Verifying Alumnae Members ( ALL GLOs- random question)
 

Re: Verifying Alumnae Members ( ALL GLOs- random question)
 

i'm not sure, but i certainly would not let someone see our chapter room or divulge in any private discussions based solely on a chapter name and a year.

Keep in mind that alumnae ARE members! If the alumna can sucessfully reply to discreet challenges, then they are your sisters. Sometimes people are mistrustful - this can cause alumnae to turn away from the sorority.

Re: Verifying Alumnae Members ( ALL GLOs- random question)
 

In NPHC organizations we do.

Nonmembers get a hold of information all the time and unfortunately membership cards get lost or stolen. There are also people whose membership standings are questionable due to disciplinary action. Aside from introductory kindness when you meet someone who claims to be a member, there's no harm in checking membership. Alumnae who are offended by this need to relax because it justs comes with the territory.

If the person actually wants to formally have her membership status switched over to an alumnae chapter, their membership standing should be checked and the appropriate paperwork should be completed. If the person just wants to assist the alumnae chapter with certain activities without transfering membership, there are other ways of confirming membership status and standing with the sorority. An ounce of prevention is a pound of cure.

We get a list of alumnae within a certain geographic area and send our newsletters out to them. They wouldn't be on our mailing list unless they were members. We do have a member directory on our members only side of our website though, so I would look them up there if I didn't know who they were, where they were coming from, etc.

Additionally, if a collegiate Alpha Gam wants to affliate with the new chapter, the former Chapter Advisor is contacted to verify membership status.

Being Greeks I think We beleive anyone who comes to our doorway. UT-Knoxvill is a proof in point.

I used to travel a lot and would stop in Houses.

If You have lost Your Card, You still have a rudiment knowledge of Signs that so designate who may be Members and who are not.:(

At The Gen. Assemb. that I attended 2 years ago, while I had My Card and Credentials, I still had to give the Grip.

It was funny to see so many Guys practicing it before they were allowed to enter!:D

Grips and other "signs" are easily passed on to nonmembers.

Then give a suggestion instead of a comment!

Is that a new GC rule?

I already answered the OP's question. You responded to something in my post and I returned the favor. Touchy touchy.

That's what I do as well.

Re: Verifying Alumnae Members ( ALL GLOs- random question)
 

I think it definitely would be very wise to verify alumnae status (or even membership for that matter!).

We always do. If nothing else, a quick call to EO is in order, as an alumna is not supposed to just "show up" at a chapter meeting, without either an invitation or an okay.

DSTCHAOS is right, many people who shouldn't know your handshake, sign, whistle, or password do know it. If you let that be your only guide, you'll only sell your organization short.

BTW, we had an advisor when I was an active who had not been previously vetted. It turned out that she was an ADPi, but had been deactivated for a reason. After her brief stint as our advisor, she was AGAIN deactivated, and I shudder to think that she's passing herself off at yet another unsuspecting chapter!

I 've been trying to get involved with our local chapter here in Syracuse. I was able to go to the house last night and help out after Recruitment. I was sitting at this table with other advisers and alumnae, and thinking: "Wow, they just let me come down here!" Oh, we were doing post recruitment 'personal' things. It makes me wonder if they checked my status.

Help or Not, it is Your Option:rolleyes:

Basically as I Stated, We as GLOs want to beleive.:)

Why dont You?

Yes, we verify anyone who comes to our meetings.

Any suggestions for a local organization?

I'll admit our sisters before us did not keep very good records at times so it's hard to tell when an "alumna" sister contacts someone via our website and says they were an alum way back when and would like updates. Granted they don't really come around much at all or wish to get involved. But we do send our alumnae a weekly update on the chapter. But I always feel weird adding them to the list with just their name and pledge class/year. For all I know, they quit the organization before they graduated.

I think it's been checked. When I joined the first alumnae chapter I don't think anybody did because our Province Director for my collegiate chapter was in that Alumnae Chapter and knew I was initiated.

I wouldn't be at all surprised if my chapter here checked, nor would it offend me. There aren't a lot of people from my chapter here so there isn't somebody who can personally verify me.

