Why are you NOT involved in an Alumni/ae Association?

[33girl]

Originally Posted by rhoyaltempest

That's the point. And why doesn't their sorority carry as much weight? That's the question. It's nothing to be ashamed of if that's indeed the case but let's not lie about things. If it's true that after college, your sorority experience is over and the committment is not in fact lifetime as many claim, than people need to own up to that.

You misunderstood what I meant. Sorry I wasn't clear. I meant that even though you may want to be involved with XYZ alumnae, it will help you get much farther in your career or where you want to be socially to be an active member of the Women's Professional Alliance, or Junior League, or whatever. Some women have time and family constraints and need to make a choice. (I'm speaking completely hypothetically, not personally.) In other words, the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak.

I know someone said farther down the thread that they felt like if they weren't involved in EVERY meeting, EVERY activity, their involvement was not welcome. IMO this occurs because chartering an alum chapter is too easy and requires too few members, so those members have to do everything or the chapter will flop. From what I can see, the NPHC is smart and doesn't have this problem. If chartering an NPC alum chapter was as hard as chartering a collegiate chapter is, I think more women would value it more and want to do it more.

[DrPhil]

Originally Posted by 33girl

You misunderstood what I meant. Sorry I wasn't clear. I meant that even though you may want to be involved with XYZ alumnae, it will help you get much farther in your career or where you want to be socially to be an active member of the Women's Professional Alliance, or Junior League, or whatever. Some women have time and family constraints and need to make a choice. (I'm speaking completely hypothetically, not personally.) In other words, the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak.

Sorry but I consider this to be a horrible excuse. The spirit isn't willing if this is the case. People need to not only claim they don't have time, they need to admit that they honestly don't want to do it because they have already ranked the organizations in their life.

Plus, it is a little anti-sisterhood/brotherhood and a bit condescending. But, I can only speak for the NPHC. In many areas with NPHC alumnae/alumni/graduate chapters, even the smallest of chapters, one of the best ways to find "who's who" and get access to some professional and social outlets is to be a member of the chapter/get to know the members of the chapter.

I know people who wanted to climb to the highest of professional and social ranks in an area and didn't realize that their sorors and frat were already in those ranks waiting to lend them a hand and lift them up. Then some of them get asked by their sorors and frat in these nonGLO organizations "are you financial and active in the sorority/fraternity?"

[33girl]

Originally Posted by DrPhil

Plus, it is a little anti-sisterhood/brotherhood and a bit condescending. But, I can only speak for the NPHC. In many areas with NPHC alumnae/alumni/graduate chapters, even the smallest of chapters, one of the best ways to find "who's who" and get access to some professional and social outlets is to be a member of the chapter/get to know the members of the chapter.

I know people who wanted to climb to the highest of professional and social ranks in an area and didn't realize that their sorors and frat were already in those ranks waiting to lend them a hand and lift them up. Then some of them get asked by their sorors and frat in these nonGLO organizations "are you financial and active in the sorority/fraternity?"

For some regions, mega x ookabillion difference between NPHC and NPC/NIC.

[DrPhil]

Originally Posted by 33girl

For some regions, mega x ookabillion difference between NPHC and NPC/NIC.

Yeah so does this topic boil down to the difference between NPHC and NPC/NIC?

It will be kinda funny if it does.

[NinjaPoodle]

Originally Posted by rhoyaltempest

I was inactive before due to finances so I understand. The difference is that you plan to reactivate as I always did.

Yep. I try to support events when I can, which is rare these days. If I manage to even get to a greek event, I'm shooting pictures for class or a personal project.

Originally Posted by BluPhire

My main reason is finances. Grad chapter was cool and was still allowing me to come to meetings, but it felt like stealing. Raised enough money to get active again only to find out Nationals discounted the price.

Ha.

@ 1st bolded--Wish I could do that but I would have felt the same. It wouldn't be fair to my Sorors who had paid.

@ 2nd bolded-- I WISH IHQ would discount the price!

[rhoyaltempest]

Originally Posted by NinjaPoodle

Yep. I try to support events when I can, which is rare these days. If I manage to even get to a greek event, I'm shooting pictures for class or a personal project.



@ 1st bolded--Wish I could do that but I would have felt the same. It wouldn't be fair to my Sorors who had paid.

@ 2nd bolded-- I WISH IHQ would discount the price!

See your PM!

[NinjaPoodle]

Originally Posted by rhoyaltempest

See your PM!

Thank you!

[baci]

Just curious...many have said it is the money that keeps you from getting involved. How much money do you need to invest each year to be an active alum in your org? I am not asking you to name your org or anything of that sort, but I wonder how much money orgs require that it is keeping interested members from being involved.

In my org, we are asked to pay annual dues as an alum, but it is minimal. It is far less monetarily to belong to my alum org than to be involved as an undergraduate. Sure, there are dinners that involve a fee, but they are quite reasonable and I suppose if I did not have the extra money one month I would just not attend.

[MysticCat]

Originally Posted by DrPhil

Yeah so does this topic boil down to the difference between NPHC and NPC/NIC?

It will be kinda funny if it does.

Originally Posted by EE-BO

I have zero personal experience with NPHC alumni/alumnae chapters, but after reading about them here over the years I agree answers to the OP's question will depend entirely on NPHC vs NPC/NIC.

Originally Posted by rhoyaltempest

I think it does indeed. People keep making excuses like our members are single, no kids, no jobs and nothing else to do...LOL! Sure everyone can't devote the same amount of time but if it means that much to you, you'll do what you can whenever you can.

