Actually,
Most organizations DO help not only their local community but help in National endevours as well. Many presidents have been members of greek organizations and have helped (while in office) to further their particular organizations national philanthropies, either outright with their brothers helping or indirectly. I'm not sure about Jimmy Carter or Bill Clinton, but both Ronald Regan and George Bush were both members of National Greek Organizations.
Also, there is done more behind the scenes than you actually think. Local Chapters don't do all the work alone. All the dues we pay and hard work we do benifit our local community, but LOTS of the money goes into a big 'dues pot' at national headquarters. Then National Headquarters of each organizations is most likely on its founding campus. There are people there that actually WORK for the sorority/fraternity. It's their job. They spend a lot of their time to further the aims and ideals of the sorority/fraternity. As for building schools and such. It's funny you say that! My sorority DOES that. My sororities national philanthropy is to aid the hearing and seeing impaired. Out of ALL the money we raise together as a whole (as in the whole world--we are a international sorority technically), MOST of it goes toward funding schools, hospitals, and research involving the hearing and seeing impaired. One of our main focus points is Galludett University, in Washington, D.C. It's a college for the hearing and seeing impaired. There's even a chapter of our sorority there. This endevour is not the ONLY one that my sorority does, but it is the main philanthropy that we take part of.
I hope that this helps you understand where most of us are coming from. I won't lie and say that you'll never see us partying or such, but that's just a very very small part of what sororities and fraternities stand for. People DO join just for the letters, but it's unfortunate. The only thing I am trying to say is, there will always be slackers, no matter what you are talking about, and greek organizations have had their share too. No, we aren't perfect. We do have flaws, but that goes for every man, woman, child, organization, business, etc etc in the world! You might come across a chapter of a organization that does do absolutely nothing to further the aims and ideals of their organziations, but a side note of that instance--they aren't the majority, and thier days are numbered. If this is what you witnessed, it's sad because those chapters are only hurting us as a WHOLE greek community. They put off a bad image of what greek life really is. Anyway, I'm not above admitting that there are definate flaws in the greek system, but I do want you to know that MOST of greeks DO try to help out in their local and national community.
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Mikki Gates
Delta Zeta Alum
Kappa Mu Chapter
Sigma Alpha Iota Alum
Eta Tau Chapter
"I would rather have thirty minutes of wonderful than a lifetime of nothing special."
--Julia Roberts
(Steel Magnolias)
Visit me at:
http://homepages.go.com/~dzkm433/index.html
and
http://www.calypso.com/dzkm433/welcomtomyworld.chtml
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