So is imitation really the sincerest form of flattery?

[MeezDiscreet]

Originally Posted by fantASTic

Why can't you join us in something that we do? Do we have to put in 90% of the effort? Because that's what it sounds like you're saying.

You don't have to do a damn thing and neither do we. I was never pressed to join in with the activities on campus because I thought they were silly (fight nights, foam parties, etc.) so I never pressed any of the members I brought in to either--didn't give a damn one way or the other. My chapter was so active with programs on campus and off. BUT, it bothered me that we when we were approached, we were asked to step.

[PrettyBoy]

Originally Posted by MeezDiscreet

You don't have to do a damn thing and neither do we. I was never pressed to join in with the activities on campus because I thought they were silly (fight nights, foam parties, etc.)

You mean events like this? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CkFVkDP1JxE

[ladygreek]

Originally Posted by fantASTic

Why can't you join us in something that we do? Do we have to put in 90% of the effort? Because that's what it sounds like you're saying.

Because you all seem to be the ones affected by this. We are not. And have you not read anything I have said? We have are own programmatic thrusts targeted to the Black community. We set our service calendars at the beginning of our program year, and trust they are full. And in most cases not conducive to adding anything later on that is not part of our focus for the sororal/fraternal year. The last part of the previous sentence is the KEY.

[fantASTic]

Originally Posted by ladygreek

Because you all seem to be the ones affected by this. We are not.

Of course we are. When we have our Chapter of Excellence reports at our schools, they tell us, "Why don't you do things with minority GLOs?" They ask us, "Why is your chapter 90% white?" [I go to a school with [I'd guess] about 95% WASPs.] We are being constantly told that we need to do as much as possible with NPHC groups, and our status as affiliated members on our campus can be affected by this. Yet, despite the fact that we try, we cannot gain any ground.

[12dn94dst]

Originally Posted by ladygreek

We set our service calendars at the beginning of our program year, and trust they are full. And in most cases not conducive to adding anything later on that is not part of our focus for the sororal/fraternal year.

In other words: Poor planning on "your" part does not constitute an emergency on "our" part.

[MeezDiscreet]

Originally Posted by ladygreek

Because you all seem to be the ones affected by this. We are not. And have you not read anything I have said? We have are own programmatic thrusts targeted to the Black community. We set our service calendars at the beginning of our program year, and trust they are full. And in most cases not conducive to adding anything later on that is not part of our focus for the sororal/fraternal year. The last part of the previous sentence is the KEY.

Aint that the truth! When I was in school, we planned our whole calendar for the coming year at the end of the spring semester. We never did programs on whimsy. Come to think of it, we never did joint programs with any other groups except a mixer with the Omegas when I was in school.

ETA: That mixer wasn't "just for fun" either--admission was school supplies that were donated to an elementary school.

[ladygreek]

Originally Posted by mccoyred

A huge difference that is not being expressed here is that NPHC groups tend to have a multi-pronged platform (such as DST's Five Point Programmatic Thrust or the 10 nationally mandated programs that are part of Omega Psi Phi's mission) whereas many of the NPC/IFC organizations that I have encountered have ONE (or two) philanthropy through which most of their service is focused. When you look at 5 members working on at least 5 programs versus 50 members working on one, well....you do the math.

Right. We have mandated programs from our national board. If raising awareness of cervical cancer is not among them, we would not have the time to do such a project. For example, our health initiative right now is obesity. So that is on what our chapters are focusing.

[SWTXBelle]

Then sponsor a speaker on obesity - while NPC groups have a primary philanthrophy, they are also encouraged to do local projects. And they also are encouraged to support other GLO's philanthropic projects.
So kill two birds with one stone - meet the goals of your NGLO, and provide an opportunity for Greeks to work together. (Not to mention that sponsoring a speaker would not require much in the way of group effort - if, for whatever reason, the NPHC group is not a campus group, having the NPC co-sponsor it would enable campus facilities to be used.)
Like I said earlier, women's issues are women's issues - they concern all of us.

[Drolefille]

Originally Posted by DSTCHAOS

Core chapters are chapters that are located on more than one college campus. There are often not enough people to charter a chapter at a particular school so they will become part of another school's chapter. The problem arises when there are so few people on a campus who are interested in an organization, the only person from that chapter on that campus has graduated, etc.. Some schools will petition to have the core status removed and not allow the organization to be recognized on the campus. They sometimes won't allow the chapter to have programs on the campus to get the core charter back or even walk around campus in 'nalia.

