Quote:
Originally posted by madmax
The DZ chapter at Alfred is not jumping ship. It is the DZ national HQ that is pulling the plug on them.
Let me turn your loving the organization and what it stands for speech around. If your National HQ loves it's members and what they stand for, then why are they pulling the plug on a group of girls that has done nothing wrong?
If the current sisters start a local sorority, can't there still be an alumni chapter of DZ?
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Let me make one thing clear here--this is all sheer speculation. No decision has been made by DZ HQ to "pull the plug" on this chapter...I'm not sure how this got started, other than the assumption that the SCU chapter was closed last year after that school decided to dissolve their Greek system.
Also, someone made the comment that DZ's constitution doesn't allow chapters at schools that do not recognize Greeks...I have not been able to confirm that--but if it is true (and that may be the reason the SCU chapter was closed) then there are sound reasons for that policy, and I really don't think it is necessary to make the assumption that somehow DZ's National council somehow loves this chapter less than any other, or imply that they will leave these young ladies flapping in the breeze without seriously evaluating the situation.
No, it is not their fault--they are victims of circumstance, and I can assure you that DZ is going to do everything to support the existing sisters in every way they can if the decision is made to close the chapter in order to comply with DZ's constitution, or for whatever reason. Again, it's sheer speculation...and probably a little premature to debate...no one knows what will happen until Council meets with the local DZ members, including alumnae & collegiates.
Just for fun, lets' say DZ does decide to close the chapter for insurance reasons or constitutional reasons or whatever. I, for one, am not particularly concerned that these undergraduate alumnae will somehow lose their affinity for DZ by starting a local sorority which continues to function off campus and recruit members. If that is how they choose to use their energies, then so be it. They can just as easily be active DZ alumnae as they can by XYZ local sorority alumnae/collegiates--as long as they do not share DZ privileged information with women who are not initiated. I do not see this as a conflict of the commitment to DZ anymore than I would see initiation into a service or professional sorority that is equally social as a conflict. THis is my personal opinion, though. The difference of course, is that DZ is for life--the local may or may not hold as deep bonds for them, but if they start something wonderful, then they may keep the door open to recolonizing for future students when Alfred comes to their senses. DZ would not be supporting that collegiate group, and as long as the group made sure that there was no appearance that DZ was--then there would be no liability for DZ national.
While the whole DZ question is an interesting debate, I don't think we should lose sight of the original issue of this thread-which is the tragic loss of another Greek system...even though it appears the system had a pretty controversial history, I think this needs to be a real wake up call to us all, to get our acts together and do what we need to do to prevent it happening at other schools. Granted, most Greek systems are much different--academics are usually well about campus averages, for instance...but this is something we all need to be thinking about, and working with our collegiate chapters as well as universities to make sure that Greeks are seen as valuable contributors to college life....we all know that it is, but clearly, we have to work harder to let others know that.