My AI adventure

[33girl]

Originally Posted by WhiteRose1912

I seriously don't get how we can go on and on about how sorority membership is not just a four year commitment, and how the most rewarding years are the alumnae years, and then scoff at women who want to join as alumnae.

This is like saying why is an apple not a potato.

We are talking out our butts if we say it's a 4 year commitment and then instead of impressing on our large alumnae bases that they need to fill that commitment, we initiate new women because we can't engage the ones we initiated to begin with. If women don't pay alum dues, don't volunteer, etc etc....let them know their membership is revoked and they're not an alumna any more. NPHC members value their membership more as adults because more is expected of them. Simple as that.

Also, regarding the NPHC (and please, any NPHC member rap my knuckles if I'm wrong about any of this), ALL 9 ORGS - the fraternities and the sororities - admit members at a graduate level. The AI policies of the 26 NPC groups are all over the board. If the NPC really wants to promote AI as an alternate form of joining its member groups, they need to get together and make some rules on it - the same as with sorority rush for collegians.

[Sciencewoman]

Originally Posted by 33girl

If the NPC really wants to promote AI as an alternate form of joining its member groups, they need to get together and make some rules on it - the same as with sorority rush for collegians.

That won't happen until everyone wants to AI Susie the Hot Tropic manager and alumnae groups are mad because there's no fair process to decide who gets her.

In other words, when Hilo freezes over.

[WhiteRose1912]

Originally Posted by 33girl

This is like saying why is an apple not a potato.

We are talking out our butts if we say it's a 4 year commitment and then instead of impressing on our large alumnae bases that they need to fill that commitment, we initiate new women because we can't engage the ones we initiated to begin with. If women don't pay alum dues, don't volunteer, etc etc....let them know their membership is revoked and they're not an alumna any more. NPHC members value their membership more as adults because more is expected of them. Simple as that.

I'm not saying it should be an either/or scenario. Yes, we should be more proactive in keeping alumnae engaged. (As an aside, I don't think threatening to revoke their memberships would do that; they're of the mindset that their membership is over when they graduate, so what do they care?) But also we should be welcoming qualified women into our sisterhoods who wish to pledge a commitment to our organizations but are older than teenagers. I imagine they'd be more committed alumnae, although I have nothing to back that hunch up, and alumnae associations or sponsoring chapters could take all the time they need to get to know the PNAM and vet her. It's not like there's a rush period.

The common bond between sisters should be the shared ritual they've all experienced and the values they strive to uphold, not a collegiate experience which is going to vary wildly from sister to sister anyway.

[DubaiSis]

Originally Posted by WhiteRose1912

I'm not saying it should be an either/or scenario. Yes, we should be more proactive in keeping alumnae engaged. (As an aside, I don't think threatening to revoke their memberships would do that; they're of the mindset that their membership is over when they graduate, so what do they care?) But also we should be welcoming qualified women into our sisterhoods who wish to pledge a commitment to our organizations but are older than teenagers. I imagine they'd be more committed alumnae, although I have nothing to back that hunch up, and alumnae associations or sponsoring chapters could take all the time they need to get to know the PNAM and vet her. It's not like there's a rush period.

The common bond between sisters should be the shared ritual they've all experienced and the values they strive to uphold, not a collegiate experience which is going to vary wildly from sister to sister anyway.

I think there's room for both kinds of alumnae. And I think there are places where an alumnae chapter might like to take on NPHC-style recruitment, in places where alumnae involvement is really high and there would be interest from the community at large, or in a smaller community where a collegiate chapter has just colonized (a new chapter in Montana, for instance). But there would have to already be a solid alumnae chapter in place for this to work. God knows I wouldn't want headquarters cramming alumnae recruitment down our throats, but I could see some scenarios where it could be very successful. I don't like the idea that a woman missed out on an opportunity at 18 and she's just outta luck for the rest of her life. But I also don't think we should be out there desperately trying to double our alumnae population either. I'm all about compromise these days, and I think there's plenty of room for it here.

[als463]

Originally Posted by DubaiSis

I think there's room for both kinds of alumnae. And I think there are places where an alumnae chapter might like to take on NPHC-style recruitment, in places where alumnae involvement is really high and there would be interest from the community at large, or in a smaller community where a collegiate chapter has just colonized (a new chapter in Montana, for instance). But there would have to already be a solid alumnae chapter in place for this to work. God knows I wouldn't want headquarters cramming alumnae recruitment down our throats, but I could see some scenarios where it could be very successful. I don't like the idea that a woman missed out on an opportunity at 18 and she's just outta luck for the rest of her life. But I also don't think we should be out there desperately trying to double our alumnae population either. I'm all about compromise these days, and I think there's plenty of room for it here.

I love this statement and wish there was a like button for it. Another thing to note is that some GLOs will initiate a woman who is not college-educated. For whatever reason, a sorority may meet a woman who never attended college. We should consider all types of women (college-educated or not).