BLGO & GLO

[kiml122]

My question is more towards GLO's. I know that with BLGO's once your are a member it is a life time commitment, meaning once you graduate from college you join a grad chapter and continue your service.

My question is with GLO's are you only doing service while in undergrad, or do you continue with a alumnae chapter once you graduate?

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Peace
KL

[LexiKD]

Well, I think many members join and do not ralize the options after school.
I am a Kappa Delta Alumna and we have one of the largest Alumnae base out there. We have 494 AAs(Alum Associations) and growing. KD is very excited about alumna because they are chapter advisors and national officers, how else do chapters function without support?
I know most NPC sororities have similar programs, but I think some are stronger than others. I feel that if you feel your organization is awesome then why not offer more of your time and effort into making it better, it is a great way to meet peolpe in the same field as you or just meet peolpe when you move around.
Anyway, I hope that answered the question! I think my sorority envolvement is important in and out of college.

[12dn94dst]

If pledges don't realize what their options are after graduation, it's up to the current members to stress it. I mean, someone has to provide the leadership, wisdom and guidance in the organization, why not have the alumnae be a jumping off point? I think having active alumnae is a awe inspiring thing. I've met Sorors who have been in the bond for longer than I've been alive, and a couple longer than my mom has been alive, and I feel my eyes get wide an my face light up and a huge smile comes across my face just thinking about all the changes she's seen within the organization and how she's watched Delta grow as she grew...let me stop, I'm about the get all teary and I can't have that at work

Let me just say if your organization doesn't have a process in place where activity can be continued and sisters can be brough back into the fold, one should be created. And if there is one but it's not strong, work to make it stronger.

[This message has been edited by 12dn94dst (edited January 30, 2001).]

[AXO Alum]

Here's my deal -- I love being an AX -- have loved it from the moment I set foot in my first rush party. I would do anything for the sorority and for my sisters. I cannot imagine anyone not wanting to continue participating in something that 4 years (or less in many cases) cannot touch the tip of the iceberg. But - we have this little problem with the alum chapter I work with -- some of the alums don't want to have ANYTHING to do with our collegiate chapter in town. They don't want to attend formal recruitment, they don't want to do dinners together, and even getting them to participate in our annual State Days (which is a day for ALL AX's to join together) is a hassle. Some of the alums, however, feel like I do -- if we don't show these collegians our support, why would they want to join with us after graduation? Why would they want to give back, when they've never had anything given to them in the way of support? Now we do help out with a couple of scholarships, but as we all know, money isn't everything. 2 scholarships can only help 2 people during one year -- it can't help the other 50 and it doesn't show them that we are all sisters when you get down to it. Now I don't mean that we should be involved in every little thing. That is not at all what I'm getting at -- but 4 times a year (formal recruitment and state days in the fall, and a graduation ceremony and an end of the semester dinner in the spring) is not too much in my opinion.

Sorry for the little rant -- I would love to hear from undergrads out there about the alum support that you receive (or don't receive) and how it affects your attitude towards being an active alum.

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"Alpha Chi Omega - If you only had 2 wishes, what would your second one be?"

[Tom Earp]

I do not know about all the Greek organizations, but when I was intiated into Lambda Chi Alpha I became a member for life!
We have Alum Associations have a yearly golf outing, socialize once a month and have been working with the Chapter along with trying to plan for a new house at Pittsburg St. U.
Of course you only get out of what you put into it. This Founders Day, we will have the largest turn out of anytime in our history. It did,has, and always have a meaningful thought in my life!
It took everyone of us to keep going for this long!



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Tom Earp LX Z#1
Pittsburg State U. (Kansas)

[Allie_XO]

I love my sisterhood, and I don't want it to end when I've graduated. In fact, I'm going to have to graduate early - I'm fast tracking - and go to Law School. I'm specifically considering schools that have XO chapters in their city, because I very much want to help out. I am a Chi Omega for life, and I intend on acting like one.

Allie

I have to agree. AGD also has a strong alumnae base. When a collegian becomes a 5th year senior she has the option of "going alum" in order to finish her college career and put more concentration into graduation. We have a "Junior Circle" organization and that's where recent college graduates and other "younger" alums can get together. It's purpose is basically to give her a smooth transition from being a collegian to an alum. I think the group is geared to those under 35.

Then we have our alumnae chapter--women who have been in the organization for years. Let me say that I love my alums so much! Both groups wholeheartedly support the chapter. In fact, they've won awards at conventions for the work they've done not only with our chapter, but with different groups in the community, with our main focus being on Juvenile Diabetes.

I think that there would be a lot of things that could not be possible without the help of our alumnae. It was the work of the alumnae that started our chapter almost ten years ago...and because of them we're still going strong!

