Life Membership

gamma_girl52 · #1 04-30-2007, 09:53 AM

I think the sorority really ought to consider bringing back our Life Membership status. There used to be a separate fee that a member could pay, and that member would recieve either a pin or a key, I'm not 100% sure.

I think it would encourage people to stay active. And who doesn't like to say, "I'm a Life Member"?

gamma_girl52 · #2 04-30-2007, 10:46 AM

Thanks for clarifying that. I think recieving a special pin would be nice.
If it did return we need to offer more incentives, but in return it would be understood that that fees would be higher.

REE1993 · #3 04-30-2007, 06:27 PM

I paid my $100 fee back in 1996. I never received a pin, key or card. Things were pretty messed up in my chapter when I graduated, so that explains why it never went further. When I became active in my alum chapter, I just paid my yearly dues.

I ended up purchasing my own badge last fall. I do wish we had something else to show lifetime membership, but given that things have changed, I am guessing that there isn't anything.

That being said, does anyone know of ANYTHING that recognizes past lifetime membership as being paid/enacted?

Empress0105 · #4 05-13-2007, 04:38 PM

No. But I think that these are the type of discussions we should have at Convention...you know, get some new ideas circulating throughout the sisterhood. Why not have a contest amongst chapters to design a life membership pin? OF COURSE life dues would have to be higher...I mean, we are service based, but all groups are still essentially run like businesses....and you need money to survive lol. If I can get a lil plastic card for joining a movie club or a airline points club, surely I can get one for paying some money for life memebrship....I think these are some of the smaller issues our leadership should look into as we enter this new generation of GSS

gamma_girl52 · #5 05-14-2007, 12:30 PM

Ahh the alum dues AGAIN...I think this proposal, if not passed, will definitely spark up some conversation. I think the younger alums wouldn't have a problem paying more dues. But we usually have the older alums that are on a certain fixed income that literally can't pay more. I would have liked to see a bracket introduced instead, perhaps based on age or years served in the sorority. We'll see.

REE1993 · #6 05-17-2007, 09:09 AM

Some of you have heard my thoughts elsewhere... I cannot make it to Chicago but I know that some of you share my thoughts. I look forward to hearing what comes of these proposed amendments.

Empress0105 · #7 05-19-2007, 06:21 PM

it sounds more like suebarton has a personal issue with the person who submitted her proposals rather than just not liking or agreeing with her suggestions.

i think it's rather bold to speak for your ENTIRE chapter on such a serious issue and it's not very sisterly to just shut down the sister who is only doing what i am assuming she thinks would be good for the ENTIRE sorority. and who cares if she is on the NBD or not? everyone has a right to give their suggestions on how they feel the sorority they paid to be in should be run.

I look at it like this...i'm sure that more than one of our members past age 30 are in a social sorority, or are eastern stars, or in some other organizations that requires dues. Would you tell Tri-Sig, OES, or the Daughters of the American Revolution that you shouldn't have to pay more money because you are a certain age? I mean, I keep hearing that the older members can't "afford" higher dues, but to me it sounds like perhaps our next Project IMPACT area should be financial management and they be the first to sign up.

Since we want to talk about finances, let's talk about how these same so called broke sisters get to expensive convention every two years, yet the younger sisters struggle to come up withthe HUNDREDS of dollars to try and go. That may be a big part of the reason that not only to younger people avoid convention, but also think it's a waste of time. Why pay so much money to go and try and be involved when older sisters are just going to bash you anyway? And the fact that there is no on site registration is silly....what happens if someone can't afford to go until two weeks prior?

I think that there is just simply a rift in the sorority....between older and newer members, and Gamma Sig had better study the last time a sorority had a rift in it between one set of memebrs and another.....

in summation, if you don't agree with the proposal, that's fine, but don't discredit someone becasue you don't like their idea.....that's not very sisterly or unity inspired. And get real....you rpobably pay more a year to have your garbage taken out for even a 100% increase in dues

ALSO, sine we mentioned the MBD....looking at where the majority of these people live....I can see why some sisters may be shocked at financial suggestions of younger sisters. With the upsurge of membership and chapters in major metropolitan areas....someone from montana or wisonsin may not understand why sisters from baltimore, dc, and atlanta, have not problem paying more money.