Chapter Closing
 

3/7/2006 - University of Tennessee Chapter to be Closed
With sadness the National Council of Alpha Xi Delta has voted to close its Gamma Lambda Chapter at the University of Tennessee, effective May 9, 2006. The chapter's 45 members will be granted alumnae status at that time. Read entire message.

Sad news

It's so sad to see another chapter go especially one at a SEC school. I was part of the closing of the Xi chapter at the University of Kentucky and I know how hard it must be for these women right now. My thoughts and prayers go out to the sisters.

TFJ,
Sarah

It's probably been on of the worst weeks of my entire life (and the other members as well) since they announced the closing to us.

My favorite line is that having 45 women "made it difficult to provide the full, enriching Alpha Xi Delta experience to its women." Tell that statement to my chapter of 6 that busts its butt everyday to exist....yet they EXPERIENCE Alpha Xi Delta everyday of their lives.

My fullest sympathies to Gamma Lambda collegiates and alumnae...I trust National Council made a thoughtful yet difficult decision with the best of the Fraternity at heart.

I have great fear, however, that the far reaching affects of losing a Chapter at a large SEC school will probably be detrimental to growing Alpha Xi Delta further in the south for the next generation, even if it only had 45 members.

This just sucks!

I know that your chapter has worked hard over the past ten plus years to keep things going. I think the housing issues are going to cause many of the TN chapters hardships.

I hope you guys can create a young alum group and still get a decent greek experience.

This just kinda scares me. My chapter is not at total well 3 or 4 of the 6 aren't. I don't think we have ever been at total. I feel that even though we are not at total my chapter still gets the "full, enriching Alpha Xi Delta experience"


Also one more thing. I feel kinda stupid asking this but what is a SEC school? I read it all the time and have no clue what it is.

"SEC" school refers to schools in the SouthEastern Conference ..

Don't think I can name them all .. but they include Auburn, Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Florida, Arkansas, Ole Miss, Vandy, and Tennessee

The greek systems are old and huge.

*edited 'cause Irishpipes is correct **

It also includes South Carolina, Mississippi State and LSU. I think the Mississippi folks get a little jumpy when they hear "old" Miss - I think they call it Ole Miss. :)

I am really sorry about the chapter at UT - hopefully you all will be back soon. I also wonder how much the housing issues played into the decision, and if other groups will have similar hardships since the planned housing will be inequitable.

It is always difficult to lose a chapter, it is also an EXTREMELY difficult decision to close a chapter. However, for those of us from a small chapter (or at least small compared to the others on campus) we know that we devote everything to our chapters only to see our results not equal those of the larger chapters on campus.

National Council (as well as our Exec. Director, AEDs, AFs, and other national volunteers) strives to help all of our members become well-rounded, contributing members of both the sorority AND university life. When they say that a chapter is not having "full, enriching Alpha Xi Delta experience" they do not mean that just because women come from a small chapter (or one that is closed/closing) that they are not as good of a sister or that they don't know what Alpha Xi pride is. They want to make sure that all of our members get to experience a COMBINED sorority and collegiate experience. Having to spend every waking moment recruiting and stressing about the sorority does not make for a happy group of women.

While I am sad to lose another chapter and my heart goes out to the women of Gamma Lambda, just know that there are dozens of very active alumnae out there whose college chapters are closed. In fact, almost all of the members in my alumnae association are from closed chapters....we love the irony :)

HAH!!! Wow....

:mad: Those poor girls.

Yeah....*zips lips*

But may I ask who it is who is telling the women they need to spend every waking moment recruiting?

Yep. That's what I thought.

Unless it's a situation where there's a huge house that needs to be filled and not doing so will financially cripple the chapter, it really doesn't matter how big a chapter is if you have enough people to fill offices - and sometimes you don't even need that.

Many small chapters are content with their size, until they're told over and over again that they shouldn't be.

Sorry to drop in here and be witchy, but statements like this really stick in my craw.

I'm nominating you for President next time they have elections for National office. Then I'm printing out this comment and mailing it to all "Chapter in the Sky" Alumnae who National closed for not tripleing their membership in one semester after an ultimatum. Be prepared to spend a lot of time in Indianapolis.:) :) ;) ;)

Well, I can assure you that this instance is NOT one of those where the decision was made lightly after one semester not making numbers. This is a difficult situation that no one has or is taking lightly. Though I understand your statment, please realize there are hurt women on this forum, ok? Sorry to be rude, but really.

My sympathies to the ladies of the Gamma Lambda chapter. I am sure this is hard for them.

National Council doesn't make this decision lightly, or quickly. Does anyone have a mailing address for the chapter? PM it to me if you do.

To be quite honest, from what they told our chapter, they decision was made quickly. From the way we received the news, it seemed that they just up and voted, especially from what we had been told less than 3 weeks before.

The address for our chapter is as follows.

1531 W. Cumberland Ave.
Suite 205
Knoxville, TN 37916

Thanks for all the support. We are enjoying are last few months as active sisters as well as we can, and trying to understand.

The girls who I feel sorry for the most were the girls who initiated in the fall. They didn't get a chance to have years as active sisters, and I hope they stay involved as alumnae!

Honey, I was talking directly to 33girl, and it had nothing to do with the chapter of AXiD that closed, it was a personal comment to 33girl.

I KNOW EXACTLY HOW THESE WOMEN FEEL. My chapter was closed when I was an undergrad. My chpater was given an ultimatum to triple or close. It wasn't a one semester thing - they had been warned before - but being a new initiate, it seemed to me like it happened in one semester. It's never easy for a chapter to close, and I know that no ones GLO's Nationals do not take it lightly.