Loyalty

[Kymberleigh]

Hey all,

Just a reply in general we hold deferred rush at my school. It has been a hard adjustment, but has created more dedicated rushees.

[Asia2000]

Wow, I finally read this thread. Now that the prospect of becoming greek is coming near, I've been pondering my decision much more lately.

I actually had thought, maybe it would be easier to just go through the NPC rush and just get a house and live with it. But I just don't see what I want in an NPC sorority. Please, I hope I don't offend anyone, this is just my own personal viewpoint.

In all honesty, I see more of what I want out of the greek experience in the BGLOs. Let me explain. I see Shaq in is Q shirt. I saw a woman drive past me in the parking lot the other day. She was VERY old (could barely see over the steering wheel) and proudly wearing a Delta cap. I see how vehemently members defend, promote, and display their affiliation to their greek organization. They truly love the organization and all that she stands for. I just don't get that feeling from the NPC sorority members I know. I see how much the IG's look forward to becoming a Delta or an AKA or a SGRho -- not just becoming greek (well, most of them anyway).

I want to be part of a system that breeds such loyalty. I look forward to being an active member of the sorority long after I graduate. I hope to help with it's expansion, the shape of the chapter as she grows, and many other things. I don't look upon my joining a sorority as something to do in college. I am looking at this as a life long committment.

I know a SigEp. He is still in college, a senior, and he could really care less about the frat. His attitude is: Hey, it was something to help me adjust to my new surroundings, meet chicks, go to great parties -- but I am passed that now.

I know I don't want to take an easy out. I want to continue to work hard and earn these letters I dream about.

Asia

[Asia2000]

Originally posted by Shelacious:
To be honest, I loved Zeta well enough based upon her motto, principles, the members I knew and the history I "thought" I knew about her. But having been in the organization and truly understanding her history, I honestly love her now. The "love" I had for her initially when I was interested was frankly, I now realize, superfical. What I've learned since then from her, about her and through her has been genuine and forever written upon my heart and mind. And that depth can only be learned from knowing her intimately, not just a name on a bid card or via a few parties anyway, I think.

Selacious, beautifully written. Your post lead me to think about something else. Just curious for some feedback on these thoughts.

Like you said, your love for Zeta was initially superficial. I see a lot of IG's saying, ignorantly, "I want to be a member because I love what the letters stand for." I understand we can't honestly understand what the letters stand for until we are initiated members and get to know Her (the soroity) intimately, as you described.

Maybe, being that I am not greek, this question is COMPLETELY off base, but I just wondered:

what if, after you get to know your sorority intimately, you find that her principles, the true meaning of her symbols and letters, are not what you had in mind and not what you wanted to be a part of. What then? In a BGLO, I know you can't just drop out and decide oh, I'll go be a SGRho, Delta, whatever instead.

Just curious on what you guys think of this? Is it totally off base?

[mwedzi]

Honestly, I do think that continued participation after graduation is something NPC GLOs need to work on (and I'm a member of one). This isn't to say that all of us just forget our organizations once we graduated. Current count for AST is at 65 active collegiate chapters and 39 alumnae chapters and associations. And as so many alumnae from my chapter still do things with the collegiate chapter, we are thinking of starting up an alumnae chapter in our area.

Of course most alumnae on this board haven't forgotten their orgs, otherwise, we wouldn't be here talking about them all the time! Despite the fact that many GLO members do participate after graduation, the participation rate is just not as high as I would like to see it.

[This message has been edited by mwedzi (edited August 06, 2000).]

[Gizmo]

Originally posted by someblueguy:
-on a different note...
i have a question for the GLO folks. i have come to understand from the people that i've talked to and things i've picked up that MOST GLO members don't have any affiliation with their fraternity or sorority outside of the four/five years of undergraduate college. why is that? i know that there are people who do continue service with the org., like house moms/dads. but why do most people consider themselves alumni and say 'i WAS an xyz in college'?

