I am a member of the Lambda chapter at UCDavis, and we went through the same struggle last year. We went through a sort of "trial period" with the panhellenic system and it was decided that we would not become members. I think that being a Panhellenic member can offer many things such as more opportunities to socialize with the majority of the Greek community, and being a part of this system also helps out in getting your name out onto your campus. I feel that not being members of Panhellenic has excluded us from some pretty fun things that other greeks participate in, and I have also noticed that we have a difficult time finding contacts for social events. However,it also brings more responsability to the chapter, not only financially but time wise as well. There are monthly meetings to attend as well as events for the entire greek community that you will need help organize.So it is really up to your chapter wether or not you are willing to put in the work to be part of the social scene. Just keep in mind that we do have social requirements, they help to keep us sane in our busy Sigma Alpha lives!=)
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