Thank you Cutie Pie for all the great comments.
I am happy to chat -- via email -- with anyone
seriously interested in Gamma Phi Beta AI either for herself or for her mom, sister or whoever. I emphasize the "seriously" because a few unnamed GC PNAMs have emailed me about Gamma Phi AI but they let me know they were also considering other GLO's.
Regarding moms & AI: About 7 years ago, I talked to my mom about it and she said okay -- she was excited. She had never completed college -- instead she got married to my dad before her freshman year ended. She did go thru rush while she was at college and she told me she would have pledged a sorority had she stayed in college. Well I was hoping to have her initiated into my chapter. Unfortunately, one of my biological sisters got Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma during her pregnancy and passed away 2 years after being diagnosed. My mom's heart was just not into sorority stuff after that....until my youngest biological sister pledge Theta! Now we argue about which GLO my mom should be AI'd into and my mom just holds up her hands and says Girls, stop arguing! Sigh!
When I go back home for Christmas I think I will seriously ask her again about Gamma Phi AI.
Here is how I approached my son's teacher last year about becoming a Gamma Phi AI -- I created a little "propaganda" flyer about Gamma Phi and why it was such a great sorority to belong to etc etc...it just so happened that four other alums in our alum chapter here also knew her and said they enthusiastically supported her becoming an AI. But none of us really knew how she'd respond. So I set an appt & met with her when I knew she had some time (the kids were in P.E.) and I gave her the flyer as I told her that Me and Joan and Sarah and Larkie and Suzanne all want you to be a sister in Gamma Phi Beta. I even had all these Gamma Phi magazines to show her - esp the one with the cover of the President of Ohio State (where she got her Masters degree) - who is a Gamma Phi! I was all set to do the hard sell! Well, I only got a few words out and she wouldn't let me finish --she jumped up from her seat and said Yes Yes Yes!!! It was wonderful! I did her "pledge" training along with CLUEY from GC --(she flew in from Jacksonville).
There is indeed a folder that Gamma Phi AI candidates get after their initial paperwork is sent in -- that paperwork is signed by the alum chapter and the collegiate chapter where the initiation will eventually take place. The folder has info about Gamma Phi and the services/benefits of membership, but it is not real detailed. For the "pledge" training, our wonderfully huge history book is sent to the AI candidate and the test (open-book) is taken from there. I usually do a three hour training session with the AI candidates.
I am a HUGE supporter of AI!
Geeky Penguin and I have talked already about her mom -- whom I personally think should be initiated at our next convention in nearby Chicago next July -- hint hint!) and gphiangel624, please email me if you want OK?
gotta go -- my fingers hurt!