Why is AI so long???

[pinkyphimu]

Originally posted by Sistermadly


She told me that every year, her organization places "membership intake" on their calendar of events. All of the current members of the chapter know ahead of time that intake takes place in October (for example), and that if they know any unaffiliated women that they want to introduce to the sorority, that is the time to do it.

i kind of like this idea. it sounds like only the members of the org know that oct is the time to bring new pnams to meet the group. i would imagine if someone had a friend who couldn't go to the event in oct, that she could come to the event in nov and get introduced, too.

Originally posted by Sistermadly

She also told me that one of the groups in her town even advertises their intake period in the local newspaper

i think that may also be a great way to find our "lost" sisters!! i wonder how much of a turn out they get for interested pnams, tho.


as for the point about npc wanting to get a fair shot at the pnams, well, isn't one of the recommendations that we give to people that they only look at one group at a time? i seem to remember a post that if you are looking into xyz and abc at the same time, and it comes up at a alum panhel meeting (even if just in passing) then the pnam is likely to be dropped by both orgs bc she isn't serious about them.

[CutiePie2000]

Originally posted by pinkyphimu
as for the point about npc wanting to get a fair shot at the pnams, well, isn't one of the recommendations that we give to people that they only look at one group at a time?

Yes, it is and oops, I just realized that I completely contradicted myself. LOL

Originally posted by pinkyphimu
i seem to remember a post that if you are looking into xyz and abc at the same time, and it comes up at a alum panhel meeting (even if just in passing) then the pnam is likely to be dropped by both orgs bc she isn't serious about them.

Yes, without divulging too much, this did happen to someone.
I don't have a "perfect answer", so I will just say that if you contact more than 1 group, you need to be very careful and discreet.

[aopirose]

In our AC, we discuss AI pretty frequently. We encourage members to bring someone to any event that we sponsor except our Ritual meeting. Our goal is to initiate at least 2 AIs this year.

We are having High Tea at a 4-star hotel and I plan to bring at least 3 people. One who definitely wants to be an AOII if she is offered a bid, one is my aunt who I have been bringing to things for about a year but I can't get her to commit (she's an ob/gyn with little free time), and the other is my MIL who will be wearing her new AOII mother's pin.

[LPIDelta]

I think my org's process if fairly simple-- the International President officially approves all AIs based on the recommendation received. There may be a month's wait depending on who she confers with-- and then I guess any hold up would be when the next opportunity to intitiate would be. When I initiated, my chapter held ritual just for me alone. But Internationally speaking, we initiate most of our AIs at Convention or other meetings/conferences.

I think this really all comes down to the org's philosophy on membership. (How can I say this correctly?)-- I think it depends on the "center" of the org's membership-- is it collegian or alumnae focused? Who "controls" the International organization in terms of voting? And I think it depends on the level of promotion of AI among the membership. As some have said-- members have a variety of feelings about AI and some do not even know it exists (although I would guess anyone in DG could not say that now!)

[midwesterngirl]

Originally posted by Sistermadly
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Any thoughts?

Edited to add: another thing that would make the process take less time would be if the actual initiation ceremony could be carried out by the local alums, rather than only by the collegians. My cousin's group handles the initiations at the graduate/alumnae level.

This was the case with me.I was asked to join in late September but had to wait until March to initiate with a collegiate chapter.My local AC would have initiated me in December if they could have done it but we all had to wait.
I was also the first AI that my local alumnae chapter had.They weren't sure of the exact procedure at all.That might be a major hold up for many alum chapters.They can't or possibly aren't willing do it if they don't know what to do or if they don't have a clear cut procedure.

[SmartBlondeGPhB]

Originally posted by midwesterngirl
They can't or possibly aren't willing do it if they don't know what to do or if they don't have a clear cut procedure.

Sorry to respond this way but it's called FINDING OUT what to do. My org is exactly the same way so I'm not directing this to anyone in particular. We've had a lot of info distributed to AC President's, general members, etc and people STILL don't seem to have a clue all the time. I didn't know what to do my first time, but rather than say "no, we don't do it" I said "let me find out". And we've now initiated 2 women in our first 3.5 years.

I guess I'm just being rhetorical in my questioning.......

[SmartBlondeGPhB]

Ok, I need to clarify something..........

My remark wasn't directed towards anyone on this board at all, and no one ticked me off with any comment. I've heard the same comment from people within my own org and that's more where my frustration on this topic comes from.