I think you've just named an important project for your local! Does your school list affiliations in its yearbook? That would be a good place to start (outside of your records). Also, at the next Panhel meeting, ask the other sororities to ask their alumnae for some names. Check them against each other, and make sure the list is kept in at least two different places!

What about people you know are sisters for whatever reason that were in school at the same time? Can they vouch for the unsure sisters? Someone knew them right? They wouldn't necessarily have to be in the same class, a few back or forward and the members would probably at least have heard of them and may know more about the actual status.

What is the problem you have with Chaos?

And no we don't just believe.

Our protocol dictates verifying membership before letting someone into a chapter meeting.

Our sorors know that and understand that, so they come prepared.

And no the grip is never used for verification.

Oh dear. It's not just Chaos. He has the same problem with everybody on GC. :(

No Sweet Little Cheeks it is not with Everyone on GC, just some.

:p

No, in an incompassomg thing, We want to Beleive.

That is Why We are so much more open for exceptance of people.

Evidentaly Some dont understand, but We try Harder than others.:cool:

We don't check everyone that comes to an alum meeting, although invitations are sent to members only. We do, however, verify membership for people who volunteer to assist chapters in any capacity. Thanks to the sisters only side of websites, I think it's easier now than it used to be to verify membership w/out having to 'challenge' people you assume are your sisters.

Jocelyn, I think you're asking a question whose answer can go a couple ways:

1) with just regular alumnae meetings
2) with some sort of chapter advisory alumnae group

I know when it comes to chapter advising, the alumnae are often verified.

But when it comes to regular alumnae meetings, I think a few slip through the cracks.

The thing is, with most of the alumnae meetings I've gone to, nothing "ritual" is ever discussed. So, there's no reason to challenge anyone who comes to the meetings.

But sometimes, older ladies bring their non-KD daughters (who drive them) or other women might bring a friend who is visiting in town. A regular alumnae meeting is usually non-ritual, so there's nothing secret.

Yes, mailings only go to members. But sometimes, others hear about it. I remember one time in Miami, a woman showed up to a meeting, "Oh, I wasn't in your sorority, but I always wanted to be.." Maybe she was looking to be AI'd, but I never heard anything more about her...

In fact, some groups LIKE having non-members attend their functions. It's "more support" - like with fundraisers.

Now, on the other hand, with my KD Yahoogroup, we've started to verify members through HQ's website. We don't discuss anything ritual in the group, but we talk about issues among chapters/alumnae...sometimes personal. we expect the trust to be mutual.

HTH!

do they know the secret handshake?

I know personally, I'd rather be checked and keep it members only, then get offended about being checked and end up with non-members at meetings.

Any time we've done alum things, the contacts have been made through a verified list from HQ. Like Dee says, they wouldn't be on the mailing list or have been contacted unless they were members.

But if we were to put something in the local newspaper or on a website that everyone can see saying "alumnae chapter meeting at so and so time, anyone who is interested please show up" I would certainly want proof of membership in some form. That's probably not the best way to go about doing things like that though.

As the contact person for my alumnae chapter, I always check with National HQ when someone expresses interest in attending one of our events. Usually a quick e-mail is all that is needed to verify that the person is an initiated member and in good standing.

What is Tom talking about this time?

No wonder he doesn't return my phone calls. :(

To perhaps give Tom some clarity on the topic, we aren't talking about just meeting people in the street or at conferences. We are talking about a more longterm interaction such as transfering membership into graduate chapters. Membership in our organizations is a privilege and anyone who can't stand to have their membership verified must have something to hide.

Ditto for AKA. :)

Most of the women who join our group come because a friend brought them so we usually verify them that way. But I'm not at all above verifying them with our IH if necessary.

God what a twit.:rolleyes:

Oh, werent You supposed to ignore?:p

The thing is, the OP asked about "ALUMNAE" - not "ALUMNI."

I guess not all readers here know the difference...so just in case:

ALUMNAE = ALL FEMALE

And it's not a typo.

Some of us can speak from the persective of sororities and alumnae membership, but that isn't a requirement to answer the OP's question.

The more important point is that the OP is asking about graduated members who are seeking to become active or work with graduate chapters.

But she went on to say alumni/ae and her/him.