[ISUKappa]

I was an adviser for five years before stepping down in 2007 to focus on my family.

How did you end up advising the chapter?
I contacted the Province Director as soon as I moved to this area because I knew I wanted to be an adviser.

How much time do you devote to the chapter - including paperwork, meetings, etc. (Excluding recruitment).
When I first started, I had a small advisory role and only spent a few hours a month contacting my advisee and going to meetings. As I changed positions and eventually moved up to Advisory Board Chair, that time increased to approximately 5-7 hours per week.

Do you attend weekly meetings?
It depends on the advisory position. Some are required to attend weekly or bi-monthly meetings with the chapter. Others only have to attend the monthly Advisory Board meetings. When I was ABC and Chapter Council Adviser, I attended the weekly Chapter Council meeting and about one Chapter meeting per month.

What day/time are the chapter's meetings?
Chapter Council met on Sunday afternoons. Chapter meetings were Monday evenings. I lived 30 minutes away from the chapter.

How would you describe your relationship with the collegiates? Friendly? Like a big sister? Like a mom? Like someone from Nationals?
Friendly but not their BFF. It can be a challenge, especially when you're not much older than the active members (I was 22 when I started advising). I wanted their trust and respect as an alumna and adviser. I listened when needed, gave advice when asked but still maintained that I was the alumna.

What are the biggest challenges you have faced?
Resistance to change. The chapter had fallen away from some of the main values of the Fraternity and was not following proper procedure for a number of things. They needed to be reminded, and taught in some cases, of the "right" (meaning Fraternity-mandated) way of doing things. It wasn't easy and I'm sure I was not the favorite person of many chapter women, but that was my job. And I do think I made a difference. It took the entire 5 years I advised, but there was a difference.

Also, I had to remind myself that was not *my* chapter. The women were different, the university was different and the personality of the chapter was different than what I was used to. It took me a year or two of advising and constant reminding that I was there to advise the women in the chapter, not turn it into what I had known. Sometimes that meant biting my tongue or phrasing things differently. Instead of saying "at my chapter we..." I'd say "have you ever thought about..."

How much unreimbursed money do you spend on the chapter, traveling, etc.? How often do you have to travel outside of the chapter (regionals, HQ)?
Because I lived 30 minutes away from the chapter, I spent quite a bit on fuel - especially the last 2.5 years when I was traveling to and from the chapter 1-2 times per week. I also spent personal money on little things for the chapter and chapter council (treats, gift certificates, etc...) I'd say maybe $500/year, but a large chunk of that was due to fuel costs. Outside of that, I traveled to two Province Meetings and a Convention, but some of that money was either paid for by the House Corporation or reimbursed by the Fraternity.