Quote:
Originally posted by Eclipse
I'm not trying to start anything, but I've always found this sentiment to be interesting. Let me try another anology....I would like a pair of shoes. I've seen the shoes in the store window, they are BEAUTIFUL and would go perfectly with an outfit I have, I think they would fit, but I only have $100 in my pocket and I know I need to get some pantyhose and something to eat. I REALLY want these shoes!! The shoes are $90. If I hesitate does that mean I no longer want the shoes? Maybe, but maybe it means I am being realistic and realize that now is not the time...not becuase of "me", but because the shoes are too darn expensive! How would I know that if I didn't know how much the shoes costs?
I have a friend who joined a graduate chapter of a sorority and was informed, in round numbers, how much the initiation fee was going to be and how much the yearly dues was going to be. She made her decision to join based partial on that information. What she found out later was that she was also expected to fork out 100s of dollars for fundraising activities. She had to prepay for tickets, etc. and if she did not pay for them she was on the hook! She loves her sorority, but the first time she went to a meeting and they asked her to write a check for $500 for some tickets she almost had a heartattack! (and so did her husband when she got home and told him what she did!)
I can understand not giving exact numbers because you can't, but I wonder if the large number of members who are not finanical is due to not really understanding the long term financial commitment that they take because of the "if you have to ask you can't afford it" belief.
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I like your analogy, and can go along with your points. Now I don't know if I would have done what your friend did - actually I'm sure I wouldn't have, because I don't have $500 to just drop like that!
I don't know if I quite agree though with the members not being financial because of the longterm financial commitment. Funny this is being discusses (or is this a hijack of which I am prone to do??
) because I am reactivating after a long hiatus. I knew when I was pledging that it was going to be quite a financial committment and I realize that now still. But if the Sorority told me that I had to write them a check for $500, I would just have to be "on the hook"!
After I had my daughter, I had all intentions of paying my dues, but I was out of work for 3 months, and with a new baby, and the sorority didn't take first place in my long list of folks that wanted their money.
I realized that I have done/can do anything else that I really want to do, and decided that this was gonna be the year that I was gonna reactivate. Personally, I believe that finances for many do play a part in them not being financially active, but I would wager that other things keep them from being financial. Some chapters have ways to help their members with their dues when problems arise. Unfortunately, sometimes, life gets in the way which may more often than not keep those from being active. Actually, had a Soror tell me this morning that she just got tired! Her children usually had activities, and she was busy with them, so she took about 3 years off, but she's back.
Sorry this post was sooo long. . .