[PhoenixAzul]

My sorority has historically been the smallest on campus, at less than half of the largest. We have no "total" so it is a bit different, and we're all local (just talking the locals here, not the NPHC ladies because they've got their own structure).

It does sometimes suck to be the smallest, because EVERYONE has a job to do. If one sister gets sick or can't go to x y or z meeting, someone else has to pick up the slack. There's no real room for "oh we've got 40 other girls who could go". At the same time, we get done with 23 what some people don't get done with 50+. The amount of responsibility on each sister is pretty equal, and even the rare case where a girl doesn't have an office, she chips in to help here and there. That was me, "gopher extraordinaire" because I was going abroad and would only be there for 1 quarter. I helped sit in on panhel meetings and UGGB hearings and run to the store or do whatever needed done.

You constantly feel like you have to validate yourselves to others. You've got to make up for what you lack in size by being first in grades or greek week or whatever. We made HUGE waves last year when we won Lip Sync and nearly won Greek Week overall, in addition to winning grades for Sororities and having a the highest Greek GPA overall. And even when you do these things, they rarely get recognized.

However, we have a real love for eachother. Since we have to work together so often , I feel there's less of a chance of division happening. Not to say we don't have a difference of opinion, but we're more inclined to listen because we HAVE to find compromise, we really have no choice. We have a relaxed, tight sisterhood. I honestly KNOW my sisters, deeply, personally, sometimes perhaps too well! because we spend so much time together and form a tight bond.

I don't think I would have done well in a chapter of 50 or 60. I joined Tau Delta when she had only 12 members, plus the 9 pledges. We're now well into the 20s, HUGE for us. But I would have been seriously intimidated by 50 or 60 girls plus new members. That's almost too much estrogen for me. Like the above poster said, we attract the "non sorority types", which can be a blessing and a curse. Blessing because we get some really kick ass girls, curse because we fail to pull in the more "mainstream" type of girls who could make a real contribution. It's something we've got to work on.

I love that we have the "circle of friends" ideal. A circle is not uneven on any side, and all points are considered equidistant from the center...meaning that all sisters are equal, all are important, and all are needed to form a perfect circle. It's awesome.

*sniff* I miss my sisters!!