South Carolina!
 

IHQ posted on FB yesterday: Alpha Gamma Delta will colonize at the University of South Carolina next fall!

[I don't think that's been posted on LaneSig's GreekChat Comprehensive Jumbo List of Who's Going Where.]

It's not posted there yet because his list includes Colonizations for Fall 2011-Spring 2012 only. He starts new lists at the beginning of each school calendar year.

Yay us!

There is a dinner event on the USC campus during the first week of November for Alumnae and IC folks. If it was a weekend, I would go but it's a weekday.

Congrats to AGD and to South Carolina! Hope your colony is a great success!

Infosessions -

Monday, Sept. 17
7 or 8:30 PM at Russell House Theater

Wednesday, Sept. 19
7 or 8:30 PM at Russell House Theater

Thursday, Sept. 20
7 or 8:30 PM at Moore Business School's Lumpkin Auditorium

Does anyone know what the chapter name will be?

http://www.alphagammadeltahouses.com...na-colony.html

This is an educated guess: Theta Omega. Austin Peay was Theta Psi.

I just need to take a moment to say how impressed I've been with this colonization. The support, the staffing are amazing; the house all ready for new members to enjoy; the social media presence has been thoughtful - great pictures on facebook and on twitter; and I can only imagine the energy happening in the house right now. It seems that everything that could be done to make this colonization a success has been done - including an Open House for parents yesterday prior to the interviews starting.

Interviews are happening now through Wednesday. Invitational Parties on Thursday and Friday. Bid pick up is Saturday. Bid day is next Sunday.

Very eager to see what happens here.

I mean seriously. Look at these cookies:

https://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphot...90642072_n.jpg

My sister came into town this weekend and she gave me a button that says, "AGD loves the Gamecocks".

I really wanted to go to bid day/pledging festivities, but it's a Sunday. If initiation continues to be planned for the beginning of December, I am so going!

Getting to see my sister AND welcome many more Alpha Gams into the sisterhood is a double whammy awesome weekend!

ETA: My sister, by being on staff at USC, has the inside scoop!
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...ps5b4d249d.jpg

Found out last week that a friend's daughter is interested in the colonization - parents were going to an info session this weekend. Hoping for a great colony at USC.

Today, I took a picture of the very same wall decoration at the new Zeta Alpha house, in the same spot, in the stairwell!

I have heard that AGD wants to colonize with 300-350 girls - is that typical size for USC?

Total is 285. The largest has 358 members, the smallest has 275. I don't know all the rules, but I thought a sorority could colonize only up to total.

My daughter's BFF interviewed yesterday!

I know the ADPi chapter has over 300 members.

You can ask for the Panhellenic to vote to allow the colony to bid up to average or largest. If there is a lot of interest, hopefully the CPH will consider voting for something higher than total. At UNCW we were held to average chapter size and many well qualified women were turned away. Heartbreaking :(

But that is not the trend in colonies, at least this year. You'll see Phi Mu and A Chi O took far less than chapter average at Arkansas. I'm assuming that is so that they don't lose too many in the chaos. It's got to be hard enough to keep 125 members through the colonization process. I can't imagine trying to engage, educate and mentor 300+. Then my guess is they will take a pledge class in the spring and do another group of about the same size. But that's just a guess. AGD is going to have the same conundrum at USC - take the full amount they're allowed and risk losing a bunch of them because it's just too many people to work with, or take a dramatically smaller but hopefully more cohesive group and make up the slack over the next few years. With RFM and QA's working the way they do, I think I'd opt for the smaller group.

https://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphot...24849039_n.jpg

Halfway through invitational parties!

Again, I remain impressed with the thought behind this colonization. I know based on facebook photos that there were at least 24 women - combination of Leadership Consultants, IHQ Staff, Council Members, and VST - who were present last weekend for the Parent Open House. Not sure how many stayed to work the week, but I believe most of them have.

Can't wait to see the colony picture on Sunday, and to find out who my Pearl Sister is!

^^^I was on the list to be a Pearl, but I think I missed the boat. I've been so busy with grad school and working that I haven't been checking my personal email frequently (my fault!). But, as long as they don't move initiation, I'll be attending it!

Do you know when Initiation may be?


I may try to go. :)

I don't know yet. I did mention to the powers that be that I would love to help with Installation in some capacity.

A few pictures while we wait:

On the back patio:
https://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphot...46701761_n.jpg


Interview set up - and I really do love the Alpha Gamma Delta Purpose on the wall. This is a feature in all Fraternity Housing Corporation properties:
https://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphot...15824042_n.jpg


Inside the house:
https://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphot...25221905_n.jpg

These pictures and more are available on the public facebook page for the colony.

My sister has given the currently planned initiation date but told me last week that there is talk of changing it.

Re: Decorating....LOVE IT ALL!!

Re Re: Initation...maybe some of us Atlanta Pearl Sisters can go together (although I haven't figured out who all of us are, lol.)

The Zeta Alpha house didn't get the Purpose written on the wall like that, but they do have a framed Purpose. They also have the "Think Glam and Go Alpha Gam" throw pillow :)

Both are my favorite "new" things we have going on with housing. I hope that Gamma Alpha, Gamma Phi, and Psi - even though they aren't FHC properties - incorporates the Purpose Wall with their new houses/additions.

The wooden badge wall hanging is incredible too. I have to presume there is one at the South Carolina house too.

ETA: I really should be sleeping since the pics of the wooden badge are in this very thread.

yep - there's a picture posted somewhere earlier in this thread :)

Yeah yeah, see my edit... lol. I'm going to bed. My brain is clearly already sleeping.

https://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphot...62185734_n.jpg
I know it has been said before, but I am really impressed with this colonization. The hard work of the colonization team and local alumnae are to be commended. I loved loved loved the detail from the cookies, to the pillows, and table runners. Everything was just...DARLING!

I really hope that, in the future when AGD is up for colony consideration at other campuses, the CPH pays close attention to what we have done at South Carolina. What's been done here is just absolutely impressive.

HAPPY BID DAY to our newest squirrels!

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/A4EA4IFCYAA4qdP.jpg:large

First picture of the new chapter!

How many new members are there at South Carolina?

Congratulations!!!!

I tried to count. I know there are at least 200 women in this picture. I think I counted around 215 but I just couldn't keep track of them all...lol. Wow!

http://pbs.twimg.com/media/A4DUpwSCMAEV_5q.jpg:large

http://instagr.am/p/QNe8MVIDeN/media/?size=l

http://instagr.am/p/QNdKd_ilTs/media/?size=l

Cosign. This has been incredible to watch unfold. Seems to me that the lessons of the past have been applied well here.

http://instagr.am/p/QNswIXyDyg/media/?size=l

Bid day Swag!

All that excitement makes me want to be a new member there! LOL

Will any of the women move into the chapter house or will it just be used for meetings and meals?