An advisor destroying a chapter

[peachesandplums]

I am a semi-regular poster, but needed to get advices without disclosing my organization or any school I may be affiliated with as a volunteer or my ungergrad school.

A little background: Last year I volunteered to help out a chapter of my GLO that has been struggling for a few years. The chapter is at public state school and recruitment is a little competitive. Within the last 2 or 3 years a national advisor has helped get them back on their feet with recruitment, membership issues, and image on campus. She, along with several volunteers that are local alums and from the national sorority have invested a lot of work into this chapter.

Fast forward to late summer/early fall: The national advisor had to leave her position. An alumnae who was involved with the revitalization of this chapter was tapped to become the regular advisor, we'll call her "Jenny". At first working with Jenny was fine, but then she and a few of her her sisters from her chapter that were volunteering started saying a lot of bad things about other alumni volunteers that were helping and this information got around. Over the last year many volunteers have left because of Jenny and her clique of alumni from her original chapter.

Fast forward to now and the bigger problem: This chapter had recruitment last month and I volunteered to help. Jenny and her clique said that they would be there, but they did not show up one time. (The membership advisor is one of the girls in Jenny's clique - that Jenny chose after the original membership advisor left because of Jenny's badmouthing. The current membership advisor was a COB herself, never attend any training, or even participated in formal recruitment on either side at her originating chapter.) The chapter, which has not done recruitment without a large volunteer base in several years was left to fly and basically fell on their face.

Jenny is not taking any responsibility for this and is blaming me because I was there for 2 of the rounds (work related issues kept me from being there the entire time - which I had told Jenny about prior to recruitment). Mind you, I am not an advisor in any capacity for the chapter and while I enjoy recruitment, I do not have the training to support an entire chapter.

When I was there during recruitment, the chapter voiced a lot of concerns that Jenny wasn't there and that they felt abandoned. Even when they did have a question that I couldn't answer, they called Jenny and she didn't answer or even return her call.

When I found out what Jenny was saying about me behind my back, I confroted her. I told her that it was not my fault that the chapter fell apart for recruitment, they had no preparation and no support and that as chapter advisor that was her job and that membership advisor should have been there per our national policy. Jenny wrote me a rather scathing email demanding that I no longer volunteer with the chapter.

Personally, I think Jenny is doing a great deal of disservice to the chapter and while I love the girls in the chapter, I don't think I could ever work with Jenny ever again, so I will step down from volunteering with this chapter. However, I think our nationals needs to know whats going on here and I'm not sure how to approach it and I am still in contact with some of the chapter members and I don't know how to tell them whats going on without creating more bad blood...any advice would be nice....

[MaggieXi]

Wow...Jenny does not sound like she should be in charge! This sounds like a storyline for GREEK!

Your national office may already know about Jenny from other volunteers that she ousted. You might want to contact the other volunteers and see if they have done anything.

Also, your headquarters might be keeping an eye on the chapter since they knew this was the first time they were participating in recruitment without a national officer there. Did the chapter make qouta?

[ASTalumna06]

If you're not directly associated with the chapter, I would suggest that you don't get involved in a large way. If the chapter has a problem with this advisor, they need to take it upon themselves to do something in order to deal with their concerns. You can encourage them and inform them of the necessary steps in dealing with the situation, but I wouldn't suggest that you yourself do anything of a large magnitude.

The first step (if this is a large concern for the chapter) is to have them talk to the advisor. Have them delegate a member (most likely the President) to voice the chapter's concerns. The last thing that you want them to do is to go over the advisor's head on anything. Because when national staff members start to question the advisor about problems with the chapter, and the advisor has no idea as to what's going on, the chapter will be in a very unpleasant position.

If there are no changes made following this, the chapter might want to relay their concerns as a whole. Have the chapter and all of the advisors discuss what is going on. Don't have the chapter attack the advisors, but a structured conversation can take place.

And if there still aren't any positive results, have them gradually move toward informing "higher ranking" alumnae.. consultants, district presidents... whatever your sorority has, until it reaches national officers (if need be) in order to get the problem solved.

And I've said it before and I'll say it again... have them document everything! Even if it's just an email from a chapter member to the advisor saying, "I need to speak with you regarding the advisory team and concerns among the chapter. Please call me at..." so that there is proof that all of the necessary steps were taken.

And if you really don't know what those steps are, look through your national constitutions, and any material that you have that might indicate how to go about this process. Or... contact national headquarters or members of national staff asking them very general questions so as not to indicate what the actual problem is, but so that you can figure out what the "chain of command" is, and have the chapter talk to these people in order, so to speak.

[Kevin]

If you truly feel you have been wronged, (keep in mind, I know jack-squat about NPC policy and procedure), it seems the best thing to do would be to contact Jenny's immediate supervisor (or whatever the equivalent of that would be).

