[aephi alum]

I'm a founding member of my chapter.

I think WhiteDaisy and sigmagirl summed up the pros and cons pretty well.

I'll add two cons.
- It's a LOT of work. If it's a from-the-ground-up colonization, you and your new sisters are building something brand new. Whether it's a from-the-ground-up colonization or absorption of a local, you have to get used to the idea of being answerable to a national organization.
- There's sometimes a problem with name recognition. My colony/chapter is at a campus where AEPi has had a chapter for decades, and we got a lot of "When did AEPi go coed?" and "Oh, is AEPhi some kind of little sister group for AEPi?"

And a huge pro - signing that charter was pretty darn special, and it's a great feeling to know that there is a sorority chapter on my campus that has been there for nearly 20 years - in part because of me.