Schools where you absolutely positively need recs

[Titchou]

Not to get another argument going with you, Hart, but this is not true for us in Alabama. As I write this, you may be very surprised to know that we have 727 alumnae listed in the Birmingham area. I just checked the database. The latest state info I have is from May and there were 2,078 alumnae listed.

Just saying, we are around - people assume that since we've been gone from Alabama since 1978 that we've faded out. They forget that we have 4 other chapters in the state and people who move in.

[Hartofsec]

Originally Posted by Titchou

Not to get another argument going with you, Hart, but this is not true for us in Alabama. As I write this, you may be very surprised to know that we have 727 alumnae listed in the Birmingham area. I just checked the database. The latest state info I have is from May and there were 2,078 alumnae listed.

Just saying, we are around - people assume that since we've been gone from Alabama since 1978 that we've faded out. They forget that we have 4 other chapters in the state and people who move in.

I am surprised to hear that there are that many alumnae in B’ham. I’m just responding from my POV of knowing PNMs here over the years (including my daughter) who gathered recs – alums of huge chapters from huge schools are more abundant, and happening to know an alum (well) from one of these chapters is more likely.

I’m not sure that the Bama chapter will have a huge impact on the alum numbers in B’ham in the very near future (I think 5 girls from the Birmingham Metro area combined pledged DG this year). But considering the alum numbers you quoted, you all can and should be making your presence known!

Apparently Alpha Phi alums are really difficult to locate here – I assume that this chapter understands and doesn’t view an informational rec in a negative light (I know several girls who pledged a few years ago without personally knowing an alum who could vouch for their "character").

It may be far easier for out-of-state PNMs to locate alums they know well for some of the newer chapters at Bama (Gamma Phi Beta included – which probably has far greater alum numbers in other states as compared to Alabama).

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[Titchou]

Originally Posted by Hartofsec

I am surprised to hear that there are that many alumnae in B’ham. I’m just responding from my POV of knowing PNMs here over the years (including my daughter) who gathered recs – alums of huge chapters from huge schools are more abundant, and happening to know an alum (well) from one of these chapters is more likely.

I’m not sure that the Bama chapter will have a huge impact on the alum numbers in B’ham in the very near future (I think 5 girls from the Birmingham Metro area combined pledged DG this year). But considering the alum numbers you quoted, you all can and should be making your presence known!

.

I think I can comfortably say that we have at least one teacher in every OTM high school here - Mtn Brk, Vestavia, Oak Mtn, Hoover, Spain Park, Pelham, etc not to mention several other school systems and some who have taught in the past and know people in these schools or teach elsewhere int he school system.

What I found this past year is that the PNMs assume - and you know what happens when you do that! - there are few or none of us here. I had a mother contact me thru the alum web site asking for a rec as we are "new and don't have any alums here." I asked what school her daughter went to and where they lived. Turned out they knew 2 women they "assumed" were members of another group but were actually DGs. She had not asked a single one of the other alums who were doing recs for the daughter if they knew a DG. Poor networking.

[LXA SE285]

Alpha Phi has a Birmingham/Tuscaloosa alumnae chapter:

http://bhamalphaphi.tripod.com

[Hartofsec]

Originally Posted by LXA SE285

Alpha Phi has a Birmingham/Tuscaloosa alumnae chapter:

http://bhamalphaphi.tripod.com

Yes, but according to their September 2012 newsletter, they only have 20 members in the cities of Birmingham and Tuscaloosa combined, and this is probably the only alumnae chapter in the state.

That helps explain why in-state PNMs have a difficult time locating Alpha Phi alums they know.

[Hartofsec]

Originally Posted by Titchou

I think I can comfortably say that we have at least one teacher in every OTM high school here - Mtn Brk, Vestavia, Oak Mtn, Hoover, Spain Park, Pelham, etc not to mention several other school systems and some who have taught in the past and know people in these schools or teach elsewhere int he school system.

Yikes! That could put the responsibility of upwards of 100 recs for some of those schools on one teacher (total -- written to chapters at various universities)! And considering the size of many of those schools, a single teacher would only have taught (and potentially personally know) probably 20% or less of those girls.

A number of teachers in my daughter's high school asked her if she planned to go through recruitment and offered to write a recommendation. I would be surprised if they did so to students they didn't know, however.

Originally Posted by Titchou

What I found this past year is that the PNMs assume - and you know what happens when you do that! - there are few or none of us here. I had a mother contact me thru the alum web site asking for a rec as we are "new and don't have any alums here." I asked what school her daughter went to and where they lived. Turned out they knew 2 women they "assumed" were members of another group but were actually DGs. She had not asked a single one of the other alums who were doing recs for the daughter if they knew a DG. Poor networking.

I think a lot of PNMs aren't really aware of how much time and networking this can involve -- especially if mom is not Greek. My observation has been that it is mostly the moms doing all the networking anyway.

Have you all considered taking the game to the PNMs somewhat? If those alums were contacted and organized according to school district, then perhaps they could contact the potential (qualified) PNMs they know and offer to write recommendations. This might help get the word out about who the alums are in various communities.