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My (well earned from experience) two cents, GZ...
I see a lot of recurring themes of someong "holding a grudge" in your posts (in the past)...now, it looks like YOUR chapter is recolonizing, and because of what happened in the past, you want nothing to do with it, is that right?
If so, who is really holding the grudge...now? It's one thing to decide to "say" something...quite something else to "do" something about it.
My experience with recolonizing - I felt the same way you did after Sigma Omega was closed in 1989, with the "promise" to return within about 5 years (though the documentation said "when campus conditions permit").
After 5 years...nothing. No interest from LXA. I was seeing two or three new colonies popping up on campus all the time...didn't make much sense to me. But, in hindsight, IHQ knew better...
After 10 years...not much, but the campus was changing...rapidly. Old president (ANTI-greek to the core) gone, new president (pro-greek) in. All those other colonies? All of them, save one....GONE. Only one out of TWELVE...chartered. These groups had all attempted colonization on their own, without the campus's support. 1 out of 12....remember that.
After 12 years...UNC actually issued invitations, and LXA and one other group was selected to colonize (in our case, REcolonize). That was 1999.
Now, that last 1 of the 12....shut down four years ago. The other group that was colonized along with LXA....STILL a colony. LXA made it. Strong - in fact one of the new ELC's is one of our chapter members.
Lesson? Patience....I tried several times organizing the alumni, raising $, etc...everything that you did, but, if the school AND IHQ BOTH aren't interested in pursuing it, you're better off helping another actual chapter in the meantime, which is what I ended up doing.
IHQ had it's faults in the 90's...NO DOUBT. But, they are gone, new procedures and personnel are IN PLACE. Don't dwell - move forward...offer help when help is needed! But it's not just IHQ - the campus also has to have the right conditions.
I didn't like it, but, I can honestly say, YES, it was worth the wait to do it RIGHT.
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