What aspect of Greek life do you wish was better?

[AnchorAlumna]

OTOH, I see complaints about the fraternity method of rush, at least at my school. There is a formal fraternity rush, but it's a joke. Rush really begins in a guy's high school senior year, when he's invited to various fraternity parties.
Things intensify in the spring and especially summer, which essentially seems to be one long rush party at the fraternity houses. Guys are invited all summer long and bids tend to be issued, off and on, toward the end of summer.
Many fraternities have their pledge class lined up well before classes start.
Kids coming in from out of state (last year's freshman class was 62% OOS) haven't a clue about the process. It forces kids to start off by choosing which fraternities they interested in (often with no knowledge other than the often obsolete website) to contact. They HOPE for invitations, but don't know if they'll get any...it's just a mess.

At least with sororities, everybody visits every chapter at least once, plus the recommendation gives the sororities a preview of PNMs.

[jolene]

Fraternity rush always baffled me. I watched friend's son, who just finished his freshman year of college, be courted over the summer by a couple of frats. He was OOS from the college he was going to attend so I dunno if they had chapter brothers in the area invite him to things like sporting events or what. I've always wondered how they handled guys from OOS or if your college town is small except for when school is in session.

[BAckbOwlsgIrl]

I really wish that there was more greek life after college. Sure we have alum chapters. However, they pale in comparison to the what was going on at the collegiate level. The one in my city play bridge and maybe a book club. It is like you graduate from college and all the support of a greek life is turned off. This is especially true of recent graduates. When I came to my city after graduation, I was forced to make friends on my own. I would have done anything for a sisterhood. I really expected more of alum life. I think that the NPHC does better of this. NPHC orgs in my city have events that make the newspaper and social pages.
I am not saying that we should have mixers, but, it would be nice if all of greek life could have more of impact like they that they did the university. Sure, people have kids, etc. But, we still have our bonds.

[AGDee]

Originally Posted by AOIILisa

I went through COB in February 1982 and did have to wait till the following September to be initiated (just before formal recruitment started). The wait actually made me better appreciate getting my badge and letters (at that time, we couldn't wear letters till initiated) plus it gave me the time to save up for my blingy badge.

I agree the new member period should be extended - at least more than 6 weeks. That's not enough time to learn anything or even appreciate the organization. Then again, maybe I'm just old and stuck in the past and perhaps the short attention spans of pretty much everyone nowadays (including me) dictates a shorter NM period. I still wish NMs were pledges, too, but that's another topic.

Curious then- did you get initiated before Fall rush? Or were you not able to participate? And was there anything that happened over the summer?

We were allowed to wear letters from day one, even back in 1984.

[jolene]

Originally Posted by AGDee

Curious then- did you get initiated before Fall rush? Or were you not able to participate? And was there anything that happened over the summer?

We were allowed to wear letters from day one, even back in 1984.

Same here. We just couldn't wear anything with the crest on it.

To BackOwlsGirl's point, I wish the NPC orgs were more like NPHC ones in that way.

[AnchorAlumna]

Originally Posted by BAckbOwlsgIrl

I really wish that there was more greek life after college. Sure we have alum chapters. However, they pale in comparison to the what was going on at the collegiate level. The one in my city play bridge and maybe a book club. It is like you graduate from college and all the support of a greek life is turned off. This is especially true of recent graduates. When I came to my city after graduation, I was forced to make friends on my own. I would have done anything for a sisterhood. I really expected more of alum life. I think that the NPHC does better of this. NPHC orgs in my city have events that make the newspaper and social pages.
I am not saying that we should have mixers, but, it would be nice if all of greek life could have more of impact like they that they did the university. Sure, people have kids, etc. But, we still have our bonds.

A few years out of college, I met a brand new alumna where I worked. She had been president of her college chapter.
"What day of the week do we meet?" she enthused.
I was sorry to have to inform her that we MIGHT meet once a month, September through May, and often the meetings were canceled due to lack of interest.
But honestly, once I get home at night, I really don't want to get back out and drive 30 minutes to a meeting. I wind up only going to Founders Day....couldn't even do that this year since it was the same day as my chapter's and I needed to go to that.

[ColdInCanada11]

Originally Posted by BAckbOwlsgIrl

I really wish that there was more greek life after college. Sure we have alum chapters. However, they pale in comparison to the what was going on at the collegiate level. The one in my city play bridge and maybe a book club. It is like you graduate from college and all the support of a greek life is turned off. This is especially true of recent graduates. When I came to my city after graduation, I was forced to make friends on my own. I would have done anything for a sisterhood. I really expected more of alum life. I think that the NPHC does better of this. NPHC orgs in my city have events that make the newspaper and social pages.
I am not saying that we should have mixers, but, it would be nice if all of greek life could have more of impact like they that they did the university. Sure, people have kids, etc. But, we still have our bonds.

I just wrote a blog post on this:
Fraternity Friday: Where do they all go? - http://wp.me/p5B41J-239

I understand that people are busy, and we all go through different stages of life that don't always allow us to be involved with everything. This is life! However, as I mentioned in my post, there are so many members who disappear forever, never once again attending a founders' day or initiation or event of any kind. The NPHC does an absolutely amazing job of keeping members engaged for their lifetime, and I've always admired that.