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*I'm an Alpha Gam...Yes I am, Yes I am!*

[12dn94dst]

ok, so are the graduate chapters fully functioning in working toward the organizations goals or is their primary function to support the undergraduate chapter?

[shadokat]

I believe that is important for active collegiates to let the new members know that membership in your GLO is for a lifetime. Alumnae dues are so inexpensive, and alumnae chapters are established so that alumnae women can be part of sorority life on a whole new plane (plain?, I don't know!)

While my organization's alumnae chapters aren't as numerous as others, we are chartering more and more each year. Alumnae chapters help undergraduate chapters, yes, but that is not their only purpose.

Becoming a member of my sorority was one of the best decisions I ever made, and while I did take a little time away after I graduated, when I came back, I was welcomed with open arms, and that's what makes sisterhood/brotherhood such a wonderful thing.

[Billy Optimist]

I think GLO is definetly for life. I know I'm not in one yet, but don't alumni usully like to hire people from the same org?

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Once in every lifetime, you'll know what life is. Oh I need you, you need me, oh my darling, don't you see? The Young Ones. Darling we're The Young Ones. The Young Ones. Shouldn't be afraid! To live. To love. There's a song to be sung. 'Cause we may not be The Young Ones for very long!!!

[DeltAlum]

The Delta Tau Delta Ritual stresses life long committment to the Fraternity. We have very active alumni groups in many cities.

DeltAlum

PS My first boss during and after college was a Delt from my school. The only bad news is that the guy I beat out for the job was one of my pledge brothers. Oh well...

[This message has been edited by DeltAlum (edited January 31, 2001).]

[33girl]

Originally posted by 12dn94dst:
ok, so are the graduate chapters fully functioning in working toward the organizations goals or is their primary function to support the undergraduate chapter?

It depends where the chapters are located and how they are organized. I think most fraternities are by chapter and most sororites are by location.

For example, I belong to the Timbuktu Alumnae Chapter of XYZ. There might not be a chapter at Timbuktu U. This alum chapter's function is primarily working towards XYZ's goals and raising money for the philanthropy, etc.

My hubby (har har) belongs to the Alpha Chapter alumni association of ABC. The brothers might be scattered across the globe but they operate together to help support Alpha chapter.

Sometimes you end up with a combination of these, but if you went to college in a small town, not usually.

[12dn94dst]

thanks 33girl! that was exactly what i wanted to know

[AXO Alum]

Originally posted by 12dn94dst:
ok, so are the graduate chapters fully functioning in working toward the organizations goals or is their primary function to support the undergraduate chapter?

Hi 12dn94dst - I know you got what you needed from 33girl, but I just wanted to say I really liked the way you posed your question. I took a totally different meaning to it, but the way 33girl read it (and I'm assuming the way you intended it) was a really good response too.

When I read it, I was like...hmmm...interesting - and my response to the way I read it is that, in my opinion, the primary function of the organization as a whole (alums and collegiates) is to uphold the ideals of the org. and strive to reach those ideals in everyday life. And therefore, I don't think as an alum group -- you can accomplish this without supporting your local chapter (if there is a local chapter). If there isn't that's one thing -- but even here, there is an alum group 2 hours from us with no chapter, and they are even supporting the collegiate chapter here -- and they are 2 hours away. So what does it say for our alum group if we aren't helping out in our own backyard?

Anyway - that was just a really cool way to pose the question, and I'll definitely ask it that way at our next alum meeting.

[12dn94dst]

Originally posted by AXO Alum:
[B] When I read it, I was like...hmmm...interesting - and my response to the way I read it is that, in my opinion, the primary function of the organization as a whole (alums and collegiates) is to uphold the ideals of the org. and strive to reach those ideals in everyday life. And therefore, I don't think as an alum group -- you can accomplish this without supporting your local chapter (if there is a local chapter). If there isn't that's one thing -- but even here, there is an alum group 2 hours from us with no chapter, and they are even supporting the collegiate chapter here -- and they are 2 hours away. So what does it say for our alum group if we aren't helping out in our own backyard?
[B]

no problem AXO Alum, different perspectives are welcome it's part of my quest to piece together how NPC and NIC groups work in comparison to the NPHC and i think i've got it now. All of our (DST) chapters (alumnae, collegiate, city-wide) have projects in line with our Five Point Program Thrust. Alumnae chapters provide advisory support to the undergraduate chapters in the area IN ADDITION to working on their own programs. So even if there's not a collegiate chapter in the vicinity, the alumnae chapters are still working toward our goals. It may be how I read them, but the previous posts made it seem like the sole purpose your respective alumnae chapters is to provide support to the collegiate chapter by attending an event or 3, if that much, and that becoming an alumna means that the work stops or at least slows down. But now I know that's not the case. Thanks again for the clarification!