Rho Chi/Gamma Duties - venting

[KappaKittyCat]

CarolinaDG

Yeah, because of one member, we were known as the "lesbian sorority" too. It sucks. Way to scare off the PNMs. Except it wasn't only the other sororities; it was the fraternities, too.

Thanks, kids.

Tom,

I believe you're mixing up two very important terms for sororities. Total is set by Panhellenic and is the goal for every chapter on campus. Quota is the number of women attending the last invitational round divided by the number of chapters (at least that's how my campus does it. Talk to Barbara for more detail there).

Allow me to enlighten you as to my campus's situation.

Our total is 50. We have three orgs. None of the chapters are at total. Chapters are at 42, 39, and 15 (rebuilding from a reorganization effort last year). There is no need to lower total. PNMs are not going bidless. Therefore, there is no need for another org to come onto my campus. Nobody has tried to bring another one on. There is simply not enough interest. Twenty years ago, total was at 70 and the chapters hovered in the 60s. Total has lowered in accordance with the declining number of women going through Recruitment.

This fall we essentially did bring a new org onto campus. Mine.

Zeta Epsilon Chapter of Kappa Kappa Gamma began the year with four women. Our pitch was, "Rush Kappa and build a new chapter." That's essentially what we have now: a new chapter. Why would we need to bring an entirely different organization onto campus when we can offer the same building opportunities? If we had died, there would not have been another chapter to come on campus. It would have gone from three to two.

Your questions.

1. Do I fear competition?

No, I do not fear competition. Now ZE Kappa is competitive again. I'm saying that there is not enough interest on my campus to make further competition necessary. It would be disasterous for NPC to expand onto my campus. Instead of splitting 30 PNMs three ways every winter, we'd have to split them four ways. All the orgs would shrink and it would hurt everyone in the long run. It's simple supply and demand. We need to increase the demand for orgs before we supply more.

2. Do I fear for the longevity of my chapter?

Not anymore. But I did.

I rushed a dying organization. I knew this when I rushed it, but I didn't care because I loved the women who were to be my sisters with a passion and I loved the Ideals that Kappa Kappa Gamma stands for. I became our membership chair. I ran my office from Italy for four months because there was nobody on campus to do it. I held it together with four other sisters while other orgs on campus had 40 members each and were talking trash about us both behind our backs and to our faces. We rushed our little butts off and we came up with 10 beautiful, strong new members. Fabulous women. I had people I didn't even know coming up to me and complimenting the job we'd done. Now we are competitive.

The only reason we're still here is that certain members of our Grand Council were present at Zeta Epsilon's installation twenty years ago. They got together and said, "ZE's not going down on our watch." They agreed to stand behind us with one more push. They enlisted the help of alumnae and other active members from other chapters. Sisters we did not even know rallied behind us. Last year was do or die. If we didn't make it, they'd pull the plug. Well, we did. And each of us is stronger to show for it.

And the GDIs on my campus? They would have laughed, rejoiced, and paraded in the streets to see another chapter fold. Or they wouldn't have even noticed. Now, I can't reach the ones who would parade in the streets. But I can reach the ones who wouldn't have noticed. I can make them notice. I can make them want to become Greek, or at least be an Independent supporter. And then, when the number of PNMs has reached a point where we have room, where we have a demand for another chapter, then bring it on. I'd like nothing better to expand the Greek sisterhood on my campus. I'd love to bring Pi Phi, Alpha Chi, or Kappa Delta back to Lawrence. I'd love for Panhel to be strong again. But in order for those sororities not to wither on the vine within ten years of arriving at Lawrence, Kappa needs to be strong first so that we can help them.

I'm the first VP now, the VP Standards. I went to National Convention in Orlando in June with our President and our second VP, the VP Organization. I got to walk up the aisle with my active sisters and two ZE alumnae sisters who are now chapter advisors, to receive our national Recruitment award. I got to hear our Grand President tell me how proud she is of me, of all of us. Numerous women came up to me after reading my chapter name on my nametag and compliment me. I had our past Grand President, last year's NPC president, tell me that ZE Chapter's efforts over the past year are the embodiment of the spirit of Kappa Kappa Gamma. Nobody thought we could do it. We did it.

I'm getting very emotional, Tom. As I write this, I'm actually fighting back tears. I think how close I came to losing what has become the most important thing in my life. I think how much I've put into Kappa, and how much she's given back. And it hurts me more than anything else to hear someone who doesn't even know what I've been through suggest that my chapter should have sacrificed itself to bring someone else on campus for the health of Greek life.

Well, Greek life isn't healthy on my campus, but it's getting back there. Our rebirth is making it healthier. If we hadn't been reborn, there would have just been a hole where we were. No new chapter.

I can't even respond to the rest of your post. I can't understand what you're referring to, and I'm way to emotional to make a logical, rational argument.

I'm here to tell you that it was worth it.