Your thoughts on AI: discussion goes here.

[blueangel]

Originally Posted by texas*princess

Dang.

I go to work, and I miss like 6 pages of AI-fun!

My general thoughts on today's posts and a summary in case anyone else's place of employment blocks out GC Fun:


* ba - if you paperwork stalled after it had already begun, the questions should be directed to the Alum. Chapter involved. Not random strangers on the internet who may or may not know how your sorority does AI.

However... my paperwork was stalled.. my AA chapter didn't know why. A "random stranger" in my sorority on GC was able to straighten it out for me, so I am a perfect example of how the AI forum on GC is a positive thing. There are some very kind souls here who are willing to help others.

*While this board is not encouraging swarms and swarms of AI, I would go back and read all the AI threads. Count how many AI's said "I have never thought of AI until now!" Count how many AIs there are because their local affiliated, or they were involved with the collegiate chapter, or they knew someone in the alum chapter already. Now make those numbers a ratio. There's your sign.

Please DO count them. You'll find that this board has not had any significant impact.

*AI is NOT recruitment

Nobody said it was.

* I had a difficult major, and I still worked almost 40 hrs/wk, paid my way through college AND all my sorority expenses, still went to class, got all my homework done, and had time for socials with the boys on Fraternity Row. It can be done. People do it every year. It's called time management.

And I was an athlete who was competing nationally and had to focus on school and my sport. Some of us don't want to be a "jack of all trades and master of none." Some of us strive for excellence and must make hard choices in college in order to realize big dreams.

* If you choose to attend a SEC school you need to know that you may or may not become greek due to it's competitiveness. If you can't handle that and being greek means the world to you, go to a less competitive school and be over it. Being greek is not the end of the world. I've never been to a SEC campus but they sure look like a lot of fun. I'm sure non-greeks have a great social life just as the greeks do.

I don't like your advice about schools. College is all about preparing you for a career. It is not about getting in to a social organization. Your career should come first. I do, however, agree that being greek (or not) is not the end of the world. And yes SEC schools are a lot of fun, but they're also a lot of hard work.

* I don't know about anyone else, but I don't wake up every morning and think "Gosh, I need to fill my daily quota of finding a great, unaffiliated woman to join my sisterhood!" If there is someone I know very well, and I think she is an outstanding individual, I will let my AA know. I don't let it consume my day, because.. well, I'm at WORK.

I think you're unfairly exaggerating this. I don't think there is anyone on here who was about to slit their wrists because they aren't in a GLO. And, what if there is an outstanding woman out there that you DON'T know?

* Let's lay off the report button

If everyone obeys the TOS, people will have no need to hit the report button.

* AI is not recruitment

didn't you say this already?

* AI is not an open event

meaning?

* Anyone can post in the AI forum. It is not your call to decide who can/can't post here

I agree with that

* Also it's not that we're "ANTI-AI" we're "ANTI-SORORITY SHOPPING" and "ANTI- putting information on the intraweb that shouldn't be out there"

Please define "sorority shopping" as this seems to be a kicked around term that nobody can agree on. What is this secret squirrel info you're referring to?

You know, I wonder if there are any GC women who now regret helping/sponsor GC PNAMs through their process? Who have witnessed either firsthand in the AA or online the behavior of these former PNAMs they assisted... and then think to themselves, "WTF WAS I THINKING?"

[blueangel]

Originally Posted by OTW

You know, I wonder if there are any GC women who now regret helping/sponsor GC PNAMs through their process? Who have witnessed either firsthand in the AA or online the behavior of these former PNAMs they assisted... and then think to themselves, "WTF WAS I THINKING?"

and.. I wonder if there are people who wrote recs for PNMs and now regret helping them through the process.. who have witnessed either firsthand in the college chapter, AA or online the behavior of those former PNMs they assisted.. and thing to themselves, "WTF WAS I THINKING?"

[GDIfly]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe a rec for a PNAM helps a lot more than a rec for a PNM.
The PNM may still have made it into a chapter easily without a recommendation because of quota/recruitment considerations etc., but a PNAM isn't going through recruitment (I heard somewhere that the two were different.) and has a much lower chance of getting in in the first place, ESPECIALLY without a recommendation from a member.

[adpiucf]

A woman cannot participate in the AI program without a sponsor. Hence, those who have been been invited to join through the AI program have come through the recommendation of an alumnae or collegiate chapter, and have a sponsor to guide them through ritual. There are no "recs" for AI members. The decision is made by a group of individuals to approach them about membership through the AI program.

[GDIfly]

Originally Posted by adpiucf

A woman cannot participate in the AI program without a sponsor. Hence, those who have been been invited to join through the AI program have come through the recommendation of an alumnae or collegiate chapter, and have a sponsor to guide them through ritual. There are no "recs" for AI members. The decision is made by a group of individuals to approach them about membership through the AI program.

Okay... I take it back. Sponsoring a woman through AI definitely helps more than writing a recommendation for undergrad recruitment.
QED

[blueangel]

Originally Posted by adpiucf

A woman cannot participate in the AI program without a sponsor. Hence, those who have been been invited to join through the AI program have come through the recommendation of an alumnae or collegiate chapter, and have a sponsor to guide them through ritual. There are no "recs" for AI members. The decision is made by a group of individuals to approach them about membership through the AI program.

