This question is for GREEKS only!

[Happydaysf91]

Welcome IvyDeviness!

Personally, I don't feel as though everyone that comes through the grad chapter is 'suspect' just because theydidn't go undergrad. Now, don't get me wrong....sometimes there are people like that -- rejected for very good reasons on the undergrad level, but somehow slip through the cracks of grad. I know women who just didn't have the money undergrad; were focused on other things at that time; chapters are/were suspended for years (my chapter didn't have a line until 5 years after I crossed) and etc. We really need to get over this great divide -- made grad vs. made undergrad!

And I truly agree with you about 'friends'. But that happens on both levels. People get into the chapter undergrad because of friends as well as grad. Both processes need to be tightened.

And the one chance thing...I'm not going to touch that too much ! Many GOOD sorors didn't make it the first time around. Some for good reasons! Some for very petty, immature reasons! It would be ashame if we would have a process that would have barred them from entry.

Lastly, I do agree with you on the exclusivity thing and reclaiming sorors. Reclaiming our inactive pearls, should be a top priority of the organization. The numbers given at the last Boule' were astonishing. And if we still put on QUALITY programs, do our part in the community and carry ourselves in our 'oh so AKA way' I don't think we will ever have to worry about not having anyone interested in our illustrious organization!

(To clarify...before there is cyber-chit-chatting, I was made undergrad, I am financially active and I applied only once to OUR great organization)

[Ideal08]

Welcome to Greekchat! Please see our Roll Call thread and introduce yourself!

[SweetestDiva]

I wasn't going to respond to this at first, but I feel like I need to. Soror IvyDeviness, I'll start by saying we can agree to disagree.

I am a neo made through an undergrad chapter, and only applied once. However, I agree with Soror Happydays on the fact that there are many qualified individuals who were not selected for membership the first time around. Does this mean they aren't "good enough" for AKA? To me it simply means they may have had a bad academic semester or just weren't ready at that point. Were there people rejected for my line that I would still consider bringing into the organization? Yes, because I believe they are qualified women.

I also disagree that sorors initiated through grad chapter are "suspect". People have various reasons for waiting, and regardless of when/where/how you were made, the bottom line is that you are STILL MY SOROR and I will love and respect you, regardless. I know plenty of sorors here on GC who were initiated through a grad chapter, and not only do they "appreciate what's been handed to them", but they have been some of the people whose advice was most helpful to me during my quest for AKA. Some people slip through undergrad AND grad chapters... I don't think it's fair to generalize.

I also don't think it's fair to assume that if someone is inactive, they just pledged for letters. My mother has been a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha since 1962, and she recently became inactive because of extreme financial strain, not because she is just a t-shirt wearer. Situations are individualized.

And if a young lady's interest in AKA is diminished because there are too many people in a particular chapter, then the interest wasn't really there to begin with. I don't think the issue is so much limiting how many people we bring in, but WHO we bring in. As long as we are discerning enough to bring in QUALITY women of integrity and class, Alpha Kappa Alpha will remain an elite organization, regardless of the magnitude of members.

Back on topic... This thread really got me thinking more in terms of reclamation, and while I've been working on my mother, it made me want to do something more. We discussed it as a chapter and we're having a rededication ceremony in March for inactive sorors in our area. Sort of a brunch, just to mingle with them and give them information on becoming active again. Thanks, Soror AKA2D, for sparking the concern.

[Dancerella1908]

Soror IvyDeviness, I was very distrubed and disagree with your statements made about people crossing graduate. I crossed grad. and I am entitled to the same rights and priviledges as a person whom has crossed undergrad. We are ALL equal in AKA!!! We should as Alllpha Kappa Alllpha women embrace all of our sisters with love regardless of where,when, and how they became a member.People have their own personal reasons for seeking membership on the different levels.It is not for us to judge. Let us all be united and not divided.Much love to all of my sorors!!

[sphinxpoet]

IvyDeviness first I send you greetings! I have to say you are making A LOT of stong "Assumptions" I have been to many a grad chapter for All orgs that Pledged Hard, some harder than the undergrad chapter, and that bond between LB's and LS's is strong! Also what happens to those schools that do not have AKA in undergrad? What should they do if there is no membership in Graduate? Plus if pledging was still legal(for both undergrad and Grad) would this be a problem. I am always curious to hear the answers.

Sphinxpoet

[AKA2D '91]

Originally posted by IvyDeviness

If you didn’t pledge undergrad then obviously something is suspect about you. Most people go grad because they didn’t get picked undergrad, or because they want to get in the easy way.

I have to T- totally disagree here. My mother came through, rather PLEDGED a Graduate chapter in the middle 1970's. She was asked to join 2 times, but SHE declined the invitation until the THIRD time. She did it on HER terms, when SHE wanted to do it! LOL. (Dat's my momma!)

Anyway, getting back to my point! LSW (my mother) didn't pledge from 1959-63, because she was too busy getting her degree. By the way, she would have passed that test, too. My mother was NOT the 1st generation to go to college, but my grandfather and grandmother didn't have the money to totally fund 9 children to go to school. Therefore, my mother's interest was to complete her degree and "make a living" to help her parents support the 4 other siblings coming BEHIND her, just like the previous 4 had done for her. So, Alpha Kappa Alpha or any other organization WAS NOT her PRIMARY CONCERN.

