Just curious

[winneythepooh7]

I am curious how super huge chapters operate? How do you get to know everyone and keep it organized? I've seen posts on here where chapters have over 100 women. That seems so overwhelming to me. I think we had maybe 30 women when I graduated. Allison D*Phi*E

[PhiPsiRuss]

Its more difficult for everyone to get to know each other, and sometimes not possible.

They are, however, much easier to operate. There is a larger talent pool from which to select leaders, so you tend to get better leaders. Also, its always easier to find people to do things when you have more people.

[hoosier]

Small chapters get small victories, occasionally, but many find small chapters develop more cliques and spats. If you only have 30 people, it may be the greatest thing in the world, but usually there just isn't enough money to have a major social, to have an impressive homecoming display, or to keep up a decent house.

A 30-person GLO has only seven or eight people in each class (sr., jr., etc.), and probably only three or four seniors who are still around. This may offer more leadership opportunities for younger members, or it may produce a lot of immature leadership and failure. If there's only five or six juniors, probably two or three of them don't speak to the others. In a large chapter with 25 or 30 in each class, if two or three don't speak to two or three others, there are still 20 or 25 who speak and interact socially.

A 30-person chapter can't have a social with a 60- or 80 or 100 person GLO, and when GLOs pick co-sponsors/co-hosts for campus events and competitions they'll pick a large group which has more people, resources, and money.

Since the large groups will control the GLO governing bodies, they'll make the rules - which they will often say are designed to help the smaller chapters - which only help large groups. For example, if they say a PNM must visit every chapter before committing (so the small chapters "will see all the PNMs"), the small chapters always lose, when the PNMs see the nicer houses, the bigger trophies, and the larger numbers in other GLOs.

The story of a small quality chapter - and I'd define that as one in the lower third size-wise - is a myth. They seldom exist.

If you had a great life in a small chapter, congratulatons.

If you had been in a 100-person chapter, you would also have had a great life - and instead of 25 friends, you might have had 50 or 75.

[33girl]

hoosier, we all know that you think small chapters suck and should be destroyed but I believe Allison's whole Greek system was made up of chapters around her size. She's not talking about being a 30 person chapter when all the others are at 150.

You can have a great experience or a crappy experience in ANY size chapter, in any size system, and if you don't believe that, your conception of Greek life is severely flawed.

[winneythepooh7]

Yeah, greek life is not really too big at SUNY New Paltz. There are 3 Nationals (D*Phi*E, SDT & AEPhi). All 3 are quite small. The locals were even smaller. The chapters were growing it appeared last time I was up there with between 50-60 members but then I think what was happening too were there were graduating classes of like 20 sisters. New Paltz has always been a very artsy-kind of school that outside of it's education and business programs which it is also known for, does not typically attract the "type" of people who would normally pledge greek organizations. I am not trying to sound stereotypical by all means but I think you guys understand what I am saying. The people with tri-color hair and body-piercings all over that I remember from my days at New Paltz made fun of us. We did have our share of cliques too....it was not "perfect". Back then it used to be the house vs. campus vs. off-campus.

Allison D*Phi*E

[Betarulz!]

Hoosier is pretty much right on when specifying groups on one campus. If you have big and small chapters on a single campus, then yes, the larger chapters are at a competetive advantage in things like intramurals, fundraisers, and activities in which attrition can win it for you.

This is not to say that the smaller chapters cannot manage to beat the bigger chapters at somethings, but it takes a motivated membership and likely will only occur in one area of greek life.

For example, Triangle won homecoming among the fraternities this year at Nebraska, despite a very small membership. Granted they were helped by their triad with a larger fraternity (FarmHouse who was very motivated to beat Beta) and a Sorority at Total. But they were able to motivate their guys for that week, and get out to events particularly those based on % of participants.
Another example is Theta Xi, as they are smaller but consistently battle for tops of intramurals. However in their case it is at the expense of everything else. They are not well rounded at all.

If you are at a campus where all the chapters are smaller than your size is not going to be a hinderance, just reality.


As for how larger chapters operate: At least in chapter meetings there does need to be adherence to ParliPro so that things that need the chapter input can be addressed efficiently. Also there tend to be a lot more committees formed. I notice this between the average size of the fraternity chapters here and the sororities which is usually a difference of about 30-40 members. The sororities tend to name more people to commitees compared to the fraternities where the execs take on more responsibility.

[Buttonz]

I can't imagine sitting in a chapter meeting with even 30 sisters. forget about more. Right now our meeting last about 2-3 hours, and we only have about 14 sisters at meetings, and maybe one or two alumnaes. I can't imagine how a meeting would run if we had a lot more girls.
I love being in a small group, I knowevery sister and it's acloser type of fruendship then in a larger house.

[Tom Earp]

Bigger is Better!

So Much BS!

If you cannot know your own Brothers/Sisters then what is a Group mean

Just a bunch of people wearing the same Letters! Gag Me with a Huge bunch of unknowns!

Just like the 3 Bears and Goldilocks! Think about it!

[AXJules]

Originally posted by Buttonz
I can't imagine sitting in a chapter meeting with even 30 sisters. forget about more. Right now our meeting last about 2-3 hours, and we only have about 14 sisters at meetings, and maybe one or two alumnaes. I can't imagine how a meeting would run if we had a lot more girls.
I love being in a small group, I knowevery sister and it's acloser type of fruendship then in a larger house.

Easy- first of all we never have all 180 come to chapter. Ever.
2nd- when discussing something, it's not a free for all. You raise your hand, do pro con pro or something like that, and it's done. Definitely not an open forum. By having rules we keep things efficient and we're in and out in avg time, about 1.5 hrs.

[Glitter650]

Yeah I think most orgs. were designed to run efficiently with lots of members.. that's why most use Parli. Pro... even though I kinda like the chapter size at my school... (45) is small compared to some schools with 100 + member chapters I think it is cool that I KNOW personally and have hung out one on one with each and every one of my sisters.. and have all of them in my phone... if I see my letters on campus.. I know who it is... I think it'd be weird to just hang out with my pledge class and maybe the year before and after me but not really know the youngest ladies or the oldest ladies.. but that's just because that's what I'm used to. I can see how it may be a burden for smaller chapters at a shcool where all other chapters are HUGE... but it's not the case for me so I kinda like the size of the chapters at my school, I mean of course I'm like WOW when I see pics like the one of A-Phi at Missouri where they're all lined up in their circular drive and all the members span the HUUUGGGEEE front expanse of their house and think WOW that would be awesome... but my school doens't offer that kind of an experience... my experience has been different and each chapter needs to operate as it must to offer the best experience for it's members possible...

[Xylochick216]

We have about 160 in my chapter, but we get to know each other pretty well. Of course there are going to be those we know better than others, and it's a bit hard to get to know all the new girls right away since there are so many of them. But I don't agree that bigger is better. Both have their advantages and disadvantages. My best friend from high school is in an organization that is the only NPC on campus, and she has 19 sisters. She knows everything about all 19 of them, which is really nice!