If things are as you say, Jenny's incompetence speaks for itself and a quick investigation will confirm that.

If on the other hand, Jenny is someone who takes ownership of a project and doesn't like it when folks who are only involved in activities on the periphery of chapter operations (or worse yet, not at all) criticize her work, I actually think her response might have been reasonable.

I've served in various advisory capacities with my fraternity, and I can say that comments from brothers who haven't put in as much time and energy as I have or who know less about a situation than I do are usually welcome. I'm probably different than most people in that respect, however. I know many other brothers who feel extremely disrespected when someone tells them how to do their job.

Before you go and "report" Jenny, take a step back, try to see things from her perspective. If you still can't justify her behavior, or still think that the chapter would be better off without her, let someone know. If you still have some questions and doubts, then maybe it's best to just take a step back and let things play out.

[MaggieXi]

I don't think the OP told Jenny how to do her job, she just got upset when Jenny tried to blame the chapter's recruitment failure on the OP who is a volunteer, not an advisor. The OP only told Jenny "how to do her job" i.e. "take responsibility for some of the failure here, or at least try to do some damage control" only after Jenny tried to pin the "failure" on the OP. If I were in a similar situation, I would probably stick up for myself and say something similar.

IMO, I think the OP should just fade away in the distance. If the chapter did that lousy, I'm sure someone from a regional or higher-up advisory position probably already knows about it.

[Kevin]

That's probably best.

Backing away allows 'Jenny' to be the 100% complete owner of any future failure. If she runs off all the 'help,' there'll be no one left to lay the blame on.

This seems to be one of those situations where it's best for the OP to pick her battles.

At any rate, my advice stems from the fact that advice-seeking posts on GC are notoriously one-sided and probably omit important facts. I'm sure the OP will understand -- if someone has to post under a pseudonym, whatever they have to say should be taken with a hefty grain of salt.

[AOII Angel]

Forward the nasty email to your HQ. I don't think they will appreciate someone chasing off volunteers when I'm sure they usually have to work hard to find people willing to pitch in. Your sorority deserves better than that on multiple levels!

[RaggedyAnn]

First off, the success of a chapter's recruitment is on the chapter itself. Volunteers and advisors (who are also volunteers) are there to aid and guide the chapter, not do it for them.

Now with that said, nasty emails are just not necessary. I would forward your complaint upward and try and get a third party intervention. I'm not sure of your sorority structure, so I can't tell you who to go to, but a third party may be able to mediate the situation to prevent further hurt feelings.

I'm sorry you are hurt. Volunteers are valuable resources for every Greek Letter Organization.

[lyrelyre]

Originally Posted by peachesandplums

...This chapter had recruitment last month and I volunteered to help. Jenny and her clique said that they would be there, but they did not show up one time...the chapter voiced a lot of concerns that Jenny wasn't there...when they did have a question that I couldn't answer, they called Jenny and she didn't answer or even return her call...they had no preparation and no support...membership advisor should have been there per our national policy...However, I think our nationals needs to know whats going on here and I'm not sure how to approach it....

If the policy is for an advisor to be physically present during recruitment, the president or VP-recruitment should have notified headquarters immediately when that advisor failed to be present. It sounds to me like headquarters should have already been advised of this situation. My advice would be for you, another volunteer, or the current collegians to notify them now.

[33girl]

I'm going to play (I think) devil's advocate and say that if your nationals OKed a recruitment advisor (for a formal recruitment-having school) that had no training or experience in formal recruitment, then part of the stupid is definitely on them. These women need to be vetted to make sure they're right for the position, not just rubber stamped because another advisor OKs them or because they volunteered for it.

I take it none of y'all are actually alumnae of this particular chapter - that would be just another can of worms on top of the one that's already open.

It also sounds like Jenny may have been confused as to what your actual role is - whether you were "official" or whether you were just helping out because you happened to be there.

You def need a 3rd party's help with this - go to your district head or whatever it's called, or your volunteer coordinator, and clear everything up via email as to who is doing what because I think that's a big part of the problem here.

[peachesandplums]

To answer some of your questions: the chapter did not make qouta - by a lot! And the new members that they did get were not ones they really wanted which is causing a lot of problems. All the other GLOs on campus made qouta or got qouta additions.

I found out from the president who forwarded an email that Jenny had sent to the executive council telling them that I was responsible for the bad recruitment because I was the only volunteer there and that because I come from a better chapter (not my words - hers, yes the chapter I come from has a successful history and is competitive in the south) that I didn't under stand that there chapter has to "work" to get girls. And that it was my fault that I didn't understand RFM. And that all the girls should back her when she asks me not to come back and volunteer. The President replied and asked why wasn't Jenny there? Why didn't the membership advisor come when she said that she was going to? Jenny's response was that her friend/the membership advisors friend had come into town for a visit and they wanted to see her and she thought the chapter would be alright.

