Adviser help - feeling unappreciated
 

I am an adviser with a sorority. Lately, I have felt unappreciated by the members of the sorority. I have done lots for them over the years. But since there has been a new Exec, I find that I am just a thing taking up space at their meetings. My input is not wanted and I feel useless (except when there is a crisis, then the phone cannot stop ringing!)

I feel like resigning my adviser position.

Any advice about the above would be appreciated.

Welcome to my world. I just began an Advisor position this past fall. From what I understand though, the chapter hasn't had an advisor in over 6 years though, which sounds a lot different than your situation. I went to a Volunteer Training for my organization recently and EVERYONE recommended I keep a strong prescence in the upcoming semester. Some of the ladies in my alumnae association also suggested I make events mandatory centered around the areas the chapter is doing poor in (ie. financial management, recruitment, etc.) and plan a day when I will go to do this rather than wait for the chapter to get back to me (which they don't). I try to look at things from an undergrad perspective though, and realize that as alums, we are seen as "big bad National that closes chapters down". I used to think this in the past when I was in undergrad, but I think now that most GLO's really are open to working with problematic chapters, despite what many undergrads may think. I think the problem lies in trying to get the chapters to be more willing to work with National and to get away from doing a lot of negative stuff that may have happened in the past, that is seen as "tradition". I am also open to receiving any "advice" anyone has in this area because I know it is not going to be any easy road ahead of me by any means. I am glad someone brought up this subject because there are so many underlying issues we need to help overcome!!!

as general advisor to a collegiate
 

chapter, i feel that i am there to guide, not to boss or demand.i make sure that they follow our national guidelines and panhellenic
guidelines.they run their chapter meetings, executive council and program council meetings, they plan their recruitment events , set their scholarship rules,decide how they are going to raise money for their philanthropy,etc. i might suggest an idea to them, but they decide if they want to implement it. just as we raise our children to be self-sufficient, so we must raise our collegiate sisters to learn to make decisions (and the right ones , at that!) on their own.

Yepper, welcome to the Real World of Advisorship!

As you can see by My Sig., I have been around My Chapter a long time!

While I was Not Official Advisor, I was always there except for a short period of time.

"FSUZeta", reread her post.

"winneythepooh7", also reread Her Post.

Same Thing, two different circumstances.

Making suggestions, if they want to listen.

Free Wheelers, We dont need anyone.

That is called BS!

LXA requires Chapters to have Advisors and is a Pre-Reqeuisets to getting Charterd and to stay current Chapters.

Hang in Both of You, they will get used to you and when you send your reports in To Hq. then they may learn!

I had a confrintation once and was told it was none of my Fu+king Business they ran the chapter. I told them the reason We were having this conversation was because I started the whole thing and if not for Me, We wouldnt be standing there, Period!

Well, We are celebrating 40 years next Month.

It is a thankless job, but they dont understand untill years later!!!!!!!! Then they say, "Why Didnt I Listen Then"!:)

I'll also join this bandwagon, if I may...

I'm not going to go into detail just out of respect for the chapter, but I have also been on the verge of dropping my advisory position due to the chapter's lack of respect for the advisory board and the expectation that we're always there to save them out of a tough spot....

PM me if you want to commisserate...

I guess my issue is kind of opposite. DG has a rule that you have to be out of your chapter 3 years before returning as an advisor (I'm sure most sororities have a variation of this rule). Well....I've been out for a year now and my chapter is in desperate need of a Recruitment Advisor and no one is willing to do it. (well, no one but me). The Alumnae chapter has recognized this and I even spent fall recruitment with them as a "Co-Advisor" type with the current Advisor who just can't fulfill the position anymore.

Well.....our Chapter Advisor was supposed to talk to whoever she needed to in order to get me in as the new RA and it seems that her one and only effort has failed and she's given up on trying. I'm aware that she spoke with one person but I'm positive that if she spoke to our Regional Recruitment person or even someone at EO, that they would understand the situation the chapter is in and waive the rule. I especially think this because they know me personally from when I myself was in charge of recruitment and being involved with the chapter.

