Tri-Delta closing at University of Arizona

[clemsongirl]

Originally Posted by Sciencewoman

As detailed as Irishpipes's list is, there are also "immediate recolonizations" (which used to be known as reorganizations) that may not have made the list. I don't think those are done anymore, because they usually don't work well and they create bitter feelings. However, if a chapter had a physical house and they don't want to ose it, it was probably worth a try.

In those efforts, the current members would all be given alum status (and sometimes an opportunity to be interviewed by the national reps and remain active with the newly reconstituted group), and then nationals would recruit a whole new "clean slate" group of PNMs the next semester. Sigma Kappa did this at Maryland when I was there, and it worked great. That would have been 1984, I think. Both my chapter of initiation (Michigan) dit this, and so did Maryland. Both times, the chapters eventually closed for real and they've both sucessfully recolonized after 10-15 year hiatuses. None of these intermediy reorganizations appear in Irishpipe's thread, and I know of 2-3 more with other groups at Michigan that aren't noted either.

Does anyone remember the big brouhaha a few years ago when Delta Zeta tried to reorganize at a school in illinois or indiana due to low numbers and there was a big media spash because disgruntled members who were given alumnae status publically complained about the process?

I think RFM has helped, and staying off for 4+ years helps, too.

That was DePauw Delta Zeta, and I think that's a great cautionary tale of why reorganizations don't always work. There's a Wikipedia article with more details about it online.

I suppose there's different levels of closure: there's closed and gone and no members for 4+ years, closed and no members for less than four years, close down for a year or two and come back with all the same members (a couple sororities at UConn did this with mixed results), make all the current members go early alum and recruit a whole new chapter, pull out of recruitment and have a "colonization" but keep the current members.

I suppose it comes down to how badly a sorority wants to be on that campus, how difficult it is to recolonize if you're gone more than four years, and whether a new group can overcome the previous reputation of the chapter or if they need to wait for that to go away before they try to return.

[jolene]

Originally Posted by clemsongirl

That was DePauw Delta Zeta, and I think that's a great cautionary tale of why reorganizations don't always work. There's a Wikipedia article with more details about it online.

I suppose there's different levels of closure: there's closed and gone and no members for 4+ years, closed and no members for less than four years, close down for a year or two and come back with all the same members (a couple sororities at UConn did this with mixed results), make all the current members go early alum and recruit a whole new chapter, pull out of recruitment and have a "colonization" but keep the current members.

I suppose it comes down to how badly a sorority wants to be on that campus, how difficult it is to recolonize if you're gone more than four years, and whether a new group can overcome the previous reputation of the chapter or if they need to wait for that to go away before they try to return.

Always wondered how that conversation goes. Eek!

[33girl]

I can't remember exactly when our Miami-Ohio chapter closed before recolonizing in 1992, but I'm pretty sure there were sisters from the closed chapter still on campus. Hot mess ensued. I think we learned our lesson from that one and I can't think of a recolonization we've done since then (except IU, which is always the exception to everything ever) where the living alumnae were younger than Social Security age. It sucks because AA is one of our 4 reorganization chapters and very important in ASA, but you gotta know when to throw in the towel. I don't think all the Risk Mgmt kerfuffles at Miami in recent years have helped either.

[33girl]

Originally Posted by jolene

Always wondered how that conversation goes. Eek!

It doesn't go well. The PSS chapter on my campus did it my freshman year. The recolonization did work out okay, but there were LOTS of hurt feelings.

I think the only time an immediate recolonization (imo, when you get all new members, it's a recolonization even if it's immediate, because the group has the same level of knowledge a colony would) can work is when all the current members TRULY are done and fried after years of trying, even with full HQ support, and have requested the closure. They have their memories and relationships and are happy with that, but they don't want the stress of having to rush anymore. (Speaking of DePauw DZ this is supposedly what they wanted to do.) That way the sorority does not "move their feet, lose their seat."

[aephi alum]

Originally Posted by clemsongirl

I suppose there's different levels of closure: there's closed and gone and no members for 4+ years, closed and no members for less than four years, close down for a year or two and come back with all the same members (a couple sororities at UConn did this with mixed results), make all the current members go early alum and recruit a whole new chapter, pull out of recruitment and have a "colonization" but keep the current members.

I've also seen a chapter where a reorganization was done and some of the current members were made to go early alum while others were kept on as actives. I believe the national office pretty much ran that chapter's next recruitment. AWKWARD.

[carnation]

Originally Posted by aephi alum

I've also seen a chapter where a reorganization was done and some of the current members were made to go early alum while others were kept on as actives. I believe the national office pretty much ran that chapter's next recruitment. AWKWARD.

I saw that with a chapter in this state. They were gone for a very brief amount of time.

[LXA SE285]

Originally Posted by aephi alum

I've also seen a chapter where a reorganization was done and some of the current members were made to go early alum while others were kept on as actives.

This is exactly what happened with DZ at DePauw and why it was such a cluster. The criterion was supposedly "commitment to the chapter," but it turned out to be "cool vs. uncool."