National Numbers of AI per year

[AOIIsilver]

I have been wondering...for those groups that have AI, how many does your national have in a year?

NOT OFFICIAL....but I think that AOII on average has around 8-9-10 per year.

Silver

Edited to emphasize that this is NOT official info....

[shadokat]

This isn't official, but I think in the last year, we have 2? We will have 2 more at Convention. Our number is very small.

[Sister Havana]

While we're on this subject...do the organizations in general have an AI quota? None of the groups I'm looking at say anything about it on their websites and the person from Airedale headquarters didn't mention it, but I'm just curious if many groups have a policy that they will have no more than X number of AIs nationwide per year.

[AOIIsilver]

I have never heard of an AI quota....good question...Cutie, ideas?

AOII does not have an AI quota.
In asking the question about AI numbers, I was just seeing where each group stood with numbers in general. Just curious and I thought seeing that AI is possible and is done would encourage some PNAMs.

(Is PNAMs the term GC'ers decided upon??).

AOII has initiated over 900 AI since the turn of the previous century. (Hence, where I got 8-10 per year on average.) AI are in all aspects of the fraternity including serving at Past International Presidents (PIPs, I love that term! :))

Check out the article in our To Dragma about AI. (http://www.alphaomicronpi.org/content/frames/todragmaframe.html) in the fall 2002 issue.

Roses,
Silver

[GPhiBLtColonel]

I don't know any specific numbers of AIs that Gamma Phi Beta does per year but I do know that there are no "quotas" or limits on how many AIs can be done.
We do "special" AIs at convention every other year; in 2002 at our Washington DC convention, it seemed like there were quite a few AIs perhaps 8? At our Chicago convention this June, there will only be 4 AIs done -- they have started putting a limit on how many special convention AIs are going to be done from now on, because otherwise, it all goes on way too long and the Pink Carnation banquet gets pushed back or there is not enough time to get dressed for it!
Gamma Phi Beta is generally very supportive of AI...I have personally helped 10 women become members of Gamma Phi Beta -- three from GreekChat!

[CutiePie2000]

Originally posted by AOIIsilver
I have never heard of an AI quota....good question...Cutie, ideas?
Hi...No, I have never heard of AI quota, but a great question, Sister Havana! This is because from the NPC perspective, quota is calculated based on the no#. of collegian women going through recruitment (rush), therefore, the term "quota" is not really applicable in the case of AI.

As for an AI quota, NPC sororities are based on the principle that of mutual selection, that is, collegian women mutually select other collegian women. (this is so that the alumnae are not dictating to the collegiate chapter as to who they feel should be bid; not that it doesn't happen at times).

So, I don't think that we will see an AI "quota" anytime soon -- rather AIs are individually selected & mutually selected on a case by case basis, and based on whether the sorority feels that the individual would be willing to support the collegiate and/or alumnae chapter.

[honeychile]

Silver, I was just asking a friend who is involved with AI for Alpha Delta Pi. She said that 10 a year would be nothing less than shocking - it's an honor reserved for the truly worthy.

We do have a special chapter designation for AI, though - Omega Alpha.

[aopirose]

IMHO, if individual chapters were doing more then 10 AIs per year, I would raise an eyebrow. I would wonder where all these women were coming from if they were not AOII mothers or alumnae from an absorbed local. I would want to evaluate if this is good and if it were, I would adopt some of those techniques. However, if an organization is doing more then 10 AIs per year, that doesn’t ring my bell. I feel certain that in the whole wide world of non-collegiate adult women that that there are thousands worthy of being AOIIs. We need to find our “Sisters without Badges”.

[MelodyCat]

Alpha Phi also has a special chapter designation for AIs, which is Alpha Lambda.

I don't think we have an AI quota, but I don't know where I'd check for that. Where was the site you mentioned, ariesrising?

[AOIIsilver]

Hey, AOPirose (Roses to you),

Oh, dear, I think you must have misinterpretted of my post. So sorry. Let me try to be more clear. My typing fingers don't always write what my mind is thinking.

