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-   -   Conference attendance (http://www.greekchat.com/gcforums/showthread.php?t=65052)

bubblegum 04-03-2005 03:47 AM

Conference attendance
 
I was wondering if any other GLOs have encountered this problem before and how they dealt with it. We're required to have a certain percentage of our active sisters attend conference each semester. Conference is always on the West Coast, because we only have two chapters on the East Coast. All our other chapters are on the West Coast. This semester, EVERYONE is saying that they don't have the money to fly out to conference. I've told them that we're going to get fined by our Nationals if we don't have the minimum number of girls at conference. They just say "Oh, well, I'll just pay the fine. It's going to be cheaper than a plane ticket." A lot of these girls are the same girls who still haven't paid their dues for this semester. I'm worried that these girls aren't going to pay up for the fines, and our treasury doesn't have enough money to cover all the fines while these girls work on paying their dues and their fines. I've stressed to them that it's not just about the money issue. I've stressed to them that it reflects poorly on our chapter. In addition, how can we convince our Nationals that they should give conference on the East Coast a chance when we don't show up at conference? How can we convince Nationals that they should have West Coast chapters visit us and help us out with recruitment when we don't show up at conference? I'm just so stressed and frustrated and discouraged as president. I don't know what to do.

AGDLynn 04-03-2005 11:45 AM

Are you required to only have a certain percentage and/or iare only certain officers requiired? With Alpha Gam, only the required collegiate is the President.

Can you have fund raisers to help off-set the price of attendance?

As for not paying their dues, that should like a membership concern since they may not be in good standing if they aren't paying required financial monies.

In my opinion, only having 2 East Coast chapters probably won't sway your nationals to move to the East Coast but perhaps they would consider moving to the middle.

I know that Alpha Gam tries to vary the location but even still, where they choose it, may be difficult to get to, i.e., expensive airfare and/or cab/shuttle service.

I don't know what GLO you are in but if there are GC members, try pm'ing them and ask. Even if the convention is on the same coast, chapters may still have poblems getting enough memrers to attend.

Tom Earp 04-03-2005 11:56 AM

Not knowing what Your Organization is, it is hard to evaluate.

Having a cetain % of Your Chapter Members required without any help from Your NHQ is unthinkable.

LXA expects a Rep. from each Chapter (President), to attend and is paid for by the National Hq.

Anyone else pays their own way, I did as an Alum last year.

One of the Chapters Alum Assoc. gave a % to send 4 Actives and one Alum.

Now as far as Your Actives not paying dues, You do have a serious problem. They are hurting Your Chapter and should be delt with asap.

bubblegum 04-03-2005 12:44 PM

To clarify, as president, I'm required to go and I am going. However, we are also supposed to have 50% of our active sisters attend. Fundraising is definitely a good idea, and some of the girls are trying to think of fundraising ideas. But we're getting down to the wire. Conference is in a couple weeks and these girls still can't even decide on a single fundraising idea. I know we should have started planning a fundraiser much earlier, but I've told these girls since the beginning of February to start saving money and start trying to get money from parents, aunts, uncles, grandparents, etc. for plane tickets to conference, but no one actually did it. As far as Nationals helping us out, we don't get anything from Nationals to attend...not even me, as president.

aopirose 04-03-2005 01:18 PM

One thing to help out in the future is to include a chapter budget line item for the conference. Dedicate a portion of your dues or fundraising proceeds to go towards this fund and use it only for this purpose. Decide who should be the beneficiary as the fund such as president or official delegate. (I know it's hard since 50% of the chapter is to go but as presdient it should be a benefit.) Make sure that you don't wipe it out. It may only be enough to cover a night's lodging at first but you need to start somewhere. As time goes on, the fund should get larger and be able assist more people.

winnieb 04-03-2005 01:29 PM

It is a great idea to budget in the expense expected for the conference each year.
Regarding 50% of active sisters to attend the conference, does active = members in good standing? I would assume if your members are not paying their bills then they would not be in good standing. So in short, if not in good standing are they still required to attend?
Good luck.

PhoenixAzul 04-03-2005 02:10 PM

Holy mackeral....50%!? It can be hard to get 50% of any chapter at any one event, let alone one that's cross country. BUT! To save on lodging, and I know this might not be the most *attractive* option, but there's always hostels, and especially on the west coast, hostelling can be cheap and efficient (some even offer group rates!). Is it possible to ask a local chapter or a couple of local chapters to house your girls for a few days? That could mean carpool opportunities too. If you're willing to plan ahead and spend a few days...Greyhound bus tickets can be a viable option. It takes a while, but it's vastly cheaper than air fare.

Tom Earp 04-03-2005 02:47 PM

Something needs to be brought up about having that % of Chapter Members required to attend. This is ridiculous to say the least.:o

As long as there is a rep. from each Chapter, Policy can be made and voted on.

It seems if they are that staunch, there will be little expansion or even keeping Chapters viable and open.

