My AI adventure

[yellowrose26]

I'm just speaking about AI in general. I have seen so many people post about AI and they are constantly told that they shouldn't even try and that it is impossible. Greek life is a great thing. People join in different ways. And that's ok. In other posts on this forum women used to post stories about their AI journey and other posters were encouraging and excited to learn where the OP ended up. What happened to that? Even though somebody doesn't fit into one of the 5 categories doesn't mean they shouldn't even try. Some of those stories are women who had no connections.

Is it possible that the OP might not be successful? Sure. But she can at least try. If she wants to pursue it then it can't hurt her to try. Maybe she should look into the Junior League, Beta Sigma Phi etc. But telling her to give up isn't the answer. I would suggest just focus on 1 sorority. That perhaps she relates to the philanthropy or maybe the values align with hers. Contact HQ or the local group and go from there. I had a friend who did that and Nationals put her in touch with her local group. She had no prior connections. It wasn't impossible for her. Is that going to be the case for everybody? No. She was lucky. It may not work out for everybody but it isn't impossible. That's the point I'm trying to make.

[SydneyK]

Originally Posted by yellowrose26

I have seen so many people post about AI and they are constantly told that they shouldn't even try and that it is impossible....

No one has said it's impossible.

Originally Posted by yellowrose26

Is it possible that the OP might not be successful? Sure. But she can at least try. ...It may not work out for everybody but it isn't impossible. That's the point I'm trying to make.

I don't see how your point is different from what others have expressed here. There are difficulties the OP faces - difficulties that might prevent her from being successful in her pursuit. But no one here has said she shouldn't try or that AI is impossible. They're painting an accurate picture of what she's up against instead of blowing sugar-coated sunshine the OP's way. She has a right to know that, because of her circumstances, her chances might not be that great.

[33girl]

Quite frankly - and obviously I am speaking about my org as well as others - I just don't get the "initiating women to be advisors" deal. Advisors by definition are people with greater knowledge than their advisees, and I don't see how a woman who was just initiated 2.5 seconds ago can be that. I think in this day and age, with email, texting and Skype, the concept that the advisors need to be THERE is ridiculous. Perhaps it's time for the organizations to catch up with technology, or to think outside the box.

And if this is happening - not in Hawaii (for anyone but AGD LOL) but in an area where there are AMPLE alumnae to serve in advisory roles - then the organization needs to address the real problem. Why aren't the alumnae who already exist stepping up? You need to fix that before you bring more women into the organization.

[amIblue?]

Originally Posted by 33girl

Quite frankly - and obviously I am speaking about my org as well as others - I just don't get the "initiating women to be advisors" deal. Advisors by definition are people with greater knowledge than their advisees, and I don't see how a woman who was just initiated 2.5 seconds ago can be that. I think in this day and age, with email, texting and Skype, the concept that the advisors need to be THERE is ridiculous. Perhaps it's time for the organizations to catch up with technology, or to think outside the box.

And if this is happening - not in Hawaii (for anyone but AGD LOL) but in an area where there are AMPLE alumnae to serve in advisory roles - then the organization needs to address the real problem. Why aren't the alumnae who already exist stepping up? You need to fix that before you bring more women into the organization.

I want to preface this by saying that I completely agree with you. However, there are some advisory roles for which I think a certain level of real world experience would be just as, if not more so, valid to qualify a person to advise a chapter. The prime example that comes to mind would be risk management. Someone with a working knowledge of legal and insurance concepts but no sorority experience might serve a chapter better than say a journalist who was a collegiate member.

That being said, I shudder to consider an AI being recruitment advisor.

[AGDee]

Originally Posted by 33girl

Quite frankly - and obviously I am speaking about my org as well as others - I just don't get the "initiating women to be advisors" deal. Advisors by definition are people with greater knowledge than their advisees, and I don't see how a woman who was just initiated 2.5 seconds ago can be that. I think in this day and age, with email, texting and Skype, the concept that the advisors need to be THERE is ridiculous. Perhaps it's time for the organizations to catch up with technology, or to think outside the box.

I agree to some extent and my last Chapter Advisor at one of our chapters up there was doing it from downstate, via Skype. She did go to that school, had family in the area and had to travel to the area for work a few times a year. That helped a lot. There are requirements though, especially with finance, that are tough to meet that way. To be bonded, we are supposed to have two signatures- one alumna, one collegian- on every check written. That is very difficult to do with only remote advisors. The person has to be willing to go that area at least once in a while.

There's also just a different vibe when they are advising by Skype. When I was a Chapter Advisor, I lived nearby and could drop in on events all the time. There was value in that. There was value in hanging out at the house office for "office hours" one night a week. Women would wander down just to chat about all kinds of things. I was able to pick up on themes and vibes that I wouldn't have been able to detect from a once a week phone call with the President or a once a month executive council meeting. There is value in being able to form a relationship, see people face to face, etc. I could see leadership qualities in certain young women and encourage them to reach for higher offices. I was better able to figure out what the chapter needs were.

We can give anybody the knowledge of how things should work. Having someone nearby to coach and mentor them on a more continuous basis has value. A woman who works at the University or owns a local business can serve as a mentor whether she had a sorority collegiate experience or not. Anybody can open a handbook and read the way things should be done. Advisors provide more than knowledge.. they provide continuity over many years and maturity to crisis situations. And, if you can find a combination of women who have experience with your organization to serve remotely and a few newer women who can be there locally, you can groom those local women to take over with time.

If we want to get past the "four years and out" mentality, I think we need to focus more alumnae membership. This is an area where the NPHC orgs are way ahead of us.

[Jill1228]

Originally Posted by AGDee

If we want to get past the "four years and out" mentality, I think we need to focus more alumnae membership. This is an area where the NPHC orgs are way ahead of us.

^^^
Yeah, this!
*nods emphatically*