What’s it like to be in a Huge Chapter?

[CrimsonCrescent]

Originally Posted by IndianaSigKap

They would only need to bring in alums for a few years, then they would be closer in size to the other chapters. Do you know what percentage of your campus is Jewish? Enough for SDT to go through the enormous task of taking on such a recruitment? I ask because my alma mater has both SDT and AEPhi, both participate in the entirety of formal recruitment and always make quota.

The SDT chapter at Alabama seems like it's trying to disaffiliate with the Jewish faith. When I went through recruitment two years ago, they participated in the first round of rush, and was told by the active that was recruiting myself and two other PNM's that they "used to be" affiliated with the Jewish faith but now are just a typical social sorority.

I don't know how much merit there was to that, but it seems like the attachment of the Jewish religion has stunted their growth as the belief that you must be Jewish to pledge SDT is for the most part still around.

[AnchorAlumna]

Re: SDT - I'm not one and I don't really know, but FWIK, they have not been all-Jewish since the early 1970s, whereas AEPhi is still only Jewish.
Right now, construction is still taking place. The sororities have been able to use a couple of "old" houses while their new ones are being built, but this year ZTA is without a house while theirs, Phi Mu's and KKG's are going up.
I am hoping that once there is an "old" house available, SDT can move back to sorority row, pledge more women and again participate fully in formal recruitment.
That would not happen for another 3 or 4 years, though.

I keep thinking that one day, sooner rather than later, the recruitment numbers are going to shrink instead of grow.

[Titchou]

When I went thru in 1963 SDT was still Jewish as were AEPhi and DPhiE all of whom were on campus. In fact, after Ice Water Teas, they separated out the Jewish women from the rest of us and they only went to those 3 groups for the remainder of rush.

[AnchorAlumna]

Yeah, try to do that now!!

[33girl]

Originally Posted by AnchorAlumna

Re: SDT - I'm not one and I don't really know, but FWIK, they have not been all-Jewish since the early 1970s, whereas AEPhi is still only Jewish.
Right now, construction is still taking place. The sororities have been able to use a couple of "old" houses while their new ones are being built, but this year ZTA is without a house while theirs, Phi Mu's and KKG's are going up.
I am hoping that once there is an "old" house available, SDT can move back to sorority row, pledge more women and again participate fully in formal recruitment.
That would not happen for another 3 or 4 years, though.
Ok
I keep thinking that one day, sooner rather than later, the recruitment numbers are going shrink instead of grow.

But AEPhi isn't at Alabama anymore. Do you mean nationally?

I agree with your last sentence in that eventually fewer women will rush (at any school with uber large chapters) because sorority membership has reached a point of diminishing returns.

[NutBrnHair]

Here's what a composite looks like with 400+ members!

[navane]

Originally Posted by NutBrnHair

Here's what a composite looks like with 400+ members!

Wow! I thought the size of the composite didn't seem too bad until I realized that the girls don't have their names beneath the photos.

[NutBrnHair]

Originally Posted by navane

Wow! I thought the size of the composite didn't seem too bad until I realized that the girls don't have their names beneath the photos.

I believe the names are there. Very small, but they are there.

[AZTheta]

And there are likely members who didn't make the composite.

By the way don't know who the woman is in the photo but I'd love to have her jacket. Want to cut it up to put in a quilt. The fabric is awesome.

[navane]

Originally Posted by NutBrnHair

I believe the names are there. Very small, but they are there.

Ah ok! I squinted at the photo again and now see what look like faint lines under the photos. Those must be the names. Either way, it's still impressive to get that many members on one composite. Thanks for sharing!

[AnchorAlumna]

Originally Posted by 33girl

But AEPhi isn't at Alabama anymore. Do you mean nationally?
I agree with your last sentence in that eventually fewer women will rush (at any school with uber large chapters) because sorority membership has reached a point of diminishing returns.

Right, by the time I got to Alabama (a few years after Titchou), they were gone. I guess nationally? I checked them out at a school a few years ago to help a mother and found that they - or at least that chapter - don't pledge gentiles.

[clemsongirl]

Originally Posted by AnchorAlumna

Right, by the time I got to Alabama (a few years after Titchou), they were gone. I guess nationally? I checked them out at a school a few years ago to help a mother and found that they - or at least that chapter - don't pledge gentiles.

AEPhi alum would obviously know more than I but I seem to recall her saying that the decision to pledge gentiles or not is up to the chapter. IIRC, she was not Jewish when she joined the local sorority that would eventually become her chapter of AEPhi. I have heard at other schools that they don't take gentiles, though. But at the thought of pre-sorting girls into Jewish and non-Jewish piles during recruitment. Had no idea that ever happened!

[DeltaBetaBaby]

Originally Posted by clemsongirl

AEPhi alum would obviously know more than I but I seem to recall her saying that the decision to pledge gentiles or not is up to the chapter. IIRC, she was not Jewish when she joined the local sorority that would eventually become her chapter of AEPhi. I have heard at other schools that they don't take gentiles, though. But at the thought of pre-sorting girls into Jewish and non-Jewish piles during recruitment. Had no idea that ever happened!

Well, even if they didn't formally do this, the Jewish women would not have received any invitations from the chapters who didn't take Jews, so it would have happened anyway.

If I can relate a few stories that probably aren't politically correct...

My dad told me a story of one of his pledge brothers who dropped out of AEPi and joined a group that had just removed its "WASP clause" and how the rest of his chapter thought the guy was total scum the rest of their college careers.

My mom told me that, when she rushed, there was a further split, as women of German Jewish heritage all went XYZ at her school, and they thought they were too good for Eastern European Jewish women. Incidentally, my mom's best friend in retirement years is an alum of the chapter in question.

[Griffins&Quills]

I was under the impression that Alabama had opened for expansion when DPhiE presented in 2011 and then closed. I didn't think they were still open. But idk.

There are still some groups who could/should be back at Alabama but hopefully sometime soon

As far as large chapters go, well, our house was built in 2005 I think, and around that time, total was in the mid 90s, in 10 years, total has come to around 200 and PCs are growing every year, with more and more girls going through recruitment. When I was there, we were towards the higher end, and I still knew every single one of my >160 sisters. I can't imagine being in a group that only had 20 members total. Different strokes I suppose. The only issue is house size. Because growth happened fairly rapidly and I guess no one thought the future would be like this, we now have a new-ish house, that's too small to accommodate us.

[Titchou]

I think once all the fruit basket turn over construction is done at Alabama, if any of the remaining groups who could reasonably be determined to be able to build a house of the size needed were to express any interest, Alabama would be willing to bulldoze the remaining lots. There is room for at least 3 more houses - if I am remembering correctly. Am sure AnchorAlumna will correct me if I am wrong!