I guess my biggest problem right now is the fact that the chapter looks to me as the Advisor....calling me with questions, asking me to be at the house for the events, etc. I just feel very discouraged because I want to help but I also don't want to just be there helping when I spent the last semester preparing to advise. It just really upsets me that I can be an advisor at any other chapter now, but I'm being held back from my chapter because I haven't been out of school long enough.

Excuse my ranting....just hoping that someone else has been through this situation also.

Hannahgirl...As someone who has been out of the chapter for 10+ years, let me tell you that your organization is smart for making this rule. I've seen girls who are recent alums come back the next year to help with Recruitment. It never works out as they are too close to the house (emotionally) and want to become an active part of the decision making when it comes to choosing PNMs and at some point, want a say in the matter. The older alums have had to designate newer alums to "behind the scene" duties to keep them off the floor and to make sure they aren't influencing the decisions of the active house.

Give yourself some time to disaffiliate with your chapter. It'll help you with objectivity and make you a stronger advisor when your 3 years roll around. Stay active with your local alum chapter...this way you're still supporting your house, but in a less direct way...

In the end, you'll be glad you did...it'll make you more ready for becoming an advisor...

Good luck!

I cannot agree with you more. DG has a reason for that rule. My chapter's support team also will not send alumnae back for reviews or allow them to hold an support team position until they are out for three years. Mind you, we will celebrate our chapter's 6th anniversay this April. We really cut into our available alumnae, and it will be tough, but the chapter really needs the ability to grow. It is hard for alumnae to let go emotionally, especially chapter founders.

Both alumnae and acitves need to concentrate on the present, if that is college or grad school or a first job. Alumnae can give so much more to the chapter when they are able to distance themselves and are not into the cliques that exist. I don't care if people say cliques don't exist, they do and it can be a real issue if someone who is there to be impartial and advise is still part of the cliques. We had an advisor who was just way too close to the chapter and when issues came up, some sisters refused to use that person as a resource because of her past behavior. It is not a good situation for either side and is probably better for long term involvement.

AST does let recent alumnae become involved on the National level, and in advisory capacitities. However, avoid it if you can. Do something on a national level until you are farther out, or see if another chapter needs help. Do not hurt the relationship you have with your chapter. It is hard to tell your best friends that you can't be involved in the middle of the dramas anymore. Saying that was one of the hardest things I've ever told a sister. But I've saved myself from becoming too involved, and now I can be friends with them.

Sorry that was so long

ITs the job of a chapter advisor to discover an approach that allows the chapter to find them relevant, useful and valuable.

Thats probably beyond a lot of people's communication skills.

However, its good way to think about it.

So if the chapter is finding the advisor less than relevant or useful, the advisor may want to rethink his/her approach.

WesternAlumn, Do not give up! The chapter DOES need you, though they may not realize it. I have found that a chapter acknowledging advisors is "generational" and this may be that generation of exec that doesn't realize your importance.

When I was in college, our CA had our exec retreat on the beach at Panama City. We literally sat in the sand and talked sorority for HOURS. She got great information and we found it fun and she became a person we could relate to. Now that I am a CA, I look for fun, relaxing, and stressfree ways to communicate with exec.

I would find new ways to infiltrate into the chapter...new members are always a great start since they are your next "generation." Also, make it a point to touch base to with officers weekly - report reminders, e-cards, positive notes. If they acknowledge you only when they do something "wrong" then that's where they see your value. You are MUCH more valuable then that, but you have to show them you are.

If you make an impact on a couple people, you have done a good job. My old CA is one of my best friends to this day!!!!