I do think you have to be reared with this mentality though and clearly every org doesn't instill this in its members. I think that's the big difference.

I'm swerving out of my lane a bit here (though in this regard I think we're very much like the NIC fraternities), so anyone who thinks I'm off track about this, feel free to say so. (Not like you needed permission. )

While I do think that it boils down to a NPHC - NIC/NPC difference, I don't think it's necessarily a difference of whether some groups stress the lifetime commitment more than others. I think it's a difference in the groups to begin with.

NPHC groups, while social organizations are also service organizations. At least from what I've learned here at GC and what I've seen in real life, the social and service aspects are perhaps equally important. Thus, there is an understanding from the outset that your involvement in the fraternity or sorority will be involvement in service to the community through that fraternity or sorority.

NIC (and similar) fraternities and NPC sororities, on the other hand, are primarily social organizations. True, most have in the last few decades adopted official philanthropies and most have always had some degree of service to the community, but that is secondary (or tertairy) in their reasons for being. The lifetime expectations in NIC/NPC-type groups is that you will continue to cherish and foster the bonds of brotherhood or sisterhood for life, that you will live the values of the organization for life and that you will continue to be involved by supporting the organization and its chapters in whatever way you can. That, I think, is why some NPC-people here have talked about joining other groups (Junior League, Jaycees, Rotary) over alumnae groups. If you want to do community service, you join a group that does that. In my experience, NIC/NPC-type alumni/ae groups exist primarily if not exclusively for social purposes and to support nearby chapters, not to do community service (although they may do some). Often, participating in particular community service groups or activities can be seen as an effective way of living out the values of one's GLO.

It seems to me that the difference, then, is not whether membership is for a lifetime. That's a red herring. It's what lifetime membership entails, which in turn depends on the nature of the fraternity or sorority to begin with.

[EE-BO]

Originally Posted by DrPhil

Yeah so does this topic boil down to the difference between NPHC and NPC/NIC?

It will be kinda funny if it does.

I have zero personal experience with NPHC alumni/alumnae chapters, but after reading about them here over the years I agree answers to the OP's question will depend entirely on NPHC vs NPC/NIC. Reading the thread so far, I have not determined which is the subject of the research- and someone please advise if there is an answer I missed in the posts.

With regards to NPC- 33girl is quite correct when it comes to Texas. Alumnae who are just in it for the prestige and not willing to work are sniffed out pretty quickly, so the ladies do work hard. But there is no doubt a lot of prestige can be conferred. In certain cities for certain sororities, specific annual fundraising events can provide opportunities that are socially very important.

On the NIC side- I have not ever observed the level of organization one would see with NPHC or NPC. The closest you get is the Housing Corporation which tends to be a catchall for fundraising, managing the house and working with the chapter to put on alumni events. Chapter advisors representing national fraternity's interests are also often folded into this collective group of active alumni.

Getting NIC alumni interested poses challenges I know all too well- anyone who gets involved and has half a brain knows that much work and a whole lot of donating lies ahead.

My time as a housing corporation officer and chapter advisor has been great- and I would not trade it for anything. But I was single, worked from home allowing me to do a lot of work for the chapter plus be available on short notice- plus able to spend the money at the time. The financial donations were substantial. At a big southern school when you have guys living in 7 figure properties with alumni who expect a good time at alumni events, even funding a small gesture can be jawdropping. And they all expect it- especially the ones who would never give away a nickel.

This is what NIC alumni face when asked to get involved. It ends up being a lot more money and time than is promised- and not out of any preconceived plan. It is just how it works. And the more money and organization a few put out there- figure 5x that in alumni are going to partake of the fun and parties along with the undergrads at your expense.

I loved doing it- and I would do it again. But as I said, I was in the very rare position of being able to do a good job of it for a time. With the new economic realities out there and me back in an office working for someone else, I could never do now what I did then.

[rhoyaltempest]

Originally Posted by DrPhil

Yeah so does this topic boil down to the difference between NPHC and NPC/NIC?

It will be kinda funny if it does.

I think it does indeed. People keep making excuses like our members are single, no kids, no jobs and nothing else to do...LOL! Sure everyone can't devote the same amount of time but if it means that much to you, you'll do what you can whenever you can.

I do think you have to be reared with this mentality though and clearly every org doesn't instill this in its members. I think that's the big difference.

[rhoyaltempest]

Originally Posted by 33girl

You misunderstood what I meant. Sorry I wasn't clear. I meant that even though you may want to be involved with XYZ alumnae, it will help you get much farther in your career or where you want to be socially to be an active member of the Women's Professional Alliance, or Junior League, or whatever. Some women have time and family constraints and need to make a choice. (I'm speaking completely hypothetically, not personally.) In other words, the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak.

I know someone said farther down the thread that they felt like if they weren't involved in EVERY meeting, EVERY activity, their involvement was not welcome. IMO this occurs because chartering an alum chapter is too easy and requires too few members, so those members have to do everything or the chapter will flop. From what I can see, the NPHC is smart and doesn't have this problem. If chartering an NPC alum chapter was as hard as chartering a collegiate chapter is, I think more women would value it more and want to do it more.

Actually our alumnae chapters can range from having just 10 people to over 100 but you're right that the process to charter is quite similar for undergrad and grad. It's a serious committment and if you are chartering with a small group of people, you already know that you will have to be involved in everything and should have the time for this.