Quality -vs- Quantity

[12dn94dst]

I would HOPE that with extremely large lines the focus moves more toward making solid MEMBERS rather than "forcing" them to bond. It is difficult to be on a line with more than 30 women and bond with everyone and learn history and keep your grades up, I know from personal experience. With the current intake guidlines in place, it's darn near impossible.

I think it's our own fault though. The Greeks who were made pre-1990, please correct me if i'm wrong. I'm positive that these large lines are a direct result of no-pledge intake programs (which is different from regulating hazing). HOWEVER, non-greeks still need to know that they are not guaranteed membership...that it is not acceptable to run to the redional director when you don't get the chapter's vote...suck it up and try again next year. AND our elected officers should respect the chapter's decision and not add people when the chapter has voted otherwise. A young lady can look stellar on paper, but have the worst attitude/reputation in person...something a RD could not possibly know unless she's on that campus.



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Kelli
12-DN-94
SSU c/o 1997

[PositivelyAKA]

12dn94dst well said, finally someone who can actually speak from experience which is always worth its weight in gold

Quality vs, Quantity? Ummm! Out west, we never have that problem. In a sense, we kinda open everything up. Chapters lock up with other chapters. Yes we even see other organizations.
For many of us, going to WHITE schools where we represented 2-3% of the population reminds me of the period of our founders. The bond that is developed from small lines can not be matched but larger lines? And YES, we still turn people away.
Quality should aways be a priority. Numbers will never matter. You are aways going to have a few people doing most of the work!

Sorors and sisterfriends continue to honor the legacy of your Honorable Founders. It matters not the size of the line or the size of the organization. What matters is what your organization does with the members it has. I guess some folks are not "Our Kind of People." Hmmmmm...that may not be such a bad thing.
One Love Under the Dove

[dstbrat]

i think everyone's point is well-taken. everyone's experince is valid and important. all 4 organizations have built their tradition on service and sisterhood. the botton line is that no one can look on the outside and judge your experince or your journey to which ever sisterhodd you chose. that is very personal. i have seen many processes and am happy that i had the experince that did. it was the right choice for me. i have not regretted one day that i have been a Delta. so, really, it is pointless to bicker about which org is the most prestigious. we are obvuously biased. down south in alabama, zetas and sgrhos struggle for numbers. that is a fact. that doesn't mean that they are noty good people or hard workers. have have much respect for them and can say that they are well-liked by the other greeks. rarely do they get involved in the petty arguing that aka's and Deltas often do. that is to be commended. on the other hand, to try to discredit an org for having large numbers is wrong. we don't have to tear each other down to build ourselves up, that is destructive. anywho, yall have a good long weekend!

[AKA2D '91]

Ghostface... There are ways in which sorors can determine if someone is frontin' or for real. There is no way that that can be done in a 1 hour informational or a 2-hour rush. Generally, in most cases, regardless of the organization, one knows who is interested and who is not. It's out THERE! Discretion is the KEY! We learn how to "check people out" regardless of the time, place, or situation. With that, you can determine what is what and who is who!

[Finer Woman10-A-91]

I agree with about 90% of what you have said. However, what makes you think that the Zetas or SGRhos were struggling for anything? Believe it or not sometimes its not in the best interest of the organization to have a large membership. Unless you are a member of said organization, "the stuggle" is not known. Its all a matter of perspective. I have struggles with agencies cooperating in the community to get needed services to disadvantaged/disenfranchised people. But membership...that's not a struggle.

And granted if you are not in an organization that has a small contingent this may actually be hard to really understand the benefits. There are both pros and cons to a small membership as well as a large membership. I caution you in stating what you may THINK is "the need/struggle".

From my experience being in a chapter that grew from 18 to 31 active members and then we decided to take in 5... people were shocked. I say all of this to say, its possible and (USUALLY LIKELY) that the chapter has made a decision regarding growth and sisterhood. Again, it all comes down to what is the priority. And that priority is established by the respective organization...not a member of another organization or interests/propectives.

Originally posted by dstbrat:
we are obviously biased. down south in alabama, Zetas and Sgrhos struggle for numbers. that is a fact. that doesn't mean that they are not good people or hard workers.

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Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Incorporated...Every Finer Woman's Dream!

[dstbrat]

i am not making assumptions. i have worked with both organizations through nphc at my school as an advisor. the sgrho's were inactive for about 5 years and initiated 3 women last year. they are trying build their numbers so that their chapter can maintain it's charter. the zetas have brought in 3-4 women since 98. from talking to their president, the women that were interested were not qualified. i think that it is great that she didn't compromise her chapter for the sake of numbers. so, please don't think that i am speaking out of turn nor am i trying to knock either organization. i hope this clears it up.

[Finer Woman10-A-91]

Thank you for the courtesy of your reply. Unto every season comes change... evolution in it's own time.

Originally posted by dstbrat:
i am not making assumptions. i have worked with both organizations through nphc at my school as an advisor. the sgrho's were inactive for about 5 years and initiated 3 women last year. they are trying build their numbers so that their chapter can maintain it's charter. the Zetas have brought in 3-4 women since 98. from talking to their president, the women that were interested were not qualified. i think that it is great that she didn't compromise her chapter for the sake of numbers. so, please don't think that i am speaking out of turn nor am i trying to knock either organization. i hope this clears it up.

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Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Incorporated...Every Finer Woman's Dream!

I must agree with having a cap. When I was a freshman at NC Central Univ, the first organization to cross was the Delta's: all 88 of them. Although I was mesmerized by the large quantity, I thought to myself: how does #5 know #75? It didn't seem logical? But I think it all depends on where you pledge, b/c at my undergrad-SGRho's were always the smallest,(it's about quality not quantity. I think there should be a cap at 20.

