[violetpretty]

Originally Posted by SWTXBelle

Locals are not in the league of any NPC in terms of active members, alumnae, resources, programming, housing, networking, etc. That's a simple fact. NPC members are rightly proud of what their groups have achieved.

No opinion here. Just fact. NPC chapters have anywhere from 40-170 active chapters (most over 100) and anywhere from 15,000 to 240,000 members (most over 100,000---granted some are deceased alumnae). With numbers like that, there's no way a local can compare with the resources that an NPC offers.

Originally Posted by SWTXBelle

That doesn't mean that a local group cannot have a strong sisterhood, traditions, or campus presence.

These are things that locals AND NPCs can offer. Otterbein also comes to mind when I think of a campus with a strong local tradition.

Originally Posted by SWTXBelle

It doesn't mean a local is just a "clique" - but some are indeed more like clubs than sororities. As oldu pointed out, some of them are run radically differently than NPC sororities.

There is this one local (I think at a CUNY school) that has Ariel, the Little Mermaid as its mascot. I think this is a good example of why some people see locals as "not real" and unfairly lump them all together as "not real".

Originally Posted by SWTXBelle

There's really no need to be so defensive. It makes you look like you have a chip on your shoulder.

I'd agree with this.

Originally Posted by SWTXBelle

Many locals, after all, eventually become NPC sororities, which would not be the case if the women weren't of the same "caliber" as their brethren in the NPC. Heck, we all started out as "locals".

Exactly. SWTXBelle is saying that the women in locals are usually of the same caliber as women in NPC sororities. This is one reason why, often, an NPC is happy to asborb a local.

ETA: Clio, some people are skeptical about locals for several reasons:
1. Because there is no HQ to answer to, a local can get away with much more (hazing, parties, underage drinking, other risk management issues) than a(n) (inter)national. That doesn't mean that all locals are risk management nightmares, however.
2. Some locals, particularly the more recently founded ones, have mascots like Ariel, Calvin and Hobbes, Babs bunny, etc. or their letters are Eta Omega Tau and they advertise themselves as "HOT" girls or they have mottoes like "No ugly people allowed" or their colors are "hot pink and black" (all real examples from GC). The mascot, letters, or motto makes one question what their sisterhood is really about. After my initiation, I was really moved by the real meaning of our symbols, letters, etc. and how they fit together and really show purpose instead of being arbitrarily chosen because hot pink and black are my favorite colors. (NOTE: I highly doubt this applies to your local since it was founded in 1872)
3. Similar to #2, some locals are perceived as having less staying power because some don't have a solid purpose, (some are copycats of NPCs, some were founded by a transfer, some were founded by an angry girl who got cross-cut, etc.) or merely because they are young and have not stood the test of time. Again, this probably does not apply to your local.
4. The resources. Locals can not compare to the resources that NPCs offer merely because of numbers. Some people think that more resources=better. I love thinking that I can move almost anywhere in the country (or even in Europe) and know that there will be Sigma Kappas nearby.

Know that what I said aren't necessarily things I believe, but reasons why some people think locals are inferior.

When I think of my high school drama bunch, officially called the Midnight Players, we are kind of like a local, co-ed fraternity. We are all very close, and alumni are super loyal and come back for shows and support each other in post high school dramatic endeavors. Do we have the money, manpower, scholarships, networking, etc. that would compare with a national counterpart? No. Does that diminish what I treasure from being a Midnight Player? Of course not.