Interested in AI

[Titchou]

Originally Posted by Titchou

And since you find yourself in a Southern city, religion is of great importance. Perhaps you can find a church that will help satisfy this need.

The main issue, beyond what many other posters have said, is that for most NPC groups, AI is not something that is done a lot. It's a special situation usually for someone who has a connection (daughter, close friend, etc) who pursues it for the person. It's not the sort of thing where the woman pursues the membership. You need to wait for it to come to you. Many women come here wanting something they didn't get in college. That is absolutely not the purpose of AI. I certainly understand your situation, but being a 50 year member of my group and having witnessed many AI situations, it really doesn't sound like you are in a place where that could happen easily. Sorry if you think being honest with you is fitting the Hollywood stereotype but I am just trying to be honest. AI is usually to fill a need within the alum group - 9 times out of 10 as an adviser for a collegiate chapter. Sorry if you thought it was otherwise.

Gosh, Sen, guess I'm not really seeing the bolded????? Bless my heart!

[DrPhil]

Originally Posted by Titchou

And I didn't draw any comparisions to NPHC groups as I know they work differently than NPC groups. The OP is interested only in NPC groups so there would be no reason to talk about NPHC.

NPHC was first mentioned by AnchorAlumna. Tld221 offered an "NPHC perspective" disclaimer to her post. Then DuBaiSis commented about the odd silence of the NPHC.

I wasn't making an NPHC comparison in my initial post about whether the GC NPCers should consider how much information should be provided.

[pinksequins]

Anchor Alumna simply inquired for contextual clarity. Since NPC and NPHC approach joining a bit differently, my sense is that she did not want to provide an NPC perspective for someone interested in NPHC. The OP received very solid advice to approach her two friends since AI isn't a website meet-up activity.

[33girl]

Originally Posted by Xidelt

AI is membership selection. Isn't that privately up to the members of each organization?

Well I guess, theoretically, NPC could have a UA that says "all AIs must be former members of a colonized local" or something like that.

[Titchou]

Originally Posted by 33girl

Well I guess, theoretically, NPC could have a UA that says "all AIs must be former members of a colonized local" or something like that.

I doubt it would want to veer into that territory - esp since I understand some groups don't do AI at all. So it wouldn't apply to everyone and UAs are intended to do that.

[AOII Angel]

Who is NPC to tell a member organization that they can't offer AI to any woman who has not been initiated into another group? UA means Unanimous Agreement. Good luck getting all 26 groups to agree on this subject. If ABC has a liberal policy of offering sisterhood to any interested woman, that is the business of that GLO, not the NPC. I agree with Titchou. There is no need for UAs regarding AI. Woman are free to contact any group and those groups may use their own criteria when deciding how to approach AI. As long as no woman AIs into multiple groups, the UAs have no bearing.

[33girl]

NPC has a UA saying its collegiate chapters can't initiate girls in high school....no one seems to have a problem with that.

I agree with you that there's a snowball's chance of getting all 26 to agree on ANYTHING about this issue, but the vast differences between each group's policies may be part of the reason some people look askance at AI.

[DeltaBetaBaby]

Originally Posted by AOII Angel

Who is NPC to tell a member organization that they can't offer AI to any woman who has not been initiated into another group? UA means Unanimous Agreement. Good luck getting all 26 groups to agree on this subject. If ABC has a liberal policy of offering sisterhood to any interested woman, that is the business of that GLO, not the NPC. I agree with Titchou. There is no need for UAs regarding AI. Woman are free to contact any group and those groups may use their own criteria when deciding how to approach AI. As long as no woman AIs into multiple groups, the UAs have no bearing.

I think the issue is that NPC members are AI'ing women who HAVE been initiated into another group. It just came up in another thread.

[Titchou]

Originally Posted by DeltaBetaBaby

I think the issue is that NPC members are AI'ing women who HAVE been initiated into another group. It just came up in another thread.

Well then, that's problem with the local alumnae or whomever not doing due diligence - just like with collegiate chapters. Of course, some people can hide that information pretty well. My GLO has a policy that collegiate chapters should check with the previous campus of any transfers to see if they went thru recruitment. Granted, most don't do that but I always did whenever I was doing recruitment.

[sigmagirl2000]

Originally Posted by DeltaBetaBaby

I think the issue is that NPC members are AI'ing women who HAVE been initiated into another group. It just came up in another thread.

clearly I missed this thread..... happen to have a link? I'm not finding it through searching

[DrPhil]

Originally Posted by pinksequins

Anchor Alumna simply inquired for contextual clarity. Since NPC and NPHC approach joining a bit differently, my sense is that she did not want to provide an NPC perspective for someone interested in NPHC.