I find this discussion all very amusing. Being on the college scene, I found that many women come to college only hearing about Delta or AKA...so out of that knowledge they rush to become members. But almost every person I know that worked for their letters in those organizations have either regretted their choice, remarked on the lack of sisterhood, or disassociated themselves with the other members with the large intake class. And I have seen some of these women in these large intake classes act a fool, not realizing what it really means to be a member of a Black Greek Lettered Organization(probably b/c of a lack of personal identity...)

At my school, we had a 25 member cap so we wouldn't have to deal with that foolishness of 40-200...the larger the numbers, the less chance for bonding and you lose the whole purpose of being a LINE to begin with(togetherness, knowing each other, supporting each other, working as a group and not individuals, etc...)...I really think with those kind of numbers, you cease to be a line and become an pledge class.....just like the WGLO's...

[prettygyrl]

As I said before it is small pledge numbers for everyone of the sororities on my campus cause it is a small campus. I was just wondering though this last semester a sorority crossed a line of six and the sisterhood between them is weak! They do not hardly get along at all the bonding process just did not work in their favor. If it is true that big numbers is a cause of lack of bonding how would yall explain this? I am just wondering cause I would think that maybe in some cases big numbers may cause a lack of bonding but in most cases though, wouldn't it have more to do with the individual people and how they clique, their attitudes and reason for pledging in the first place? Than how many of them are actually on line?

[SoCalGirl]

RoadKitten
You wrote:
"the whole purpose of being a LINE to begin with(togetherness, knowing each other, supporting each other, working as a group and not individuals, etc...)...I really think with those kind of numbers, you cease to be a line and become an pledge class.....just like the WGLO's..."

I have two questions.
1. Why do you think pledge classes aren't intended to do the same thing?

2. What do you percieve to be the difference between a pledge line and a pledge class?

I'm actually curious as to these answers. I'm not trying to cause an arguement or anything. I kind of always thought that lines and classes were pretty much the same.

[blu_theatrics]

I fully agree with you Finer. First of all Zeta's were founded at Howard also so It is not like there is "less of a following" or something. Not only that, but I really find it hard to believ that 128 people can bond. Now don't get me wrong, if they do then I give them much props because I have four sands and I know that I am constantly learning about them. But now that I think about it, maybe I shouldn't judge all chapters by my chapters standard (not to be said as a put down..just for lost of better words.) In my chapter we really...I mean really got to know each other. I know things about my line sisters that no one else does and I just can't see being that close to 128 people if I know them for 128 years. I love my sisters and would do absoluty anything for them and I know they feel the same. I also wonder how in the heck do you remeber info about your sands when you have 127 of them, because I had enough trouble remebering my lit on-line....lol.
Anyhow, no disrespect to anyone because we are all out to uplift the same community, I just want to make sure that you are doing it the right thing. Good luck and congrats on the commitment by these ladies.

Originally posted by Finer Woman10-A-91:

Just an FYI...At Howard,where I pledged and was the Dean of a line of 19, the Zetas have purposely kept their lines small...It's never been a lack of interest. If you take a look at the early yearbooks of Howard you will see, for MANY years, the numbers issue was about the same. The bottom line is we have a personal interest in the ladies we bring in. Our tactics with respect to membership are very consistent with what we want from a International perspective.

Therefore, we do not bring in MASS quantity.
We would rather not deal with the drama plagued by aka or delta that they time and time again face in their headquarters adding on additional women and infighting. It's not a diss...but simply not an issue,we would like to deal with in the name of Sisterhood. And further, I hate to say it, but I would be embarrassed to wear the number 125 on my back. My friend(who's organization I will not mention) forgot her linesister's name. OUCH! I love her to death...but eww, YOUR LINESISTER'S NAME? No thanks. That's not cool.

And please don't get me wrong, I know she is a die-hard member (and on that line of 128) and WORKS her butt off. I am proud of her and love her to death!

I must also say this issue of numbers is VERY regional in nature. For example, in NY...Brooklyn...Long Island U anyone will tell you the Sigma Gamma Rho's CONSISTANTLY outnumber all NPHC 4 organizations. Does it matter? No. Does it mean there is less interest in the other organizations? Not necessarily. However, what it might indicate is the priority is different chapter to chapter with respect to whether bonding or numbers is important.

In closing, I know women will bond on line...while in school even. But what are the life long effects. We say this is a LIFE LONG COMMITTMENT. Does one really stay in touch with 60 linesisters?

[blu_theatrics]

I understand exactly what you are saying. I am proud of the fact that I know all of my big sisters number and line names, when they crossed and how they did. I also must say that I don't feel that the bond you have with your sands is something that is easily forgotten once you hit grad chapter, and if it is, then something is terribly wrong

Originally posted by Ghostface-Killah:
POSITIVELYAKA: Again, I guess it depends what area you are talking about. Maybe the fact that noone cares after one graduates reflects if it was really sisterhood or a front. I was a solo and not only did I have to learn all lines from charter members to the line before me. As if that was not enough, I also had to learn ALL lines, since 1986, of the chapter that pledged my charter members. I think it is important that that kind of histoy gets passed down. I cannot tell you about AKA, DELTA, or ZETA interest, but at this particular school, ZETAS and SGRhos have the most interest. I cannot even tell you about interest all over the country, therefore I only limit post to the chapters I do know. 100 interest or 5- How much time should one dedicate to take a close look at these ladies? Many just want to do it because: they want to stroll, family tradition, a friend or whatever. How do you separate the aboved from the ones who really have something to offer?