"Why Did You Decide to Join ...That?"

[ladygreek]

Originally Posted by RozRochelle

I didn't make it sound like anything. That's just the way you chose to interpret what I wrote. But, that's fine. Now, in the context in which I was speaking, I would understand why a woman in this situation would feel as if she were being punished or penalized for not being a full-time student.

Generally speaking; however, waiting to join an alumnae chapter is not a punishment and may actually be a better option for older women. But, the point I'm trying to make is that if someone has genuine interest in an org, and but for them being a part-time or online student, they would be accepted into the organization, GET THEM WHILE THEY ARE GUNG-HO.

Give that enthusiasm time to wane, due to life changes and et cetera, and you may never get them back. No matter how much admiration and interest a woman may have in any particular org, the sacrifices she is willing to make to become a part of that organization will change or fluctuate over time, depending on what is going on in her life. If someone is made to wait to join an alumnae chapter, there may come a point where even though her interest is still strong, the re-arrangements she would have to make in her life to join, X number of years later, may not be worth it. Many women get to the point where they say, "bump it", and toss that dream into the "dried up like a raisin in the sun" pile. That would be a needless loss for an organization that needs new members to perpetuate itself.

Edited to add: But, if that's the route the established orgs decide to go, more power to them. Theta Gamma Pi will be here to accept those women - if they meet our criteria - that don't want to wait to join an alumnae chapter. There's room for everybody.

Yes, I know that being an adult in age does not translate to being mature. However, I chose a minimum age of 24 years old for a reason that had nothing to do with mental maturity level. I was trying to be fair by staying in line with the age cutoff most colleges and universities use to identify non-traditional students. My personal preference is an older minimum age, but this is not a "vanity" project and it's not all about me. Principle won over preference.

My,my,my. I started off trying to compliment you on your decision by saying your reasons were very valid, and you jumped defensive. What's that about? Just do you.

BTW: MANY non-traditional students have joined NPHC orgs while in college at all ages. Don't make it sound like your org is the great non-traditional hope.

[DSTCHAOS]

Originally Posted by ladygreek

My,my,my. I started off trying to compliment you on your decision and you jump defensive. What's that about?

I thought her sorority was a good idea, too.

Reading along, it seems as though she may be a disgruntled NPHC hopeful. Will she find herself at an NPHC alumnae chapter sometime? Maybe.

[RozRochelle]

Originally Posted by DSTCHAOS

I thought her sorority was a good idea, too.

Reading along, it seems as though she may be a disgruntled NPHC hopeful. Will she find herself at an NPHC alumnae chapter sometime? Maybe.

I am not a disgruntled NPHC hopeful. I never tried to join. However, I did notice that part-time and online non-trads had no options, other than waiting for grad chapter. I thought they should have the same opportunity, as undergrads, as full-time campus-based non-trad undergrads had.

Seeing as how my sorority is not an NPC or NPHC org, and has no plans to pursue membership in either in the future, membership in an alumnae chapter is not an impossibility. I don't see how I can give 100% to two organizations, but I have learned (the hard way) to never say never. I'll just say it's unlikely.

[PrettyBoy]

Just curious, how old is your organization?

[L.O.C.K.]

Yea, age is huge.

Maybe I am just cynical, but when you are 100 years old (or almost) and have 10s of thousands of members, its a LOT easier to be picky about membership.

While I like the fact that NPHC orgs are highly selective, it's VERY difficult for a younger org to do the same thing because they will have no members. And without people, you can't do your programs.

For us, it's incredibly hard to dispell the stereotypes of "frat" life to kids. Many are the children of immigrants who want their kids to go to school to study and that is it. This is why our marketing is SOOO important. At the same time, when filling a niche or something, you can't be like "we're better than them" because it just shows your own insecurities and in my opinion, can be a major turnoff.

[PrettyBoy]

L.O.C.K. How does your organization get members to join, with it being a fairly young organization?

[ladygreek]

RozRochelle,
Everyone can't be misinterpreting your statements. At some point you have to acknowledge that what you wrote was indeed what you meant. The biggest thing in communications is not what you think you said, but how the receiver interpreted it. And the onus to fix that falls back on the sender.

The thing I am struggling with is what will your sorority offer your members after graduation? I was in my collegiate chapter for two years. I have been in an alumnae chapter for 36 years. In other words Delta didn't go anywhere.

So serious questions: what is it that your sorority offer your members during their college years that they can't find in a support group or another such student organization? And what are your plans for the future?

Lastly, folx on here seemed to be pretty supportive of your sorority until you started coming off defensive. And don't ask how could I think that. Read what I wrote above. The onus is on you.

[ladygreek]

Originally Posted by L.O.C.K.

Yea, age is huge.

Maybe I am just cynical, but when you are 100 years old (or almost) and have 10s of thousands of members, its a LOT easier to be picky about membership.

While I like the fact that NPHC orgs are highly selective, it's VERY difficult for a younger org to do the same thing because they will have no members. And without people, you can't do your programs.

For us, it's incredibly hard to dispell the stereotypes of "frat" life to kids. Many are the children of immigrants who want their kids to go to school to study and that is it. This is why our marketing is SOOO important. At the same time, when filling a niche or something, you can't be like "we're better than them" because it just shows your own insecurities and in my opinion, can be a major turnoff.

But you do have a very defined niche and that is all the more reason to keep on perservering. If folx hadn't persued the same notion back in 1906-1922, the NPHC wouldn't exist.

But you are so right. Be about what you bring to the table and not about what someone else doesn't bring.

[DSTCHAOS]

Originally Posted by ladygreek

But you do have a very defined niche and that is all the more reason to keep on perservering. If folx hadn't persued the same notion back in 1906-1922, the NPHC wouldn't exist.

But you are so right. Be about what you bring to the table and not about what someone else doesn't bring.

Indeed.

When I first started researching Delta and talking to members, not ONCE did I read something or have a member say to me "those other sororities are full of crap...or don't do THIS...that's why we're great." I would've been like "uh...okay...why are you all so special again?" Delta stood on its own merit. It was then up to me as an obsessed () hopeful to decipher where Delta worked for me and vice versa and how Delta differed from the other sororities (the differences weren't a huge component of my decision but were just outlined after I had make up my heart and mind).

The nontraditional student thing is a great foundation for that org's target audience and is a place to build up from. But they HAVE to build up from that and not keep coming back to "differences."

[RozRochelle]

Originally Posted by ladygreek

My,my,my. I started off trying to compliment you on your decision by saying your reasons were very valid, and you jumped defensive. What's that about? Just do you.

BTW: MANY non-traditional students have joined NPHC orgs while in college at all ages. Don't make it sound like your org is the great non-traditional hope.

I didn't get defensive, and if that's how I came across, I do apologize. If you could hear how I meant it, you'd know I wasn't trying to be rude. Was that barb about my org being the "great non-traditional hope" really necessary? We have the same purpose, just different membership target groups. I already said that there was enough room for everybody.

Anyway, I think you are letting your irritation get you off focus. In this thread, I am talking about online and part-time students, not campus-based, full-time non-traditionals - whom I have already addressed as being eligible to join the traditional GLOs. So, for the online and/or part-time female student who doesn't want to wait for post-grad status to join a GLO, Theta Gamma Pi just might be her great non-traditional hope.