As a former advisor and current Province Director, I would advise this:

If they are following the rules but not wishing to do things just as you would, then give them some space to try new ideas or methods. As long as they are within policy, we have to give them some room to be individuals (even they ditch "traditions" that we loved as collegians for something new). Chapters do change, members change, exec boards change and they need to do things as a chapter that fit their personalities, needs, and wants.
Even if you think they will not succeed, sometimes you have to let them make their own mistakes (as long as they are not risk management type mistakes) and learn how to do it better. Sometimes a new way will work better for them, even if it didn't work for a different group of women in the past, because they are different women.

If they are not following rules and are bucking policy, that's a whole 'nother ball game! Then you need to get the support of your regional/province team and have them reiterate to the chapter that they need to do things differently. I see my main role as being a support system to the advisors while always encouraging the collegians to be the best chapter that they can be.

They obviously do want you and need you if they call you in times of crisis! It may be helpful to have a program on the role of advisors and find out from the collegians what they see your role as, as well as educating them as to what you want your role to be (or what it should be). They might not know how to "use" you to your full capacity either.

Some exec boards will be more difficult to work with than others, but keep in mind, they only stay the same for a year. The continuity of advisors is invaluable to a chapter, even if they don't realize it.

Dee

Yep...welcome to reality...for whatever reason, the role of the chapter advisor really is unappreciated by many chapters until a crisis erupts - then the value is truly seen.

When I advised, we went through at least one "crisis" every year (I would only consider one of the events a TRUE crisis, but, undergrads can overreact sometimes)...and that would help cement our relationship.

I was very honest with them when I first started - I laid out an agenda for the chapter to combat their perceived "weak" areas - not only from IHQ's perspective, but also from their own perspective....voila - many areas actually overlapped!

I also operated with the following quote from our advisor manual in mind in every single meeting I attended: "Allow mistakes to be made." And I certainly did - only those decisions that were patently against policy would I challenge, and I actually had to overrule one decision, but the rest were simple learning experience for the Exec committee that would not lead to catastrophe, but they realized in retrospect, could have been handled in better ways.

I agree with this...to a point...

Unfortunately, it takes a crisis for the chapter to recognize the value of their advisors. But once the crisis is resolved and the chapter begins to return to a level of normalcy, some of the members will continue to appreciate what the advisory board will do, but the majority returns to it's "pre-crisis" state of operation.

I've seen this firsthand after recruitment this last year. The advisors saved the chapter from a disaster of a recruitment. Most of the chapter doesn't even remember this incident...

Out of curiosity, is it known how much of the chapter actually knew what was going on during and after the crisis? It has been my experience (as an active and as an alum) that what exec may know, the general chapter may not. And because turnover is comparatively fast, the chapter may "forget" because it's been 2 or 3 years and the people who were involved the last time aren't there anymore, and the not-so-shiny parts of chapter history have not been handed down.
I do think that the chapter will return to it's pre-crisis state at some point, but it happens for a lot of different reasons - because of a lack of education/knowledge or because they have the wrong attitude toward the situation or even because no follow-up plan was actually implemented. We as advisors/active alums/house corp have longer memories because we are there longer, we can appreciate better what's at risk, we are more cognizant of liability, etc., etc.
It's not easy to be an advisor, and certainly it makes it tougher when the chapter doesn't appreciate you, but often they simply don't know. When they become informed and stay informed, their appreciation of the advisors seems to go up (for the most part).
My chapter didn't appreciate the advisors and several nearly quit until it became apparent that the chapter didn't understand why the advisors were pushing for certain changes. Once everyone knew what was going on, or at least the important parts of what was going on, the chapter appreciated the advisors more, and they made the changes that needed to be made - though sometimes their approach was different than the approach the advisors would have taken, they still got the job done. And because everyone in the chapter knows and the history is (eventually) passed down, the advisors continue to be appreciated.

This is a good point, but honestly, much of the chapter did know the situation. I admit the recently initiated members wouldn't have known (as they were PNMs at the time).

