"Don't Go to GC"

[ree-Xi]

I didn't put this in the AI forum because it's not just about AI. If MODS feel otherwise, feel free to move it.

There is some girl posting videos on YT about Alumnae Initiation. She frames it as much easier ("they only meet like twice a month!" and much less expensive method to NPC membership ("the dues are like, almost nothing") as opposed to "going the college route". She says that it's for people who didn't go to college, didn't have the money to rush, didn't like their choices, didn't have a successful recruitment, for people who want to network, etc. "It's like joining the Red Hats or the women's league."

I don't think she quite gets it.
She suggests calling up "Internationals" and asking what their policies are. She mentions a forum to go to where the people are really nice, because "Greek Chat is ridiculous, ridiculously mean." She cautioned any viewers to avoid GC - "they are some really nasty people." She says that anyone who "talks badly about alumnae initiation online" are "full of crap," who are "petty little nobodies who have nothing better to do."

"I want the whole world to be Greek," she says, which is why she's encouraging it so much.

You know, she could have done this without bashing GC. What does she think she would accomplish doing so?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature...v=pyWf5bedBCM#!

Now, I know that everyone has their own opinion of AI. I went through the process as an adult. If you care to read my story, read on. If not, you can just skip the rest of this post.


--------------------
As a collegiate, I had pledged my sorority the entire semester (our period was 13 weeks). I got sick and had to go home a week before the end of the semester, taking Incompletes in all of my courses. Long story short, I ended up not initiating. I eventually transferred schools for financial reasons and to be closer to my hospital.

Fast forward many years, when I got put in contact with someone in the sorority who got really excited about my "story." She spoke to a number of women in Indy, who were so enthusiastic to "have me back." (That felt wonderful!) With a "big sis"/sponsor leading me through the process (I had recalled a lot of my "pledge education," the founders, creed, colors/symbols, etc., so I didn't have a huge learning curve), my collegiate chapter initiated me (the girls held a special initiation, the local alumnae chapter and some people "up the chain" participated, and had a special reception - just for me! I felt so honored!).

I've been relatively active in the AA (health permitting, I've been in the hospital a lot). Attending meetings, working on philanthropy projects, and helping host Founder's day brunch with the chapter each year, are some of the ways I participate. I was also able to "give back" to the the chapter last year by donating stuff to furnish their chapter room.

I still talk to a lot of my chapter sisters from college, keeping contact especially a few with whom I share some life experiences. I hope to see them at our yearly reunion, but the past few years, I've been sick and unable to make it.

[carnation]

I wonder which username she was here?

Wouldn't you love to be a fly on the wall when people start calling all the NPCs and asking for their policies on AI?

[DubaiSis]

I would say yours is an example of when AI works. There are a couple great threads here of when/why they are successful. It is unfortunate that she is providing hope to women who really shouldn't consider themselves as having any.

I wouldn't worry about her having had her feelings hurt by GC. Anyone truly interested in AI is probably going to do all the research they can, including talking to us meanies.

Does anyone know of any NPC sororities that actively recruit AI candidates in this fashion or for these reasons? We've discussed here that we all handle the issue a little differently, but maybe there's one out there that is actively trying to increase their alumnae membership base.

[ThetaPrincess24]

I notice she cites HPRL at the top of the video as a place to go for AI resources. LOL!!!


I'm not impressed by this individual. Her presentation alone and lack of knowledge doesnt make me want to jump through hoops to have her join my organization or put her in contact with people in others.



ETA: In watching the video more closely a second time it appears she is in an alumnae group somewhere. I'm still not impressed.

[agzg]

"You can join if you never went to college."

I don't actually think that's true in many cases.

She's pretty rambling. Very interesting. Also, I'm pretty sure she added all the Greek Chat stuff so we'd see it and comment.

[DeltaBetaBaby]

Can't watch the video right now...is it safe to assume she doesn't name her org?

[ThetaPrincess24]

Originally Posted by agzg

"You can join if you never went to college."

I don't actually think that's true in many cases.

She's pretty rambling. Very interesting. Also, I'm pretty sure she added all the Greek Chat stuff so we'd see it and comment.

She disabled the ability to post comments on her video. She knew when she did it knowledge of that video would make it's way over here. I wouldnt be suprised if she is lurking this forum for comments.

DeltaBetaBaby--No she does not name her org.

