Please join me in welcoming...

[GMUAPhiOAdvisor]

I'm at a loss as to why Mason DOESN"T want to move, except that they like being in their own little bubble. Last semester, they voted to move. This semester, they were allowed to re-vote (don't ask me why, I'm just the advisory chair) and they voted to stay in 83.

As for other schools in the area: UVa and Va Tech both have campuses in Falls Church, but they're mainly for grad students. Do they each have 1000+ students? I don't know, but they are campuses of schools that have chapters, so they might be an option. There is also a campus of ODU out in Loudon County, just east of Leesburg that might be an option. Another one I've heard about is a christian college in Leesburg/Middleburg area, but I can't remember the name.
So, yes, I think the closest school to Mason is UMW, but they have no greek system what-so-ever, as far as I know. I'll hit the web and see if there's anything else....I just can't think of anything. UVa isn't far......2 hours, tops, same with VCU and anything else in Richmond, but they STILL don't do anything with those schools!!

As far as Frostburg goes, if they sent a contingency to GMU, did a song and dance and made home-made cookies, I don't think you could convince them to go to sectionals there. They made it very clear they were only going there if the vote had them moving to that section.

Personally, I might go myself, just to see what they're like......

[naraht]

Originally Posted by GMUAPhiOAdvisor

I'm at a loss as to why Mason DOESN"T want to move, except that they like being in their own little bubble. Last semester, they voted to move. This semester, they were allowed to re-vote (don't ask me why, I'm just the advisory chair) and they voted to stay in 83.

Oh good grief, they are *still* voting and unvoting on it? *note to self, the best thing about hitting yourself on the head is how good if feels when you stop*. Hmm. I wonder if Dawn would let them be in Section 83 in odd years and Section 85 in even years.

Originally Posted by GMUAPhiOAdvisor

As for other schools in the area: UVa and Va Tech both have campuses in Falls Church, but they're mainly for grad students. Do they each have 1000+ students? I don't know, but they are campuses of schools that have chapters, so they might be an option. There is also a campus of ODU out in Loudon County, just east of Leesburg that might be an option. Another one I've heard about is a christian college in Leesburg/Middleburg area, but I can't remember the name.
So, yes, I think the closest school to Mason is UMW, but they have no greek system what-so-ever, as far as I know. I'll hit the web and see if there's anything else....I just can't think of anything. UVa isn't far......2 hours, tops, same with VCU and anything else in Richmond, but they STILL don't do anything with those schools!!

IMO, Grad student campuses of that type (UVa, VT, ODU) are not that different in viewpoint than Strayer and U of Phoenix when it comes to views on student groups. If I see "Designed to meet the education needs of working professionals" for the primary group of students, I don't even think APO should try. Now there are schools that have both classical student bodies and "working professional" like Mason and Trinity DC, that may work.

As I said, I think the closest is Marymount. I know there was some effort within the last 5 years at MWC (now UWM). I keep thinking that the student body (or student government) actually voted thumbs down on us.

Originally Posted by GMUAPhiOAdvisor

As far as Frostburg goes, if they sent a contingency to GMU, did a song and dance and made home-made cookies, I don't think you could convince them to go to sectionals there. They made it very clear they were only going there if the vote had them moving to that section.

Personally, I might go myself, just to see what they're like......

Good for you!

Unfortunately all of the ways I can think of for having the brothers from Mason end up at Frostburg without them having intended to are felonies under Virginia and Federal law and probably break the Risk Management Policy as well.

[GMUAPhiOAdvisor]

One of these days, I'll figure out how you split those quotes.....LOL

Anyway, yes, they're still voting and unvoting. At this point, I think Dawn is done with letting them do that and they'll stay in 83 until the Section split and then they'll STILL be in with the same chapters they do nothing with anyway. Personally, I think they should be their OWN section.....they do things their way, do nothing with any other chapters.....it's as if they're on their own anyway!

