Parents Clubs
 

I just spent 4 days at the ADPi training session and one of the topics that came up was getting parents more involved with the chapter. I really like this idea and I think it would work well with the chapter I advise but I'm a little stuck on the logistics.

Does anyone have a parents club with their chapter? What type of things do they organize/help with? How do you have it set up? How many parents are involved?

Any and all help would be great! Thanks!

ETA: Just found the new similar threads search after I posted so sorry for the new thread, however new ideas would be greatly appreciated!

Do you know how they are organized? (ie do they hold elections, appoint positions, etc)

Hey HB-- contact the OCAA. They support Alpha Psi at USC and Alpha Psi has a parents club.

Do you mean the LA AA? OCAA only supports Zeta Alpha...

I remember reading somewhere that Tri Delta has a sorority specifically for mothers of Tri Deltas whose role is to help out Tri Delta chapters with stuff. You should find out about what they do.

^^^The name of the org in question is Psi Psi Psi (Tri-Psi).

No, OCAA are a lot of USC grads. I'd start with them. From my experience with LAAA, they've got more UCLA grads... and there's this weird USC/UCLA divison. I'll PM you.

Our parents club has elections for their officers.

They buy us stuff that the housing corp wouldn't/shouldn't have to - which is most of the stuff in our 2 tv rooms. Whereas housing corp buys new bunkbeds.

A lot depends on how old the Chapter is. Maybe?

I know the Sig Eps across the street from Us did a tremendous job with a Parents Club.

We need to do that also, and I will be working on it.

It can be a boon in many ways.

Help raise money for the Chapter and inform Parents what their Sons and Daughters are really doing with people that they dont know and what The Greek Organization they belong to is all about.:D

I will never forget when a Brothers Parents, good farm folk from West Kansas, came into town. Hayseeds for sure. They did not want their Boy to join a Greek Organization.

Well, at the Time, He was President of the Chapter.

They came up on the deck of the house and gave Him a LXA Badge in front of # 50 Brothers.

There was not a dry eye on the deck that day!:)

I have an old pledge book (1945 or 1947), and it makes a big deal out of Mother's Clubs. As I was reading it, I couldn't help but wonder why they went by the wayside - there are so many things they can do!

When you consider how many cities have 3-4 chapters in their area, the Parents club could take a lot of the strain off of Advisors, which allows them to address the more important matters. I'm thinking about the little things, such as Clean Up Day(s), Finals Feeds, Spirit Boosters - that type of thing, but I'm sure there's more. If you'd like, I can PM you the details from the old pledge book when I get home.

Keep in mind that when that book was published, most women didn't have jobs and were stay-at-home mothers and housewives. Women today are much more likely to have a job, and therefore have less time to commit to other activities such as being on a parents' club for their daughters' sororities.

Also, I fail to see where advisers perform "mom" duties like assigning house clean up or goody baskets for finals... that's what house moms and chapter officers are for...

I think Parents Clubs would be good booster organizations-- plan a few events for them, solicit material donations (like recruitment dinners and supplies) and $$$ donations, send a newsletter...

Oh, of course, it's written for another age! But I was just offering to pass along a nugget or two which may be there.

adpiucf - if I had a nickle for every goody basket or cleaning day I've spent as an alumna, I could retire tomorrow! I suppose it's something that's traditional from chapter to chapter.

You're an ADPi. When chapters ask you to volunteer your time or services to help them out, you have some sort of duty or obligation to the sorority to help out. Why would a mother with a full-time job who isn't an ADPi, or maybe even not a member of a sorority at all for that matter, want to spend time cleaning her daughter's sorority house?

For someone who has put in there 4 (give or take) years into the sorority as an active, why should there still be an obligation to help as an alumna? You should WANT to help, but not feel obligated to help.

Our chapter had a parents/alumni committee that would plan outings. We usually did parents/actives dinner or things like that. Not exactly a parents club, but it was nice for us all to hang out.

They are not talking about regular maid service. They are talking about a once a year spruce up. Some parents enjoy doing honey-do type projects while gettng to know the people in their children's lives.

And some moms just like finding ways to stay IN their children's lives.;)

That too.

Pretty much.

I would definitely not be asking parents (or alumnae) to come and clean their daughter's sorority house. Thats why we budget for maids! These days parents are very involved in their children's lives and more often than not are the ones paying for their daughter's dues. All I want to do is provide the parents an outlet so they can see what greek life is about and have the opportunity to help the women in a positive way. As Tom mentioned, a lot of parents are clueless as to what sorority life entails and sometimes dont understand what their money goes to. With a parents club they get to see first hand what the sorority does for their daughters.

Furthermore its a great marketing tool for GLOs. We often tend to market ourselves only in the Greek arena and not think twice about what non-greeks think of us. Getting parents involved could mean great things in the long term - moms talk and Mom A is involved in the parents club and knows Mom B whos daughter is starting school in the fall and thinking of rushing...etc etc

I feel that there are those parents who were never a member of a Greek organization who would enjoy having that particular avenue of imputting into their children's lives. Also, for those Greek parents whose children are a member of a different fraternity or sorority, it is a way they can be on the same page. I think it would be a definite plus, even if you only had a handful who were truly active. If those few enjoy it, and the chapter benefits from it, you are still more ahead of the game than you were before.

WOW, am I out of touch!

Some Budget for a Maid Service!

How damn lazy can some people be.:eek:

It is beyond My comprehension that You would ask MOMs to come and clean up after each of you.

She and Your Dad got Your butts to College and probably helping to pay for it!

They should be honored and reveared as a special Person who will help promote Your GLO!


Do You Think They Are Scullery Maids?:( :mad:

I agree completely!

Tom - my girls are responsible for dishes, taking out the trash and cleaning their own rooms. We have a maid that comes in once every 2 weeks to clean the carpets, common areas and bathrooms...just to put in that extra elbow grease collegiates tend not to ;). And once again I would never ask parents or alumnae to clean up after the girls!

True, but neither should The Girls of The Chapter!:)

Are they handicapped?:(

Thank you, HBADPi, BBelle, etc for getting what I meant. We had a maid, too, and a decorator - so we were pretty limited as to what we were "allowed" to do.

And I never meant to insinuate that I resented making goody baskets or such - after all, I could always say no.

I believe Tri Delta is the only GLO to have this - please correct me if I'm wrong! - but we have a sorority for our mothers called Psi Psi Psi (Tri Psi) and the requirement for membership is that you must have a daughter initiated into Tri Delta. My chapter's Tri Psi affiliate is quite active and have always known them to go beyond the call of getting a monthly cleaner for the house. They have brought food by during exams, helped with purchasing furniture for the chapter house, catering for events, scholarships, awards - they are a great resource for the collegians and an excellent way to stay in their daughter's lives without being "in" it. It's completely voluntary - not every mother joins. We include them in our Founder's Day festivities and it's just a really great thing the mothers and daughters can share. But it isn't simply a parents' group - it is a true greek letter sorority in the sense that they have their own rituals, badge, colours, flower, charter, even convention! The whole thing. I am surprised there aren't more parents' GLO's - I would LOVE to know if there are!