So, no, I have to disagree with what you said, cause it hit TOO CLOSE TO HOME!


This was TMI, but I felt compelled to share!

[AKA2D '91]

Originally posted by Ideal08
Welcome to Greekchat! Please see our Roll Call thread and introduce yourself!

WELCOME

Right, cause around here when folks don't introduce themselves, we COULD consider them as "suspect".
-Reference from our GC "Pearls of Wisdom".

[IvyDeviness]

Originally posted by Dancerella1908
Soror IvyDeviness, I was very distrubed and disagree with your statements made about people crossing graduate. I crossed grad. and I am entitled to the same rights and priviledges as a person whom has crossed undergrad. We are ALL equal in AKA!!! We should as Alllpha Kappa Alllpha women embrace all of our sisters with love regardless of where,when, and how they became a member.People have their own personal reasons for seeking membership on the different levels.It is not for us to judge. Let us all be united and not divided.Much love to all of my sorors!!

I'm not promoting division. I have love for all sorors. There are exceptions when it comes to graduate pledges. I just think, that in most cases, people pledge grad because they couldn't get in undergrad. I don't think we should strongly limit the practice of graduate initiation so that people will do what they have to do in undergrad to join. We need to be more exclusive. If people know that there opportunities for getting in are few, then it will make them work that much harder to get in, and hence appreciate it more. I'm not mad at ya. If this doesn't apply to your situation, then you shouldn't take it personal. If the shoe fits...wear it.

I'm not a petty person...if you're an AKA...you're my Sister and I love ya

[IvyDeviness]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by IvyDeviness
[B]

correction:

I DO think we should strongly limit the practice of graduate initiation so that people will do what they have to do in undergrad to join.

[lovelyivy84]

This is an interesting conversation because I have heard the exact opposite a LOT from grad Sorors. A number have expressed the sentiment that a temporary "moritorium" on undergrad initiations be held until we have reclaimed inactive Sorors into our grad chapters. I disagreed with that idea the same way I disagree that grad initiation should be suspended or stopped.

It is so difficult to see when you have not experienced both sides of the argument. Influencing undergraduate college life is something that we have always strongly believed in, and undergraduate life is crucial to who we are and have been for almost 100 years. But it can NOT be denied that a great deal of the planning, fundraising and general day-to-day business of AKA is done on a graduate level. And that a lot of shady and petty things can and do go on in undergrad chapters that prevent qualified women from joining (look at Oprah!). I am of the opinion that no woman of quality be she graduate or undergraduate should be barred from AKA. I am proud to call some of the amazing individuals who I have met who crossed through graduate chapters (many of them on this site) my Sorors.

Coming in through an undergrad chapter as I did myself, I also understand a LOT of the frustrations younger Sorors go through, things I won't detail here, because I went through them. ALL BGLO's seem to be having a similar situation though and must address it eventually if we mean to move forward.

Soror, Ivy Deviness, when did you cross? I just ask because I wonder how much interaction you have had with graduate Sorors, and what the quality of those interactions has been. Do you plan on continuing to be active within the organization when you graduate? I hope you do, and if youare planning on remaining active you will have to find some accomodations with grad Sorors, an maybe modify those views of yours.

If you do not feel comfortable answering here, please feel free to PM me.

[AKA2D '91]

Originally posted by lovelyivy84
Coming in through an undergrad chapter as I did myself, I also understand a LOT of the frustrations younger Sorors go through, things I won't detail here, because I went through them. ALL BGLO's seem to be having a similar situation though and must address it eventually if we mean to move forward.

Amen, Soror! I know I was a victim of the AKA blues. I had to let that go as I GREW as a woman. Now that I am older, what happened BACK THEN is right there...BACK THEN.

[APhiAce]

Originally posted by IvyDeviness
I feel like we are becoming like the white sororities with all the emphasis on intake.
AKA is an ELITE and EXCLUSIVE organization built with the crème of the crop women dedicated to sisterhood and serving the community. There is a certain aire about being an AKA. This exclusivity, elitness, and aire would all be non-existant if we let to many people in. Do we really want to be as over crowed with members as our white counterparts? AKA has servived almost a hundred years and we’re no way near as big as some of the other organizations, but our impact has been felt.

I personally don’t believe we should initiate at the Graduate Level at all. If you didn’t pledge undergrad then obviously something is suspect about you. Most people go grad because they didn’t get picked undergrad, or because they want to get in the easy way. Becoming an AKA is hard. I had to go through a lot in humbling myself to my sorors and making my self stand out. I resent it when someone has a friend who’s a soror who gets them in at the grad level. It takes away from the process and they could never appreciate anything that’s handed to them. I say that undergrads should be more selected and have a line atmost once every 4 years. That way, people only get one chance. I disagree with graduate intake, but once every 10 or 15 years is a good compromise. It’s hard to get anything done when your chapter is too big. We should focus on the people who are inactive….these are the examples of people who just pledged for the name AKA. It wouldn’t make any sense to initiate new people when we still have some old T-Shirt wears to deal with. If we could reclaim all the inactive sorors we have now, we wouldn’t need any new members for a very long time. I think an reclaimed soror will be a better asset to the organization than a new soror, because the inactive soror has already paid her dues to become a member and she knows what AKA is TRULY about from experience.