When I found out about what Jenny had said about blaming the bad recruitment results on me I called her and confronted her. And maybe I did tell her how to do her job a little and that she should have been there when she said she was going to be and that the membership advisor should have been there per our national policy. And that I would not take the responsibility for the entire problem because she knew all along that I was just a volunteer (my work schedule and the distance I live keep me from doing more with the chapter) and that I did not have any training when it came to recruitment except from my own knowledge that is 5 years old. She hung up on me and then wrote me a very nasty email, cc'ing all the advisors and volunteers where she cursed at me and called me names.

A few of the volunteers (some of the former ones who were also run off) have contacted me and just have said its for the best and that nationals knows that it isn't my fault and that Jenny is just trying to make someone a scapegoat because she didn't do her job.

Whoever said that its the chapters responsibility to succeed is based on the chapter itself and not the advisors and volunteers is correct. However, I think in this instance, the chapter relied so hevily on the advisors to help them that when they were left to fly on their own without any support they panicked and felt abandonded. IMO, the chapter should have been "weened" off the help, not just dumped.

[peachesandplums]

Originally Posted by 33girl

I'm going to play (I think) devil's advocate and say that if your nationals OKed a recruitment advisor (for a formal recruitment-having school) that had no training or experience in formal recruitment, then part of the stupid is definitely on them. These women need to be vetted to make sure they're right for the position, not just rubber stamped because another advisor OKs them or because they volunteered for it.

I take it none of y'all are actually alumnae of this particular chapter - that would be just another can of worms on top of the one that's already open.

It also sounds like Jenny may have been confused as to what your actual role is - whether you were "official" or whether you were just helping out because you happened to be there.

You def need a 3rd party's help with this - go to your district head or whatever it's called, or your volunteer coordinator, and clear everything up via email as to who is doing what because I think that's a big part of the problem here.

I think I need to clairfy something: The chapter had a good membership advisor ("GMA") that had attended the training this past summer and was very excited and had a good relationship with the chapter. However, Jenny did not like her ideas and always talked badly about her, calling her a "know it all" and "bossy". GMA finally had it with Jenny undermining her and quit her position in August. Jenny decided that a sister (from her originating chapter and good friend) who had never volunteered or been involved with any alumni stuff would be the new membership advisor. This is the girl who has never had any training or participated in formal recruitment.

Jenny knew I was just a volunteer. In her own nasty email she states clear as day that I am "just a volunteer".

Ya know, the more I write, the more I think Jenny just has serious control issues.

[AGDLynn]

Originally Posted by peachesandplums

Jenny knew I was just a volunteer. In her own nasty email she states clear as day that I am "just a volunteer".

Ya know, the more I write, the more I think Jenny just has serious control issues.

I have no idea who your org is but as for my organization, everyone from the International President to the chapter-level advisors are "volunteers".

So, what is the CA's salary?????? Darn, where's mine for all those years??

The only ones that get paid are the Executive Director and those that work at IHQ. The Leadership Consultants do get paid for certain things; they can only be LC's for 1-2 years. I'm not sure about all the reimbursements for the LeadershipAdvisors who work with chapters while attending graduate school.

In some orgs, the chapters have the opportunity to nominate chapter advisors which gives nationals an opinion of who they want/don't want.

[LegallyBrunette]

Originally Posted by AGDLynn

I have no idea who your org is but as for my organization, everyone from the International President to the chapter-level advisors are "volunteers".

Same with my organization. I'd imagine this is true for most, if not all, NPCs.

My take on the advisor/volunteer distinction that's been made in the OP's post is that all advisors are volunteers, but not all volunteers have the title of advisor. For example, I'm a volunteer who has also been appointed to the position of advisor, which has specific responsibilities to the chapter and to National Office. But there are also alumnae who aren't able to commit to an advisor position, but are still very valuable as volunteers on a more informal ad-hoc basis.

My guess is that Jenny is a volunteer who was appointed to an advisory position, whereas the OP volunteers when she can, but is not in a specific advisory role with clearly defined responsibilities.

And, I'm with the other posters that HQ probably has an idea that Jenny is incompetent, but I would still forward on her nasty email to the powers that be so that there is a record of her handling of the situation.

[violetpretty]

Originally Posted by nittanyalum

The question will be, though, if "Jenny" is "removed" (if they can even do that to a volunteer), who will take her place? Are you willing to step in as the adviser, or are there other alums you can access to step in? Because if she and her troop are taken off and no one is there to replace them, the chapter will really be left on their own.

Excellent point. While Jenny has totally wronged you, just make sure you are thinking of what is best for the chapter, because it sounds like they need the help.