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Greek Alums
It is a total shame that there are not more Alums and actives of the Greek Organizations on this site!
One must remember that in most instances, if it were not for the Alums, many chapters would not be on their respective campuses! I get tired of chapters whinning about alums not participating with them! In Most Instances, The Active Chapter does not keep the Alums informed, involved, updated, and in the loop. I am sure most Alums are as anxious to be of service but to not know what is going on is NOT the fault of the ALUMS. We are out to work, help, and any other function we can do to build on what WE WORKED our rears off to keep going. I for one do not go back to my campus to see the school but to see My Brothers! ------------------ Tom Earp LX Z#1 Pittsburg State U. (Kansas) |
I too wish that more were on this site, but as for keeping in touch, I think it's a two way street.
My chapter was just recolonized and they have their hands full just working on chapter events,organization,and RECRUTMENT so I make a huge effort to keep myself updated. I feel like alum want to blame the chapter and the chapter wants to blame alum, so no one every knows what the deal is. I wish alum would step up and say hey I think we need to redo the alum contacts can I help? It may be great to have an actual alums Point of view! |
While I agree that chapters should keep their alumni members informed on what's going on and how they need help - I think it's up to US (alumae/alumni) to teach our chapters how to reach out and make them want to.
In my experience, each time I've offered my help, chapter members have responded well, usually with praise like, "wow, I wish we would have asked you earlier" or "we could really use your help on some other projects". I can understand the frustrations of many of us that want to be kept more in the loop and want to feel comfortable in offering advice... but until we educate our members on how to keep us involved, it's not going to happen. It is a two way street but let's face it, our chapter members usually realize that we need each other in order to have a strong organization well after they are no longer "chapter members". Tom, you sound really frustrated and I'm sure that I can't come close to understanding what situation may have gotten you that way. Whatever the situation, don't give up. From other posts of yours that I have read, I know that you are a valuable asset to your chapter. [This message has been edited by AlphaXiGirl (edited April 12, 2001).] [This message has been edited by AlphaXiGirl (edited April 12, 2001).] |
As I read through Tom's posts regarding alumnae/active issues, so much of what he says rings true to me and my own experiences. I am active and helpful because of my own efforts. After three years, I realized that I was NEVER going to be asked for help..so I just started offering, aggressively, my assistance and wisdom. Hopefully, I'll have done some good!
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Hey! Alum in the house!! http://www.greekchat.com/forums/ubb/smile.gif
Great post Tom! Wish I had the solution for you but .... I know the frustration! You want to help them so much but they are in college and are going non-stop - barely have time to call mom and dad let alone - some alum. But life is a circle and they will graduate and in 5 years - want to be a part of it and get the same treatment. You know - I think email is a great way to interact - maybe if your chapter could list alum emails on the website too - - more interaction could begin???? What do you think? Sue |
Pretty neat thing last night at a Delt Founder's Day dinner. Local alums helped a local chapter raise enough money to re-open the kitchen in their house, so the undergraduates at the chapter made a video to say thanks and played it at the dinner.
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Yes, i get frustrated, but I think the young men of the chapter are starting to get turned around! We Alums are working on a Web Site to get our message out and for Alums to make changes on their info update.
If any of you have tried to find Alums, it can be hard, time consuming, and expensive. I have taken that on myself as I use the phone cards I sell at my shop and it keeps the cost down. For some of the Brothers from other chapters that I have talked to on the phone I Talk alot. That is especially true for my Brothers that i have not seen or talked to in years. That is a minimun of an hour. But I find it fruitful. I hve gotten @ 185 Brothers for the address book so that we can keep them informed. i am now getting help from Brothers sending me E-M that I can confirm and get listed. Granted it is a two way street between Alum and Actives, some one has to start the dialog to keep it going. As Brother Rambo always says, It Is The 20 % that do the work and the 80 % that ride along till the wagon really gets rolling and they can get on and that is what i strive for!!!! HAPPY EASTER TO ALL OF MY GREEK BROTHERS AND SISTERS!!! ------------------ Tom Earp LX Z#1 Pittsburg State U. (Kansas) |
Hey! I'm a proud, active alumna of Delta Zeta. Just wanted you to know that there are some of us out here on GC!! http://www.greekchat.com/forums/ubb/smile.gif
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If can be of help let me know!!!!!
------------------ Tom Earp LX Z#1 Pittsburg State U. (Kansas) |
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Hey alphaxigirl, what happened to you? If I can be of help, let me know via E-M.
------------------ Tom Earp LX Z#1 Pittsburg State U. (Kansas) |
Dang Mark, I feel BAD for you as John gets all kinds of HOORAYS and I feel you derserve the same if not more!!!!!!!!
