Can You Bond With A Big Azz Line?
 

This may have beeen discussed before but do you think that you can bond with a big line. For all of those with high numbers no offense.

Just wondering: how many were on your line? And what do you consider big?

Hey Soror, I'm #6 out of 18. 18 Catacombs of Greatness. We have a city-wide chapter. To some they think that is a big line, but when they learn its a city-wide chapter they understand.

But I guess I consider a REALLY BIG line in the 50's to 100's. But a a big line anything past 22. But for arguments sake I'm not saying there is something wrong with that, I'm just seeking others thoughts on the matter.

Thanks for replying back, Soror. Well, I'm #10 of 35. I think it depends on the amount of time spent pledging. I definitely think that in any situation it's got to be a lot easier to bond on a line that is smaller. However, I know of another large line that seems to be super tight. But again that's due to the length of time they were on line and the things that happened before and while they were on line. I have read a comment from someone on a previous thread who was kind of putting down lines with high numbers. But you can't choose how many people are going to be your linesisters/brothers. That is just what is put before you.

Besides I've heard that most of the bonding comes after you've crossed and when you start working in the chapter. Now I say I've heard because I graduated almost immediately after crossing. But I can say that I still keep in pretty good contact with most of my LS's or at least try to know what's going on in each of their lives. And despite the fact that I wasn't able to work in the chapter with them, when I do talk to them it's like I've still been around them this whole time since I've graduated. I'm starting to get teary-eyed just thinking about how happy I am when I talk to them or get an e-mail from them.

But I think this is an interesting topic and I too would like to hear from people on both small and larger lines.
Thanks Soror Reds695.

I a member of Kappa Alpha Psi and I'm a #3 of 4, and I think it was definitely alot easier for us to bond because we had to handle our responsibilities between the four of us.

I dont think you can bond with large lines. My line had 12 and that was too many. I heard about that AKA line with over a 100 girls on there. It is not possible for all of those girls to know there LS in and out. I dont care if they were online all year.Those kind of lines are PAPER

Well, while I'm sure it is quite difficult to bond with 100 people, I still will not resort to calling anyone paper.

Now I don't mind admitting that 35 is a large line although 20 to 35 is kind of the norm for DST and AKA at the school where I pledged. However, I am shocked that you would say that 12 is too many. Would you trade away a few of your LSs just to be on a smaller line? It's interesting because 12 to me sounds like a decent size. It all depends on what you're used to or what you've experienced. Well, I will say that I'll take a positive outlook. Should lines generally be small? Sure. However, I would not trade any of my 34 LSs. That is just now 33 more wonderful women (may one RIP) that I have in my life.

Again, I'm not trying to defend large lines because although I was not on a small line, I can tell it's probably easier than being on a large line. But bonding with LS/LBs, friends, etc. does not just necessarily happen over a few weeks, months or however long. Bonding can be a lifetime process.

1)GSSGirl it's not your place to say those AKAs are paper unless you're an AKA or you were on that line or made that line. Since you say you "heard" about it, I imagine neither situation fits you.

2) I come from a line of 50 and I have a bond with everyone on it. Is that bond the same with everyone? No, but that wasn't the question. At the end of the day, they are all my line sisters, my Sorors, and I love them dearly.

3)As Soror DST Love said, the strength of the bond of the ENTIRE line does depend on outside factors like who graduated right after crossing, who's active as FinerWoman10-A-91 mentioned, and most importantly who WANTS to bond. You certainly can't force someone to bond no more than you can force someone to pay their dues.

4)This statement by FinerWoman10-A-91 says it ALL: "...it's something you won't understand...unless you were there."

[This message has been edited by 12dn94dst (edited February 16, 2001).]

Good topic Soror:

Hey everybody.

I would think it would be difficult to bond with a REALLY BIG line (as Soror Reds put it, like 50+). I wouldn't go so far as to call them paper because I've seen lines of 2 that are "paper...and as Soror DST Love put it, you really don't have a choice in the matter.

I was #14 of 18 and we all are in contact on a very regular basis and have reunions every year. With our line and also a Chapter reunion on our charter date.

The line immediately following mine, for which I was Dean, there were 23 of them. They are all pretty tight as well. I will agree that some factors that may influence the bonding is the length of time of the process and the "activities" that are put before the women/men. Special effort has to be put into providing them with experiences that will allow for bonding. I know it falls on the women (primarily), but I have seen situations where people are so busy running people around that the women have very little time to themselves to bond/study/whatever else.