You bring up some very valid points; however, it seems the girls who were directly involved who knew about the crisis are even responsible for returning to the pre-crisis state...granted I'm generalizing...there are some girls who do have a great respect for us that has continued beyond the crisis point...but there are many others who are either unable or do not care to understand what is involved as an advisor...yes...we've talked to them about it as a whole chapter, but for whatever reason, it doesn't stick with most of them...which is too bad as this is the future of alumnahood.

The Problem is that many times Advisors are not respected, forget that That They, DA, Never went through the same things that a current Chapter is going through.:rolleyes:

The We can do it isnt really true. As LXAAlum stated, Advisors are not needed until there are Problems.

Executive Committee is made of Active Members who should know what is going on. They can be voted out of Office if They are not following guide lines of IHQ Dogma.

Remember, They are Not Running Their Own Little Kingdom, They are Officers who are empired to do the best for the Total group.

Granted, there are Some Advisors who will go over board, but more than likely not because, they have been there, done it and dont want to see something done that will screw up the whole balance.

If Your GLO is like LXA, You are required to Have An Alum Advisor.

Not someone who just Graduated from that Chapter, but someone who has been around and has knowledge from some where else or has been away long enough from Your Chapter, usually 3-5 Years.

Let's face it, aren't there lots of people in our lives who take us for granted every day until they really need us? Why should fraternity/sorority be any different? Sometimes, a new executive board can seem really distant because you don't connect with them the same way you did with a previous one. People are different it just happens.

I've been a Chapter Adviser for about 3 years now. I read somewhere in some manual once that they learn from their own mistakes...therefore, as long as they are not burning down the house or doing something crazy, I let them have their own ideas.
Sometimes, I just sit at meetings and listen to them talk about something or watch them plan an event. Every now and then I will give my 2 cents, but most of the time; I try to let them make their own decisions. I also never tell them, "Well when I was in college we use to do this..." I am there to make sure they are following the bylaws and rules. Anyway, when I first started I felt unappreciated, but now I have learned that the success of the chapter is my reward. When the chapter does well in recruitment or succeeds with a new philanthropic event, that is my appreciation...

i agree about letting the chapter make their own mistakes, but there are a few things i have stepped in on...in a tactful way. there was something they were planning for recruitment that honestly would have made them the laughing stock of campus, so the other advisor present and i let them know. they made changes (which still made my skin crawl, but was much more appropriate) and things went over just fine. i clearly put my foot down for things against policies, make suggestions when asked, and help out with what i can. the main thing that frustrates me is that i honestly don't want to have to chase the exec board down for information and to make sure they stay on top of their positions. i am not their mom, lol, but frequently, i wait till the last minute and ask, "how is xyz coming along?" and they look at me like i have nine heads and say, "what is xyz? when is it due?" oye. i also never expect the general chapter to appreciate me. the majority of my work is done with the exec board, so i know they don't always see what i do.

i agree with the previous suggestion
 

to help the chapter to learn how an advisory position works. the chapter i advise actually thought that we advisors were paid to be advisors!!(if only!).when we found that out, we decided to hold an impromptu info. session during their chapter meeting with a schematic of the national organization volunteers and where everyone falls in that diagram and who(if any) are paid or get reimbursed for certain expenses. after that they looked on us in a whole different light.

Paid Advisors, wow are many of the GLOs Chapters unknowing for sure!

What many dont actually know, the only pay is the satisfaction that Advisors get by seeing Their Charges as it were do well.

They do not understand the amount of time, the cost that acrued by what Advisors do, is for Just one Thing, LOVE.:cool:

Getting paid to be an advisor.....????

After the HOURS of emails, phone calls, meetings, text messages, and training (did I forget anything?) involved in starting a colony and installing a chapter....I don't think my org could afford our advisory board!

Thank goodness we love our letters!

Re: i agree with the previous suggestion
 

The only increase we see isn't in our wallets, but in our hearts.