Your fellow GC'er ETC! Get the drift?? ------------------ Tom Earp LX Z#1 Pittsburg State U. (Kansas) |
I just became an alum of Delta Phi Epsilon 3 weeks ago http://www.greekchat.com/forums/ubb/smile.gif.
------------------ Delta Phi Epsilon Delta Gamma Chapter University of British Columbia Sigma 1996 |
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------------------ Phi Love, AEPhiSteph |
Hey Tom,
my hubby just emailed you to say hey! ------------------ Phi Love, AEPhiSteph |
Leslie Anne,
I read your post in the previous alum thread and I hope you're just having a cranky day. I live far away from a lot of my chapter sisters too but I keep in touch with them all the time. It's called E-MAIL!! http://www.greekchat.com/forums/ubb/smile.gif No, it's not the same as being there, but it does help. If you have the bonds time and distance won't sever them. I went to lunch with a chapter sister I haven't seen in 10 years and it was like I just talked to her yesterday. As far as the alum association prob, just keep trying to get in touch with them, like e-mailing every other day or something. As a prez of an alumnae chapter I know sometimes real life intrudes on sorority life (how rude! http://www.greekchat.com/forums/ubb/biggrin.gif) and you can't always get back to people asap. In addition, it is sometimes hard to get past the regional differences between collegiate chapters - I'd be lying if I said it wasn't. plus, I found this link a while back, it is for a KD online newsletter. http://members.nbci.com/kdonline/ You might be able to hook up with some sisters in your area that way. At any rate, GOOD LUCK! |
To the 2 above posts, while my chapter had no Alum group in KC, another chapter started an allKC group and one of the Brothers contacted me. I was delighted and started getting my chapters Brothers to join. If nothing else to build a strong area Alum group. After 2 years, the originators wanted to go back on their own as they had higher priorities. Well, it worked out very well as my chapter has its own Alum group and is stronger than the area Alum group was! Thias may be a horn blowing time as We are all Brothers but it feels good to have grown out of the ahse's. If the "Alum Chapter" is so large, is there not maybe a smaller Alum chapter around? In Calif., there should be a lot of chapters, so I would check with them and ask about their Alum group/ I would also explain you situation and I am sure you will be more than welcome. After all, you can give them insight on what happened in your area!
While it may sound trite, but on a thread, e-bay was mentioned and badges on it.I started checking for my Badge and started bidding to keep them with a Member. In checking and e-m to bidders, i found out I was bidding against Brothers doing the same thing! I dropped to keep the price down and get them to the right place. While said trite, I have met and been in contact with @ 10 new Brothers and are staying in touch to see what is going on at their local chapters! So you see, we ahve the same common thread as have been initiated and all know the same things. There is a bond, and it should be there for each Organization. Try a few of these things and maybe it will go better and i rally hope you find some of your SOROity sisters that you can get together with. Keep informed!!! ------------------ Tom Earp LX Z#1 Pittsburg State U. (Kansas) |
Yo L A, you might try you Natioanl site to see if they have a list of Alums and address's. Contact your House and see if they have a list they can send to you through mail!
I got a list on excel from my International and it was so screwed up to work with some of my Alums set up anew program that is easier to work with except for me! I am PC challenged!!!!! Contact some local houses and go meet them! A foot in the door is better than in the mouth! I know I have foot and mouth! ------------------ Tom Earp LX Z#1 Pittsburg State U. (Kansas) |
Leslie Anne - believe me, we all have our days where we just go "@#*%!!" http://www.greekchat.com/forums/ubb/wink.gif Just like with regular families, we have our days where with our Greek families we want to scream. E-mail me if you want, 'kay?
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Leslie Anne,
I can relate in some ways. My chapter closed in 97 for various reasons from George Mason. We are welcome to come back to the school but basically my chapter got complacent and we went down the tubes. About that same time one of my brothers died in a car accident. The last time I saw my big brother was at the funeral. Its been 4 years now and I think since I've been an alum I feel more spirited about my Fraternity. After graduation I really didnt hang out much except for New Years 2 years ago at LuLus in DC and recently I did reconnect with group of my brothers and it was awesome. Its not exactly the same as it was in college, but we're still very close and recently shared many memories of great times. We still email and call each other even with our busy schedules. I dont think you could pay enough for that. I do feel bitter sometimes about what we lost but those are the times I really try hard and look at how thankful I was of the good times(not necessarily parties). Especially how great we are nationally and the legacy we've had. I will never regret my choice for going Beta and I am very proud of who I am a part of. I could never have gone anyone else. Kevin Beta Theta Pi Alum George Mason Epsilon Mu [This message has been edited by Miami1839 (edited April 29, 2001).] |
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Damn, it is amazing to find out how each of of feel about our own Greek Organization!
