If YOU were in charge - Page 2

LLP-KKG · #1 06-30-2008, 04:54 PM

Hi Katie and Kristen,

My name is Laurel Palmer and I am the Director of Annual Giving for the Kappa Kappa Gamma Foundation. I ran across this thread and thought I might be able to help out with some of the questions regarding Emergency Grants.

Due to our IRS guidelines, the Foundation is not allowed to provide aid that would directly be returned to our organization. Which is why we state Rose McGill and scholarship monies must be used for expenses which are not Kappa specific.

It is our hope that grants from the Foundation alleviate other financial burdens and make it possible for members to remain in school and their chapters in order to get the most out of their collegiate experience. Once a member is selected as a grant recipient, the check is sent directly to her so that she may use it at her discretion.

I hope some of this information is helpful. Feel to free to contact our office at any time for more information. You may reach me or Colleen (Director of Development) at 866-kkg-1870.

Loyally,
Laurel

LLP-KKG · #2 06-30-2008, 04:54 PM

Hi Katie and Kristen,

My name is Laurel Palmer and I am the Director of Annual Giving for the Kappa Kappa Gamma Foundation. I ran across this thread and thought I might be able to help out with some of the questions regarding Emergency Grants.

Due to our IRS guidelines, the Foundation is not allowed to provide aid that would directly be returned to our organization. Which is why we state Rose McGill and scholarship monies must be used for expenses which are not Kappa specific.

It is our hope that grants from the Foundation alleviate other financial burdens and make it possible for members to remain in school and their chapters in order to get the most out of their collegiate experience. Once a member is selected as a grant recipient, the check is sent directly to her so that she may use it at her discretion.

I hope some of this information is helpful. Feel to free to contact our office at any time for more information. You may reach me or Colleen (Director of Development) at 866-kkg-1870.

Loyally,
Laurel

DreamAwhile · #3 06-25-2001, 12:41 AM

Hey Kristen-
I'll check with BIAA. I also think that something can be worked out, but I just thought it was odd that there isn't something specifically for help with dues. I think Colleen was getting at that she can "say" she was going to use the money on books, and use it for dues, but to be honest, I don't really like promoting finding the loop holes. I know something can be worked out. But, that is one of the things I would change.

Thanks for all of the advice! I hope everyone had a great weekend!!!

gee_ess · #4 06-18-2008, 11:26 PM

I am just bumping this because I really enjoyed reading it and am wondering about the evolution of the new member program since this was first posted (2001!)

Does anyone else struggle with the shortened new member period like I do? It just seems to fly by SO quickly. I really feel it is a detriment to chapters with large pledge classes (75 for example) which can make it harder to form bonds in such a short time.

gee_ess · #5 06-19-2008, 08:36 AM

I am not aware of that ritual but what a great opportunity for alumnae associations to welcome recent grads. A nice gesture by the Pitt group and others. I am definitely going to check it out.

LucyKKG · #6 06-19-2008, 08:38 PM

I think the NM period goes by too quickly even with only 14 or 15 girls!

gee_ess · #7 06-20-2008, 09:35 AM

LucyKKG - That is interesting coming from an active. Usually it seems to be the oldies who think it was better back in the day...

Why did you think it was too fast?

LucyKKG · #8 06-21-2008, 02:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gee_ess

LucyKKG - That is interesting coming from an active. Usually it seems to be the oldies who think it was better back in the day...

Why did you think it was too fast?

By the time we do COB, we are already a little behind schedule. We're on quarters (ohhhh that's why!) so we need to get the NM period done and have everyone initiated before finals. It's a big push every time.

elleyk5187 · #9 06-25-2008, 11:04 PM

i definitely agree with the NM period going by so quickly. we didn't bond much (there were 38 girls in my pledge class!), besides the retreat we had. before we knew it, it was initiation time. i'm not complaining since i was able to move into the house as a pledge since i was a sophomore & it was nice to not feel that separation anymore from the initiated members.

it's crazy to think that my mom was given a bid in the spring & not initiated until october!

MSKKG · #10 06-25-2008, 11:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by elleyk5187

i definitely agree with the NM period going by so quickly. we didn't bond much (there were 38 girls in my pledge class!), besides the retreat we had. before we knew it, it was initiation time. i'm not complaining since i was able to move into the house as a pledge since i was a sophomore & it was nice to not feel that separation anymore from the initiated members.

it's crazy to think that my mom was given a bid in the spring & not initiated until october!

Ahhh, the olden days!

I had to wait from August to February before I was initiated (had to make the grades, too). The wait certainly increased my anticipation and curiosity and maybe made "finding out the secrets" more significant since it was such a long-awaited and hard-won privilege.

gee_ess · #11 06-26-2008, 05:08 PM

I, too, had to wait until Feb for initiation. Ah the old days! I know it has its drawbacks - I have heard and read the arguments - but I really do think 6 weeks is too short for August pledges. Fall semester is insane on many campuses - football games, getting acclimated to college, etc. There is simply not enough time to schedule the myriad of activities pledges should be allowed to participate in. The new member period is a fun time but should also serve a purpose.