So they are campus organizations on multiple campuses? Using St. Louis as an example, they'd be a campus organization at Harris Stowe, SLU, and Wash U, instead of being a city-wide St. Louis chapter. I think I follow. Then the last SLU XYZ graduates and *poof* no more XYZ at SLU so they're removed from the roster. Then as non-campus organizations they can't advertise, etc. Holy Death Spiral Batman!

On one hand I can see the school's point, how is this a campus organization if there are no students involved in it? On the other hand I see how the chapter is getting shafted by the policy. And it's almost certainly not a scenario the institution or the student government envisioned when they set the policies in the first place. (And those tend to be focused on liability issues more than anything else).

Thanks for the info. Just when I think I'm getting to know this Greek business, I learn more

[DSTCHAOS]

Originally Posted by Drolefille

So they are campus organizations on multiple campuses? Using St. Louis as an example, they'd be a campus organization at Harris Stowe, SLU, and Wash U, instead of being a city-wide St. Louis chapter. I think I follow. Then the last SLU XYZ graduates and *poof* no more XYZ at SLU so they're removed from the roster. Then as non-campus organizations they can't advertise, etc. Holy Death Spiral Batman!

On one hand I can see the school's point, how is this a campus organization if there are no students involved in it? On the other hand I see how the chapter is getting shafted by the policy. And it's almost certainly not a scenario the institution or the student government envisioned when they set the policies in the first place. (And those tend to be focused on liability issues more than anything else).

Thanks for the info. Just when I think I'm getting to know this Greek business, I learn more

Right!

The school does have a point but it's really hard to maintain members at schools where they were struggling for members in the first place, the students there won't attend programs, etc. Sometimes the campus even takes it upon itself to decide it no longer wants the organization there (often not for liability reasons, either) and works towards that by refusing to let the group reserve rooms for programs and post informational fliers. Whenever there's a policy, there's a way to get shafted by it.

[fantASTic]

Originally Posted by mccoyred

A huge difference that is not being expressed here is that NPHC groups tend to have a multi-pronged platform (such as DST's Five Point Programmatic Thrust or the 10 nationally mandated programs that are part of Omega Psi Phi's mission) whereas many of the NPC/IFC organizations that I have encountered have ONE (or two) philanthropy through which most of their service is focused. When you look at 5 members working on at least 5 programs versus 50 members working on one, well....you do the math.

Don't generalize. AST has both a national philanthropy and a national service project, and my chapter is affiliated with four local places that we volunteer at too. Just because we don't nationally mandate it doesn't mean we don't volunteer. We just don't have to be told exactly what to volunteer at by Nationals.

[jubilance1922]

Originally Posted by fantASTic

Don't generalize. AST has both a national philanthropy and a national service project, and my chapter is affiliated with four local places that we volunteer at too. Just because we don't nationally mandate it doesn't mean we don't volunteer. We just don't have to be told exactly what to volunteer at by Nationals.

And neither do we.

[DSTCHAOS]

Originally Posted by jubilance1922

And neither do we.

Neither do we because everything fits into a programmatic thrust.

There's a difference between NHQ providing program initiatives (based on need and demand from the community and our chapters) and people being forced to only do THAT.

[Drolefille]

Originally Posted by fantASTic

Don't generalize. AST has both a national philanthropy and a national service project, and my chapter is affiliated with four local places that we volunteer at too. Just because we don't nationally mandate it doesn't mean we don't volunteer. We just don't have to be told exactly what to volunteer at by Nationals.

It's still a matter of 5 members working on 5 programs rather than 50 working on five...

[ladygreek]

Originally Posted by fantASTic

Don't generalize. AST has both a national philanthropy and a national service project, and my chapter is affiliated with four local places that we volunteer at too. Just because we don't nationally mandate it doesn't mean we don't volunteer. We just don't have to be told exactly what to volunteer at by Nationals.

No one is saying you don't volunteer. And we are not told exactly either. We are given a focus and each chapter can implement the best way they see fit.

See the NPHC seems to think that having 600-800 chapters--collegiate and alumnae, national and international all working on the same thrust would have a greater national impact in our communities. Silly us.