It really means a whole lot to each of us know matter when we were there and how long we have been gone! Each of us went through our own ritual, and is it not very hard to forget! This is what HOLDS EACH of us to our FRATWRNITY/SORORITY, and the Greek World! We are each on this web site to carry on our tradiditions and love! ------------------ Tom Earp LX Z#1 Pittsburg State U. (Kansas) |
Hi Leslie Anne!
I'm a KD alumna attempting to start an Alumnae Association here in NC. I read your posts and feel sorry for the neglect, but I have just been to an AA conference and many associations have many issues, too many members is the largest area for concern. Maybe you could contact your APP, she will be able to help. If the AA is too big they could brake off into 2 groups, like a day or night group and maybe you could head that up! I hope you can work it out, if you cannot find your APP's name and number I could look it up for you! AOT ------------------ Lexi |
The main thing with Greek Organizations, is you can find a BRO/Sis to talk with. You may have been a big Brother or had a big Brother (SIS) but you became very close, almost the same as real Family! I know I am closer to some of My Fraternity Brothers than I am my own Flesh Brother. You have to stay involved and hoppifully they want the same as you had. You must teach them as they have to learn. That is why Greeks are stronger when we Graduate tha independents. They do not know how to interact!
------------------ Tom Earp LX Z#1 Pittsburg State U. (Kansas) |
Yo LES ANN, did you have any luck! Have not heard back from YA!
------------------ Tom Earp LX Z#1 Pittsburg State U. (Kansas) |
Yo Les Anne, have not heard back from you to see if you had any lick!
It is never easy but you will find out that the 20 % will be the ones to do the work! Let us know as we are a part of you on this site! ------------------ Tom Earp LX Z#1 Pittsburg State U. (Kansas) |
I hate the fact that you want to give up.
My soon to be AA has only 12 members as of today and we are all very different. I'm the youngest one, everyone else has children or is married...they have a way different lifestyle, but we all made a HUGE effort to get along. We have informal dinners as a brake the ice type of event and it works. So well in fact that I have plans with 2 girls to do dinner and a movie Friday. KD is so awesome that we all feel like it's time to give back and an Alumnae Association is the perfect venue. It's not only about making friends, it's about Shamrock, chapter help, community service, and so much more. It's kinda like laid back chapter life in some ways. One of my sisters, from my chapter, just moved to NYC had no place to stay and no friends. She hooked up with the alum association and she loves it. They are a huge group as well, but she has benefited a lot from the association and without KD it would have taken her a long time to get settled. I hope you give it another try. I think the dinner you attended would be difficult to bond with other KDs, it was their chapter's party...I would have felt strange too. AOT ------------------ Lexi |
Leslie Anne,
I'm sorry that you feel the way you do about your sorority. When I first got out of school, I was so burned out from doing DZ stuff that I didn't get involved in an alumnae association right away. It took almost 3 years before I was ready to jump back in. And that was a big jump! Going to that first meeting and not knowing a soul was petrifying. But I stuck with it. Now, a year and half later, I'm a member of 2 alumnae chapters, am on the advisory board for a local DZ collegiate chapter, am the webmaster for 1 alum chapter, and am the Membership Chairman for the state of GA. It's like having 2 full-time jobs. One that gives me a paycheck every two weeks and one that gives me happiness all the time! http://www.greekchat.com/forums/ubb/biggrin.gif Luckily for me, the alum chapters that I joined are small. One has about 16 members and the other about 30. If we combined the 6 DZ alum chapters in the Atlanta area, we'd probably have a too-large group, much like the one you described. Perhaps you could suggest breaking up into a few different chapters? For example, our chapters are divided by location. We have the Northside chapter for north Atlanta suburb sisters, the Southern Crescent chapter for those down South of the airport, the Atlanta chapter for metro women, etc., etc., etc. At any rate, I completely understand you feeling out of place with everyone already knowing each other. The best way to get around that is to keep going to the meetings so that the girls will start to recognize you. Also, take baby steps by introducing yourself to just one or two girls each time you go. Pick someone who looks like they're in the same age range to start out with because you'll probably have more in common with those people. Get their e-mail addresses and send them a note after the meeting, telling them how much you enjoyed getting to know them and asking them to let you know next time they get together. That's how I met a lot of my sisters. It's tough at first, but I really think you'd be happier once you got involved. Also, I can't stress this part enough, being in an alumnae chapter is completely different from being in a collegiate one. I won't say that one is necessarily more fun than the other, because they both have their good points. BUT there is a significant difference in the lifestyle you lead in the "real world" than in the collegiate world. And alumnae chapters reflect that in the types of gatherings they have and in the types of women involved. Good luck! http://www.greekchat.com/forums/ubb/smile.gif |
Hey DZ rose, I love Atlanta and know what you mean! KD has about 4 associations and they are all full.
