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Up & Coming National GLOs This area is for discussion of issues affecting GLOs which are larger than a local, yet are still growing into a national GLO.

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  #1  
Old 02-22-2001, 02:27 AM
pbear19 pbear19 is offline
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Smile Specifications for IG, colony, etc.

Hey all! I have found some other threads where some of you have discussed your organization's process for expansion. I was just wondering if anyone else would like to share on specifications for being an interest group, colony or SID, chapter, etc. I understand if there are things that you can't share, but I would like some examples to help model our process after.

Thanks bunches!
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  #2  
Old 02-22-2001, 08:36 PM
BFulton BFulton is offline
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Hi pbear,

If you set your preferences to a year, you'll find a good thread started on this topic from August! That might give you some answers (or more questions!).
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  #3  
Old 02-22-2001, 11:38 PM
pbear19 pbear19 is offline
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Thanks! If you mean the Interest Groups/Colonies/Chapters thread on this forum, that's the one that I referred to as having read. The stuff in there was extremely helpful, I guess I was just hoping to hear from some other orgs too. I'm the official information-getter for our national movement, so I like to have as much information as I possibly can! (Although I think some of the other girls are a little worried about how much I know already! )
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  #4  
Old 02-23-2001, 06:16 PM
ZChi4Life ZChi4Life is offline
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Hi pbear,
What other info are you looking for? Maybe I can help. I'm the Assistant New Membership Chair on my sorority's National Board. So I handle new chapters and stuff of that nature. Let me know if I can be of assistance.
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  #5  
Old 02-23-2001, 07:03 PM
pbear19 pbear19 is offline
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Well, I guess I'm just looking for examples of the requirements given to IGs and colonies. Do you have a specific number of people they have to have, or is it more of the tasks they must accomplish only? What type of tasks do you require of each level, beyond being recognized by their campus as an org and learning the history? Is there a certain time period that they must remain an IG and a colony? I think equeen said in the other thread that ASK colonies had their status for a year before they were chartered. Also, ZChi4Life, you mentioned in the other thread that your colonies don't have rush. How do they get more members? Just by word of mouth and interest? And for anyone that does have rush, what would the requirements be for the people brought in during rush while the org is still a colony? I mean, if the current members aren't full fledged yet, can they require new members to do anything other than to just catch up with what they have already learned?

I hope this all makes sense. I'm sure I'll come up with some more questions, I just don't have all my notes with me. I've no doubt that when my committee gets together we'll be able to figure out what we would like to have our IG's and colonies do, but I'll feel better if I know what we're requiring is somewhat on the same level as other groups. And I understand if you can't tell me everything.

BTW, Tuesday is the big night, when we'll vote to make this whole thing official! Although I'm sure that we will go through with trying to go national, it hasn't been made official yet, other than the fact that the survey results I got back indicated a majority of the girls would be in favor. I'm so excited!!! It's a special meeting and I'll be running it, letting them all know all the tons of info I've gotten here! So thanks again for keeping me so well-informed!
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  #6  
Old 02-23-2001, 08:22 PM
Artimis
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Hey!

Good Luck with going National! You have much work ahead of you!

You have many things to consider when going to expand. Hopefuly some of the comments below will help you. I'm going to use the term Interest Group for a group that is interested in starting a chapter. A Colony for the group that is learning about the sisterhood and proving stablity, and Chapter for a group that has earned their charter.

For a new group, Everything has to be done at a distance. I would recommend careful examination of your current Rush and New member program.

What requirments do Rush guests have to complete to be considered for your New Memeber program? -- That will be a baseline for an Interest Group. These women will be part of your sisterhood just as a rush guest would be. Next examine the resources needed to establish a new group. You'll possible need funding for travel, expenses for refereshments for informationals. Also, Universities have requirments for establishing new organizations, and also new greek organizations (sometimes they're different some times they're the same). Also, you have to establish a need level at a university. And a level of commitment from the group. (ie: is 10 women on campus interested worth your time, does the campus need another sorority, can it handle another sorority? Will the administration allow another sorority?) Also, look into the time it will take to ensure that this new group understands what you are about, without divolging your sororities uniqueness (aka: ritual/traditions/secrets)


Next look at your new memeber program, you'll need someone to administer and ensure that they complete the same requirments as your chapter does. How are they going to learn their history? What activites do they need to complete to show that they know how a sorority, your sorority functions as, How many activites should they completel, also during this time, again you look at the time required to establish a stable group.

I'm sure there is more that i'm not thinking about. Feel free to email me with questions. You already have the ground work for expansion as you expand your chapter each year. Now you just have to look at it from the standpoint of reaching out to other universities. Remeber to start small, and that every new group is a learning experience. Don't try to over whelm yourself with a quick expansion.