After watching my daughter go through the new member period within the past few years, I think this format really leaves a void in what the pledges know about the fraternity. There were no organized or structured ways for her to learn fraternity history, etc. Sure, she got the new member handouts, notebook, and was told to read them, but now that we no longer give pledge tests (hazing), or memorize the Greek alphabet, etc there is little incentive to learn what Kappa is all about. Thus, the focus becomes more social. (IMO)

elleyk5187 · #12 06-28-2008, 06:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gee_ess

After watching my daughter go through the new member period within the past few years, I think this format really leaves a void in what the pledges know about the fraternity. There were no organized or structured ways for her to learn fraternity history, etc. Sure, she got the new member handouts, notebook, and was told to read them, but now that we no longer give pledge tests (hazing), or memorize the Greek alphabet, etc there is little incentive to learn what Kappa is all about. Thus, the focus becomes more social. (IMO)

agreed. i still made the effort to learn the greek alphabet (i can rattle it off sometimes haha) & i wish we had to learn about the history. in a sense we did, our marshall would write questions on a poster for chapter...but i don't think we would know the answers if asked. i don't understand how a test is a form of hazing. i've talked to so many girls in my house & we wouldn't mind a lot of the stuff that they consider hazing. granted, we don't want the negative things but the positive ones (i.e. a test on our history).

alum · #13 06-29-2008, 08:12 AM

I had an full semester pledge period back in the 80s. We pledged in early-mid September and then initiated on the weekend following the first academic week of the spring semester. This ensured that the chapter could see pledges' fall grades. We didn't get tested on anything but I vaguely recall learning about our history with the pledge chair. We did not have to memorize the Greek alphabet. IIRC, National was really starting to change pledge requirements in this era and our actives were really worried about requiring activities that would be considered forced and nonvoluntary.

Although I am not a history buff, I actually liked learning about Kappa and read my pledge manual thoroughly during my pledge period. In fact this notebook still sits on a bookshelf that I can easily access if need be. Here's hoping I will be able to pass it down to one of my nieces someday.

ISUKappa · #14 06-29-2008, 10:06 AM

It's not the Fraternity who necessarily wanted to make the switch to the shorter new member program, it was the pressure from various universities and the fact most all NPC organizations had installed a shorter new member program. IIRC, Kappa was one of the last to change theirs.

I was the last pledge class in my chapter to go through the semester-long program. It did have its benefits - making sure everyone had grades, more one-on-one time with the NME, separate NM meetings - but I don't know that it necessarily made me learn more about the Fraternity or Greeks in general. A lot of that I did on my own out of personal curiosity.

I think the shorter program *can* work, but it's rarely utilized to its full potential. I think there needs to be better training for the NME and Chapter Council on how to make it more effective and fun for the new members and actives. I know officers are encouraged to come up with their own variations of the programs offered in the Leadership Guide to make them more fun, but so many of them just end up reading right off the page that it's boring and no one learns anything. Part of it depends on how good your NME is and how well her predecessor did. If you get one NME who doesn't want to put in any effort into the program and she just lets everything slide, then the next one will probably think that's how it's supposed to be done and the whole program goes out the window (this happened at the chapter I advised).

I think the new member program is something that is constantly scrutinized by the Fraternity and they're always trying to think of ways to make it more effective and let each chapter tailor it to their own specific needs.

gee_ess · #15 06-29-2008, 10:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ISUKappa

I think the shorter program *can* work, but it's rarely utilized to its full potential. I think there needs to be better training for the NME and Chapter Council on how to make it more effective and fun for the new members and actives. I know officers are encouraged to come up with their own variations of the programs offered in the Leadership Guide to make them more fun, but so many of them just end up reading right off the page that it's boring and no one learns anything. Part of it depends on how good your NME is and how well her predecessor did. If you get one NME who doesn't want to put in any effort into the program and she just lets everything slide, then the next one will probably think that's how it's supposed to be done and the whole program goes out the window (this happened at the chapter I advised).

I think the new member program is something that is constantly scrutinized by the Fraternity and they're always trying to think of ways to make it more effective and let each chapter tailor it to their own specific needs.

I agree ISUKappa! I may be all wrong, but I think this program would improve if there were more interactive, learning activities, etc for the girls to draw from. (but, there may be this type of material already in place). I am thinking of the type of teaching guides and options for presenting material that are available to classroom teachers. These complete lessons, handouts, activities, etc could be such a help to young women. And, just like a classroom teacher, the individual chapters could take the materials and tweak them to meet their own individual needs.