I think it is a good idea to ask to split too, many times we have different areas or day and night groups too! By the way, one of my best friends in the world is a DZ and is awesome, I got the chance to meet one of your national officers during Something of Value and she was the best! |
Hey Leslie Anne -
I agree with what everyone else has said, don't give up! You do need to "decompress" after leaving school, especially if you were particularly active in your chapter or your chapter did a lot of activities. I wouldn't rule out the alum associations yet though! Plus, how long have you been in Cali? I'm from PA and one of my boyfriend's friends moved there and for a while it was really hard for him because everything is SO different. I think the sister who took you to her chapter function meant well but at the same time I don't know what she was thinking - I would feel uncomfortable too if I went to a chapter anniversary where I didn't know a soul and everyone else was hugging and reminiscing. Don't let that turn you off. Alum membership is a LOT different than collegiate membership - good and bad. The bad is that sometimes people blow things off and slack. But the good is you know if people are participating, they really want to be there, not just because it's a mandatory activity. The change can be a bit jarring but you just have to relax and go with the flow. I would definitely bring up splitting the associations, they should be big enough to operate but not so big they are unwelcoming. Try going to the meeting in June and see how it goes. You never know who will show up - one of my sisters from another school turned out to be the girl who'd been sitting next to me at work for 3 months! http://www.greekchat.com/forums/ubb/biggrin.gif You never know - you could click with someone even more than you did in your collegiate years. GOOD LUCK! [This message has been edited by 33girl (edited May 10, 2001).] |
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Thanks for that post! I really like hearing from people who know my sisters and love them as much as I do! http://www.greekchat.com/forums/ubb/smile.gif By the way, one of my very good friends is a KD. She is a flight attendant and visits me whenever she's in Atlanta. Also, we just did a huge charity event with the Atlanta KD chapters and 17 other NPC sororities a few weeks ago, so I met several KD's there too! http://www.greekchat.com/forums/ubb/biggrin.gif |
That's so disheartening Leslie. It must have been a tough feeling to digest at that dinner.
I know I've been to some alumnae events where I felt like I was the only person in the room who felt out of place. But at one event, I was talking to some women, and I said "You know, I know we pledged at different chapters, but aren't we all here in support of the same ideals and values?". It was a pretty moment-changing statement. For the rest of that meeting, we talked about our experiences and what we were doing to continue our life in our sorority. Now, the reason you may have felt out of place was because you were with women from the same chapter, so sharing experiences wasn't really possible, as they all had similar ones, while yours were different. I say stick with it. The more people you meet, the easier it will get, I PROMISE http://www.greekchat.com/forums/ubb/smile.gif And maybe you can get some recruits in the area yourself, making it a little easier on you. Best of luck http://www.greekchat.com/forums/ubb/smile.gif |
DZrose93,
I know what you mean. I thought when I graduated that my sorority life was over, but it really just began! I meet so many sorority women on a daily basis...I too love to hear fun stories about fellow sisters. My Alumnae Provience President was the KD responsisble for starting the Greater Northeast Atlanta Association(I think that's the name)! But now we have her around us, but she loves that city, but is glad to be out of the traffic. Have a great day! ------------------ Lexi |
Yo Les ann. What is up with you? Have you been able to get situated with a group? It can be hard! My guys assoc. with a at large alum group and it never really worked out! We split into our own and have more of my chapter Brothers attending thanever befor! Funny tho I was at the Sen. Golf Tourn. in KC and ran into one of the guys from the other alum group and we are still good friends! It may take a while to find the spot but, they are still you sisters. They just have a little more in common together for the moment!
------------------ Tom Earp LX Z#1 Pittsburg State U. (Kansas) |
Thanks Les Ann, alot of times if the AA is from mostly one chapter they have a lot in common. But remember you all have one thing in common! Sometimes they and we forget that. Everyone is centered on their own chapter. Hand in there and get to know one at a time and walla you will once again be in the group!
Each chapter has had their trials and tribulations that they remember and relate to. I never met A person that I did not like until they proved me wrong! ------------------ Tom Earp LX Z#1 Pittsburg State U. (Kansas) |
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