That and the fact that it's been too long of a week........

I'm sorry if it came off that way (which after reading it again, it might have).

[AOIIsilver]

I have said this before, so please be patient with my ramblings.....but, from my perspective as both an AI and as a sponsor of AI's, I can see that timing REALLY depends on the collegiate chapter and the sponsor. If the collegiate chapter is not familiar with AI or is leery of AI, more time typically passes. If the sponsor is not calling the collegiate chapter president frequently until the initiation date is set, more time passes. I feel it is crucial to have a sponsor who will actaully go to the collegiate chapter's meetings on behalf of a prospective AI.

Another thought, I know that many NPC orgs are trying to educate all of their membership about the availability of AI. AOII has a wonderful new AI packet to explain the process to collegians, info on our web pages, and a prospective AI membership packet. However, if roughly 10 women per year internationally are initiated through AI, the average collegiate chapter still may not have enough experience with the process for it to go smoothly the first time, and EACH new AI may be facing a chapter with no experience (again from sheer numbers).

I also feel that small numbers of AI is why events are not held to recruit more AI. I love Rose's idea of trying to recruit at the Alumnae Chapter level with an event for AI....especially if a very open and understanding collegiate chapter is located nearby.

Just my 2 cents.
Silver

[SmartBlondeGPhB]

AOIISilver,

In AOPi do the collegiate chapters get more invloved in AI? For us, they simply sign the form acknowledging they know about it and let us know when initiation will be. They don't get involved at all in the AI process. It's all alum chapter.

[valkyrie]

I find it so interesting to see how each organization has its own way of dealing with AI. I say that because of the mention of collegiate chapters being involved. When I was initiated, I had virtually no contact with a collegiate chapter. Everything was done through the alumnae chapter, and then I was initiated at a regional conference. There were collegians at the conference, but that was the first time I ever encountered them.

[Tom Earp]

Okay, in LXA an AIPM has to be someone who has shown a want to be, give of himself, and show that he is interested.


That person will not go through our Ritual but sit and obsever what a New Associate is going through!

So, do Soroitys have different Ritual for PNAIM than College Initiates?

I have been wondering this the whole time you are discusing this!

I also like the idea of a set time for AI. This gives them a chance for a date to work and shoot for. Closuer so to speak!

[dakareng]

Some of the delay for women who are currently in process of seeking AI is likely due to summer and both collegiate and alumnae chapters not meeting. Even if someone was approved for AI tomorrow, they would not be initiated until the chapter held their next initiation ceremony.

I'm curious, Valkyrie, since I am identified by my chapter of initiation, if you were initiated by alumnae at a regional conference, do you have a chapter designation? AI within Pi Phi requires involvement of a chapter (even if the ceremony itself is done as part of convention or seminar) whether it was a chapter or alumnae club that started the process, both are required.

[navane]

Originally posted by dakareng

I'm curious, Valkyrie, since I am identified by my chapter of initiation, if you were initiated by alumnae at a regional conference, do you have a chapter designation? AI within Pi Phi requires involvement of a chapter (even if the ceremony itself is done as part of convention or seminar) whether it was a chapter or alumnae club that started the process, both are required.

Hi dakareng,

Valkyrie is an Alpha Phi. If I understand correctly, Alpha Phi has a special chapter designation exclusively for alumnae initiates. I think that designation is "Alpha Lambda". Though, I cannot speak for whether or not the collegiate chapter must be involved or not.

PNAM,

.....Kelly

[AOIIsilver]

In AOII, only collegiate chapters may initiate. Therefore, almost the entire AI process in AOII involves working with a collegiate chapter.

Does that make sense?

There have been AI who have been initiated at National Convention; however, those members were still initiated "through" a collegiate chapter.

I also agree that summer adds to the wait.

Have a blessed day.
Silver

[LPIDelta]

For DPhiE, since collegiate chapter endorsement is not necessary, I believe chapter designation is determined by the AI. Most of the AIs are involved with a chapter-- as an advisor, house management, mother, colony member, went to school there etc.--and they will of course choose to be a member of that chapter.

I have also seen where someone may not be involved with or have ties to one particular chapter and they have chosen to designate Alpha chapter as their chapter-- or a chapter from a location that means something to them ie they used to live in Iris, so they chose Iris University. I think that is fairly rare though.