Legacy Policy

[33girl]

Let's not forget Legacy E, whose mother was married at 22, gave birth to E at 23, and died at 25. Can you imagine how painful it would be to this girl to be told "well, you're really not a legacy, because your mom hasn't paid anything for 5 years"?

I absolutely disagree with ranking legacies based on what their mothers/sisters/grandmas have done, as opposed to what THEY have done. If you really want to magnify the feelings of girls who go into rush thinking "they're only going to take me because I'm a legacy," this is a sure way to do it.

Does it happen? Yes. But I think putting it into policy would be horrendous.

IMO no matter how much you educate people, some are just going to close their ears and believe what they want. I remember us having an article in the Phoenix maybe back in the 80s about legacies not being guaranteed a bid. Keep in mind we are quite a bit smaller than Tri Delta and having pledge classes overflowing with legacies honestly was not a concern. Everyone just needs to realize that what was right for them might not be right for their loved one.

[PinkSkyAtNight]

Originally Posted by 33girl

Let's not forget Legacy E, whose mother was married at 22, gave birth to E at 23, and died at 25. Can you imagine how painful it would be to this girl to be told "well, you're really not a legacy, because your mom hasn't paid anything for 5 years"?

I absolutely disagree with ranking legacies based on what their mothers/sisters/grandmas have done, as opposed to what THEY have done. If you really want to magnify the feelings of girls who go into rush thinking "they're only going to take me because I'm a legacy," this is a sure way to do it.

Does it happen? Yes. But I think putting it into policy would be horrendous.

IMO no matter how much you educate people, some are just going to close their ears and believe what they want. I remember us having an article in the Phoenix maybe back in the 80s about legacies not being guaranteed a bid. Keep in mind we are quite a bit smaller than Tri Delta and having pledge classes overflowing with legacies honestly was not a concern. Everyone just needs to realize that what was right for them might not be right for their loved one.

I think there are obvious exceptions, and in the case of a mother dying at a young age, that would be a pretty clear cut exception. This actually happened to a friend of mine, and several of her mom's sisters wrote amazing letters talking about what an amazing woman her mom was, and how her daughter would be significant asset to the chapter (and she was). Had they released her right away in light of the circumstance, I'm sure that there would have been some pretty insulted alumnae.

I think it is important to honor, recognize and reward alumnae who have made significant contributions (not necessarily financial) to their organization. I have a friend who started our local alumnae organization and did a ton of grassroots efforts to get is started. She has two daughters, and it would be disappointing to me if her daughters weren't given consideration over other PNMs considering what their mom has achieved on our behalf. Because she is a smart alum, she has already educated her daughters that nothing will ever be guaranteed. She has made it clear to them her involvement isn't for their benefit, her efforts part of a bigger picture and she made a lifetime commitment. Her commitment also speaks about the way she is raising her kids, and is a living breathing demonstration of #not4yearsforlife.