Letting Go
 

I have a question for sisters/ brothers who were the founders of their organizations. When the time came, did you find it difficult to let go, to turn it over to the new group. Did they do you proud?

I'm not a founder but there were a lot of changes that happened before I left. It was kind of like a new founding... so to speak. But I couldn't be prouder of the organization. Everyone seems to know what they are doing and I am confident that the house will carry on as strong as it is now. However I like being the alum that comes back and sees how the changes have stayed in place.

As The Founder, omg, I have seen so many changes. Some good, some bad!:(

Now this is after 40 years of being a local 9 months and an Active Chapter for 39 years.:D

Is it tough, yes it is, but each year, the Chapter Changes. We as Alums may not like it and We as Alums try to work with them in many ways.

Is it ever easy, well, NO!

Just do what you can, but, Plaaze hang in there and work for the future!:cool:

Re: Letting Go
 

Yes, No . . . doing better now. Silly Rabbits.
:)

I had such issues when the new officers came in this semester!! I actually kept going to panhel meetings just to make sure that no one was screwing up "my baby" (I planned formal rush by myself since sept).

I had an even harder time looking at the people who were running things in the chapter.

It took all my energy to NOT to attempt to pull a bloody coup and reinstall the old officers.

I am not a founder of my sorority, but it is only 3 yrs old and already my chapter is going through changes. We still have some sisters who are founders of my chapter and at times they take offense to what changes get made. It is a natural process. Change happens within each sorority and fraternity. Not only do I see that, but I was also been told this by my alumnae and national staff and was told not to be afraid of the changes.

I know down the road, when it comes time for me to move on and go alum there is going to be changes and that "my" chapter won't be "my" chapter that was created by "my" group of sisters. But either way, I know the chapter will grow and change for the good.

You don't know anything of the kind in a prophetic sense, you can only hope.

Wasn't too difficult. The chapter is in good hands. I'm serving with our newly formed alumni chapter and am apparently on their list for their next alum advisory board.

We'll see how that all turns out.

I know that Kappa Phi is not a sorority and I am far from a founder (my chapter was founded in 1950!), but last spring a completely new officer board came in because everyone, but the Treasurer graduated and I was honestly afraid. I didn't have faith in some of my pledge sisters to take leadership roles. However, last fall I was proven completely wrong within a few weeks. Our officer board did a completely wonderful job and I was truly impressed.

well I'm not a founder.. but even as an "older" member who's just finished her time it's really hard to let go and I still have to stop myself from voting at meetings when I go. But at the last elections before the ones for the Exec that serves now (the last ones I could vote in, but was not eligible to run for as I would be graduating during their term of office) some ladies got elected that SHOULD NOT have been elected, and I knew EXACTLY what would happen if they did get elected (as did the rest of the "old school people at the time) and let's just say it came to pass EXACTLY as we called it... so yes sometimes it is hard to sit there and bite your tongue as the chapter makes decisions that you know are going to be bad because you made them as an active.. but hey sometimes you can be suprised.

Having led my chapter through a recolonization of sorts, I had a difficult time turning things over to the younger members who had a slightly differrent vision for what the chapter would be. It was especially hard to move from being our VP to being a non-officer. What helped was that I spent this past fall student-teaching in the area. I was on leave from active membership that term because I didn't have time to go to chapter meetings and other required events, but I was around enough to see that my sisters were doing fine on their own.

That was both an empowering and a humbling experience, let me tell you.

I was colony President at my chapter, and yes, it was hard when I left. I installed the new President and didn't stick around for the rest of the meeting. (I was interning, so wasn't near campus). It was too weird to see someone else doing what I had done for 3 semesters. It's also changed 180 since I have been there, after going through an almost complete re-organization.

I've matured in the past 12 years and stand behind the chapter as much as I can from where I live now. It was hard seeing things morph into what they are now ("traditions" are NOT what they were--don't know where they got the idea that some of what they do is tradition), but I've learn to accept the growth. They are a great chapter!

I was an advisor to a young chapter once in which some of the founders were still active and most were still local.

The interesting (if predictible) dynamic was that the founding fathers still in the chapter felt things were going just fine, while some of the graduates had a hard time with any changes and were very judgemental.

To be fair, the chapter was an immediate national award winner and the older guys were justifiably proud.

A parenting quote you've probably heard, but I'll paraphrase:

The two most important things you can give your children (chapter) are roots -- and wings.