Local christian sorority

[Senusret I]

Originally Posted by Soror SynQuis

Hello all,

I'm in the process of creating a christian sorority for christians who want to be apart of a sisterhood.

If you are anybody you know wants to be apart of something like this, please feel free to contact me.

The sorority will be in S.C.

Thanks,

SynQuis

I am the Executive Director (volunteer) of a professional fraternity for artists that was established in 2010.

Please.... research each and every Christian sorority which is in existence before you finalize plans to begin a new organization.

It is very easy to fall in love with a name, colors, letters, a call, a handsign, traditions, and the idea of sisterhood. These are the things we have all doodled about in notebooks, designed line jackets for fun, and spent hours on paraphernalia websites pondering.

Nobody falls in love with writing a constitution and/or bylaws.

Nobody daydreams about getting a federal employment ID number, which you need before opening a bank account. And oh yeah, deciding on a dues structure so you have money to put in the account.

And I'm sorry, incorporation isn't easy, either, at least not in the state in which my fraternity was founded.

And then deciding whether to be 501(c)(7) or 501(c)(10) and realizing that there are almost no books out there to read up on the differences and few lawyers with the know how to help. Even if you could afford them.

Or, you know, affording to obtain the tax exempt status in the first place.

And who serves on your national board of directors? Who joins your committees?

How will you pay for insurance? Some campuses will not let you expand there without it.

I decided to work with Gamma Xi Phi Professional Arts Fraternity because I believed in the uniqueness of its mission: to assemble established and emerging artists of color in the spirit of brotherhood. The purpose was strong enough to withstand the test of time, but malleable enough to know that I could work for it and with it for many years to come.

I am not trying to dissuade you. But the ONLY reason I work for GXP is because it is the perfect storm of Greekdom. The students at Ramapo and the professional artists in DC are a good match -- very few new fraternities will have that combination of youthful exuberance, wisdom, and nonprofit experience in two different locations within the first year.

My advice to 99 percent of any other potential founders of any Greek letter org would be different: find an existing organization and join it.

[preciousjeni]

Originally Posted by Senusret I

Nobody falls in love with writing a constitution and/or bylaws.

Nobody daydreams about getting a federal employment ID number, which you need before opening a bank account.

Except, perhaps, me.

[BluPhire]

Originally Posted by Senusret I

I am the Executive Director (volunteer) of a professional fraternity for artists that was established in 2010.

Please.... research each and every Christian sorority which is in existence before you finalize plans to begin a new organization.

It is very easy to fall in love with a name, colors, letters, a call, a handsign, traditions, and the idea of sisterhood. These are the things we have all doodled about in notebooks, designed line jackets for fun, and spent hours on paraphernalia websites pondering.

Nobody falls in love with writing a constitution and/or bylaws.

Nobody daydreams about getting a federal employment ID number, which you need before opening a bank account. And oh yeah, deciding on a dues structure so you have money to put in the account.

And I'm sorry, incorporation isn't easy, either, at least not in the state in which my fraternity was founded.

And then deciding whether to be 501(c)(7) or 501(c)(10) and realizing that there are almost no books out there to read up on the differences and few lawyers with the know how to help. Even if you could afford them.

Or, you know, affording to obtain the tax exempt status in the first place.

And who serves on your national board of directors? Who joins your committees?

How will you pay for insurance? Some campuses will not let you expand there without it.

I decided to work with Gamma Xi Phi Professional Arts Fraternity because I believed in the uniqueness of its mission: to assemble established and emerging artists of color in the spirit of brotherhood. The purpose was strong enough to withstand the test of time, but malleable enough to know that I could work for it and with it for many years to come.

I am not trying to dissuade you. But the ONLY reason I work for GXP is because it is the perfect storm of Greekdom. The students at Ramapo and the professional artists in DC are a good match -- very few new fraternities will have that combination of youthful exuberance, wisdom, and nonprofit experience in two different locations within the first year.

My advice to 99 percent of any other potential founders of any Greek letter org would be different: find an existing organization and join it.

My nightmare all over again.

[Soror SynQuis]

Thanks so much everyone for all of your advice. It really has helped me a lot.

-SynQuis

[CUPrez]

Originally Posted by Senusret I

Please.... research each and every Christian sorority which is in existence before you finalize plans to begin a new organization.

I concur! There are over 50. Surely one that exists fits your criteria.