First I have to preface my remarks by noting that I am speaking as an outsider (not IFC or NPC member but rather more a local sorority noticing trends) and any "insider" is very welcome to correct me.

I have noticed (in at least one fraternity) that the alumni chapters are not strictly related to their active chapters. For example, graduating from OU does not mean that you will be in the OU alumni group (if there is such a thing). Their alumni groups tend to be determined by the number of alumni in regional areas. They do try to have events, but it is the frequent, if not constant, interaction that creates the bonds of brotherhood, and those chapters are not always found in the same region as their active chapter. Maybe this disconnection and lack of involvement in their fraternity is caused by this geographical distance and new subgrouping of the membership.

I know that I will always be heavily involved in my sorority. But I realize that it is impossible for all of my sisters to do the same. Most have scattered across the US, from New York, California, Texas, Indiana, and Florida. And my chapter only has about fifteen graduates at this time! Regular involvement from the alumni requires a certain amount of proximity and if our graduates are mostly from out-of-state (which at least 75% are) the occassions for which they can come back to campus are severely limited. In addition, I know that I am only as heavily involved as I am because we are so young and really need the leadership in all levels of the organization, local active, local alumnae, national, national expansion, etc.

Other than what I have said above, I don't know what else contributes to the problem.

Sorry I could be of more help.

[Gizmo]

Originally posted by Asia2000:
what if, after you get to know your sorority intimately, you find that her principles, the true meaning of her symbols and letters, are not what you had in mind and not what you wanted to be a part of. What then? In a BGLO, I know you can't just drop out and decide oh, I'll go be a SGRho, Delta, whatever instead.

Again, I have to preface my remarks by mentioning that I belong to a non-NPC or NPHC sorority.

I know that for my organization, almost everything is covered in candidate (what most others call pledge) education. However, we strongly advise our candidates to wait to initiate if they have any questions about who we are.

This is probably done because our founding chapter almost became a chapter of another national sorority before they became aware of "significant differences". Since I am not a founder or a member of that chapter at that time, I don't know what those differences were. But I would imagine that is the reason we give all initiates a specific opportunity to leave before initiating.

Our governing policies (and the spirit of our organization) does not limit a non-member (whether deactivated or depledged) from pursuing another sorority. However, I understand that this is not the norm for NPC sororities. I believe that once a member has initiated, they are not allowed under any circumstances (such as deactivating) to pledge another sorority.

[This message has been edited by Gizmo (edited August 09, 2000).]

[Kymberleigh]

I've read this thread two times now, just in case I missed something.

I am a member of a NPC sorority, but I have a best friend who's in a NPHC Frat. Him and I have argued over this same issue sooo many times. The truth is that simply put, GLO's and BGLO's just do things like Recruitement differently.


From everything my friend and I have discussed NPC has stricter rules and enforcement of said rules for Rush then most (not all) BGLO's. We (NPC) are basically told how to do things. So, we work with the system the best we can. I'm sure that in both BGLO's and GLO's there are sooo many things which go on behind closed doors concerning potential pledges/new members. These things are particular to that house/organization. Hence they cannot be discussed.

All I have to say is that after going through both sides of Rush...a rushee and as a sister I wondered how the h#ll I got in. The thing is that more goes on then meets the eye. NPC organizations are particular about who they let in. We want rushees who have the desire to diversify, build, uphold, and ensure our sisterhood. Not, everyone is meant to be XYZ, not everyone is meant to be ABC.

At my school, as I said above, we hold deferred Rush in the Spring semester. So, we know these girls, because those who want to join have made themselves known to us. It isn't quite the guessing game or game of chance which I feel has been portrayed here of the NPC system.

Thanks,

Kymberleigh

[This message has been edited by Kymberleigh (edited August 08, 2000).]