[DGTess]

Originally Posted by BAckbOwlsgIrl

I really wish that there was more greek life after college. Sure we have alum chapters. However, they pale in comparison to the what was going on at the collegiate level. The one in my city play bridge and maybe a book club. It is like you graduate from college and all the support of a greek life is turned off. This is especially true of recent graduates. When I came to my city after graduation, I was forced to make friends on my own. I would have done anything for a sisterhood. I really expected more of alum life. I think that the NPHC does better of this. NPHC orgs in my city have events that make the newspaper and social pages.
I am not saying that we should have mixers, but, it would be nice if all of greek life could have more of impact like they that they did the university. Sure, people have kids, etc. But, we still have our bonds.

My alumnae chapter has events for new grads, reduced dues for the first few years after college, and special interest groups. Might you approach your alumnae chapter about creating a SIG?

[AnchorAlumna]

In sororities, they often show back up when it's time for the daughter to go off to college and go through sorority recruitment.
"I wish I could have been involved earlier, I promise I'll come more regularly, blah blah blah." Recruitment's over and you never see them again.
Some state, "I USED to be a _____" and honestly believe that it was all over at graduation.
And occasionally someone will claim to be a _____________ and Snowflake is a legacy, and when you check with HQ, they resigned their junior year! If you confront them, they claim to not remember!

[AOIILisa]

Originally Posted by AGDee

Curious then- did you get initiated before Fall rush? Or were you not able to participate? And was there anything that happened over the summer?

We were allowed to wear letters from day one, even back in 1984.

Yup, we were initiated just before recruitment, I want to say it was the first week of school. Nothing happened over the summer - everyone kind of scattered to their homes to work or do whatever. UMaine is in the middle of the state so unless you live in Orono or Bangor, you most likely won't be going there in the middle of the summer!

It was fine, though, it made me appreciate getting initiated and I'm pretty sure I wore my letters as much as I possibly could once I got them. Now our rules have changed and new members can wear letters right away. I am actually now not sure if this was a "nationals" thing or a "just my chapter" thing.

[AOIILisa]

Originally Posted by AnchorAlumna

In sororities, they often show back up when it's time for the daughter to go off to college and go through sorority recruitment.
"I wish I could have been involved earlier, I promise I'll come more regularly, blah blah blah." Recruitment's over and you never see them again.
Some state, "I USED to be a _____" and honestly believe that it was all over at graduation.
And occasionally someone will claim to be a _____________ and Snowflake is a legacy, and when you check with HQ, they resigned their junior! If you confront them, they claim to not remember!

I've often wondered if alumnae involvement was more of a thing in the South - because it sure doesn't seem to be in the Mid-Atlantic. I was in a work meeting last month where it turned out that four other women there were sorority alums and none were involved - in fact, it seems that few talk about their affiliation after graduation.

I am involved now, but it's taken a while. I joined an alum chapter right after graduation and quickly quit since no one was under the age of 60. I am pretty sure I was served a casserole from the Betty Crocker 1970 cookbook at that meeting! Years later and a new city, I joined the alum chapter there and (being in my 40's) the fact that the alums were older wasn't a problem, LOL! Being an adviser has helped me stay connected and I don't think now that I could just join an alum chapter and leave it at that.

[AnchorAlumna]

Originally Posted by AOIILisa

I joined an alum chapter right after graduation and quickly quit since no one was under the age of 60. I am pretty sure I was served a casserole from the Betty Crocker 1970 cookbook at that meeting!

Hey, I have that cookbook and learned to cook from it!!
Age 21 newlywed, at my first alumnae meeting I was sandwiched among a group of late 20- and 30-something alums who fervently discussed potty training.
Glad I came back to another meeting!

It's not just a Southern thing. I would estimate that only about 5% of alumnae in any given city EVER even come to a meeting, much less get active. I wonder if we had more older alumnae working with a chapter, would that encourage involvement in later years? As a collegiate, I can remember being told over and over that being a DG mean a lifetime, not just 4 years. We actually had very few alums that worked with us....mostly because there just weren't that many in town.

[AOIILisa]

Originally Posted by AnchorAlumna

Hey, I have that cookbook and learned to cook from it!!

Ha...me too, (it was my Mom's) which is how I recognized that casserole!

Originally Posted by AnchorAlumna

It's not just a Southern thing. I would estimate that only about 5% of alumnae in any given city EVER even come to a meeting, much less get active. I wonder if we had more older alumnae working with a chapter, would that encourage involvement in later years? As a collegiate, I can remember being told over and over that being a DG mean a lifetime, not just 4 years. We actually had very few alums that worked with us....mostly because there just weren't that many in town.

Agreed - our collegiate chapter had no one, I think I remember seeing one adviser. Now I advise my old chapter from 8 states away - because there are so few local alums in the area - plus another local chapter where I live! We try to impress upon everyone that it's for life, and have been semi successful at picking up new grads.