As I mentioned in my post, I just roughly divided the number of total AI's done in the history of the whole fraternity (about 900) by the number of years that the fraternity has been doing AI (In theory, less than 107 because the first AI was not done in the very first years of the fraternity).

8-10 AI per year is, therefore, just a ROUGH, UNOFFICIAL number for the whole fraternity.

And, yes, I agree that figuring the average number of AI per year by doing that type of oversimplified calculation would probably be skewed by either
a) years that chapter colonizations occurred
or
b) several mothers/family members were inducted at once.

I also suspect, but do not know for sure, that there have been more AI's in this previous decade than others.

Make sense?

Sorry to have such a poopy calculation method, but I could not think of a better way to state what I thinking....So sorry to have caused confusion. My husband thinks that I am HIGHLY gifted at causing confusion... :)

I tee-totally agree that there are more than 10 women in the US and Canada that would make GREAT AOII's or members of ANY of the organizations. (Gotta love the term: "Sisters Without Badges")

So this raises a question....How do we find them? I feel that most women have NO idea that AI exists.

Roses,
Silver

[AOIIalum]

Originally posted by AOIIsilver
So this raises a question....How do we find them? I feel that most women have NO idea that AI exists.


That's easy :)

1. When a chapter colonizes, offer alumna initiation to those mothers and campus/community leaders who may qualify. I hesitate to use the term "worthy" but for a lack of a better term, those women who have supported and helped the colony become a chapter are ideal candidates. I may be wrong, but I have been told in the past that Pi Beta Phi does this and I think that's awesome (and if I'm wrong, please PM me so I can edit my comment on Pi Phi!)

2. If your sorority absorbs a local, naturally invite those local alumnae to join your NPC group (if rules and such allow!)

3. Offer alumna initiation to those chapter mothers and campus leaders who support the collegiate chapter on an active, positive, and continuing basis.

4. Finally, to my alumnae sisters in all sororities--do you have a friend who very well may be a "sister without a badge"? Well, remember all those years of rush workshops? Of course you do (although now it's recruitment and not rush!) First you make a friend, and we all have lots of friends, right? Next, introduce her to your friends, who just happen to be your sorority sisters! We all know the drill :)

This may be too simplistic, but sometimes simple is good.

[dakareng]

Originally posted by AOIIsilver

I tee-totally agree that there are more than 10 women in the US and Canada that would make GREAT AOII's or members of ANY of the organizations. (Gotta love the term: "Sisters Without Badges")

So this raises a question....How do we find them? I feel that most women have NO idea that AI exists.



It comes down to recruiting the way our founders recruited. One at a time. How do our chapters find COB members? They look to women on their floor, in their classes. The women that I have known as PI Phi AI that did not have a family connection or had previously pledged but never initiated knew a Pi Phi through employment or other volunteer activities. It may not be fashionable in all parts of the country but we need to discuss our afflilations. If you find unaffiliated women, talk to them... see if that is something they'd want to do. Yes, some women will come to us, but sometimes we'll need to go to them.

I think all GLOs that have formal policies allowing (encouraging) AI have published something recently or are communicating with their members. Yes, some groups will facilitate the process if someone calls HQ, and some do not. At some point, perhaps NPC will step in and serve as an overall information center telling potential AI what to do and who to call, but that has not happened yet. Unless your organization will conduct an AI without any input of any member, it still boils down to who do you know, who can you contact. The women who frequent this board have found a wonderful resource here but again, they all knew that AI was a possibility.

Word of mouth is a wonderful thing! We need to toot our own horns!

[dakareng]

Originally posted by AOIIalum


1. When a chapter colonizes, offer alumna initiation to those mothers and campus/community leaders who may qualify. I hesitate to use the term "worthy" but for a lack of a better term, those women who have supported and helped the colony become a chapter are ideal candidates. I may be wrong, but I have been told in the past that Pi Beta Phi does this and I think that's awesome (and if I'm wrong, please PM me so I can edit my comment on Pi Phi!)

2. If your sorority absorbs a local, naturally invite those local alumnae to join your NPC group (if rules and such allow!)

