Is it time to change who we think of as legacies?

[ErinIsBadNews]

Originally Posted by DeltaBetaBaby

What groups include more than daughters, sisters, and grand-daughters?

"Phi Mu defines a legacy as a sister, half-sister, step-sister, daughter, step-daughter, granddaughter or great-granddaughter of a Phi Mu (living or deceased)."

I didn't realize we counted great-granddaughters! Have we always?

[AZ-AlphaXi]

Originally Posted by DeltaBetaBaby

What groups include more than daughters, sisters, and grand-daughters?

Alpha Xi Delta includes nieces and step-relatives ... providing the Alpha Xi requests it.

[MSKKG]

Originally Posted by DeltaBetaBaby

Also, Chi Omega's policy of not including grandmothers is interesting, because your mom was a legacy, and she either continued the tradition or didn't. If sh did, you are a legacy through your mom, and if she didn't, then maybe Chi Omega isn't that important to your family.

Not always the case. If your mom went to a university with no Chi O chapter, that doesn't mean Chi O wasn't important to her family. If your mom didn't pledge any GLO for whatever reason, that still doesn't mean Chi O wasn't important to her family. Also, what if Chi O released her? Chi O might have been high on your mom's list, but she was never given the chance to become a member because of the chapter's choice.

[ComradesTrue]

Originally Posted by DeltaBetaBaby

Also, Chi Omega's policy of not including grandmothers is interesting, because your mom was a legacy, and she either continued the tradition or didn't. If sh did, you are a legacy through your mom, and if she didn't, then maybe Chi Omega isn't that important to your family.

Another poster clarified that the mom may have attended a college that did not have a chapter of the grandmothers sorority, so the sorority in question could still be very important and special to that family.

In addition, the legacy line could have been broken because grandmother only had sons. My mother-in-law has been a very active member of her GLO for decades and I can honestly say that if my daughter (her only granddaughter in a sea of grandsons) were to go that route that it would still be a very special bond.

I agree the problem will just continue to worsen. While we have focuses much on the mother-daughter relationships, I think the bio sister relationships are just as large a factor for the spike in legacies. Think how Greek life has exploded in just the last 10 years, and how many of those members have younger sisters.

The only solution that I can think of is just to continue to educate current members and PNMs not to go into recruitment expecting a bid to legacy group. I don't think we can continue to narrow our definition of legacy until nothing is left but mom-sister of that particular chapter. But maybe that is where we are going. Who knows?

Great thread. Glad it got bumped.

[carnation]

Originally Posted by DeltaBetaBaby

Also, Chi Omega's policy of not including grandmothers is interesting, because your mom was a legacy, and she either continued the tradition or didn't. * If she did, you are a legacy through your mom, and if she didn't, then maybe Chi Omega isn't that important to your family.*

Ooh. Glad that one local family didn't see this. Mom was a Chi O and oldest daughter was too, at a university that didn't have a hugely competitive rush. They proclaimed that they couldn't wait to see second daughter join them but then...second daughter rushed at an SEC school. Oooo. We saw that one coming and sure enough, she was cut after second parties and mom and sister went ballistic.

Second daughter pledged another group and was pretty happy but I think that the 3 of them would go ballistic if they saw the starred phrase because some PNMs don't get to choose what they want.

[ASUADPi]

I recently wrote a recommendation for a PNM who is a ZTA and Tri-Delt legacy. Prior to completing her recommendation I asked her how she felt about her legacy chapters. She told me (paraphrasing) that she didn't have her heart set on her legacy chapters, that she wanted to find a home and it may or may not be with her legacy chapter. I took what she told me and put it into the "comments" section of the form. I wanted the chapter to know that they should look at her for her and not just immediately toss her to the side because she is a legacy to other chapters.

Even though this thread started 7 years ago, I think recruitment is still tough for legacies AT SOME SCHOOLS.