need advice on reinstating

cbm · #1 10-23-2008, 01:23 PM

Hi! I found a link to Greek Chat from some unrelated website and have been lurking for awhile. Lots of good stuff and I love reading the recruitment stories!

I have done a couple of quick searches, but I have not found any threads that have helped me figure out what to do in my situation. Hopefully you guys can provide some insight.

I was active in a large national sorority on a campus with a strong Greek system. I lived in house my senior year and was current on all house payments and dues. For various reason, primarily due to my mother's health issues, I moved into an apartment right before my last semester of school and just wasn't as active as I could/should have been with my chapter.

I moved to a different state, got involved in my career and never really gave it much thought. My husband is somewhat active in his fraternity; we live several hours away, but we donate regularly to his national and chapter funds. I contacted my national office to see how I could get involved again - we do have a local alum chapter and there is a chapter at the college in my city. Apparently, the national office has me listed as "voluntary withdrawal" and says that I can't reinstate.

I am fairly sure the voluntary withdrawal staus is incorrect. I thought that I had to sign paperwork and turn in my pin to voluntary withdraw, and I did neither of those (I still have my pin). I should also add that the President & VP during my senior year kind of had it out for the group of girls I hung out with (we had over 80 in my pledge class, so yeah, cliques formed), so I am not sure if they could have filed something on my "behalf".

Does anyone have any advice as to how I can pursue getting things cleared up and possibly reinstating so I can become active locally? I just hate to feel as if all of the time, effort and money that went to my sorority during my college years is wasted due to this.

Thanks!

OleMissGlitter · #2 10-23-2008, 02:11 PM

I would contact your sorority's headquarters and just ask them if you an alumna in good standing.

ETA: You never know if paperwork was maybe turned in incorrectly and your status was not changed. Just a thought!

MysticCat · #3 10-23-2008, 02:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OleMissGlitter

I would contact your sorority's headquarters and just ask them if you an alumna in good standing.

I think they've already answered that question:

Quote:

Originally Posted by cbm

I contacted my national office to see how I could get involved again . . . . Apparently, the national office has me listed as "voluntary withdrawal" and says that I can't reinstate.

cbm, I'd contact your national office again and explain that there has been a mistake and their records are in error, as you never voluntarily withdrew. If the person you talk with can't help you, ask to speak to the next person up the food chain until you get to someone who can help you figure out how to rectify the error in their records.

OneHeartOneWay · #4 10-23-2008, 03:30 PM

I think the only way you will find the answers you want are by contacting your National Headquarters, as each organziation is going to have different policies for membership status changes. It certainly is possible that the president may have changed your status to voluntary withdrawl "on your behalf," but it may have been in your favor. I know in my organziation, the door is at least open to reinstatement from voluntary withdrawl, but virtually impossible for expulsion. You may have to do some digging, but I would venture to guess that every organziation has some sort of system in place for handling this, as many women want to ensure their good standing when they have legacies coming through recruitmen!

Finally, while I'm sure you didn't mean it this way, I would hope that no matter the outcome today, you wouldn't consider your time in a sororoity a waste.

cbm · #5 10-30-2008, 05:02 PM

I contacted Nationals (again) and was told that my status is "Resigned". The person answering my email gave me the name, email and number of another person to contact at Nationals.

Any further advice?

ASTalumna06 · #6 10-30-2008, 05:07 PM

^^ All you can do is call. See if you can get anywhere that way. If you're still getting nowhere, I would say to contact the National President directly. I know that I have emailed my National Pres a few times, and she has always responded within a day or two. I'm not going to guarantee that your President will do the same, but if you have a problem such as this, I imagine it will probably catch her attention.

honeychile · #7 10-30-2008, 10:25 PM

Some chapters will turn anyone who's been late for x amount of years in as Resigned or Withdrawn, or whatever - it's a bookkeeping situation. Write to your National office again, asking for copies of the paperwork for your "voluntary" withdrawl. Offer to pay your dues in full, and mention that you'd like to be active in the local Alumnae Association. There may be hoops that you need to jump through, but if you want it badly enough, good luck!

PS: FWIW, I can think of at least four times that the above has worked.

KSUViolet06 · #8 10-30-2008, 11:00 PM

It wouldn't hurt to contact them and ask, but I know that there are some sororities (including my own) who don't re-instate terminated members:

http://greekchat.com/gcforums/showthread.php?t=91461

MysticCat · #9 10-31-2008, 09:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KSUViolet06

It wouldn't hurt to contact them and ask, but I know that there are some sororities (including my own) who don't re-instate terminated members:

http://greekchat.com/gcforums/showthread.php?t=91461

Right, but if the records say she "voluntarily terminated" or "resigned" when in fact she did not voluntarily terminate or resign, then surely there is some way to correct the error in the records.

AOII Angel · #10 10-31-2008, 10:59 AM

I would contact the headquarters, tell them that they have made a mistake. If you never signed anything, still have your badge and never resigned, this should not be a problem. AOII has a system that allows people to apply to be reinstated even if they did voluntarily resign. I don't know how often they let former sisters come back, but your situation (if it's exactly as you've told us) sounds like the perfect reason to have this policy.

RaggedyAnn · #11 10-31-2008, 11:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cbm

I contacted Nationals (again) and was told that my status is "Resigned". The person answering my email gave me the name, email and number of another person to contact at Nationals.

Any further advice?

I would contact that person. The National Rep you were talking to probably was not in charge of what you were asking about. Think of it like dealing with a business.

NutBrnHair · #12 10-31-2008, 11:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ASTalumna06

^^ All you can do is call. See if you can get anywhere that way. If you're still getting nowhere, I would say to contact the National President directly. I know that I have emailed my National Pres a few times, and she has always responded within a day or two. I'm not going to guarantee that your President will do the same, but if you have a problem such as this, I imagine it will probably catch her attention.

Oh please don't contact the National President...you've been given a name to contact at HQ -- do that. The office should have paperwork to support the status they have for you on their computer screen.

cbm · #13 10-31-2008, 12:18 PM

Thanks for the advice! I have contacted the name given to me with pretty much (most of) the information I posted above. I'll post an update when I have one so that future GC members seeking information on the topic will know how my situation turned out.

Thanks again!

ASTalumna06 · #14 10-31-2008, 02:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NutBrnHair

Oh please don't contact the National President...you've been given a name to contact at HQ -- do that. The office should have paperwork to support the status they have for you on their computer screen.

I did say contact the person at HQ. All I'm saying is, if she runs out of options, and she truly wants this to happen, she could go that route. I know that my National President is very open to talking to all members of the sorority, and I would hope that if I desperately wanted to be reinstated because of a stupid mistake, and no one was able to help me, that I could contact her.

Our last National President is actually on Facebook, I'm friends with her, and we talk pretty often. So asking her questions and/or for help isn't something that ridiculous to me. It might not work for everyone, but it was a suggestion.

NutBrnHair · #15 10-31-2008, 04:50 PM

I think it's swell that you and your National President are FB friends. My point is that the OP stated she's from a large national group. While all members certainly have access to the Sister who serves as National President, can you imagine the deluge if everyone took that option? Plus, no National President is going to have the documentation at her fingertips to deal with this situation. I also think the HQ staff would appreciate being given the time to respond to the request before the OP goes to a higher authority.