3. Offer alumna initiation to those chapter mothers and campus leaders who support the collegiate chapter on an active, positive, and continuing basis.

4. Finally, to my alumnae sisters in all sororities--do you have a friend who very well may be a "sister without a badge"? Well, remember all those years of rush workshops? Of course you do (although now it's recruitment and not rush!) First you make a friend, and we all have lots of friends, right? Next, introduce her to your friends, who just happen to be your sorority sisters! We all know the drill :)

This may be too simplistic, but sometimes simple is good.

You are correct. Pi Phi will offer AI to women who are interested in advising a chapter (not necessarily a new colony). I knew of several situations where the daughter was initiating the mother... and if my mother had gone to college, she might have been offered AI (our province officer was going to nominate her when I was a collegiate member). Having attended college is the one absolute requirement to be a Pi Beta Phi AI

[aopirose]

Silver, I understood your first post completely and I think that it is fine. My post was in response to honeychile’s friend’s comment. I am sorry that I wasn’t clear but I didn’t want to put HC on the defensive. She was just passing along a comment.


Originally posted by AOIIsilver
Hey, AOPirose (Roses to you),

Oh, dear, I think you must have misinterpretted of my post. So sorry. Let me try to be more clear. My typing fingers don't always write what my mind is thinking.

As I mentioned in my post, I just roughly divided the number of total AI's done in the history of the whole fraternity (about 900) by the number of years that the fraternity has been doing AI (In theory, less than 107 because the first AI was not done in the very first years of the fraternity).

8-10 AI per year is, therefore, just a ROUGH, UNOFFICIAL number for the whole fraternity.

And, yes, I agree that figuring the average number of AI per year by doing that type of oversimplified calculation would probably be skewed by either
a) years that chapter colonizations occurred
or
b) several mothers/family members were inducted at once.

I also suspect, but do not know for sure, that there have been more AI's in this previous decade than others.

Make sense?

Sorry to have such a poopy calculation method, but I could not think of a better way to state what I thinking....So sorry to have caused confusion. My husband thinks that I am HIGHLY gifted at causing confusion... :)

I tee-totally agree that there are more than 10 women in the US and Canada that would make GREAT AOII's or members of ANY of the organizations. (Gotta love the term: "Sisters Without Badges")

So this raises a question....How do we find them? I feel that most women have NO idea that AI exists.

Roses,
Silver

[Jill1228]

I was looking thru some old school Alpha Phi Quarterly mags and I saw that when a chapter is installed, quite a few moms of members have been AI'd :)

[WCUgirl]

Originally posted by dakareng
Having attended college is the one absolute requirement to be a Pi Beta Phi AI This is a requirement for us as well. And, of course, she cannot have been initiated into another NPC organization.

[CutiePie2000]

Originally posted by AOIIalum
That's easy :)
1. When a chapter colonizes, offer alumna initiation to those mothers and campus/community leaders who may qualify. I hesitate to use the term "worthy" but for a lack of a better term, those women who have supported and helped the colony become a chapter are ideal candidates.

An excellent point. In many cases, a new colony may not have immediately available alumnae support in the area (although if this was the case, I would wonder how wise it would be for an NPC to set up "shop" there to begin with). Anyhow, to AI some local women who were deemed "worthy"/"deserving"/"suitable" might help to set up a "ready made" alumnae network--while these women might not have extensive sorority experience, they *DO* have the wisdom of life experience, which counts for a lot too! :D

[honeychile]

Originally posted by aopirose
Silver, I understood your first post completely and I think that it is fine. My post was in response to honeychile’s friend’s comment. I am sorry that I wasn’t clear but I didn’t want to put HC on the defensive. She was just passing along a comment.

I appreciate your kindness, aopirose. Actually, there are times that more than 10 AI's are done in a year - such as when a long-lived local becomes a chapter of Alpha Delta Pi. In such cases, the alumnae of the local sorority are usually offered full AI membership in Alpha Delta Pi.