[agzg]

Originally Posted by DeltaBetaBaby

Can't watch the video right now...is it safe to assume she doesn't name her org?

I didn't notice if she did but she was also pretty rambling and I ended up closing it because it was boring. That's just me though.

The following is about NPC Alumnae Initiation and is not intended to reflect on other GLOs. In the interest of full disclosure, I'm speaking specifically to my group since I don't know the AI policies of other groups (uh, why would I?).

Listen, I don't really care about AI, honestly. If my org wants to initiate women who didn't join in college, fine. Of course there are women out there who I think would make a great Alpha Gam (of course, half of them are members of other NPC sororities which speaks to the quality of members elsewhere). A person who joined via AI is not "less than" in terms of membership. We learned the same ritual.

What bothers me is women who join via AI then turn around and give formal or COB recruitment advice for collegians. While I don't think necessarily that someone from a small school can't give best guess advice (or at least "OK this is what the process is in general") for larger schools or vice versa, especially with corrections from folks who did attend that type of school, but it is something someone has to experience on the membership side in order to "get it." Whether that was 20 years ago and the woman is still active with the collegiate side of membership now, or whether it was 2 years ago and FR and COB are essentially the same, doesn't matter to me. But it irks me when AIs give advice because they went through FR and didn't get a bid, so they joined as an AI.

I don't think it's a viable alternative. I think, especially in cases where a woman attended a school that had GLOs, that the best way to join is through collegiate recruitment. It bothers me when someone says "oh well there's AI." Is it good in those cases from time to time? Sure. I don't pass judgement. But it's overwhelmingly THE EXCEPTION, not the RULE. If it were the RULE we'd be the freaking Junior League, not NPC sororities.

Obviously there are exceptions in every case, and there are some fantastic heartwarming stories about Alumnae Initiates which make me glad to have it. Also, I'm not sure my group does AI similarly to any group, so there's that.

I'm just saying, AI is fine, but don't act like your membership experience is 100% the same as my membership experience. Until you've locked yourself in a room with 40 other 18-22 year olds for 24 hours and argued out many of the issues in your chapter, your experience is not the same as mine. Until you've gone through changing a collegiate chapter from the inside out, and dealt with issues like underage drinking and hazing and bad recruitments and perceptions on campus and issues between yours and other chapters, your experience is not the same as mine. And it doesn't need to be, as long as you don't act like it is.

And those experiences are why I think that collegiate recruitment is the best way to gain membership to the organization. I wouldn't trade those experiences for the world, even though they were pretty shitty at the time. Also, I'm not saying my experience was better, just different.

[psusue]

Now I don't know if it's wise for me to say this, but I know that Tri Sigma has recently been spending time developing it's AI program. I believe we are doing so to strengthen our alumnae base for our expanding collegiate chapters.

However (and this is a big however), the caveat of this is that it is still reserved for those that have a connection to Tri Sigma or for those outstanding women that truly are Sigmas, though without the letters. It is not only a social club. Alumnae initiation in a social organization will have social aspects, to be sure, but the main focus from what I can tell is to help the organization on a national, regional, and local level.

I don't know, I'm really torn about this. On one hand I know that if she is talking about organizations with more formalized and more often used AI programs, we would be who she is talking about. But on the other hand, from what I've read I would never describe alumna initiation as she did and am a little offended that she did so. Despite our increasing use of it, it is not to be seen as a cheaper, less time consuming way to go Greek. It is still an honor and not a guarantee by any means.

I just feel like she boiled it down to making it seem like a group of friends, which it is, but it's so much more than that. It is the bonds of sisterhood which are present within us before we had letters to quantify it. It is the high moral standard which we adhere to, even when times are hard. And it is the desire to give back to something greater than oneself, to try to make a real difference in this world. This is a hot button topic for a reason, and it should not be treated more lightly than it ought to be.

[DeltaBetaBaby]

Well, as we've discussed to death, the biggest question is "why on earth would you want to join a college-focused organization if you are not in college???"

There are obviously AI's who have answers to that question, like the one Ree-Xi shared above. Other common instances are mothers who are very involved with their daughter's chapters, long-time house moms, women who were part of a local later absorbed by an NPC group, etc.

Having been a GC member for a long time, including the period when we actually had an AI forum, I don't think that anyone bashes AI's. I think we bash AI's who can't answer that fundamental question in a satisfactory manner.