Good Luck

jennifer


------------------

Beta Chapter Alumna and Founder
Alpha Sigma Kappa - Women in Technical Studies

Sisters by nature; Friends by Choice
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  #7  
Old 02-23-2001, 10:39 PM
ZChi4Life ZChi4Life is offline
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pbear,
I sent you an email instead of posting a long drawn out message on the board. Hope it all helps.
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  #8  
Old 10-19-2001, 10:29 AM
Eirene_DGP Eirene_DGP is offline
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We don't have a system of being an interest group as far as our national sorority is concerned. That is more of a requirement by our school. Since you are not a member of org XYZ while you are trying to get it chartered at your college or Univ. you are only an interest group. I don't think making Interest Group, colony and basically trial periods by new members is a good idea. You have enough to do just to get the new organization on your campus that any other drama makes you question whether or not it is really worth it. I know when our school was looking for a sorority we were not going to go with a "Up and Coming National Sorority" that had a year long wait period because college is only 4 years for most of us. You would spend more time stuggling than you would in the actual organization.
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  #9  
Old 10-21-2001, 10:05 AM
Artimis
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Originally posted by Eirene_DGP
I don't think making Interest Group, colony and basically trial periods by new members is a good idea. You have enough to do just to get the new organization on your campus that any other drama makes you question whether or not it is really worth it. I know when our school was looking for a sorority we were not going to go with a "Up and Coming National Sorority" that had a year long wait period because college is only 4 years for most of us. You would spend more time stuggling than you would in the actual organization.
From experience, having the stages of Interest Group, Colony, Chapter are benefitial to a new, young group. These stages of a chapter, parrallel that of a new member: rushee, candidate, initate.

As an Interest Group, the members do research on what it takes to bring a new organization to campus and which sorority or fraternity they are interested in. They also recruit new membes. Once contact has been made to a National org, the National organization has to ensure they meet the requirements of membership, and a charter status. This maybe a bit more work then a typical rushee. But the concept is the same.

A Colony is made up of non-initated members. Giving a charter to a group that is not ready, would be like initating a member that wasn't ready. They are learning about the organization. They are establishing themselves and the stablity of their group. They're not left alone to do this, they have an initiated member as a guide just as a new member class would have an educator. It takes a full year to get established. And even then the first year out of the gates as a chapter is difficult and full of uncertainties.

The stages may appear to be a big drama from the outside. And after the first semester of a colony, you are VERY eager and you feel ready to get the chapter charter. But a purpose exists. And maturity of the group during that last semester is amazing to watch.

The time period when comparing one year to four years seems extrodinary. But a new group can not look at it as one year to four years. That is a selfish perspective. One year for a hundred or more, that is not an unreasonable to ask. A new group is establishing a chapter that should far outlast their college career. And taking one year or all four is not an unreasonable request, for you are giving something to the future.

In addition, a sorority is not limited by four years. The sisterhood lasts long beyond that, if you are willing to let it. With an Up and Coming Sorority/Fraternity, much has to at a National level as well as a local, and alumni level.

Even long established chapters struggle. Its almost a never ending battle of recruitment, National obligations, public image and survival. When an "active" chapter has a turn over of membership every 4 years, you are building a survival schedule into their existance.

Sisterhood (Brotherhood) is about making and fostering a level of trust and respect beyond that of a friendship. I was only on campus for the Interest Group phase and only 1/2 of the colony phase of my chapter. I was a senior when I became invovled with Alpha Sigma Kappa. And the day I initiated, I went from candidate, to active, to alumna, all in one day...

Today, I do my best to serve my active chapter as an alumna and as a friend to members, I serve my alumnae chapter as a member at large, and I serve my National organization with my committe membership and as a National Expansion Represenative to a wonderful group of women whom after just a few months under 2 years, will initiate and receive their chapter charter this coming weekend becoming our 4th chapter. ~ I would never trade it for the world! or even 4 years of being a sister on campus.

In the love of the sisterhood,

jennifer
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  #10  
Old 10-21-2001, 10:49 AM
Tom Earp Tom Earp is offline
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There may be several ways to prceed on this.

Interest groups, are a group of people with the same interest and set up a local with the idea of affiliating with a specific Org or looking for an affiliation with a National Org.

Colony can be one of two ways:

Local Org is colonized by a National Org and become members and have a specific time frame to meet certain requirements.

A Nationsl Org comes to a campus to find people interested in their Org. If they find enough, they colonize it and they become members and are given a time frame to attain the set goals.

I think this is pretty much standard among the Greek Orgs.

Best of Luck!!!
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