Classification: social, service, professional, etc.

[preciousjeni]

Ok, with all the issues of "aren't we all Greek together?" and "is NPHC service or social?" I wanted to lay it all out from what I see. Mods, please delete this thread if you feel that it's pointless or if there's another like it. My point is to get it out once and for all.

Levels of Classification

I. Two overall types of orgs:

Open Membership and Selective Membership

Open Membership: aspirants are able to join without the "approval" of the current members as long as the aspirants meet basic qualifications (GPA, good standing, etc; for music and pro glos, the aspirant, of course, needs to meet additional criteria)

Selective Membership: aspirants may join ONLY upon the approval of current members and may be turned away for any reason; most often, a secret process of voting or judging is employed

II. Objectives
(note: all orgs are social because of human nature, but objectives may vary)

Service, Social, Professional

Service: primary mission is uplifting a particular community by giving time in service and, often, activism

Social: primary mission is networking, building relationships, teaching organizational/leadership skills

Professional (I'm including music, academic, etc.): primary mission is to hone skills, honor achievement and gain footing in a particular field

Obviously, most organizations fulfill each of these objectives, but organizations ALSO have a primary function.

I think people generally confuse the classification "service" with the type "open membership." And, people also consider "social" organizations to be lacking in community involvement, which is certainly not the case.