[blu_theatrics]

We (NPC) are basically told how to do things. So, we work with the system the best we can

We have found something that is in common then, but this sounds like what I hear everyone say about our membership intake process

[equeen]

Originally posted by Gizmo:
I know that for my organization, almost everything is covered in candidate (what most others call pledge) education. However, we strongly advise our candidates to wait to initiate if they have any questions about who we are.

And believe me, both Gizmo and I have seen that waiting and deciding makes truly strong sisters out of those who care, and prevents those who don't identify with our goals and ideals from causing strife for themselves and the sisterhood by taking the ultimate and final steps.

"Slow & steady wins the race."
--from the Rabbit and the Hare, Aesop's Fables.


Good to see you here, Sister Gizmo!
------------------
equeen
A Lioness has her Pride!
@>--;--
Alpha Sigma Kappa - Women in Technical Studies

[This message has been edited by equeen (edited August 09, 2000).]

Originally posted by localsororities:
That's not quite how formal rush works at my school. After each round except prefs, the rushees go home either over night or for a few hours (depending on the round) They then come back to a meeting later where they recieve a list of every house that invited them back to the next round. Rushees get to see their individual list of who invited them back and then they have to make choices. Rushees are required to cut down to the max number of houses allowed. We have 16 chapters, and round two cuts to 10, round three cuts to 6, round four/prefs cuts to 3. If a girl does not have the max number, like she only got 8 invites after round one, she HAS to go back to all of her invites or she will be dropped from rush because she can't cut any yet. Only after prefs does a rushee rank the sororities, or make choices without seeing her invite list.

This way of doing matching eliminates the possibility of the computer messing up and dropping people who shouldn't have been dropped.

I went through rush last year and went to 2 houses on pref night. I bid one and put the other second but did not get a bid. What are my chances of getting one of those two sororities if I go through this year. Will anyone hold it against me for not getting a bid last year? I am a little uneasy about the whole thing. Do you have any advice?

I am wondering how sororities determine HOW many people they invite back to their invitationals during formal rush. I am not asking how they decide WHO to invite back - I realize that is not public information. But do they invite everyone they are interested in - be it 90 out of 100 rushees or 10 out of 100 rushees, or is there some sort of mathematical formula or percentages used?

[mwedzi]

Holly, I'm sure your answer could be found in the "Rush" forum. But as a short answer, at my school, all rushees go to all events at all houses except for preference night. They must be invited back for preference night and we basically invite back everyone we like. That night, a preference list is made that contains a first and second list of rushees. The number allowed in the lists is determined by quota - the number of rushees divided by the number of sororities (4 at my school).

That's formal rush. You might want to try a search. Many people have posted long and detailed explanations to your question.

Thanks for the reply. I did look all through "rush" and didn't find this question addressed - altho maybe I did not make myself totally clear what I was asking. I understand about quota and total. I am wondering in the "intermediate rounds" shall we call them - if there is some formula to determine the number of people who get asked back to each house. At the school I am asking about, there are 12 chapters, and you can return to a total of six, then four, and then finally three.

KIMBERLEIGH, i WAS HOPING YOU COULD ELABORATE ON YOUR DEFERRED RECRUITMENT PROGRAM, AND HOW YOU GOT SUCH DEDICATED RUSHEES.

[Kymberleigh]

PanPres

There are numerous reasons for more dedicated rushees. For our rush as with most (I assume) there is a minimum GPA requirement, when we had formal rush in the fall we used their highschool last semester GPA, now we are able to use their first semester GPA. Freshman now this, and those who truly desire to join a house will make sure that their GPA is high enough.

Also, by time second semester rolls around many freshman have already made a circle of friends. Hence, only those who really want to be a part of the greek system and of particular houses rush. This cuts back on those who go through rush because everyone is doing it.

At first our campus was shocked at the number cut we took when deferred rush took place. However, when you think of the number of those who drop out, or who are cut due to grads, etc... During deferred rush we only lost two of the girls who went through, the rest joined houses.

If you have any more q's let me know.

Love Ya,

Kymberleigh
Delta Delta Delta