Housing Issue

[Allie]

Hey all,

I'm really looking for some input and great ideas to a problem. To give you all a little history my sorority is Sigma Alpha, and we are not greek, we are professional. Over the 25 years that Sigma Alpha has been around, we know have 45-50 chapters, across the US.

Being non greek and professional leads most chapters to hold meeting on campus. But a few chapters have houses.

Alpha, Beta, and Gamma (my chapter) I know for sure have houses. All of a sudden our national board is proposing a by-law and constintutional change to charge all chapters with a house $500. So far nobody has been able to answer what this money is going towards, and the girls in my chpater seem to look at it as a tax.

I was told by one of my chpater officers not to ask our national board rep questions because she is compiling a list that she would lke answered and will present the material to us as a chapter. But our national convention is quickly approaching, and I want to make sure that if this money doesn't provide us with insurance, or anything that we are not being treated unfairly because we have a house.

My question for you all is... is this type of situational normal? What do you suggest we do? How she we go about contacting all of the other chapters to help back us so at national convention this amendment doesn't pass?

I will say thank you ahead of time Please help a sister out here....

[33girl]

cough cough bullshit cough cough...

If you have houses now, as in you have a housing corporation for them or you own them, you should ALREADY have insurance in place. If they are simply houses that you rent from Joe Landlord and the national HQ does not help you with it, it shouldn't even come up.

We do have a "housing fund" for each chapter, but it doesn't matter whether they have a house, a bank of apartments, or a suite in a dorm. It's to draw $$ for things the chapter might need, like furniture. Naturally the chapters with larger houses or the possibility of one put more into their fund on a chapter level. However, that is their choice - not something HQ makes them do.

Just start going through the internet and collect chapter addresses...this doesn't sound right at all.

[Allie]

THANK YOU!

Yes we currently just rent from Mr. Landlord and he's great to us, we love him. But as to why we need to give up an annual fee/tax (whatever they are calling it) makes no sense. Even so why wouldn't all chapters pay an extra $500 per year to go to a housing fund.

I will also let you in on our national board. I have not yet met all of them, but from the two I have met and have seen pictures of two others. They are all fairly young. One board member is alum from our chapter and she graduated in May 2002. I mean the girls have not had to go through a lot of life lessons yet, like purchasing their own home, nor have been out of their chapters long.

The whole thing is just disturbing to me and seems shady. As info is delivered to me I will post what is explained of the proposed amendment, and what the defense behind it is.

Thanks 33girl