Anyone Interested in having a convention for local chapters in 2009?
 

My local chapter in the midwest has been discussing trying to coordinate a convention. We want to get an idea if people will attend and if so what are the most important topics your chapter would want to learn about?

We'd be interested. There isn't one topic I can think of that we'd like to learn more about over another. My personal opinion is that we need to learn, or at least be familiar with, it ALL.

Definitely start planning now! Where exactly is your chapter? Are you guys going to host in-state?

I know my sisters would love to come out and show support to other locals.

Some topics could be;

local insurance- are their any companies that local ( smaller ) chapters could benefit from?

Local greek apparel- what are some online/catalog companies who provide locals with letters of good quality?

Staying local and loving it- what are key things about your local that make you proud?? This could help chapters who may have to compete with other sororities that are national.

If i think of any more i will post!

^^^Mods!:rolleyes:

I definitely think it would be an amazing opportunity, but perhaps first work to have more of these programs regional conferences like WRGA, MGCA, etc. If the demand was high enough, then I think we as locals would be able justify having something like this.

Perhaps this could be something to suggest for AFA to host.

I think the main topics that most locals need to cover are:
-Insurance
-New Member Programming
-Understanding our values and specific needs as locals

As an Advisor to a local sorority, the greatest challenge is having the women understand that rituals, traditions and activities will develop with time and as they're needed.

Chris

yes, but...
 

Those are great ideas. But they don't focus on local chapters. It would be nice to have issues that affect local chapters addressed.
Many national/international fraternities and sororities don't deal with the same issues that we do.
It would be nice if there was some list of local fraternities and sororities to directly contact to see if they would be interested in having a convention.

Could be cool. Where are you located?

I'm not following you. Local chapters have the same issues as national chapters, just on a smaller scale. Instead of saying that the ideas being put forth won't work, why don't you actually give some examples of what you think will work? It's not cool to criticize or dismiss ideas when you don't have any of your own to add. :rolleyes:

A national conference doesn't have to have a lot of representative GLOs in attendance. Size isn't what makes something national. If only 5 organizations confirmed they would attend, but they were from different parts of the country, that would result in a small, but STILL national, conference.

Who is AFA? And, why would any particular GLO need to be the host? I don't think there is a need for a host organization at all.

AFA could be Association of Fraternity Advisors. I think that is only for NPC/NIC GLOs.

Thanks. If that's the case, then what XYZ_E_class wrote isn't an option anyway.

My organization is definitely willing to be apart of the conference this year.
It may be that we dont need a specific host but i definitely think we need someone to organize the time, the place and events/forums that will take place.
If anything, its important to have a host, who will be able to have the time to organize and invite other organizations.
I know we all have certain concerns or suggestions that we'd like to share with other locals, so we definitely need to come together and make them public.
I think we'd better start planning soon. the summer months will be here before we know it.

No, AFA is comprised of my individuals who work with chapters throughout the nation - it might be something that the Association could look into developing. I'm a member of a regional fraternity and a member of AFA. Perhaps this something that we as members of local organizations need to work on: understanding the larger Greek community and resources we have available.

That's good to know about the afa. I help advise my local. We only have one chapter. Would I be able to join the afa?

SF GIRLS Wanna come!! go locals!!

I apologize I haven't been diligent in keeping up with this thread.
I didn't mean to insult by saying that locals have different issues than nationals. In my experience, which is solely at my campus, the issues involving recruitment, marketing and PR, Alumni and various other issues are different then the national sororities.

I have ideas, I just wanted to see what other people would like. I want to know what effects you on your campus/es that you would like help addressing and/or learning more about.

Also I think that while a specific organization may not be need to host the event, it would probably make it all that much easier. My chapter is located in the midwest, but I'm not sure if we are the best location. Where would be centrally located for the majority of local chapters?

Does anyone have contact info for other local organizations? I realize that many are not on this forum, but maybe you know of some? There use to be a great website that had a list, but I can't find it...I'm not even sure if it's kept updated.

Please feel free to message me the info if you can. Thank you for expressing your interests and opinions!

There were conferences in 2005 and 2006 (see threads below)

The biggest problem with the way they were set up is that it required one chapter to be willing to take on all the planning and responsibility to set it up. I think they also wanted it to rotate around to different campuses every year. It was bound to fall through the cracks at some point, and it did.

What would be interesting is if you could recruit girls from chapters around the country and work together as locals to plan an event. As much as having it in only one place hurts because its always going to be a bigger travel for one group than another, it would gice some stability to the event for the first couple years. Not only would it build bonds between locals and increase networking, it would also give you guarenteed attendees from those chapters and a semblance of longevity since it doesn't depend on one chapter getting its act together. Not that there aren't definite fallbacks to this option either, but I think a local conference is such a great opportunity for locals to learn from each other and develop into stronger groups and anything you can do to keep this going would be fantastic.

If you wan't to go this route, you should also strongly consider finding an advisor to a local sorority (who is planning to be around for a while) that would be willing to take on some of the planning and would be able to help plan it each year and make sure it happens. Maybe even an alum from a local who could be very dedicated?

Anyways, those are just a couple of ideas I was thinking about reading your posts. You can probably get some contact for the past events and maybe some information about who they invited/who attended from their threads.


http://www.greekchat.com/gcforums/sh...ad.php?t=72344

http://www.greekchat.com/gcforums/sh...ad.php?t=64145

My chapter went to a local sorority convention back in I want to say 2005 and it was a great way to bounce Ideas off each other and learn what has worked for other chapter and what hasn't I would search past threads because this website is where I found out about that convention as far as I know the last year it was held was 2006 in New York. Any other question feel free to ask!

Sorority In Green Bay
 

I know my sorority would be extremely interested in a convention this year. Some of the older members went to one a couple years ago and have been asking about another one. We would be there!

greek convention yeah!
 

my local is located in nyc and would be very interested in attending a convention.

we have recently run into problems that we feel other locals could help with and that may benefit others as well.

1. recruitment - how to recruit like a national or betterthan one or something like that.

2. the pros and cons of panhell/ifc and if creating a local greek governing body is an option / pros & cons of it.

3. why or why not to go national.

4. constitutional help.

5. how to find girls interested in your local org but not interested in rush.

6. how to adapt to different girls / changes in the school without losing the original ideals and values of the org.

Phi Rho Alpha attended in 2006 and it was a fantastic experience, we gained a lot of valuable information and resources. I know there has been talk in my sorority about attending again, so even though I gradated, I'm sure some girls from my sorority would go.

I am in a fraternity, I dont know if this would just be a conference for sororities, but if it were for both Fraternities and sororities, I would love to volunteer my organization