I would imagine that I was told about the less than 10 as a way of saying that it's not for just anyone. Most housemothers are offered AI, as are many mothers who have served a chapter above & beyond the call of duty, or super-legacies who went to a college without a greek system.

Alpha Delta Pi also requires some college education; but I think that's not an issue with the housemothers.



ETA: you have to understand that we have legacies who are direct descendants of our 1851 founders. One just can't deny membership to someone with that many generations of ADPi!

[James]

I would imagine that Greek chat has both increased interest in AI as well as increased their numbers.

[Jill1228]

Without a doubt! Many of us had no idea about AI. Once we found out that we can finally make our dream a reality, we took it and ran with it!


Originally posted by James
I would imagine that Greek chat has both increased interest in AI as well as increased their numbers.

[Tom Earp]

James, I think you are 100% right at least for us on GC!

While my Chapter has only Intitated 5 people over our 39 years, it was for a good cause, what they had done to help us as a Fraternity Chapter.

I think the NPC, NHPC are more apt to AI than NIC, I do not think anything is wrong with it! I have a, well best friend who I would like to see Intiated, but as I told him, He has to deserve it and I will do my best to see it happen!

Many Ladies who are on GC and have related their storys show, that just not being initiated in college does not dim the light for what they feel and want to do for each of their respective Greek Organizations, with that said, could you imagine Jill being more dedicated than any other Member of AP?

Remember, she is one of the many on here who have related the same thing so please take my congratulations and hopes for those still looking and those who have found their home!:)

[valkyrie]

Originally posted by James
I would imagine that Greek chat has both increased interest in AI as well as increased their numbers.

I think you're right, and I don't want to sound negative, but sometimes I wonder if that is a good thing or not.

[Tom Earp]

valkryie, why not?:confused:

Are there not many women over the years as AIs who have ment many great things to their Organizations?

[DeltaBetaBaby]

I think I have to lean towards valkyrie's opinion on this one. Sure, we could go out and actively look for more AI's, but why?

[Sistermadly]

Originally posted by valkyrie
I think you're right, and I don't want to sound negative, but sometimes I wonder if that is a good thing or not.

Ditto... and I'm not only a huge supporter of alumna initiation, but I'm an alumna initiate myself.

[aopirose]

I think that it is all how you look at it. What organization couldn’t use more hands to carry on its mission? Conversely, what woman couldn’t use a network of leadership, friendship, and service?

Several of AOIIs most outstanding sisters have been AIs, including two International Presidents. I, myself, am serving the Fraternity on an International Standing Committee. (That’s not too shabby considering that I have only been an initiated AOII for 3 ½ years.) This is in addition to my wonderful family and local AOII duties plus my other civic work.

GC is a great resource and I am glad that information about AI is out there. Not only are potential members finding out about it, but MEMBERS are discovering it too. However, I am sure that the number of women finding out about AI and subsequently finding a group is small compared to offline. (Congratulations again to those of you who did!) I don’t believe that GC will cause a stir “the likes of which no one has ever seen”.

I also stand by my original statement. I don’t feel that COR principles need to stop after “Pomp & Circumstance”. I believe that there are many qualified unaffiliated women and they would make perfect AOIIs. Now, I am not saying that we need to set up a booth and sign up sheet in a mall. That is extreme. Rather as dakareng and AOIIAlum put it, we should take the approach of our Founders. Take an inventory of those outstanding/deserving (any descriptor that you feel necessary) women in your life. You have got to know at least one, right? Invite her.

I know five women, in addition to the one that I am sponsoring, who I consider Sisters without Badges. Membership would certainly be mutually beneficial for these women and AOII. They are living our philosophy and purpose but they don’t realize it. These women would also have the chance to enhance their leadership skills by serving in an elected or volunteer position, enjoy our programming, and most importantly, develop lasting friendships. AOII would gain devoted sisters who would contribute time, talent, and money to ensure the Fraternity’s success. If AOII gains either one woman or 40 women per year, we are the richer for it. Ideally, we would pick these women up as collegians. Reality, unfortunately, doesn’t allow that.

