(All Greeks) Chapter Officers: You are One, So You Plan to Run...

[Discogoddess]

Are there any current/former graduate chapter officers out there under the age of 45? If so, what was your experience in running for/holding office in your graduate chapter? Was your age and/or AKA experience (or lack thereof) an issue?

If you feel more comfortable responding via email, please do so. Thanks, sorors!

DG

[LadyAKA]

Soror I will tell you more via e-mail and those that care to know more can e-mail me, but I will say that being elected into office makes you more visible and of course gives you more responsibility. I went straight from undergrad to my graduate chapter and Grad chapter is just on a whole 'nother scale!! You can get lost in the grad chapter if you don't make yourself seen. I was hesitant to run, but am glad I did. My age did not hold me back but my experience level was a bit of a hindrance. But as many say no matter how old you are or what your current background is you continue to learn new things about AKA everyday!! I love the opportunity it definitely gave me greater responsibility and defined my AKA life in a greater way; it helped me to serve the chapter on a different level. It also has a great excitement factor, I get excited about being in chapter because 1) I am learning and 2) I am there being proactive not just sitting there. I love my T-SHIRT wearing sorors but if you want to reap the real rewards I say get active and get involved. And on another level when I get on the directorate (yes, I am going there) I can't wait to vote up or down the things that sorors (and all Greeks) just whine about.

Sisterly yours,
LadyAKA

[AKA2D '91]

SOROR

Email me please with more info. I will be joining a Grad chpater for the first time this Fall. I have been a general member since 93. I want to know about the transition, basically.

This is for any Soror currently active with a Grad chapter.

[WenD08]

i'm in my 3rd office w/my chapter (recording secretary). my chapter has mostly older members. the age thing is an issue for us but i and others work to make sure that we are heard. fortunately, myself and 2 other younger members were encouraged to run and won. i think many older sorors understand that they can't run the chapters forever and that new leadership must be groomed. when my time comes, i'll be glad to pass that torch.

[AKA2D '91]

I just replied...

[LadyAKA]

Soror AKA2D, I just sent out an e-mail to ya!

[AKA2D '91]

New Question:

1. Have you held any Chapter offices ? If so, what position? Please identify (UG/GRAD)
2. Are you currently an officer?
3. Do you plan to run for an office in the future?
4. If so, which office?

[Steeltrap]

Originally posted by AKA2D '91
New Question:

1. Have you held any Chapter offices ? If so, what position? Please identify (UG/GRAD)
2. Are you currently an officer?
3. Do you plan to run for an office in the future?
4. If so, which office?

1. I am Ivy Leaf Reporter for my grad chapter.
2. I'm currently an officer, see above.
3. Yes, I do plan to run for another office...some years out.
4. I'm thinking about several offices. One of them includes being chapter historian. I will never run for the money offices, though.

[abaici]

1. Have you held any Chapter offices ? Yes
If so, what position? Corresponding Secretary (GRAD)

2. Are you currently an officer? Currently serving

3. Do you plan to run for an office in the future? Of course! In a few years though.

4. If so, which office? As Soror ST, never treasurer. Vice-President or President.

[btb87]

Originally posted by AKA2D '91
New Question:

1. Have you held any Chapter offices ? If so, what position? Please identify (UG/GRAD)
2. Are you currently an officer?
3. Do you plan to run for an office in the future?
4. If so, which office?

1. Was corresponding secretary sometime during my 3rd year in Alpha Kappa Alpha.
2. No.
3 and 4. Wouldn't mind being corresponding secretary again, but would like to (next year, maybe) be Ivy Leaf reporter.

Still trying to get reacclamated, so I don't wanna jump in too deep, although I volunteered to do a small newsletter (silly me!).

Forgot to mention - all this was graduate chapter.

[Vanity6_08]

Originally posted by AKA2D '91
New Question:

1. Have you held any Chapter offices ? If so, what position? Please identify (UG/GRAD)
2. Are you currently an officer?
3. Do you plan to run for an office in the future?
4. If so, which office?

1-I was Recording Secretary for 3 years.

2-I am a Grad Advisor now.

3-Yes.

4-In several years, I plan to make it up to President but I really need to learn about the financial offices (scare to death of them).

All Grad Chapter positions.

[Kimmie1913]

1. Have you held any Chapter offices ? If so, what position? Please identify (UG/GRAD) I am currently my chapter First Vice President.
2. Are you currently an officer? See above
3. Do you plan to run for an office in the future? Waiting to get through year two of this term and will make up my mind in the spring.
4. If so, which office? A second term at First Vice.

[Vanity6_08]

To answer the original question........

I was the youngest Soror in my former grad chapter for a couple years. It was NOT EASY. Many of the women were much older but thank goodness I had the opportunity to get to know them EXTREMELY well. I never felt handheld or babied in my Recording Secretary position. No one ever questioned my ability. It was the programming ideas that were hard to implement as a younger Soror. The hardest part was there were hardly any young Sorors in the chapter and our level of involvement differed.

In my new chapter, things are much different. It's MUCH larger and there are more younger Sorors (now younger than me, for a change). Balance of ages was EXTREMELY important when I transferred (due to relocation). In my current position, I do feel handheld by certain people due to my age (or should I say....the age they THINK I am <we age well....don't we >). But so far, so good.

[abaici]

Originally posted by Discogoddess
Are there any current/former graduate chapter officers out there under the age of 45? If so, what was your experience in running for/holding office in your graduate chapter? Was your age and/or AKA experience (or lack thereof) an issue?

If you feel more comfortable responding via email, please do so. Thanks, sorors!

DG

I was the youngest member of my chapter for a year and a half--I am so loving the neos!! 2 are younger than me and one is the same age!!

Before the neos, my chapter definately consisted of more "seasoned" sorors. My neo status and age did cause them to ask me to do a lot of grunt work. However, they are great teachers and I love to soak up as much knowledge as I can from them. My age is not really an issue, they are so delighted by the fact that I am interested in learning as much as I can about AKA.

For me to run for my current position, the by-laws had to be suspended--I wasn't a year old at the time (one day short).
More to the point, when I expressed an interest in serving as a Boule delegate, a "seasoned" soror stepped down (I would have surely lost if the chapter voted) and allowed me to serve as a delegate.

Long story-short---My chapter sorors are SOOOOO supportive!!

[Steeltrap]

No, I don't believe my age (38 at the time I was elected) or status (I was just under 2 in AKA years when elected) affected how I was perceived in my run.

I think sorors looked at the fact that I'm a professional journalist and know how to put together news releases, tidbits, etc.