Alpha Xi Delta closes its doors

[SoCalGirl]

Regarding the alumnae being asked not to wear letters I think it's all in how it's presented. Sororities rarely close (in comparison to fraternities) due to risk management. So you can bet on the fact that if a national is recolonizing a chapter quickly it's a numbers/financial issue. While each and every sister of the defunct chapter may have been outstanding for whatever reason they just weren't working out with the schools Greek scene. {I'm talking in a general sense and not referring to any particular school or org.}

When you're a new alumna it takes time to transition from "active collegiate" mindset to "active alumna" mindset. This is true regardless of the situation regarding your alumna status. This is the same reason that advisors are generally asked to wait 3-5yrs before advising a collegiate chapter. Especially thier own.

If your chapter closed and you're now alumna but the group is recolonizing it's even more difficult to adjust. You still have all the same interests and concerns as any active but you also have the responsibilities of an alumna.

{All of that to get to my simple point.} There's a huge difference between 1) a national asking you to be alumna and act as an alumna. ie Join alumnae chapter and not become overly involved in collegiate chapters. (Meaning don't try to relive your glory days.) 2) A national asking you to not participate in anything period.

Simply being asked to not wear letters does not automatically make it case #2 because PNMs would be confused/curious or gossipy and the new initiates would be tempted to cross the line of the alumna/active relationship.

IMHO a chapter in this situaton should welcome the collegiate alumnae at meetings but the alumnae should also recognize that they have no say in the chapter business and should not be attempting to attend socials. I would find it acceptable though for the alumnae to attend the occasional sisterhood event though.

[G8Ralphaxi]

Originally posted by SoCalGirl
There's a huge difference between 1) a national asking you to be alumna and act as an alumna. ie Join alumnae chapter and not become overly involved in collegiate chapters. (Meaning don't try to relive your glory days.) 2) A national asking you to not participate in anything period.

Simply being asked to not wear letters does not automatically make it case #2 because PNMs would be confused/curious or gossipy and the new initiates would be tempted to cross the line of the alumna/active relationship.

IMHO a chapter in this situaton should welcome the collegiate alumnae at meetings but the alumnae should also recognize that they have no say in the chapter business and should not be attempting to attend socials. I would find it acceptable though for the alumnae to attend the occasional sisterhood event though.

Go back and read my post. Our situation was not as black-and-white as you try to put it - you have oversimplified. One of our major concerns was the last pledge class that joined in our last year as an active chapter. The problems with the chapter were not their fault and we did not want them punished for it by losing the chance to enjoy Greek life at UF for the next 2-3 of their years in college. We were told that the younger sisters would be able to rejoin, no problem.

Nationals also asked us for our help. They especially wanted the help of sisters who had been very active on campus and positive influences in the house - that's what they said, anyway. Anyone who was bitter or apathetic about our chapter's situation was not going to be bothered, but those of us who were dedicated to Alpha Xi Delta and had tried so hard to make the chapter succeed were recruited that Spring to assist with the recolonization in the Fall.

We even took the steps of forming a Zeta Omicron (our chapter) Alumnae Association as a way to be organized in our efforts to assist the colony. The executive officers were members who were active when we voted to close the chapter. We did all this with National's blessing.

When Fall came, there was a core group of a little more than a dozen older sisters who were committed to helping the house succeed and about that many of the younger sisters who also wanted to help and then rejoin the colony chapter. It should not surprise anyone that the stress of the chapter closing and recolonizing meant that the only sisters still around were the loyal, energetic, high-GPA, active on campus types - the best representatives for which any sorority could ask. We were the ones who had been the heart of the chapter, and we showed up, ready for hard work.

We were given a schedule of events. We helped tidy up the chapter house. We offered advice about UF's Greek system and what we thought was needed to succeed here.

Then, the recolonization process started. Suddenly and completely unexpectedly, sisters who showed up at events - events that they had been asked to attend - were told that they were not welcome and should leave. The representatives from Nationals told us to tell everyone to stay away from the chapter house, we were not welcome inside, and not to wear letters. No explanation, just suddenly wanting to pretend we didn't exist.

[mu_agd]

Originally posted by AXPAlum
Boston is getting cold again so soon, so I'll be returning to this message board a little more.

AXPAlum

omg, it was freezing here yesterday! i want the warm weather to come back!

/hijack

[33girl]

Originally posted by justme
My understanding is that NPC has a relatively new rule (3-4 years or so old) that says that a group can close its chapter and recolonize within one calendar year without having to repetition Panhellenic or go through a Panhellenic vote. After the one year, the chapter is subject to all of the usual permissions - i.e., the campus must be ready for expansion and the local Panhellenic must vote for expansion - and then there is no guarantee that the chapter that recently closed will be the one selected to expand.

If my understanding of the policy is correct, then I don't blame an NPC group for wanting to reopen a chapter within the year. Otherwise they are risking never returning to that campus, right? If you ask me, NPC may be setting the member organizations up for failure.

That's exactly the rule I was talking about. I don't think of it as a "setup" - it is the group's choice as to whether or not to do this.

Originally posted by justme
With that said, I don't really see anything wrong with wanting a new chapter to be able to establish its own identity. How can they do that when everywhere they look, women are wearing letters that don't actually belong to their local chapter? What's so wrong with asking members of the former chapter to quietly fade into the background while this new group of women build their new chapter. Seems to me that letting the "old" chapter members be involved is like seeing a sign on a restaurant, "Under New Management", walking in, and seeing the same hostess, servers, and bartenders... why would I expect the food to taste any differently?