With lines of 75-100 (I've even heard 150+), I think it would be hard to really bond with everyone. Even in so far as knowing personal information about one another...we won't even discuss passing messages http://www.greekchat.com/forums/ubb/eek.gif

Just my opinion.

Can I just say that: I LOVE MY SORORS!!!!

Anyway, to piggyback on Soror DELTABRAT, a lot depends on situations and activities that the line deals with. As she said, "Special effort has to be put into providing them with experiences that will allow for bonding". And as Soror 12dn94dst said, a lot depends on who even wants to or is trying to bond. And one more quote by FinerWoman10-A-91 that relates to anything in life "...it's something you won't understand...unless you were there." Amen.

Hey sorors and SF's! so true soror, so true! I am #6 out of 6 (Holdin' it down! http://www.greekchat.com/forums/ubb/cool.gif ) and I enjoy the closeness that I have with my ships. We (undergrad) typically try to have a line that is in proportion to the amount of sorors who are there to actively make them. We also try not to pledge seniors, so they have the opportunity to develop a personal and working relationship with their ships and the chapter before they graduate. If we have 10 sorors in the chapter, we probably would not have a line of 60, because the ratio is off. Our goal is to bring people into our sorority who we feel will be an asset to the organization for life, so we will not turn quality people away either. I guess you have to find a balance and determine what you consider too large or small for your chapter's capacity and needs.

*** giggling about the passing messages***
I know that's right! http://www.greekchat.com/forums/ubb/wink.gif

GSS girl.....while 150 people may be excessive on a line, I don't think that justifies you calling a sorority's line PAPER. A little excessive, don't you think? What if that chapter has 200 sorors? You don't know the circumstance, so be mindful http://www.greekchat.com/forums/ubb/biggrin.gif

soror6
D.S.N.V. - Spring '91 http://www.greekchat.com/forums/ubb/cool.gif

[This message has been edited by soror6 (edited February 16, 2001).]

Good point on your last paragraph. But here is something that I don't like about people saying don't pledge seniors. You shouldn't just be building for your chapter but also for the organization as a whole. And if there are seniors (like myself) who will be an asset to the organization and stay financial and active (like myself), then isn't that just as important? I do agree that you probably shouldn't have a gang of seniors, but I see nothing wrong with a few. A few of my LSs were graduating seniors and most of us are the ones that are still active and financial. You couldn't pay some of the Sorors I know (who were sophomores and juniors when they pledged that are now graduated) to remain active and financial. I've actually asked a Soror if she would like to go to alumnae meeting with me and she was like, "I just don't really care to. I don't have the time nor the money." Is this what DST needs more of? To some greeks, it's just about the calls, stepping, stolling, wearing jackets, etc. And when they graduate, that's it, unless of course there's a party, homecoming, or something. However for a senior, you've got to make it mean a whole lot more than that or you will be just another T-shirt wearer. And I know there are exceptions on both sides, but that's my take.

Here's what I was thinking: Maybe there should be more Fall lines instead of Spring that way it gives the seniors time to bond and work in their chapter after they cross.
Just a thought!!

Oh one more!! You're definitely right about the whole line being in proportion with the chapter. The chapter I pledged has always had a nice amount of people. Not to mention all of the old heads that still come around a lot. It would be kind of weird to me for the chapter to have a line of say 5 with all of us that still come around a lot and those that are still in the chapter.

Soror DST Love:

I hear you Soror about pledging seniors. I think it is a metter of chapter demographics. As stated., if there are enough Sorors to carry out chapter business despite a few who graduate then cool. I have seen situations though where there were a gang of seniors and in an attempt to "keep things going" Sorors weren't too selective in deciding who would be next in the chapter. It's like "do or die" at that point.
Also I feel you on the small lines/deep big sisters tip. Imagine having an Ace and a Deuce and 200 Sorors waiting in the wings. Ooooooh! Come tight I say...come tight!

Finally, I agree that maybe a Fall line would at least give women a chance to be active on campus before graduation if they are seniors.

This topic did come up before. It was actually an interesting debate on some levels. However, pettty diatribe eventually reared its ugly head. My final analysis of the situaion was 'it's something you won't understand either way...unless you were there.'

Now as a matter of personal experience, I am 10 years old in Zeta, I have 9 linesisters ALL of whom I am in touch with regularly...as a matter of fact our reunion/retreat is coming up right around the corner. I also work in the entertainment industry. I know a LOT of people.

I am the type to keep in touch with folks...and the net certainly helps. Am I intimately in touch with all of them? No. At the end of the day...does it matter? Not at all. Evenutally, it comes down to what is your PERSONAL priority? I think the better question might be...HOW MANY OF YOUR LINE SISTERS FROM YOUR LINE OF (FILL IN THE NUMBER) ARE ACTIVE AFTER THE FIRST 5 YEARS?

