Inca's Alumnae Initiation Quest (Update Jan 4)
 

I have noticed that everyone here seems to enjoy these stories, and hopefully mine will be a good one. I have begun to embark on a quest to alumnae initiate, and I'd like to keep you all updated, as in PM's, many of you have been very helpful.

I had 2 groups in mind initially. So far these are the only groups I have had any contact with, as limited as it's been.

My main criteria right now in deciding who to contact has been national and international presence, as well as how I felt about them in college. I realize the alumnae groups will be totally different than the collegiate groups, and I am trying to keep an open mind about all of them.

Any advice or words of encouragement would be appreciated, as I've realized that waiting is the hardest part!

Hi Inca,
I am delighted to hear of another woman who interested in going Greek even after the college days are over!

I read through what you posted and it sounds like you have laid an excellent groundwork thus far!

I am not sure which groups you are interested in but feel free to PM me if you wanted to discuss anything discreetly or if you wanted more in depth advice.

I noticed that you had written:
"There are other groups that are a possibility. I have heard one group doesn't like to do AI's, while two other groups do."
You may need to check out these groups directly and ascetain from there as to how you were received. Although you may not know members directly, once you get to know some of the members in the Alumnae Chapter, you should be able to secure sponsorship from there. I also think that whether they are alumnae in your area and whether they are an active group should definitely shape your decision.....

I hope that this helps and I look forward to more updates!
:)

Yay! Another AI thread! Good luck Inca, and I agree -- it seems like you've laid a really good groundwork so far. Do come back and keep us informed!

I don't know much about Alum Initiations or the openess of certain organizations to it, but it definitely sounds as if ABC didnt get your original message. If i were you , i'd definitely try to contact someone one more time....GOOD LUCK! Thanx for sharing your story... please keep us posted:D

Yay!!! Another AI thread! I am also in pursuit of AI, and it can be very intimidating to contact a GLO if you don't know anyone there.

I was in a similar situation to yours in that I was interested in a GLO where I knew one member, but we were not extremely close. I contacted the national office anyway, but the response was very negative.... they appeared to only want inquiries from people who were close to current members.

It seems that regardless of the group, you are probably in a better position if you know a collegiate or alumnae member. Try mentioning your interest in AI to friends and acquainances. You'd be surprised how many people you'll find who are in GLOs. You may have to educate some of them on AI, but if you are really serious about membership, it's worth the effort.

Good luck to you! Keep us posted on your progress!

You may want to private message or e-mail a GreekChat Moderator who is an alumna of ABC and DEF and get some feedback on the organizational process so that you are better informed. They may also be able to steer you in a more direct path towards your goal.

Welcome aboard, Inca!

I'm a fellow AI pursuer. (We need to come up w/ a short and catchy name for that.....)

When I began my "quest" I found out that keeping an open mind about who to contact is more important as an alumna than as a collegian. The Web offers more and more immediate information than we had as college students, plus a few extra years gives us a completely different POV than we had back then.

There's been some signs of progress on my end recently--I'll be posting some details of my own soon.

Good luck and Happy New Year!
Adrienne
:)

I agree with Barb's advice but you might want to also ask some of the regular GCers as well (and not just the moderators). As an example, there are a number of women on here who have experience with our AI process (myself included).

How about PNAM ... for Prospective New Alumnae Member ... as opposed to PNM which is the collegiate prospective new member...

:->

Works for me! Call me a PNAM from now on.

DITTO!!!
Great Idea! I'm going w/ it too!

Adrienne
PNAM-2003
:D

More power to you all!!!!!!
 

I have been where you are standing right now and it is frustrating... know this there are so many groups know that are so open to AI so if one door closes another will open up! Also, this time of yr, as it has been said elsewhere on the board, is the holiday season and most if not all national offices are low in staff right now so keep your chin up!

PM Cutiepie , she has such awesome information about AI to share with ladies who want to pursue this avenue!

Just tho throw in my 2 cents i am a product of AI with Alpha Phi and they are truly the most awesome group of sisters ever!


Laura

Loooove the PNAM!! Count me in as one!

As long as we're talking about PNAMS--every time I see an AI thread, I think "artificial insemination" because when I was an agriculture professor, that's all the animal science professors talked about-- their bulls and their AI success! I wonder if any other agriculturists are thinking the same thing?:D

I thought that it was just me. ;)