For Alumnae From Over 20 Years

[SWTXBelle]

Do you keep in touch with your chapter brothers or sisters? Yes - we get together periodically.

Do you belong to an Alumnae Association? Yes.

Do you hold any offices? Former president - am on an international committee.

Do you keep track of your National's policies? Yes. I've found Gamma Phi to be thoughtful and strategic.

Have you ever considered deactivating due to a change in any of these? No.

[shadokat]

Do you keep in touch with your chapter brothers or sisters? Yes, there is a group of about 8 of us who talk regularly and on occasion have dinner, etc. We were in each other's weddings and all of those life events. A couple of years ago we went to see Hootie and the Blowfish, as we're all 90s college students, and it was AMAZING

Do you belong to an Alumnae Association? For a hot second, yes. But it was so disorganized with only a couple of people actually doing anything. I left after a couple of months.

Do you hold any offices? I volunteered with my organization for a very long time and held national offices. In the late 2000's and early 2010's, our organization moved to a model of being more staff run than volunteer driven, and this alienated A LOT of national volunteers, myself included. I remained as a chapter advisor and then assisted with and advised a new chapter that opened in my area around 2015. After being smacked in the hand by IHQ more than once for trying to help the new chapter be successful, I had enough and bowed out. I do not miss it at all, but I do miss the amazing people I met through volunteering that I no longer am in touch with.

Do you keep track of your National's policies? I do, but I don't agree with all of them. For the record, I like the legacy policy and I do not have children who would benefit from such a policy. I just think it's a special thing for a mother/daughter/grandmother/etc. to share.

The gender stuff has been something I struggle with. Part of it is just lack of understanding of so many different designations, etc. Part of it is that I feel like a lot of this is just a way to grab more members and money. I joined a sorority because I wanted to be a part of a group of like-minded women. What I identify as like-minded is different today than it was in 1993 when I was initiated. I also believe that a lot of these policies are in place as a "look how progressive we are" type of thing. But when you look at the sorority as a whole, it's just not that big of an issue. And sadly, the weaker-recruiting chapters are the ones who are taking these policies more seriously. For instance, you wouldn't dare see a chapter at Georgia or Alabama or Florida taking transgender women. But little 20-member chapter in New Hampshire might be a totally different story. It's all just sort of confusing to me.

Have you ever considered deactivating due to a change in any of these? I never considered resigning my membership over polices. I did consider resigning when so many of our volunteers were pushed out of the picture for a more staff-run organization. But at the end of the day, my sisters are why I joined this group and why I stay connected to DPhiE. Nothing the national organization does can take away those relationships.

[ASTalumna06]

I'll hit 20 years in April, so close enough.

Do you keep in touch with your chapter brothers or sisters?
A handful of them on a more regular basis. I was also in a very small chapter.

Do you belong to an Alumnae Association?
I have in the past, but I'm not currently active in one. Moving frequently sometimes makes it difficult.

Do you hold any offices?
I'm currently the VP of our Foundation board.

In addition, since 2008, I've been the Recruitment Advisor for my chapter, the lead editor for our national magazine (8 years), inaugural chair of our Sorority Advisory Committee (2 terms), and the chair of our Governing Documents Committee (1 term).

Do you keep track of your National's policies?
By the very nature of my volunteer positions over the last 15 years, yes, I've kept up with them.

Have you ever considered deactivating due to a change in any of these?
Never.

[DGTess]

Do you keep in touch with your chapter brothers or sisters? Absolutely. I speak with one on a weekly basis. Others we visit when we can, since we're spread all over the country, we email, and we have a few Facebook groups. Fifty years ago last week was my initiation (2/17/1974), and all five of us who initiated that day chatted.

Do you belong to an Alumnae Association? Yes. I've always been a dues-paying member of an alumnae association if there was one near me (I've lived in 5 states and 2 countries since school). I'm currently an officer, but many times have been *just* a dues-payer.

Do you hold any offices? VP: Finance right now.

Do you keep track of your National's policies?Absolutely.

Have you ever considered deactivating due to a change in any of these?Absolutely. Still am considering it. Delta Gamma has played the "inclusion" game to the *exclusion* of many.