Advice about AI
 

Okay Ladies and Gentlemen,

Here I go. I have been reading your threads and I have finally decided to participate. It became obvious to me some time ago that I would like to join a GLO. I attended a women's college where NPC sororities where not allowed. I am a member of two professional fraternities and an honor fraternity, but I feel that I can both gain and contribute to a sorority. The problem that I am having is that I do not know anyone in a sorority and specifically I do not know anyone in the one that I am particulary interested in. I have contacted nationals with my interest, but they have not volunteered to put me in contact with a local alumnae chapter. Here is where the help comes in I have PM the person on here who said that they are interested in helping any potential alumnae initiates, but I haven't heard anything back. I know this may sound whiney, but I'm just really excited about the organization. Also if you have any suggestions about contacting the local alumnae chapter since nationals has not offered I would appreciate it.

Thanks!

I'm so glad to hear that you are interested in AI! I would try PMing that person again - sometimes PMs can slip through the cracks. If you don't hear from them in a week or so, try PMing someone else within that organization and I'm sure they'll be happy to point you in the right direction. AI can definitely be an uphill battle for some people, but I think they'd all agree it's well worth it! Good luck! :)

Welcome to another PNAM. I know you will find the sisters here extremely helpful - I know I have!! Be sure and keep us updated. We are on the journey with you.

Welcome!! The process toward AI can be terribly frustrating at times, but it is also one the most exciting things I have ever done. I really do feel that I am opening another chapter of my life (no pun intended ;) )

My progress has been fairly quick because I did send a PM to a GC member from my number one choice, and she has been wonderfully helpful. Her advice brought me straight to the person I needed to connect with.

Best wishes for a successful journey.

LM

I agree with Kathleen. The PM may have gotten lost in internet la la land, or the person might even have been/be out of town.

I'm surprised the national HQ didn't give you an alumnae chapter to contact, but they might have a specific policy. Did you try the org's website?

Good Luck!

I tried, but the link gives me an error.

Thank you for all of the encouragement!

All the NPC groups have as their address www. letters of the sorority spelled out.org, for example

www.alphasigmaalpha.org

except for

http://www.dphie.org/
http://www.aephi.org/

(if there are others, let me know)

Try typing the address out instead of using a link.

Welcome! :)

I'm really surprised that HQ didn't give you an alumnae chapter contact. I know that when I contacted HQ for the org I'm pursuing AI with, I was given the name of a contact person within a couple of days of sending the first email.

If the first person you PM'ed doesn't contact you, definitely contact someone else who's a member of that org. Everyone here has been really great.

Best of luck from one Jen to another! :D

Okay I'm getting all giddy now! What women's college did you attend? I attended Trinity College in Washington DC.

Re: Advice about AI
 

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Yeah! Another PNAM!

I hope you'll keep us all updated!!

Heather

Re: Re: Advice about AI
 

That was my experience also. A couple weeks or so after I contacted Internationals I got an email from the local alumnae chapter president inviting me to an event. Hang in there!!

Update on my situation. I finally heard feedback from 1.5 orgs. One I have heard definate feedback from and I am waiting to be contacted about events. The other I have a phone message from and I am trying to get in contact with that person.

So things are progressing, I think I just need to have some more patience.

good luck and keep us posted.

Patience is a tough thing to have...trust me I can relate! Hope things are going okay!

News, News, News,
 

Okay so I am playing phone tag with the representative of one of the organizations that I am really interested in and I have also received a phone call from another organization that I am open to learning more about. I didn't get a chance to speak with either woman because they called while I was in class so my phone was off. I still haven't heard from the other group that I'm really interested in, but with positive results after waiting for a while and finally getting responses I can wait a little longer. Wooo Hooo!

Chi Omega is chiomega.com

I finally spoke with the representatives of the two organizations that I am interested in joining. There is good news and bad news. One of the organizations you need to know an initiated member sponser you which I don't so they are out. The other organization was really positive and I am supposed to go for coffee on Thursday with the current chapter president and the past chapter president. The conversation was great and I'm really excited! I'll let you know what happens!

That sounds great!! Can't wait to hear how it goes.

that sounds great! i hope things go well this weekend!

