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Now that others have replied, I feel as though I need to add to what I posted (convo seems to be going in a little different direction than I first thought).
I haven't abandoned my chapter. In fact, last semester I helped "raise it from the ashes" so to speak (in other words, lots and lots of help!). But I also help out any chapter who needs me, and I enjoy learning about other chapters.
Once you are an alum and get involved outside of your chapter (or if you've gone to several conventions and talked with the alum officers and staff members) your whole view of the org changes. You have to look at what's best for ALL 50, 90, 300, whatever chapters you have, even if it means a major change for your own chapter. Working on a national level with AST really has given me an entirely different outlook on things....an outlook which I wish collegians get to view sooner into their GLO membership.
I will add this piece of advice though: If you and your chapter are at odds with how things are being run when you graduate, don't expect to come back in a year or two and have any sort of authority to change things. You've got to let some of those people graduate out first, otherwise it continues as the same old struggle. You cannot be and adviser for a chapter you know (especially your own chapter) right out of college. Trust me, you will not be held in authority by the people who had to carry you home from the bar just a few short months ago.
**Do not turn this into a debate on respect for alums/alums running things/being bossy/etc. That's not where I'm going with this.**
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