I know. But that was the first mention of NPHC. I saw nothing in the OP's post that seemed like an alumna NPHC aspirant.

[pbear19]

Originally Posted by DubaiSis

Well, there's probably some ground between the haphazard sharing of the NPC and the oddly silent (in my opinion) stance of the NPHC.

The problem is it's not consistent across the board, except for the fact that in most cases women seeking AI would have to be disappointed once they went through the process. It just seems that no matter how many times we say it, women don't get that alumnae membership is just not the same as collegiate membership.

But you're right that if a woman is interested in AI in a particular NPC sorority, she should find a member in real life, or via private message here, and ask a specific question. A woman seeking AI into Chi O in Arkansas is going to get a much different answer than a, say, DPhiE in California. Which of course is in no way saying she would have a better chance into one versus the other. Just that the dynamics would be different.

Regarding the sentence in bold above: Why assume that a woman interested in AI is at all interested in a collegiate experience? Or that she isn't aware of the difference? Not picking on you DubaiSis, just asking the question generally. As an alumna initiate, I can be a bit salty about the way AI inquiries are handled here on GC. I admit that. But I really don't understand why there is always an assumption that women interested in AI are, as Katmandu put it, "trying to re-live your college days." That's not at all what I was looking for, and certainly not what I wanted! I have no desire to act like I'm in college or to be treated as if I were in college. I have no desire to erase my college experience or in any way diminish the choices that I made in college. They were the right choices for me and I have zero regrets or desire to change them.

I do, however, enjoy the friendships and opportunities afforded to me by my alumnae membership. I enjoy the ability to mentor and coach as an advisor. I enjoy the opportunity to meet women in their 20s, 30s, 40s, 50, 60s, 70, 80s and 90s who all have some common bond. I enjoy the ability to volunteer on various levels within an international organization. I enjoy knowing that I am part of an organization with deep historical roots, and being able to participate in the ritual that reflects those roots. I wanted an alumna experience. Not a collegiate experience.

This thread isn't about me, of course. But I truly wish that GC could move beyond this assumption that everyone interested in AI wants a "do-over" on their college years. Perhaps it is true for some. But it does us all a disservice to make that assumption for all.

[sigmadiva]

Originally Posted by DrPhil

(Some NPHC GLOs have requested silence on membership questions if the source is unofficial or not authorized by the NPHC GLO.)

There are times where GC NPHC GLO members will politely respond to a thread. But, only in certain circumstances will GC NPHC GLO members keep a thread active or private message the person.

There are also NPHCers who interact with aspirants outside of GC including other Internet sites. Typing to someone whose membership is more easily verified is more credible than typing to usernames on a Greek message board. This is with the understanding that an aspirant's (or NPHC GLO member who has a question) experience will only be based on official information obtained from an official NPHC GLO website or from NPHC GLO members who are familiar with an aspirant's specific chapter of interest, specific circumstances, and specific NPHC GLO policies and procedures.

Aspirants who try to go based on the advice of usernames on Greekchat for certain topics will be disappointed and brought back to reality.

Just to add...

Another reason we, NPHC, request that an aspirant seek info in person / official web site is because there can be changes to the membership process from one Boule' (international convention) to the next Boule'.

Only current, financial, membership trained members are in the best position to answer questions about MIP (membership intake process, our recruitment). And actually, they are the only ones who are truly qualified to answer questions about MIP.

[sigmadiva]

Originally Posted by pbear19

But I truly wish that GC could move beyond this assumption that everyone interested in AI wants a "do-over" on their college years. Perhaps it is true for some. But it does us all a disservice to make that assumption for all.

If you go back through old threads in the Alumni Involvement forum, a few posters started their thread with "I didn't have a chance to join in college. I feel that I really missed out. What can I do to AI?"

I remember one poster who just came right out and said that she is looking for any NPC org that does AI so she can join a NPC org.

Not everyone who wants to join via AI has had sincere intentions. But, they made for some interesting threads.

[thatheles]

Originally Posted by sigmadiva

Just to add...

Another reason we, NPHC, request that an aspirant seek info in person / official web site is because there can be changes to the membership process from one Boule' (international convention) to the next Boule'.

Only current, financial, membership trained members are in the best position to answer questions about MIP (membership intake process, our recruitment). And actually, they are the only ones who are truly qualified to answer questions about MIP.

Can you PLEASE STOP TALKING ABOUT NPHC in my thread? No offense, but I do not qualify for NPHC, thus why I am not seeking one of their organizations. Also, I do not think there was ANY mention of anything in any of my posts that would allow someone to think I was. I do not understand why the topic was brought up, and so adamantly discussed when it is of no relevance to my question or situation.