[preciousjeni]

Originally posted by brownsugar952
I understand that everyone starts out as a local, but some of these organizations I just think come on. Even though merger can help a lot of smaller organizations, why would a strong organization want to take an organization under their wing that can't even get interest?

Often, the problem of numbers results not from a lack of interest but from the organization not really knowing what to do. National organizations have "been there, done that" with many chapters and will have answers to those problems.

The mergers that I have seen have all been in panhel or IFC and it seems like the organization that took in another organization was at least 30 years old and were WELL established. Can multicultural sororties that are really young right now be able to financially handle a merger? Has a NPHC organization ever had an organization merge with them?

I don't know that anyone is saying that MC sororities will start actively absorbing locals! It is something that could happen in the future.

Don't get me wrong, I really think that a merger between at least one of these organizations should happen but what price does each organization pay? It seems like both would have to loose a little bit of something that their organization was founded on. Some for the better and some for the worst.

Merging would be a huge compromise from both organizations. Absorbing would really leave the "burden" on the org trying to affiliate.

I really think that people need to REALLY think about starting a new chapter of an existing organization before starting a new organization. There are over 30 multicultural organizations in the nation. The bad part is that it seems like all of them are trying to expand. I would have more respect for them if they just like being a local.

Of course people should do their research and really consider what they're attempting. However, these people for the most part are 18-22 year olds without a great deal of life experience. They cannot be blamed for youthful idealism!! Perhaps what they attempt does not succeed but that should be no obstacle for them to come to a more established organization and gain some wisdom.

From an earlier post:

Think about it... most people who have created a sorority in the past 6 years (for some reason there seems like there is a boom of multicultural sororities in the last six years) they probably already heard about most of the larger organizations out there through the internet before they created their own. If they didn't want to affiliate themselves with them then, why would they want to do it now? I think it is about pride on both sides.

You know, if you're dying and you can find another organization that mirrors your own ideals, would it not be better to reaffiliate? Is this all really about the organizations or about the ideals they promote? Of course, the decision would have to be made by all the members and certainly some members would not reaffiliate at all. If you are so proud that you wouldn't take the legacy of your organization and give it new life in another organization, perhaps you really are just Greek for the letters. (No flames please, it's just an observation. And, before you ask, I don't know what I would do if this ever happened to me, but I can say that I would do just about anything to preserve my organization even if it meant taking help from another org.)

If you merge, who's name do you take? Will the new members have to "Do something" to become a member? How would the members feel that a group of "outsiders" are coming in without putting in the "work" that they went through? How much of the other organization's traditions do you take as your own?

All of this would be determined by the two orgs (in a merger) or by the absorbing org (in absorption).

I think it would be really hard.

No one ever said it wouldn't be! It's a really touchy subject and the answer really depends on what you're looking for and how you view yourself.