Quote:
Originally posted by DZGirl
I think the reason this rule exists is that technically since you are still a student, you are able to be an active member of the chapter, therefore you should not be able to have all the perks an active member has since you chose to go 5th year alum. I really wouldn't worry about it though. I didn't have any issues during my one semester of temp alumn status and I imagine you won't either.
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This is exactly it...Once you go 5th year, you are an ALUM. Alums are not, as a rule, automatically invited to attend collegiate events, and in fact, should not just show up expecting to be able to take part (not that you would, but many, many do)...this is because the chapter pays for most of those events w/their dues, and obviously alums don't pay dues. It's not meant to punish you...just to make sure the lines aren't blurred for many reasons.
The "no contact" thing sounds more harsh than it is. In reality, you will still have contact w/the sisters you see every day & are obviously allowed to have personal contact with them, but you should not be attending chapter meetings, socials & other functions that alums wouldn't normally attend w/o invitation.
When I was a collegian, I remember several women going 5th year or married status just so they wouldn't have to pay dues or have to go to mandatory events (not because they were incapable--they could have easily paid their dues & had wide open schedules), which would have been fine b/c they were eligible for the status. However, they continued to come to meetings, vote on issues that only active members should have been voting on, and influencing the officers when they made decisions.... Their participation interfered with the chapter's ability to manage itself & drained chapter resources, until we started enforcing the alum regulations as they should have been. It got to the point where everyone wanted to go alum as soon as they could, even if they had only been active for a semester, so they wouldn't have any of the responsibilities, but all the rights of active membership....*NOTE: I know your situation is not like this, but I wanted to give an example to explain why the policy is what it is.
Also, it can be a risk management issue for your chapter if a young alum goes to a function and something happens b/c a national reg is violated.
Bottom line, 5th year, married, emergency and temp alumnae are alumnae. Period. No different from someone like me who graduated 12 years ago. You will be able to see your sisters on a daily basis, but you will not be able to participate in the collegiate activities w/o an invitation.
The decision to go alum before graduation is a tough one...but don't worry about the "no contact" thing...it doesn't mean no contact with your sisters, just no contact w/participation in the chapter activities... I would suggest you take 5th year status, and concentrate on your studies (while still enjoying sisterhood w/the sisters you feel close to!)...once you are done, you can embark on a fabulous & active alum life!
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