Due to organizational policies, this is certainly an area where we can all agree to disagree.

[sageofages]

Very well said AOPiRose!

[aopirose]

Originally posted by sageofages
Very well said AOPiRose!

Thanks, sageofages.

[Tom Earp]

4 to 5 years of Collegiet experience do not always a Brother or Sister make.

It is what is in the Heart. I think that very well be seen on GC by All of the AI Initiates we have seen.

It just seems that these Individual Ladies that have gone through AI have had a much tougher time than a Collegete Associating as a Freshman.

I just think that most of the Ladies on GC that We know about who have AIed are as enthusiastic or even more so than some who went to college rushed, graduated and never have come back or participated as Graduates.

The AIs have worked just as hard if not harder and longer than many in College!

My Congratulations to The Soroities and Fraternities who do so!

[Aphigal]

I think the new and different ways AI's are finding their way to our organizations is something for each NPC group to evaluate on its own.

Alpha Phi is being proactive and has currently formed a small committee to review our AI process and policies. While I don't know what changes, if any, will evolve from the process I am pleased that we are reviewing this membership intake avenue.

[Adelphean1851]

Originally posted by honeychile
I appreciate your kindness, aopirose. Actually, there are times that more than 10 AI's are done in a year - such as when a long-lived local becomes a chapter of Alpha Delta Pi. In such cases, the alumnae of the local sorority are usually offered full AI membership in Alpha Delta Pi.

I would imagine that I was told about the less than 10 as a way of saying that it's not for just anyone. Most housemothers are offered AI, as are many mothers who have served a chapter above & beyond the call of duty, or super-legacies who went to a college without a greek system.

Alpha Delta Pi also requires some college education; but I think that's not an issue with the housemothers



ETA: you have to understand that we have legacies who are direct descendants of our 1851 founders. One just can't deny membership to someone with that many generations of ADPi!


Honey,
I'm sure your friend knows what shes talking about, but I was under the impression that GC was trying to expand the AI program. The only thing they told me when I asked for the info was that the paperwork takes longer to process. I can imagine them only doing 10 a year though just beacause the majority of members are ignorant of AI. Heck getting my AA going on it is like pulling teeth.

[Tom Earp]

I am not really sure what you mean about GC expanding AI.

GC is just a Chat Site and many women have been fortuninate enough to find out about it off of GreekChat.

It has opened a window for many Women to associate with Greek Organizations. If you lool at many of the New AIs, they are totally into their New Organizations.

Yes, it is up to each Greek Organization on how they handle it and rightly so.

I know from friends of mine in NHPC Organizations, they do a lot of AI. So, is that all bad?

[polarpi]

Tom,

Adelphean1851 was talking about ADPi's Grand Council (GC) ;)

A lot of us shorten Grand Council down to GC when we're talking about decisions they're making or just the council itself.

Sorry about the confusion! :)

[Tom Earp]

polarpi,

thanks for the explanation!:)

Regardless, I am glad to see so many women find a home.

NIC does have something similar but less used.

I can think of several men that I know who would make a large contribution as a New Initiate of any NIC Greek Organization.

[GPhiBLtColonel]

I want to clarify my earlier post about having been involved in 10 AIs...that is not 10 per year -- it is 10 total since 1987-ish, when I helped with my first one...just wanted to clarify...

[LPIDelta]

Delta Phi Epsilon has welcomed several women into our sisterhood over the last year. We had five women initiated as alumna at our Convention a few weeks ago. One of them was my grandmother! And another young woman initiated earlier for a total of 6 in the past year. WOO HOO!

[Taualumna]

Back from Convention! :) We had five women initiated as AIs at this past Convention.

[preciousjeni]

Theta Nu Xi does a good deal of "AI" especially with our Graduate, Alumnae and Professional (GAP) chapters. Collegiate members and GAP members work very closely to promote the mission of the sorority as a whole. Collegiate and GAP are extremely similar, but collegians use a lot of their time to fulfill undergraduate requirements on campus while GAP members use a lot of their time in the community.