But the problem with that outlook is, they DO belong to the local chapter. They ARE alumnae of it. Alumnae are alumnae. These women are alumnae, unless the national terminates their membership. There is no "former" chapter - it is the same chapter with different women. To use the restaurant analogy, it's more like if Joe Smith owned a Mexican restaurant, couldn't make money, closed it, and reopened it as an Italian restaurant.

[MFC2002]

There are quite a few NPC groups that have been very successful recolonizing immediately on a wide variety of campuses. Technically, these are different chapters for most groups as when a chapter is recolonized they get a new charter and their chapter name changes in some fashion in most organizations.

This is a dramatic oversimplification but the reason why people recognize them as a different group is that they usually are very different. They look different, they act different, they socialize differently, they sometimes live somewhere different or their house is completely remodeled. Most groups recolonize not just because their numbers are low but because the group lacks a positive image on campus and is generally unhealthy (according to the standards of that group or for that campus).

Everyone realizes that not every recolonization attempt works. In the cases that it doesn't the group usually leaves and comes back.

MFC

[aopinthesky]

>>their chapter name changes in some fashion in most organizations. <<

I don't believe this is true for NPC groups. Generally if a chapter has left a particular campus and then returns, they retain the chapter name they had before.

[MFC2002]

Some NPC groups add another letter or a designation of some sort onto their chapter name to indicate that the chapter has been recolonized. That then becomes the chapter's official chapter name.

MFC

[rushqueen44]

Enough already.

Really.

I'm sure that G8Ralphaxi is not really enjoying re-living this situation over and over again.

And I'm sure her sisters on the other side are sick of seeing her call them idiots.

Let's just let this die.

FYI...

re-establishment = closing your doors and re-opening within 12 months, as per the NPC resolution

re-colonization = closing your doors and re-opening after 12 months has passed at the invitation of the institution

re-organization = ("flush and rush") get rid of dead weight, keep the rest and recruit

[AchtungBaby80]

Originally posted by sugar and spice
I don't think anybody is associating this solely with Alpha Xi Delta, though. It's a Panhellenic problem.

That's right.

Does anybody know of some successful immediate recolonizations?

Yes. My chapter was very successful at recolonization only a year after closing. However, another chapter on campus hasn't been as successful as we were but they are holding their own.

[KillarneyRose]

Originally posted by rushqueen44

I'm sure that G8Ralphaxi is not really enjoying re-living this situation over and over again.

And I'm sure her sisters on the other side are sick of seeing her call them idiots.

I don't think G8Ralphaxi is necessarily re-living the situation over through this thread. Rather, I think she has taken the opportunity to set the record straight as someone who has actually lived through and been in the thick of the situation.

As for her sisters on the other side...if one tenth of the things she wrote are accurate, then "idiot" is far too tame a word for those people and I commend G8Ralphaxi on being too much of a lady to not call them by the names she probably uses in private.

[rushqueen44]

I'm sure her perception of the situation and her memories are accurate...to her way of thinking.

As someone pointed out pages ago, we've seen nothing but one side.

Let it go.

[KillarneyRose]

Obviously, I have no personal stake in this so I'm pretty neutral on the whole thing. That said, I would never presume to understand someone's personal feelings regarding a painful situation so I am not comfortable telling them to let it go if they're not ready to do so.

But if G8Ralphaxi's memories or perceptions are accurate only, as you imply, "to her way of thinking", anyone who cares to dispute her version is certainly welcome to post a rebuttal. This was the case when this thread was started in 2000 and remains the case today.

*edited to fix an annoying run-on sentence

[rushqueen44]

I didn't intend to imply that G8Ralphaxi "let it go." How she deals with the situation is up to her. The "let it go" was directed at everyone who feels compelled to continue this thread from three years ago.

I don't know why no one has come here to rebut her story. My only thought is that:

1) it's none of our business

2) the organization doesn't feel the need to air it's dirty laundry on a message board

3) the "idiots" don't want to dignify such statements with a response.

Who knows?

And if you are intending to reply with a statement to the effect that I am continuing this thread that I have asked others to end, save it.

[Moxie]

much of this continutation on this thread hasn't even been about the specific situation, but rather the general concept of recolonizing at a school when actives-gone-alum are still present. what would you do if that happened to your chapter and you were asked not to be a part of YOUR sisterhood on YOUR campus?! everyone can say "well, whatever is best for my org...", but the truth is that if it happened to one of us, it would *sting* and our opinions would probably start to reform. besides, talking about something a long time after it's happened isn't a bad thing. people learn from history!

[KillarneyRose]

Originally posted by rushqueen44

I didn't intend to imply that G8Ralphaxi "let it go." How she deals with the situation is up to her. The "let it go" was directed at everyone who feels compelled to continue this thread from three years ago.

I don't know why no one has come here to rebut her story. My only thought is that:

1) it's none of our business

2) the organization doesn't feel the need to air it's dirty laundry on a message board

3) the "idiots" don't want to dignify such statements with a response.

Who knows?

You saw fit to mention that only one side of the story is being presented and I was merely commenting on the fact that this need not be the case. I wasn't looking for a laundry list of reasons. Maybe "the idiots" (paraphrase) are embarassed about the way the chapter was treated? Maybe they don't have computers? Who cares?

Originally posted by rushqueen44 And if you are intending to reply with a statement to the effect that I am continuing this thread that I have asked others to end, save it.

I am supremely indifferent to your decision to continue this thread just as I was to your declaration that it should be ended. Why in Heaven's name would I care if you or anyone else decides to post?