I'm not in disagreement with you on the grad school campuses, but I think at least ODU is trying to make the NOVA campus something like a traditional one. I haven't looked at it in depth, but it might be like that. There are some other schools, but they are more religious than some of the schools talked about in the "Most religious schools with chapters" thread that popped up a month or so ago. Most of the schools have student activities but they're all centered around the religious aspect of the schools. Virginia actually has a lot of schools.....it's just none of them (save Marymount and UMW) are near GMU.

I'm all about meeting brothers (and grown-ups, like me!) at other chapters. The hard part, for me, will be convincing my husband to give up all weekend activities to watch the baby two weekends in a row!!

[naraht]

Originally Posted by GMUAPhiOAdvisor

One of these days, I'll figure out how you split those quotes.....LOL

Actually, you have to do it by hand. Grab the bracket QUOTE=stuff close bracket stuff at the beginning and duplicate it at the beginning of each piece, and put the bracket slash QUOTE close BRACKET stuff at the end.

Originally Posted by GMUAPhiOAdvisor

Anyway, yes, they're still voting and unvoting. At this point, I think Dawn is done with letting them do that and they'll stay in 83 until the Section split and then they'll STILL be in with the same chapters they do nothing with anyway. Personally, I think they should be their OWN section.....they do things their way, do nothing with any other chapters.....it's as if they're on their own anyway!

Yup. Sectional boundaries require RD assent as well. They only get to vote when Dawn decides (or at least their vote only means something...). The plan is to split section 83? Hmm. I guess Richmond, South and East for one and everything north (and west?) of that for the other.

Originally Posted by GMUAPhiOAdvisor

I'm not in disagreement with you on the grad school campuses, but I think at least ODU is trying to make the NOVA campus something like a traditional one. I haven't looked at it in depth, but it might be like that. There are some other schools, but they are more religious than some of the schools talked about in the "Most religious schools with chapters" thread that popped up a month or so ago. Most of the schools have student activities but they're all centered around the religious aspect of the schools. Virginia actually has a lot of schools.....it's just none of them (save Marymount and UMW) are near GMU.

We'll see. The healthy number of Bachelor's degrees is a start. The state has to do *something*, in another 10 years, a third of the population of Virginia is going be in DC suburbs.

Other than Christendom (which is way too small), what else religious have you seen in NoVa?

Originally Posted by GMUAPhiOAdvisor

I'm all about meeting brothers (and grown-ups, like me!) at other chapters. The hard part, for me, will be convincing my husband to give up all weekend activities to watch the baby two weekends in a row!!

Two conferences back to back?

Randy

[GMUAPhiOAdvisor]

[quote=naraht;1599025]Actually, you have to do it by hand. Grab the bracket QUOTE=stuff close bracket stuff at the beginning and duplicate it at the beginning of each piece, and put the bracket slash QUOTE close BRACKET stuff at the end.

OK....thank goodness for CTRL-C, CTRL-V!! LOL

Originally Posted by naraht

Yup. Sectional boundaries require RD assent as well. They only get to vote when Dawn decides (or at least their vote only means something...). The plan is to split section 83? Hmm. I guess Richmond, South and East for one and everything north (and west?) of that for the other.

I'm not even sure how it's going to be. Dawn drew it for us at a meeting, but I'm geographically challenged, so most talk of where schools are in relation to others in their chapters is totally lost on me!!

Originally Posted by naraht

We'll see. The healthy number of Bachelor's degrees is a start. The state has to do *something*, in another 10 years, a third of the population of Virginia is going be in DC suburbs.

Honestly, I'm not holding my breath. This is an issue I faced 20 years ago when I was first looking at colleges to attend after high school. The problem around here is land costs. To have a viable school, you have to offer all the things a more established school offers, and a major component of that is student housing. Kids want the "college experience" and without dorms, they don't feel they get that. At least that's what my students told me when I was working in a high school. Also, they want the experience AWAY from mom and dad.......which is why kids who wind up at GMU that are from this area end up hating it.....they wind up living at home and commuting. But as for ODU making it as a campus in Loudon County, I haven't looked at it recently, but I don't think they have dorms yet. And getting a kid to look at a school without a long history? It's parental pressure that keeps them away from the newer schools......parents don't think the degree means as much from one as it does from a place like UVa or William and Mary. Same with some of the smaller, liberal arts colleges.

