Nervous PNAM.

[Grad Girl 08]

Originally Posted by OTW

I have so many issues with this post, but I'll refrain from telling you what I really feel.

Oh, and there is no rushing in Alumnae Initiation.

Have I offended you in some way? I'm sorry I didn't mean to. And thank you for the clarification, my apologies. But do feel free to express your opinion. It's important. You won't offend me. I know I’m unorthodox in my methods but I’ve never been one to go into anything blind. Most of the girls encouraged me. They think it’s important to be informed. I love the girls and whether I was to join or not they’ll still be my friends. But I’m sorry if you found something offensive in my methods.

[kddani]

Originally Posted by Grad Girl 08

Have I offended you in some way? I'm sorry I didn't mean to. And thank you for the clarification, my apologies. But do feel free to express your opinion. It's important. You won't offend me. I know I’m unorthodox in my methods but I’ve never been one to go into anything blind. Most of the girls encouraged me. They think it’s important to be informed. I love the girls and whether I was to join or not they’ll still be my friends. But I’m sorry if you found something offensive in my methods.

If you read threads on here about Alumnae Initiation, you should understand.

I'll be blunt. A lot of GCers are taken aback, and I might even say offended, by PNAMs who "sorority shop". Many of us feel that sorority membership is a privilege, not a right. The general reason for people not liking sorority shopping is that many of us (myself included), feel that an AI should have a personal connection to the sorority that they're seeking membership in. As opposed to looking to see what groups do AI and going from there.

The main membership source for NPC sororities is collegiate recruitment. That's the lifeblood. Many of us feel that AI should be used to honor people who have made a special commitment/relationship to the sorority.

I could probably go on for awhile, but if you read threads on here (look for ones from several years ago when it really got hotly debated) you'll get the idea.

I'll also ditto that becoming an AI is MUCH MUCH MUCH different that being in the group as a collegian. You are not a member of the collegiate chapter. You are not invited to their events (except for alumnae focused events). You do not do the things that the chapter does. At all. Again, your membership will have little to nothing to do with the collegiates.

You're also likely to run into these feelings from people in real life as well, so if you're going to go about this the way that you seem to want to, you should be prepared for that.

[KSUViolet06]

Some perspective on the issue:

Alumna Initiation is the EXCEPTION and not the rule when it comes to joining an NPC org. Pretty much everyone who joins one, does so in undergrad (like 99.9%). AI is for those women whom the organization feels have so much potential to contribute to the sorority (or in so many ways have already done so), that they should make an EXCEPTION to the normal mode of joining the sorority, and invite her to join at this stage in her life.

I think that being on GC kind of makes people think that being an AI is more common than in it is.

So it's considered offensive to some when people come here talking about "pursuing AI" because really, that's not how they feel it's supposed to be. Some people feel as though if a woman is a good candidate for such an honor, then the sorority should be reaching out to THEM. Not the other way around with women contacting the sorority and ASKING about it.

To be honest, there are alumnae chapters who will probably have similar feelings and be slightly creeped out about being contacted by a woman about AI because they've always viewed it as something that's a special honor, not something that someone pursues because they (for whatever reason) didn't join in college.

So to summarize:

*AI is not the solution for not having joined in college.

*It is not an alternative mode for joining a sorority because one didn't do so in college.

*It's a way for outstanding women to be asked to join as an EXCEPTION to the normal mode of membership (formal collegiate recruitment).

*It may be considered completely presumptuous of you to contact sororities about AI, because they may not feel it's appropriate for women to be seeking out such an exception.

[Grad Girl 08]

Originally Posted by KSUViolet06

Point of information: If your friends in sororities are collegiate members, they will not be involved in any of your pursuits, because AI involves ALUMNA chapters/the national organization.

Some of them are. I do have friends who are Alum of sisterhoods but I don't talk to them about my intrest. I think that would be rude and put them on the spot and that's not fair to them.