[honeychile]

At our Convention this last summer, THREE women, with experience with ADPi over at least 10+ years each were initiated. THREE. In two years.

Those aren't odds you hear about on YouTube.




BTW: maybe John would be interested in hearing about that video.

[KSUViolet06]

Originally Posted by psusue

Now I don't know if it's wise for me to say this, but I know that Tri Sigma has recently been spending time developing it's AI program. I believe we are doing so to strengthen our alumnae base for our expanding collegiate chapters.

However (and this is a big however), the caveat of this is that it is still reserved for those that have a connection to Tri Sigma or for those outstanding women that truly are Sigmas, though without the letters. It is not only a social club. Alumnae initiation in a social organization will have social aspects, to be sure, but the main focus from what I can tell is to help the organization on a national, regional, and local level.

I don't know, I'm really torn about this. On one hand I know that if she is talking about organizations with more formalized and more often used AI programs, we would be who she is talking about. But on the other hand, from what I've read I would never describe alumna initiation as she did and am a little offended that she did so. Despite our increasing use of it, it is not to be seen as a cheaper, less time consuming way to go Greek. It is still an honor and not a guarantee by any means.

I just feel like she boiled it down to making it seem like a group of friends, which it is, but it's so much more than that. It is the bonds of sisterhood which are present within us before we had letters to quantify it. It is the high moral standard which we adhere to, even when times are hard. And it is the desire to give back to something greater than oneself, to try to make a real difference in this world. This is a hot button topic for a reason, and it should not be treated more lightly than it ought to be.

Some addtional infp re: AI and Sigma.

Just because we talk about it on our website and have contact info for interested women READILY available, does NOT make it easy.

The alumna initiate must be sponsored by an alumna chapter and all apps go through our Exec Council to be approved/denied. The alumnae chapter must have known you for a set amount of time, too.

In order for that to happen, you need to be able to show the chapter and the EC what YOU can do for Sigma, not what Sigma can do for you.

If all you can tell the alumnae chapter is "I've always wanted to be Greek! It's like MY DREAAAAAM." You aren't going to get very far with us. I'd imagine that you aren't going to get very far with any other NPC either.

Also look at the SHEER numbers of AIs we have. We list them in our Triangle issues. We publish twice a year. Do you know how many AI were in both issues combined? Like 10. They ALL were women who have something to offer Tri Sigma. They're not just after her letters.

We share the info more openly than others, but I would never want someone to mistake "readily available info" for an easy backdoor way into Tri Sigma.

[KSUViolet06]

Sidenote: I think I know who would make this video. Her continued obsession with this topic is really sad. Especially since she is an AI herself.

[KSUViolet06]

Originally Posted by agzg

I don't think it's a viable alternative. I think, especially in cases where a woman attended a school that had GLOs, that the best way to join is through collegiate recruitment. It bothers me when someone says "oh well there's AI." Is it good in those cases from time to time? Sure. I don't pass judgement. But it's overwhelmingly THE EXCEPTION, not the RULE. If it were the RULE we'd be the freaking Junior League, not NPC sororities.

Obviously there are exceptions in every case, and there are some fantastic heartwarming stories about Alumnae Initiates which make me glad to have it. Also, I'm not sure my group does AI similarly to any group, so there's that.

I'm just saying, AI is fine, but don't act like your membership experience is 100% the same as my membership experience. Until you've locked yourself in a room with 40 other 18-22 year olds for 24 hours and argued out many of the issues in your chapter, your experience is not the same as mine. Until you've gone through changing a collegiate chapter from the inside out, and dealt with issues like underage drinking and hazing and bad recruitments and perceptions on campus and issues between yours and other chapters, your experience is not the same as mine. And it doesn't need to be, as long as you don't act like it is.

I love you for saying this.

I recall a certain AI member actually BASHING collegians in one of the hot topic AI threads back when I was a new collegian on GC.

She was congratulating a recent AI on helping with a philanthropy project. Her words: Good for you and your new alumnae chapter! Alumnae are the ones getting out there and helping while the collegians sit in their cozy little houses paining their nails all day!"

Everyone else in the thread was just like "WTF!?"

[Mevara]

It just baffles me as to why she would make this video in the first place.

I also tried to find the other forum she mentioned in her video "greek friends" but nothing came up on google except abandoned domains