Originally Posted by naraht

Other than Christendom (which is way too small), what else religious have you seen in NoVa?

Eastern Mennonite is one....it's near JMU. Liberty is another. Most of the schools in VA are 1) no where near NOVA and 2) way too small. Also, a fair number of them are still single sex - Hollins (all women undergrad, co-ed grad), Hampden-Sydney (all male), etc.....

Originally Posted by naraht

Two conferences back to back?

Yeah....and the second one cuts it really close to Pesach, so I might not be able to go anyway.....way too many preparations with this house and getting up to NY for the holiday. It was so much easier to kasher a one floor condo that it is a multi split level house!!!

[naraht]

Originally Posted by GMUAPhiOAdvisor

Eastern Mennonite is one....it's near JMU. Liberty is another. Most of the schools in VA are 1) no where near NOVA and 2) way too small. Also, a fair number of them are still single sex - Hollins (all women undergrad, co-ed grad), Hampden-Sydney (all male), etc.....

Of those, I think I've heard of efforts over the last decade to try at Eastern Mennonite and Hampden-Sydney. I thought Liberty was impossible, but then I thought Regent was as well...

Originally Posted by GMUAPhiOAdvisor

Yeah....and the second one cuts it really close to Pesach, so I might not be able to go anyway.....way too many preparations with this house and getting up to NY for the holiday. It was so much easier to kasher a one floor condo that it is a multi split level house!!!

Lots more place for Chametz to hide!

[Senusret I]

I was at the convention in which extension membership was abolished and I voted to keep it.

[GMUAPhiOAdvisor]

Awww...and here, I was thinking that the brothers HATED people like me. From my understanding of what extension membership was intended to do - it was hoped that those who became extension brothers would then take what they learned about the fraternity back to their home campus and establish a chapter. Then, there were EB's like me, who rushed/pledged/initiated into a chapter and then went on to another school where there was already a chapter.

I was also told that the reason it was voted out was more of an insurance issue than anything else. People becoming part of student groups (who were not students at the school) were not covered under the school's insurance policy. Meaning, if something were to happen, the non-student brother would not be covered and the school would be liable.

To be honest, two semesters later, I was told by an "advisor" to the chapter I affiliated with that I wasn't a brother, I had never been a brother, and that I needed to give her my badge, my membership card and my shingle, along with anything I had with A Phi O letters on it. Needless to say, I believed her, and for 12 years, I was unaffiliated with the fraternity and lost a long time with it.

But that's neither here nor there.......meaning, I don't know why extension membership was abolished, but I'm glad I came in before it went away....otherwise, I'd be having this conversation in my mind.....and that's just scary!! LOL

[naraht]

Originally Posted by GMUAPhiOAdvisor

To be honest, two semesters later, I was told by an "advisor" to the chapter I affiliated with that I wasn't a brother, I had never been a brother, and that I needed to give her my badge, my membership card and my shingle, along with anything I had with A Phi O letters on it.

Grrrrr. Where can we send the Bonk-o-gram?

Randy

[GMUAPhiOAdvisor]

Originally Posted by naraht

Grrrrr. Where can we send the Bonk-o-gram?

Aren't you sweet?

I don't know the answer to that....when the whole thing happened, I was in Georgia, but I don't know where she is now. I wish I'd had someone who could have told me that it took a vote of the ENTIRE National Convention to rescind a brother's membership. Then I wouldn't have wasted all these years, being angry over what happened.

But, for the most part, I'm past it now........except I'd really like to know what made her do it. What did she stand to gain by hurting me? I don't know the answer, nor do I know what I'd gain by finding out, but I'm curious.

On the plus side, finding out that I was still a brother made me more determined than ever to give the fraternity my energy and time.......to make up for lost time.

[maxdielr]

I'm in an petitionig group and we probably getting our chapter letters this semester i'm so happy