How Common Now?

[DGTess]

Originally Posted by AnchorAlumna

I think it is more common than it used to be, but still very difficult. It also seems to depend on who you know among the upper echelon of officers.

Frankly, I don't know why anybody would want to. It's a wholly different experience.

I know of one woman my alumnae chapter nominated; she had gone to a military academy and did not have the opportunity to join in college, but was (is, I presume) good friends with many in the chapter. I know there were plans to initiate her, but I never saw her again after she was introduced at a meeting.

I do know of one woman, a nationally known figure, who contacted DG about joining because she is particularly interested in our Service for Sight philanthropic efforts. She contacted Executive Offices, they contacted well-known women in our chapter (this was my previous alumnae chapter), those women spent several months getting to know her and agreed to perform her "pledge education". A Texan, she was initiated at convention in 2002.

When I was a collegiate, I recall the requirements included not having had the opportunity to join a GLO while in college. I don't know for sure, and didn't find current requirements using a cursory search.

[KSUViolet06]

The older I get, the more I think about this.

I was only an active collegian for 2.5 years. I have been an involved alumna in some form or fashion since 2008.

My alumna experience has already outpaced my collegiate years in terms of activity within the sorority (three volunteer roles, two Conventions, two Volunteer Summits, one Officer Academy.)

The collegiate experience may be what brought us all into Sigma, but it is far and away not the centerpiece of my experience within the organization.

[AGDee]

Originally Posted by KSUViolet06

The older I get, the more I think about this.

I was only an active collegian for 2.5 years. I have been an involved alumna in some form or fashion since 2008.

My alumna experience has already outpaced my collegiate years in terms of activity within the sorority (three volunteer roles, two Conventions, two Volunteer Summits, one Officer Academy.)

The collegiate experience may be what brought us all into Sigma, but it is far and away not the centerpiece of my experience within the organization.

I completely agree, but I've been an alumna volunteer for 27 years this year (since 1988). My alumnae experience has defined me in so many ways- far more than my collegiate experience ever did. The sisters I've met through volunteering have become closer friends than my collegiate sisters. We have been through so much more of life together and they are always completely there for me.

[KSUViolet06]

Maybe 5-10 women a year nationally? I don't ever think it has been much more than that. Typically moms, non-Greek Fraternity/Sorority Life staff that have contributed to a chapter in some way (e.g. as campus advisors, mentors, etc.), women who pledged us previously but due to some circumstance never initiated, etc. I cannot think of a woman I have met who is a legitimate "wildcard" to Tri Sigma (as in no prior connection to us in any way) and an AI. Not to say that they do not exist, but it is more challenging as the woman must be endorsed by alumnae and that's hard if you, well, don't actually know any.

[HQWest]

The handful of AI that I have met were either - 1) already famous and recognized for some contribution to philanthropy 2) women who had pledged and then transferred to a school without a chapter before initiation or 3) outstanding women in the community when a new chapter was colonizing.

[sailboatgirl]

I know of two Tri Sigma alumnae initiates, both from my chapter (which coincidentally is AI). One was the mother of an active alum (she was in her 60s when I first started attending alumnae meetings in 1998) and the other was a woman that I personally sponsored a few years ago. She had pledged my chapter in college, but didn't get initiated due to grades. My friend group from the chapter has always included her, and one day, something made me think, "Hey, I wonder if we can initiate her as an alumna?" I remembered that she cried when I called her to ask if it would be something that she would be interested in! We held a special initiation for her after a baby shower that we all attended, and now she is on the chapter advisory board!