legacy or not. Those words speak true to us all.

I think many women do it because they wanted to be in a sorority in college, but were unable. Some examples:

1) My chapter recently AIed our chancellor's wife, who was president of the local sorority that we were before becoming Gamma Omega Chapter. She had always wanted to affiliate with Gamma Phi after we went national, and she finally got the chance.

2) My mother is interested in AI - she put herself through college at Marquette (which is not cheap) and was working so much that she would not have had the time to join, yet was something she was already interested in.

3) Our Greek Advisor was also recently AIed - she could not become Greek in college due to the school she was at. She didn't fit their image of a sorority woman.

Hmmmmmmmm.....
 

...I wonder if NHFulmer is even reading all the posts everyone has made since she posted her thoughts about Alumnae Initiation?:confused:

probably not...

Yes, I am reading you responses although I have very little time to spend in chat rooms or on boards. Yes, I am a Zeta Tau Alpha and I believe you can see where I am coming from by the Zeta policy posted earlier. I stand by it. We also will initiate those who were members of locals taken by Zeta or of national groups absorbed by Zeta. I didn't mean to offend any one by stating my feelings. This is the way things are with Zeta. My reference to the alumnae PH discussion did not necessarily reflect my opinion but that of a number of other representives.

By the way, I didn't advertize my affiliation because of postings on Zeta's sister site suggesting that we not do so to avoid such situations as this. I guess I should have -- but it really doesn't matter since several of you seem to have time to do some sleuthing.

Welcome back, Nhfulmer. I do hope you can see that just because you stand by ZTAs policy -- one I respect, BTW -- that it doesn't mean that said policy should apply to all GLOs.

I'm glad that the policy works for ZTA. I'm even happier that Alpha Phi has a more 'liberal' alumnae initiation policy, or I would have never become a member of an NPC organization since I was denied the chance to gain membership through the traditional collegiate process.

Best to you,
C.

I have an idea....
 

If we want to discuss the pros and cons of AI and compare notes on procedures, maybe we want to start a new thread for it.

Debate and "standing by" our GLOs rules may hurt the very positive vibe of this thread that has been followed for months.

Like I said, things arent' the same everywhere, in every GLO, nor in every state. We all have a lot to learn from people in other places. You never know when someone's greatest weakness will become their greatest strength.

Adrienne (PNAM-2003)
:D

There is a thread that lists the different procedures already - but I agree, there is no need for debate over the value of them. If you don't like someone else's rules, good thing you're not in that org. If you don't like your own, work to change them.

Re: I have an idea....
 

Adrienne,

You are WAY too P.C.

Honestly, you express your thoughts very eloquently and I enjoy reading them.

:)