Besides, the top people woun’t be as interested in AKA if it’s too big. People want to feel like they are elite and a part of something that most people can’t get into. This makes the organization more close knit and looked upon with envy and awe. If we want to stay the premier African American Sorority, we must not open so many doors for outsiders and instead develop the close knit bond we have amongst each other.

________________________________________

Thats an interesting perspective on the idea of being an elite organization. I don't suscribe to the philosophy of keeping the doors of APhiA shut or trying to remain as small as possible. I believe there is strength in numbers and enlarging our organization will make us more powerful and influential. I TOTALLY agree with being very VERY selective, but I feel that limiting opportunities is counterproductive and not what our founders had in mind when envisioning the longevity of our frat.

At our school, we were flattered that most men wanted to pledge Alpha and encouraged this frame of thought. The many men who DIDN'T qualify were not DISSED or SNUBBED or treated SHADY. We infact encouraged them to try again and gave them direction on what they need to show to gain our serious consideration. We had programs and mentorship groups for the campus as a whole to promote leadership, community service, and academic excellence. By participating in these programs, some
Alpha rejects (as well as non-greek seeking students) developed skills and qualities that made them eligible for membership into Alpha. Some eventually pledged Alpha...some even pledged other orgs.

I just believe that its OK to be elite...its OK to be exclusive and have HIGH standards...its OK to reject people who don't qualify for membership....I just think there is a certain way you should treat people. I don't think it's cool to laugh and gloat at a rejects and make them feel small; or dance in their face with our letters bragging on how they'll never get in. I'm not saying YOU do that Ivy Deviness, but I've seen alot of BGLOs do that sort of things. I think we should seek to build up all of our black men & women to the caliber we claim to have attained. Once you've done that, their will be plenty of dedicated potentials for the choosing.

I don't understand how it could harm the organization to have an abundance of dedicated, qualified members. What advantage is gained by shading these high caliber people or making them wait 15 years for consideration into your organization? I don't see how they can negatively effect efforts to reclaim other members you have "pledged" to be in your organization and who's interest in their frat/sorority is so strong that they remain inactive.

As far as reclamation, I think we have to bridge the gap between grads and undergrads...which means letting go of our issues regarding each others "process of initiation". Both need to find some common ground to work with each other. This will make the transistion from undergrad to grad have a smooth road already pre-paved. We graduates also need to try and make grad chapters more exciting. I know BUSINESS is the 1st priority, but we should find somewhere to prioritize brotherhood and socialization. This is how you develop relationships where people will get to REALLY know you and enjoy your company. They will enjoy you because you are YOU. (Not because you are my frat and I'm supposed to). If people enjoy each other, they'll wanna be around each other more and ENJOY WORKING together. Its easier said than done, I know. But I think the key is creating an atmoshere of fun and comraderie.

[Ideal08]

Originally posted by APhiAce
As far as reclamation, I think we have to bridge the gap between grads and undergrads...which means letting go of our issues regarding each others "process of initiation". Both need to find some common ground to work with each other. This will make the transistion from undergrad to grad have a smooth road already pre-paved. We graduates also need to try and make grad chapters more exciting. I know BUSINESS is the 1st priority, but we should find somewhere to prioritize brotherhood and socialization. This is how you develop relationships where people will get to REALLY know you and enjoy your company. They will enjoy you because you are YOU. (Not because you are my frat and I'm supposed to). If people enjoy each other, they'll wanna be around each other more and ENJOY WORKING together. Its easier said than done, I know. But I think the key is creating an atmoshere of fun and comraderie.

Ditto! Very well said!

[Steeltrap]

Originally posted by lovelyivy84
I am of the opinion that no woman of quality be she graduate or undergraduate should be barred from AKA. I am proud to call some of the amazing individuals who I have met who crossed through graduate chapters (many of them on this site) my Sorors.

Bravo, bravo, Soror.
Thank you for this simple, eloquent statement.

[CrucialCrimson]

Originally posted by Happydaysf91

The chapter in my line sister's area doesn't like to fund-raise either and their dues are $600. That is a lot of money and we can say budget all we want, but for some there is just not enough money there.

I'm not an AKA, and DST chapters can't "assess" (which I hate because I too hate to fund raise) but when it comes right down to it, $600 is $50 a month. I know you weren't the person that made the comment about "exclusivity" but can we really consider sororities exclusive or the elite of our community when we are letting in folks that can't budget $50-100 a month??? When I attend collegiate Rushes I make sure I let the women know that it may cost you $600-700 to join, but plan on needing at least twice that to stay active, so if you have to go on a friends and family campaign to raise your initiation fees you should reconsider membership - join a club instead with $20/annual dues.