Wow! You get to meet the "big cheeses"! :) Smile big and let yourself shine! Best wishes for your coffee evening!


PNAM,


.....Kelly :)

Let's not be tooooooo hasty in dismissing one group. You can get to know members through a variety of activities, and then get sponsored. Find out what events they have in the upcoming months. At this point, explore.


Good luck on coffee w/ the other group!:)

Coffee, which actually turned out to be drinks and dinner, went really well I think. We talked about why I became interested in AI and what made me interested in the particular organization. After my long explaination was over she talked about how she was interested in women taking more leadership roles in the chapter. We seem to be meshing really well. We are supposed to get together with some other women from the chapter in the next couple of weeks to do another after work dinner and also so that I can meet more women from the organization and they can meet me.

She did say that she hasn't ever been involved with AI before, but she was going to do research to learn more about the process and what exactly she needs to do I the chapter decides they want me. All in all I think the initial meeting went very well.

As a response to Rho's comments I flat out asked the representative from the organization, who is a Grand Council member, that if I didn't know any members that I was at a standstill and she said yes. No attempt was made to put me in contact with a local alumnae chapter or anything so I think the option is closed.

I am really encouraged by the meeting last night and I will let you guys know what happens!

it sounds like you had a really great night! i hope that you here from them soon!

Out of the blue
 

I received an email yesterday from a local collegiate chapter. The sister was inviting me to lunch to learn more about the organization. I replied to her and told her that I thought she had the incorrect person, she addressed the email to a different woman, but that I was definately interested in her organization. I futher explained the I was a graduate student and not even at her school, but I she was still interested in lunch I was definately interested in learning more about her organization and alumnea initiation. She said that she was and we plan to meet after both of us are done with finals.

I initially thought about just deleting the email because it's was not addressed to me and the organization is different from the one that I had dinner with last week, but something told me to take the chance so we will see where this goes. I've found that things that seem to start out odd usually end up being okay.

Just thought I would share so info since I haven't heard anything back from the other organization yet.

wow, that is a weird twist of fate. I hope you do go out and talk to her.

Response from first group
 

I received an email from the first group that I went and had dinner with a week and a half ago saying that they were unable to sponser me for alumnae initiation. So it's sort of back to square one, but I did receive an email from one of the organizations that I had contacted saying that they were going to forward my info to the local alumnae chapter so maybe that will produce something.

As it stands now I've emailed back and forth with one org and we are going to set up a time to meet after the first of the year. The other org has my info and I am patiently awaiting contact from the local alumnae chapter.

JHUJenn my cousin went to Trinity College in DC! She currently still lives in DC! How cool! So have you found a chapter yet? I know AI is something newer to me...but my sorority has been very active with it I believe. www.alphadeltapi.org Go ahead and look into it!

what a bummer, but it sounds like you still have lots of options! good luck with the other chapters!

Things are looking up!
 

A member of one of the organizations that I was orginally interested in contacted me about alumnae initiation. She is gathering the information about it and said that she would get back to me in the next couple of days.

I am so very excited because I thought that all changes with this org were over because of the requirements for AI, but she has essentially come to my rescue and I am so excited because the org was/is my first choice!!

I'll keep you guys posted, but think good thoughts about good things happening!

best of luck :)

Good Luck with everything...I am sure it will work out one way or another!! ;)

Please Keep us all posted on the upcomings!

If this comes through, this will be another +++'s for Greek Organizations expanding to people who can be of a huge Help for them and each of us!:)

Sounds like good newss for you.

jhujenn, I have added you to The List.

How are things going?

I haven't posted because I haven't really heard anything. I received an email today from the president of the local alumnae chapter. She said that she didn't know much about AI, but would check with some people and let me know what she finds out. So basically I just w...a....i....t...i....n....g

She's willing to find out. That's a GOOD sign!

She could have just say "no way".........

Oh I'm not discouraged that she is checking it out. I agree that it's a really good sign. She has been really gracious in all of her emails so there is nothing bad to say.

Good news
 

I received an email today from the National officer of one of the organizations I'm interested. She asked for my mailing address so she could send info.

Woohoo!