Inactive member etiquette

[KSUViolet06]

If they've decided to terminate their membership with your organization, then it's my opinion that you needed to follow up on your termination procedures rather than allowing them to remain "inactive."

You're creating a bit of an issue for yourselves should this ever come up again. Girls may ask to take this same kind of inactive status that you're allowing these women to take.

You need to really define what "leaving the sorority" and "being inactive" both mean, for your sake.

However, if they are still considered to be members of your sorority, then they should still be receiving emails.

[honeychile]

You need to know whether they want to cancel their memberships or to go inactive. If they cancel their memberships, there's no alumnae future for them. If they go inactive, they'll need to have all of their finances in order. If the finances are up in the air, your chapter could easily be penalized and probably not be permitted to win any awards.

A quick talk with your Chapter Advisor should answer any questions better than a bunch of us on a message board.

[33girl]

Originally Posted by honeychile

You need to know whether they want to cancel their memberships or to go inactive. If they cancel their memberships, there's no alumnae future for them. If they go inactive, they'll need to have all of their finances in order. If the finances are up in the air, your chapter could easily be penalized and probably not be permitted to win any awards.

The sorority is a local. I think awards are a moot point.

To be blunt, if shit went down that is so serious as to cause them to quit the sorority two weeks before they graduated, I don't think you want them anywhere near any of your events. Take them off your email list, and request that they submit formal letters of resignation (or whatever your procedures are for terminating someone from membership) as soon as possible. Wrap this up definitively before the end of the year - you don't need to have that cloud hanging over your heads all summer.

[Kansas City]

Originally Posted by 33girl

To be blunt, if shit went down that is so serious as to cause them to quit the sorority two weeks before they graduated, I don't think you want them anywhere near any of your events. Take them off your email list, and request that they submit formal letters of resignation (or whatever your procedures are for terminating someone from membership) as soon as possible. Wrap this up definitively before the end of the year - you don't need to have that cloud hanging over your heads all summer.

Good point. You may want to have the seniors resign their membership before becoming an alumn is an option.

[PeppyGPhiB]

Originally Posted by 33girl

The sorority is a local. I think awards are a moot point.

To be blunt, if shit went down that is so serious as to cause them to quit the sorority two weeks before they graduated, I don't think you want them anywhere near any of your events. Take them off your email list, and request that they submit formal letters of resignation (or whatever your procedures are for terminating someone from membership) as soon as possible. Wrap this up definitively before the end of the year - you don't need to have that cloud hanging over your heads all summer.

Totally agree. If they "left the sorority," then they don't get to come to events anymore. Take them off the email list. And if you care about their status as alumnae, you should follow-up with termination papers. If your local doesn't really have much of an alumnae program, though, I don't think I'd bother with the paperwork. Just leave them behind, as they've done to you.