DGMarie 04-03-2005 04:50 PM

What organization do you belong to? I have a hard time believing any national organization would require you to send 50% of it's active and in good standing members clear across the country twice per year (you say it is a semester event). Whether this was 1 member or 100 members is is an unfair burden to pay this out of pocket and at this regular rate (2x per year).

Something doesn't seem quite right.

texas*princess 04-03-2005 04:55 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by DGMarie
What organization do you belong to? I have a hard time believing any national organization would require you to send 50% of it's active and in good standing members clear across the country twice per year (you say it is a semester event). Whether this was 1 member or 100 members is is an unfair burden to pay this out of pocket and at this regular rate (2x per year).

Something doesn't seem quite right.

i was wondering the same thing... that's crazy!

bubblegum 04-03-2005 07:01 PM

I don't really want to say which org I'm in, because some of my other threads have been about problems that I've had with the girls in my chapter. But we currently have 20 members, so it would be a minimum of 10 girls at conference. It actually used to be 75%, but we petitioned our nationals to change it to 50% for us and the other East Coast chapter. The West coast chapters still have to send 75%, even if conference is in NorCal and the chapter is in SoCal. We only have 11 chapters, so it would be a VERY, VERY small conference if only one person (the president) had to attend from each chapter. In addition, there is usually a big party the night before the actual conference, there is a dinner and sleepover for all the new initiates, and there is a lunch where we can mingle and get to know girls from other chapters. But, I do agree that it would be so much easier and better if the requirement was lower (like just requiring the president and a delegate to attend).

As far as lodging goes, that's taken out of our treasury so girls don't have to pay out of pocket. The only thing girls need to pay is their plane ticket and bringing spending money (for meals and souveneirs). But right now, plane tickets are so expensive.

cash78mere 04-03-2005 07:05 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by bubblegum
I know we should have started planning a fundraiser much earlier, but I've told these girls since the beginning of February to start saving money and start trying to get money from parents, aunts, uncles, grandparents, etc. for plane tickets to conference, but no one actually did it.
maybe i'm reading in to things, but it appears you're blaming the women (they're not girls) for not thinking ahead, but as president that should have been one of your responsibilities as well.

when i was in college, there's no way i could have raised any money to attend a conference, even if the president threatened my life. my family didn't have money for that--they had to take out loans just to get me to college! and i wouldn't have spent my measly $6 an hour babysitting money on plane tickets when i needed that money for food. that would have been a hell of a lot of babysitting anyway! you need to realize that not everyone has a financial support system--some people can barely feed themselves in college.

while i hope for the best for your chapter, i hope you will take what i have to say to heart. i'm not judging you or your chapter. i'm just trying to make you see that no matter how much begging and pleading you do now, you ALL should have thought of a fund raiser at the beginning of the year since you knew about the conference then.

best of luck to you.

33girl 04-03-2005 07:25 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by bubblegum
I don't really want to say which org I'm in, because some of my other threads have been about problems that I've had with the girls in my chapter. But we currently have 20 members, so it would be a minimum of 10 girls at conference. It actually used to be 75%, but we petitioned our nationals to change it to 50% for us and the other East Coast chapter. The West coast chapters still have to send 75%, even if conference is in NorCal and the chapter is in SoCal. We only have 11 chapters, so it would be a VERY, VERY small conference if only one person (the president) had to attend from each chapter. In addition, there is usually a big party the night before the actual conference, there is a dinner and sleepover for all the new initiates, and there is a lunch where we can mingle and get to know girls from other chapters. But, I do agree that it would be so much easier and better if the requirement was lower (like just requiring the president and a delegate to attend).

If your sorority is looking to become a nationwide sorority, they really IMO need to rethink this policy.

It's quite a burden to expect that % to attend, especially if some of them have to fly across the entire country. I'm sure that at some point when the NPC groups were expanding, the geographical issues were similar, but I doubt that they made the whole chapter show up. Maybe they could teleconference the East Coasters in for business meetings or something.

10 plane tickets is what, like $3000? Wouldn't that money be better spent helping your chapter grow on campus or helping to colonize new chapters, rather than flying people across the country for a weekend? Yes, you do need to plan ahead for $ for conferences and stuff and include it in dues and fundraisers, but this is a little beyond reasonable.

alphaalpha 04-03-2005 09:37 PM

have you tried going on some of the discounted airline ticket places online like priceline.com and seeing what kinda of deals you can get for 10 tickets. I have always done the name your own price whenever i have to fly somewhere (and trust me i am on a very tight budget). But i have gotten tickets for like 125 or 150. That might be a easier to. and as well as fundraising. I do know of some things that can be done online ( not things i want to talk about on here) but if you want to PM me i can tell you about some of the programs that i know of. they are a bit unconventional but can yeild a large amount of money. Let me know.

Beryana 04-03-2005 09:50 PM

as students, I would actually recommend checking out www.studentuniverse.com I booked my flights to Germany through them and have not had a problem (knock on wood!) My flights were $420 round trip from Chicago to Frankfurt. I haven't really checked the domestic flights, but these international flights were almost half 'normal' price - and they are on United/Lufthansa so they are not on the no-name airlines - and student univers works with Orbitz.

Just a suggestion

Sarah


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