To see a chapter rise to new heights, or simply maintain standards, or to come through a challenge is payment enough.

It goes back to the old saying "you'll only get out of it what you put into it" really applies as a volunteer.

I want to thank everyone for their advice. It seems that too many of us have been through this.

Unfortunately, the ladies have made changes to their chapter / exec meeting times and it looks that I will be unable to attend either (I have a full time job and cannot drop by the house at their convenience). It looks like my participation as an advisor will be minimal.

I have been doing this for 5 years and it seems that every new Exec finds a new way to push me away. Maybe, they really don't want my help. They say they want alum support (as there has been very little) but they have not done anything to inspire the alum to come back to support them. (I know, whole other issue altogether...) Sigh, I have enough problems with my own life. I love my chapter and want to see it thrive and survive but all my dealings with the chapter lately have stressed me out! Why am I bothering with this? Why not just become another apathetic alum?

Because you aren't any ole burned out alum...You "do" care!! It's for these reasons that you are involved and without involvement from other sisters like yourself, the future of your sorority as a whole will cease to survive!

the other option for you is to take a different role in the ac so that you don't need to reschedule your life to try to help. or you could get involved on a more national scale. i am sure there is an open position just dying for someone to fill! you will be renewed with love for your org and probably feel more appreciated!

Gawd, it's not all about you!!

Maybe they changed meeting times due to, umm, CLASSES or a conflict scheduling at the student center or something.

If you've got this much of a chip on your shoulder about it and think that everything they do is to push you away, it'll be a self-fulfilling prophecy.

All I wanted was some advice from other advisors who have encountered the same thing that was happening to me.

To all those offering their kind words and support, I really appreciate it. It has helped me make a decision with regards to my volunteering as an advisor.

I don't remember how long ago you went to alum status, but there are a couple of things I've seen about advisory boards...

1) The closer the age you are to the girls, the harder it is to accept the changes of the chapter. I've been advising off and on since 1992 when I graduated from college. The changes impacted me much more then than it does now.

2) Those who graduate from the chapter they advise seem to have a harder time with advising the chapter. It seems this is due to the fact that they were once an integral part of the chapter and as an advisor the chapter becomes more distance and foreign to them than when they were active.

It may be if both these issues are impacting you, then you may need to take a breather and get some distance and perspective. There's nothing wrong with that. My advising took a 7-year hiatus at one point. I'm now the oldest advisor on the board (at the ripe old age of 30-something!!) and the only one who wasn't affiliated with the active house. I have less at stake when the girls make decisions that will impact them (unless it's a mistake that impacts the sorority as a whole!).

Good luck to whatever you decide!

WesternAlumn, what AChiOAlumna said!

What many dont realize and I have seen it many times, when a New Alum goes back for visits, they are closer to Active Chapter.

It may take several years to realize, I am not an Active, but an Alum and have different prioritys on how things are handled.

Not to be an ass, but how close were you and did you try to judge and places rules of the good old days on them?

Hell, I have been there and I was the founder and told it was none of my business.:( I am still doing after 40 years.

Is there a Chapter near you that you can spend time with and be away from The Closeness of Your Chapter which may be the problem?

My chapter had a 2-term president who would avoid alumnae and advisor calls. She would never schedule anything with the alumnae at all. She even decided that it would be too much to participate in founders day with them and just decided not to have a celebration for 2 years. She is now graduated and I am tryin to help the new exec board to find an area alumna who will work with the chapter. (I am only out of the chapter for 2 years-I am dying to be an advisor but I know it wouldn't be right.) She has burned so many bridges that alumnae don't want anything to do with the chapter.

So I guess that dittos those who said that chapters change rapidly and especially when new officers are elected.

Tom, to answer your questions, I graduated from the chapter in 1997 and went back as an advisor in 2001 (as I continued to live in the same city). I have little advisor training (other than a manual and my own gut feelings). I do realize that I am no longer an Active and I have not placed any rules of "the good old days" on the members at all.