While what you say may be true for ADPi, I can assure you, all of what you are saying is not true for all GLOs.

Originally Posted by blueangel

While what you say may be true for ADPi, I can assure you, all of what you are saying is not true for all GLOs.

How can you "assure her" when you're a ZTA who knows ZTA information? You seem so confident to speak on behalf of the rest of the 24.

Originally Posted by GDIfly

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe a rec for a PNAM helps a lot more than a rec for a PNM.
The PNM may still have made it into a chapter easily without a recommendation because of quota/recruitment considerations etc., but a PNAM isn't going through recruitment (I heard somewhere that the two were different.) and has a much lower chance of getting in in the first place, ESPECIALLY without a recommendation from a member.

Finally something we can agree on, GDIfly!

Many GCers went through recruitment without the aid of alumnae and recs. But then again, someone once told me that AI and Recruitment are not the same. What you just said pretty much nullifies BA's attempt to compare the two.

Recs for Recruitment are easily and readily available for download on the website. Funny how it's not the same for AI. Oh wait...it's because AI and recruitment aren't the same. Well, whaddya know?!

[ReachTheLimit]

Originally Posted by OTW

Finally something we can agree on, GDIfly!

Many GCers went through recruitment without the aid of alumnae and recs. But then again, someone once told me that AI and Recruitment are not the same. What you just said pretty much nullifies BA's attempt to compare the two.

Recs for Recruitment are easily and readily available for download on the website. Funny how it's not the same for AI. Oh wait...it's because AI and recruitment aren't the same. Well, whaddya know?!

I would encourage you to do a little research on the websites because yup, they are online for some of the sororities.

Originally Posted by ReachTheLimit

I would encourage you to do a little research on the websites because yup, they are online for some of the sororities.

I wasn't speaking for the other sororities. Just my own.

It'd be too much of a BURDEN to go through all the websites.

I don't need to do research on AI. I'm not the one seeking it.

[greekalum]

Originally Posted by ReachTheLimit

I would encourage you to do a little research on the websites because yup, they are online for some of the sororities.

Please show me one sorority website who has a "recommendation for alum initiation" or similar form online and available to the public? Or do you have access to the sisters-only information on these websites?

[AlexMack]

Originally Posted by OTW

You know, I wonder if there are any GC women who now regret helping/sponsor GC PNAMs through their process? Who have witnessed either firsthand in the AA or online the behavior of these former PNAMs they assisted... and then think to themselves, "WTF WAS I THINKING?"

I can't stop laughing at this. The Drama Express has left the station, and it's choo-choo-choosing passengers along the way.

[33girl]

Originally Posted by blueangel

However... my paperwork was stalled.. my AA chapter didn't know why. A "random stranger" in my sorority on GC was able to straighten it out for me, so I am a perfect example of how the AI forum on GC is a positive thing. There are some very kind souls here who are willing to help others.

BUT YOU DIDN'T NEED THE AI FORUM TO DO THAT.

There are lots of ZTAs on here, including the moderator who it's obvious is very involved as an alumna. You could have emailed any of them and asked them what to do, and if they didn't know they could have contacted HQ or someone else who could have helped you.

OR you could have told your AA to figure it out. If my alum chapter had a woman we really wanted to AI and her paperwork was stalled, you can bet I'd be on HQ's butts asking them what the holdup was.

YOU DIDN'T NEED AN AI FORUM TO SOLVE YOUR PROBLEM.

[blueangel]

Originally Posted by 33girl

BUT YOU DIDN'T NEED THE AI FORUM TO DO THAT.

There are lots of ZTAs on here, including the moderator who it's obvious is very involved as an alumna. You could have emailed any of them and asked them what to do, and if they didn't know they could have contacted HQ or someone else who could have helped you.

OR you could have told your AA to figure it out. If my alum chapter had a woman we really wanted to AI and her paperwork was stalled, you can bet I'd be on HQ's butts asking them what the holdup was.

YOU DIDN'T NEED AN AI FORUM TO SOLVE YOUR PROBLEM.

Actually, I did need the forum. I was about to throw in the towel because it had been nearly three years since my paperwork had been started, and I didn't know what the hold up was. Members of the Alumnae chapter didn't know, and couldn't seem to find out where the snag was. Remember.. AI is extremely rare in my GLO.

Just as I was about to give up on the whole thing, I started googling. I found the GC AI forum. I literally spent the entire night reading all of the old posts. I started to feel better, because I learned how long the process was for many here. Ironically, I read some of the stories from people who are now opposing this very forum!

Since there were no AIs from my GLO here, one of the AI's on this forum put me in touch with a member of my GLO here on GC who got the ball rolling again for me. Since, as I mentioned before, AI is extremely rare in my organization, a "random" member of my GLO on GC wouldn't necessarily be able to help me... remember.. my own Alumnae Chapter had tried to find out, but wasn't able to get answers. The person I met on the AI forum was able to point me to a person who was knowlegable about the process. It was this very person who knew who to call to find out what the hold up was.

To sum it up.. this forum is definately the reason I am in my GLO today. Had the AI forum not come up on my search, I wouldn't have found the people who helped me. Had I not read the story of others here, I would have mistakenly assumed it was never going to happen, and I would never have PMed anyone to help me find out where the snag was.

(edited for typo)