Colonization and initiation. Beginning. Middle. End?
 

For your GLOs expansion process, at what point is the initiation of the members?

Are they initiated at the same time the chapter is chartered -- at the end of the whole thing?

Are they pledged, then initiated, then have a probationary period before the chapter is chartered?

Are they initiated at the very beginning without a pledge process and then work toward chartering?

Is it somewhere in between or none of these?

I am curious.... some of my questions about Pike at Howard still linger and now I want to know how all types of GLOs might go about this.

I feel like I asked this before, so if I did, my bad.

I think there was a similar thread about how long a colonization takes. But I don't think it differentiated between initiation and chartering.

From what I've seen we have a standard new member period followed by initiation of the colony. I believe that's when the charter is presented. They then have continued support from dedicated alumnae.

My chapter just went through the (re)colonization process. We pledged and were initiated before we were rechartered. We actually had three pledge classes. My class was first (girls from the interest group and interview process), and then two additional classes after that. Another chapter on my campus was just chartered as well and they were initiated the same weekend as their chartering ceremony.

That's how it was for my chapter. Colonization started in Fall 1991 and the charter presentation and Initiation took place March 1992.

What's neat is that the Alumnae Chapter (fka Alumnae Club) has been around since I believe 1936. The alumnae really wanted a collegiate chapter, and thankfully, it happened!

Thanks!

Hypothetically speaking, if for some reason the colony failed, they couldn't have revoked your membership, could they?

Also, who conducted your pledge process, the local alumnae chapter/association?

If I am getting too personal, please let me know. I'm just trying to compare best practices, I suppose.

From what I understand you are intiated when you are charted. but it used ot be that brothers were intiated before the chartering

Psi U, how long is the chartering process for your fraternity?

First, the Colony is installed and the Colonists are pinned as New Members. The Colony must fulfill certain requirements as well as a 10-week education program. The 10-week program is flexible and can be shorter or longer depending on circumstances. After the completion of all responsibilities and obligations, the Colony can be installed. Installation weekend includes the Colonists being initiated then the charter presentation.

Who conducts the new member process? A Resident Consultant is assigned to and lives with the Colony for at least a year. She is supported by the Colony Network Director and her particular Colony Network Specialist.

For Psi U it depends. You have to go through three steps with a varying amount of time. First you are a colony, then a provisional chapter then a full chapter. My own chapter took something like four years to go all the way. Yet we have a provisional chapter that only had less then a year as a colony so it depends.

And I guess I should answer the question from an Alpha perspective (I'm sure someone else will answer for APO :)

For Alpha....after reviewing the documents on the public portion of the website, it SEEMS like the initiation is concurrent with the granting of the provisional charter. But it clearly states that chapters are provisional for the first two years. Permanent charters are automatic after two years unless something is amiss. If the provisional charter fails, then the remaining college students are considered members of the sponsoring alumni chapter.

So basically, if it fails, they're still members.

In Phi Mu Alpha, initiation and chartering both come at the end of the process.

ETA: It is a two-phased process. Phase I, which must be completed within 2 years (but can happen more quickly) is basically the organization period. Phase II is nine-weeks long and is an intensive probationary member period. As I recall, colonists are pledged at the beginning and initiated (and chartered) in week 8.

What aopirose said.... I had written this long response and realized she pretty much said the same thing...that's how we did it.

Woooooow

Well, first there is an interest group. Which means you are totally on your own, pretty much, until you get enough people/interest to start a Colony. Then there will be a Colonization Ceremony or some other suchness. As an interest group you're not really recognized by campus, can't schedule meetings in the union, not part of ifc, HOWEVER, if you are part of a interest group and then leave, your chances - depending on campus- of getting bid somewhere else are pretty slim.

After you are a colony you can take pledges, usually. These pledges get totally hosed because they don't just pledge to join, they pledge to become a founding father, and then have to still do all the installation work after they are finished pledging.

Once all the standards have been met (your chapter size is about average for your campus, you're not failing classes, etc.) you get installed. To answer your question, the night before installation, we were initiated by members from other chpaters (you have to be brothers to start a chapter so you are all initiated first, then installed)

Then you get installed and be prepared to do the really hard work, establishing yourself, etc. (because IFC didn't like you at all as a colony and will hate you even more for making it) and it really is the first year or two AFTER initiation/instalation that the "laying the foundation" really happens.

Hope that helped.


ETA: Colonists go through the Pledge Ceremony, so the pledges to the Colony are actually Pledging other Pledges