[AKA_Monet]

My opinion:

Yes, they should both in undergraduate and graduate chapters. I would do a 2 levels of community service hours for UG and Grad. Because, in UG, they need to be about going to school. In Grad, one makes a personal choice to participate...

For UG, I would make their hours transfer into a Grad chapter.

If they do not do their hours, they have to pay, something either to the local chapter and/or to EAF.

Then I would stop the mandatory service hours for our Sorority at 25 years because that is when one can purchase life membership.

So Silver Stars, Goldens and Diamonds, would not have this requirement served. We can institute a 1X optional fee called "Centennial Life Membership".

There are these "passports" floating around, we can do that. Or, we can have a "International 'VISA/AMEX/Discover/Master' Card" with an automatic debit fee per year for the local chapter and EAF.

Yes, folks get out of serving their hours and may not pay for it. But, if we had an auto-debit, then it is the member's responsibility and credit report, not ours.

And I am not talking pricey... I am only saying something like a minimum of $1+ per hour for 20 hours of service per year for UG; then that upgrades to $10 per hour for 20 hours of service per year for Grads. These hours do not include Chapter or Membership Meetings, Clusters, Regional Conferences, Leadership or Boule--unless those 2 have a service component like they did in NOLA this year. And I mean real work. That money goes into an endowed fund or a chapter 501c3. And we are always willing to take more money.

The projects that count... All from our Targets/Platforms.

My issue, is I am a program platform chair for my graduate chapter, and when I ask for help, I am not joking. But, when the activity is said and done, oh boy, do I hear it about having these activities tacked on with the one just planned, etc. I needed help organizing this thing 4-5 months ago!!! Just plain stupidity. And I am tired of the 80:20 rule. It sucks!! I am not asking there be a full chapter membership at my committee meeting... All I am asking is if the chapter votes and agrees to plan, volunteer and participate in a walk-a-thon, I do not get grief about weather they can do or not.



Disclaimer: These are the ideas of only AKA_Monet. Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., my local chapter, and GC may have differing ideas, but I skeeriously doubt it.