Unfortunately, the chapter has little guidance from Head Office and other advisors for years (even during my time as an active). Only in the past couple of years has Head Office shown an interest in this chapter and an advisory board been set up. During my time as an advisor, the members seem content in their downward spiral and remaining the small group that they are.

Tom, I really applaud you for doing it for 40 years. You must be a dedicated member of your organization. Thanks for your comments.

roqueemae, it is so funny that you mentioned that. The new president mentioned in her survey to Head Office that no alum involvement was one of the weaknesses of the chapter, yet they do nothing for the alum - no emails or mailings about events, no updates on their website. How can they expect the alum to help out if no one what is going on? Talk about burning bridges...

I'll try to be nicer this time, but this post really confirms that you need to take a breather from this chapter. Basically everything AChiOAlumna said.

If you continue to view the current collegians as being in a "downward spiral" and they pick up that vibe, they're not going to embrace any of your ideas, or any help you might have to give them. You have to build on what's positive not complain about what's negative.

And I'll say again - not everyone wants to be the hugest sorority on campus. It's not a sin.

When the chapter I advise has problems, I go in and lead a group facilitation as to what can be done to move forward from the problem. I have training in this area and I don't lecture the girls during this process. I let it be their process and make them take responsibility to make the change. Sometimes it helps other times it impacts them, but doesn't make the changes that I know they're capable of. But...ultimately...it's not my chapter to determine what happens...it's up to the collegiates.

Where I do take control of the group is during periods where blaming, negativity or disrespect of others take place...then I jump in and process with the group how these behaviors are unproductive and swing back to a productive stance.

Maybe some type of facilitation to find out what your chapter needs vs. wants may help...but it needs to be done by someone who won't end up on the defensive if the advisor don't hear the answers they want...or by someone who will run the group with their own agenda...

I'm in a unique situation. I've only been out of my chapter a year and a half, and I've been an advisor for a few months on the regional level (dealing with five or so chapters at one time). As an undergrad I was a rep to our GLO's Undergraduate Leadership Board, so even then my priorities were devoted to my chapter as well as the overall organization.

I've dealt with one chapter in particular that tends to ignore all alumni advisement and communication, until the Exec board decides to solicit donations. ;) My solution was to have a heart-to-heart "conversation" with the board, connecting on a common level (due to our ages) and expressing the general sentiment of the alumni board, most of which graduated 10, 20, 30 years ago. This year the new Exec board has been a lot more cooperative.

But I agree that as you get older and somewhat distance yourself from your own chapter, you're able to switch priorities into advising for the good of many chapters, many brothers (or sisters, where applicable) and your GLO.

(Not even two years out...I've got a longgg way to go)

It is very hard to advise a chapter when you're newly graduated, even if it isn't your own chapter. For 2 years, the house mom at the chapter I advised couldn't keep it straight in her head that I wasn't one of the live-ins! (And it wasn’t my collegiate chapter, either!)

