Has the tradition of Legacies outgrown its usefulness?

[APhiAnna]

Perhaps one way, which would be controversial for sure, is to eliminate grandmothers from the legacy standings. As of right now I know for the majority of GLOs, although I can't speak for all, legacies are sisters/daughters/granddaughters. I am not saying that the legacy bond shared between a grandmother and granddaughter isn't special, because it is. But perhaps it would be one way to weed down the pool.

Obviously at a school with less legacies the rec form would still come in and the connection would still be acknowledged, just how sometimes cousins and aunts and great-grandmothers are acknowledged by chapters with less legacies. But at those cut-throat SEC schools it might help the burden. Just a thought.

ETA: In cases where, for example, a grandmother is a high-ranking national officer and had no daughters of her own I am sure exceptions would be made. And I do understand it would hurt for a woman who did not have daughters or whose daughters didn't go greek (or joined another GLO) to be denied that bond with the only female in her family who would be in a position to go to her legacy.

[33girl]

Originally Posted by APhiAnna

Obviously at a school with less legacies the rec form would still come in and the connection would still be acknowledged, just how sometimes cousins and aunts and great-grandmothers are acknowledged by chapters with less legacies. But at those cut-throat SEC schools it might help the burden. Just a thought.

Maybe we should go the route of letting each chapter choose - and spell out openly - who is and who is not a legacy. For example, if XYZ in Wyoming rarely has any legacies come through, they can say legs are daughters, sisters, granddaughters, nieces, whatever. If XYZ at Ole Miss regularly has 3x the number of legacies come through rush that they can take on bid day, then a legacy is a sister or daughter of a member of that chapter. Period.

I know it isn't the fairest thing, but it might help some hurt feelings if people know right away that if little Zsa Zsa goes to a certain school, her chances will be lessened.

(And yes, I know this is kind of an unspoken rule at some places anyway. I'm proposing the bizarre concept of being straight up and honest about it.)