What I did find interesting in one post was sometimes large lines come from an interest in simple dollars and cents(particularly when a chapter has been reactivated after a long suspension), as a business woman, I can't knock the hustle. It makes perfect sense. Its not cheap being in a Sorority.

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Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Incorporated...Every Finer Woman's Dream!

Intereting topic. I think it is possible to bond with your linesisters despite large numbers. I was on a big line 52 of 57, and I realize that a smaller line may get a chance to pull together a little bit more. However all 56 of my line sisters I had a unique bond with.

Hey soror!
I understand what you mean about the senior situation. Let me clarify. We do try not to pledge seniors, however that does not mean that we never do. My ship was a senior when we pledged, and we have had other sorors who pledged their senior year. Like I said in the original post, we will not turn away quality people, so we don't 'cut off our nose to spite our face', like my momma always says! http://www.greekchat.com/forums/ubb/wink.gif However, because of the size and the demographic dynamic of my undergrad school (6000 students, 8% minority, 20% go greek), we have to do things differently than a school who has 150-250 potentials at a tea/informational. We really could not afford to have a line of four, and have half of them leave. Our chapter would not survive. The largest line we have had besides the chapter founders was 7. Wonderful sorors like you would be an asset to any chapter, we just need to do things in a way that we have enough members to maintain a chapter with the capacity to carry on the Delta Tradition! http://www.greekchat.com/forums/ubb/smile.gif

YID,
soror6

OK!!! LMAO http://www.greekchat.com/forums/ubb/biggrin.gif You know that's right!



[This message has been edited by soror6 (edited February 17, 2001).]

Hello Ladies,
Hope you don't mind me butting in...

Before I start, soror GSSGirl, I don't think you should have said that about the AKA line...you wouldn't know that unless you were on that particular line and I wouldn't call anyone "paper"-that's just disrespectful. Just a comment!

Well I am in the same sorority as GSSGirl, and my line had 12 girls on it. I don't think 12 is big, but I personally think that lines over 20-25...that's a little too big for me. That would be very overwhelming to me because I would really want to get to know every one of my LS's. I'm sure that I could do it but it would probably be a lot of work...*smile*

I have a lot of respect for those larger lines. I'm sure that it takes a lot more work to bond, but it would definitely make you closer to your line sisters.

In my opinion I think it would be hard to bond with a big line. If you have 30 and 40 people on line there is no way to bond like you should. With all those people you are just basically trying to remember there names and not really getting to know them as a person.
I recall a situation were a line of 94 had crossed XYZ and after they had crossed they would walk passed one another and not know that they were line sisters and that is sad.
I'm #8 out of a line of 8 and me and my sands know everything about one another we got a chance to know each others likes and dislikes, we learned to adjust to one anothers attitudes and everything else that sisters know about each other.
It's just not possible with a big line.

I think that at the end of the day, it is futile to say that it is possible or it is not. Every line is different as is the group who comprises it. It's kind of like the saying that you are only as strong as your weakest link. If you have a bunch of devoted girls (or guys) who make a sincere effort to meet and get to know all the girls in their line, it is very possible for them to be close, as people earlier have testified to by their own experiences. You can have a small line (there was only 9 of us) and not be very close with your line sisters because not all of them make an equal effort to get to know eachother. But by the same token, you can have a line of 75, all of whom make a great effort to learn as much as they can about eachother inspite of the great numbers.
So, in answer to the original question, is it possible to bond with a big line, of course it's possible. Is it possible a big line might not be close. Of course. In the end, it completely depends on the group who comprise the line. At least, IMHO.

Leslie


[This message has been edited by gphi2k (edited February 19, 2001).]

Thanks Soror for the shout out http://www.greekchat.com/forums/ubb/smile.gif !! And thanks for explaining what you meant about pledging seniors. That makes sense for smaller chapters and smaller lines.

i would never trade any of my 35 LS's for anything in the world.

i keep in touch with all my LS's through an egroups online...


36 Divas of Perfection
i am #24

born in the 2nd month on the 4th day.


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MaMaBuddha

Devastating
Stimulating
Tantalizing
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Imaginer un métro rempli avec les anges tombés...

It simply depends on the people. You can't make anyone bond if they don't want to. I've seen lines with 4 and 9 people that fight like cats and dogs. So, unless you are on a "big azz" line, I don't think it's fair to ASSume that there is no unity or bond. Everyone's experience and lines are different, just remember we are on the outside looking in.