My advice to advisers, young or wise,

- You are a VOLUNTEER, not a martyr. Never forget this. If your volunteer position becomes a drain, finish out the school year and submit your resignation to the chapter and the national officer who appointed you. Be professional, but also explain why you are leaving. And look for other ways to be involved in the sorority--- you will find your niche elsewhere. It’s your life. If your adviser position isn’t working out, your negative energy and unhappiness, like happiness, is catching.
- When starting out, watch and learn. Observe the chapter; ask questions about the culture of the chapter and the advisory board. You’re here to fit in. If you try to change everything overnight, you will alienate everyone around you. This is also true of the workplace!
- Brainstorm with your officers when you meet them. Review their role and yours together. Let them run with their ideas if they don’t violate any laws or sorority policies. Let them take ownership.
- Encourage regular telephone and face-to-face communication with your officers. Email is one-sided communication, there is no guarantee of timely receipt of the email depending on when you check it, and tone of “voice” can be misinterpreted.
- Don’t micromanage. They are responsible for contacting you and meeting their deadlines. Help them learn time management by providing them with calendars or dropping an email (email is ok in moderation!) once a month with deadline reminders, but don’t baby-sit them. They wanted to be leaders--- let them learn how. If they don’t do what they are supposed to, there are consequences—informal meetings and documentation—things that can prevent them from going onto future leadership roles and things that will teach them NOW the importance of time management and follow-up so they don’t make this mistakes later on as working career women.
- IMPORTANT: Advisers ADVISE. Chapter officers do their own work. If the women aren’t violating any laws or sorority policies, let it be. Let them learn from their mistakes.
- Chapter members will cover up mistakes. They are used to being punished when they mess up, and they will view you as “sister-parent.” Go into your adviser-officer relationship with your officer understanding she won’t be belittled or punished for admitting errors and that you are here to help each other. Then, live that credo.
- Sandwich your criticisms between praise. This goes for the workplace, too. You have to be encouraging in order for anyone to accept feedback.
- Rotate attending chapter meetings with the advisory board. Make sure the chapter knows who you are, what you do “in real life,” how to contact you and that you are a volunteer.
- The advisory board needs to present a united front. Unless the chapter house is burning down or there’s a seriously injured member standing in front of you, don’t act without the advisory board. A divided advisory board can rip a chapter apart.
- Encourage a supportive relationship with nationals through guest speakers at chapter, a pen pal program, reporting successes to nationals and membership education workshops on what it means to be a national chapter.
- If it’s not fun, what is the point? Every alumna has special talents to share. Maybe you’re not a fit with the chapter you advise or your talents might be better served working with alumnae rather than collegiate officers? Or you are great at making presentations—be a guest at a member education workshop. Or serve a national committee. If you’re in a situation with the sorority where you’re not happy, I again encourage you to finish out the school year, be professional about it and then go your separate way. Everything is a learning experience, both for you and the organization!

Adpiucf is right on. Just remember, Rome wasn't built in a day and a chapter that hasn't had an advisor in 6 years won't want ony in a day (no matter what they say) either. I was in a situation very similar when I started advising - I was a year out of school, working with a chapter that hadn't had advisors in 4-5 years (and didn't want them), had no alumnae relations and truely were in a downward spiral (they just didn't realize it). After 10 years the chapter is where it needs to be, finanically, scholastically and membership/recruitment-wise.

The thing to realize is that you have to work on the big problems first and leave the other stuff for the next round. As hard as it may be, let them make their own mistakes and don't say "I told you so". Try to know all the members (or at least a lot of them) not just exec b/c exec (usually) only has a one year term. If you are building relationships within the chapter it will help down the line because those are your future leaders.

It will take time, but it will become the norm for the chapter to have an advisor. Of course this will take three or four years (until all or most of those lived in a world without advisors are gone) but it will all be worth it.

And like others have said, it's not about the appreciation from the chapter (although it is nice to get it), it's about furthering your sisterhood and supporting an organization that you love and believe in. When they get to a point that they realize that they need advisor (not just you, but all their advisors) then the recognition will come.

Remember, summer is the time that everyone (collegiate and alumnae) recharge their sorority batteries so to speak. Take the time to step back and not do anything with the chapter - don't even think about them. You'd be surprised how refreshed and revitalized you will feel come fall.

I know it can be a long road to haul, but in the end the success of the chapter is really worth it. Their success IS your success. :)

Of course, I cannot speak for any other Greek Organizations but LXA, We do require a Chapter Advisor.

It has seemed to work by getting a Member of the Faculty as an Advisor for two reasons.

1. To have a friendly voice on board with ins above the Undergrad level with the Adm.

2. Having a person older and wiser who could be Initiated as a Member.

Our last two were Faculty, one was not Initiated, the last one was and now His Son is also His Brother!:cool: