Duke's Alpha Omicron Pi chapter to close

[TriDeltaSallie]

I, too, am from a closed chapter and I would never wish that experience on anyone. I was a national volunteer at the time (a couple years after graduating) and was a part of the meeting at convention with the national Executive Board when the decision was made to close the chapter. No one can possibly understand the pain unless you experience it.

Re: the Gamma Phi Beta crying when she was carrying her flag... I can so understand that. To this day I do not subscribe to our magazine. I love DDD and everything our ideals represent. But looking through the magazine is depressing. It is always full of info about open chapters, but naturally nothing about my own.

I don't know how it is done in other sororities, but I wish there could be a way of still affirming the women from closed chapters other than reading their chapter name at convention or founder's day. Do any other sororities do anything to keep alive the experience/presence/sisterhood of closed chapters? When one of our chapters closes, there is a little mention of it in the magazine and that is it. I've always thought it would be nice if they would at least dedicate a page of the magazine to celebrating the sisterhood that occurred there for years or decades. Yes, chapters often close under negative circumstances. But that shouldn't negate all of the wonderful experiences other women have had in that chapter. It is hard to not feel like a leper when you are from a closed chapter.

Ok, climbing down off my soapbox now. As you can tell, I feel very passionately about this issue.

[KSUViolet06]

Originally Posted by TriDeltaSallie

I wish there could be a way of still affirming the women from closed chapters other than reading their chapter name at convention or founder's day. Do any other sororities do anything to keep alive the experience/presence/sisterhood of closed chapters? When one of our chapters closes, there is a little mention of it in the magazine and that is it. I've always thought it would be nice if they would at least dedicate a page of the magazine to celebrating the sisterhood that occurred there for years or decades. Yes, chapters often close under negative circumstances. But that shouldn't negate all of the wonderful experiences other women have had in that chapter. It is hard to not feel like a leper when you are from a closed chapter.

I know that there was an article in our magazine (Winter 2008) about alumnae from closed chapters, what the experience of closure was like, what some of their best memories were in their chapters, and how they're involved with Tri Sigma now. We also feature news about alumnae who are holding reunion events, and those regularly involve alumnae whose collegiate chapter has been long closed.

I'm fairly certain that my sorority sends alumnae of that chapter a letter when their chapter is closed (since not everyone is active in Sigma and aware of a closure). The letter apologizes for the news and reminds them that even though the chapter is closed, the lifetime experience of Sigma is still avaliable to them via alumna involvement and gives them the contact info for their nearest alumna chapter. It's not much but it's something.

[Buttonz]

Originally Posted by TriDeltaSallie

I, too, am from a closed chapter and I would never wish that experience on anyone.

Re: the Gamma Phi Beta crying when she was carrying her flag... I can so understand that. To this day I do not subscribe to our magazine. I love DDD and everything our ideals represent. But looking through the magazine is depressing. It is always full of info about open chapters, but naturally nothing about my own.

I am from a closed chapter as well. While I wasn't active when we closed (it was a semster after I transferred) I was still involved with the chapter.

To this day, I remember the mood on the conference call before people from our nationals got on. We all knew what was coming and a lot of us joined the call early to talk. Instead of the excited chitter chatter that preceded any other conference call, the mood was very somber and low already. I know for a fact that I wasn't the only one crying when we were officially told the news. I don't wish it on anyone.

Looking at the Torch is very depressing for me...at the same time, I do it to remind myself of the good times and hope that one day, Alpha Omicron will be back, better and stronger then ever.