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  #1  
Old 04-15-2007, 02:58 PM
1908Revelations 1908Revelations is offline
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Chapter V. National/International

I started this thread so that I would not disrupt the 'How big are you thread'.

So I want to know:

How could one not care about the national/international org or care less about it over their undergraduate chapter? So when you (whomever) are going through your rush or process is there no or little thought placed in what is this organization doing as a whole or is it what is this chapter doing? Sorry, I am lost about the whole chapter ovre national/international thing. I care more about the international body of AKA versus any chapter because AKA is greater than any individual chapter. And in case anyone is wondering I am an undergraduate, so I am not looking at this from a graduate level.
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Last edited by 1908Revelations; 04-15-2007 at 03:10 PM.
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  #2  
Old 04-15-2007, 03:08 PM
CutiePie2000 CutiePie2000 is offline
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My response comes from the NPC p.o.v., but here goes.......

Well, when I was going through the NPC recruitment process at university, I did give some thought to "where does my org possibly have alumnae chapters in other cities?", because I knew that after university, I would want to live in a few different cities, for personal and professional development. Alumnae Chapters are a good way to make friends, if you know few people or no one in that city.

Later one, when I did become an NPC member, I did live in one city where we had no alumnae chapter, but by virtue of being "Greek", I was able to befriend other NPC alumnae women as well as a handful of alumnae from my GLO (though we had no established alumnae group), and the other NPC women did make a point of "taking me under their wing" which was appreciated).

That being said, my opinion is that, I think that for some people in their 20s who are going through collegiate rush/recruitment, I think it's difficult for them to envision what "down the road" alumnae life will bring. It's more important in the context of the time and lifeperiod for them to be more concerned with the collegiate chapter.

Perhaps prospective NPHC collegiate members give more thought to the long term picture, because from what I've learned on this GC board, the NPHC members seem to emphasize more lifelong & community involvement with their respective GLOs. Also, NPHC prospective members know that they should do their research and pursue just one group, so I think the whole intake process is more much thoughtful and introspective, than NPC Formal Recruitment where a potential new member must visit each group at least once.

Last edited by CutiePie2000; 04-15-2007 at 03:12 PM.
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  #3  
Old 04-15-2007, 03:13 PM
1908Revelations 1908Revelations is offline
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Thanks CutiePie. I guess that is just a NPC/NPHC difference.
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  #4  
Old 04-15-2007, 04:06 PM
lauralaylin lauralaylin is offline
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When I joined as an undergrad, I couldn't have told you if my organization had two chapters or two thousand. What mattered to me was that I was happy with my sisters. After graduation however, I've really come to care much more about us on an international level. I would like my chapter to do well, but if they weren't I wouldn't be crushed. I'd much rather see us do well as a whole group. I'm not sure how I got to this point though. Maybe after I moved away from my university, I was able to see how much I love my sisters and Alpha Phi in general, not just in RI.
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Old 04-15-2007, 04:27 PM
Drolefille Drolefille is offline
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I think a big part of it we aren't raised with an expectation of joining a specific group. My mom's an ADPi. She wanted me to go through recruitment but didn't expect me to a) know what group I wanted already and b) join ADPi. I see a lot of NPHC members saying that they'll only support their daughter/son if he or she joins their org.

I certainly took into consideration what our national organization did as a philanthropy. But I didn't really learn any of that until recruitment. I flipped through the national websites once before hand, maybe. However what I really was looking for was the sisterhood. And that is where the chapter was important over the national organization.

I see the differences like this (please correct me if I'm wrong):
NPC-Rush multiple chapters, Join One, Dedicated primarily to your chapter, Graduate, Become active as an alumna for your organization as a whole or become inactive.

NPHC - Persue one chapter, Join one chapter, dedicated on local and national level, graduate, Remain active or become inactive

(Assumption that if you join as a graduate you'll stay active whether NPHC or NPC)

I think we both end up in the same place if that makes sense.
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  #6  
Old 04-15-2007, 04:38 PM
AGDee AGDee is offline
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I think, in most ways, the NPC groups are, on an inter/national level, more similar than different. All of them have the same basic focal points of sisterhood, philanthropy, leadership and scholarship. The specifics of the philanthropy vary, most definitely, but overall, they are more similar than different. Some groups are stronger in the South, some are more numerous in the North. And, the way our recruitment process works, it does encourage women to look at the individual chapter rather than the whole organization.

In Michigan, we have a statewide luncheon for our International Reunion Day (our version of a Founder's Day) and this is generally a young woman's first exposure to other chapters, alumnae from other chapters, etc. The young women often walk away from that with a new sense of a bigger organization than their chapter. When you REALLY see that is when young women attend our leadership conferences or, even moreso, our Convention. Unfortunately, those are usually only the Presidents. They get a big understanding of how big this thing we're in truly is. When we get to the part at Convention where they honor the woman in attendance who has attended the most Conventions, and it is someone who has been to 25, 26, 27 Conventions, you really see their jaws drop. It is also when they meet a lot of volunteers at the higher levels and find out that these are women who love the Fraternity so much that they've dedicated unending hours to it and it inspires them.
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  #7  
Old 04-15-2007, 04:42 PM
Senusret I Senusret I is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 1908Revelations View Post
I started this thread so that I would not disrupt the 'How big are you thread'.

So I want to know:

How could one not care about the national/international org or care less about it over their undergraduate chapter? So when you (whomever) are going through your rush or process is there no or little thought placed in what is this organization doing as a whole or is it what is this chapter doing? Sorry, I am lost about the whole chapter ovre national/international thing. I care more about the international body of AKA versus any chapter because AKA is greater than any individual chapter. And in case anyone is wondering I am an undergraduate, so I am not looking at this from a graduate level.

Let me throw this into the mix....

Some NPHC members DEFINITELY care more about their chapters. It depends on the person and the chapter, but I think it relates less to recruitment and rush and more about their level of activity once they graduate and what sort of brotherly or sisterly relations they have with people outside their chapter.
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  #8  
Old 04-15-2007, 04:45 PM
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Originally Posted by lauralaylin View Post
When I joined as an undergrad, I couldn't have told you if my organization had two chapters or two thousand. What mattered to me was that I was happy with my sisters. After graduation however, I've really come to care much more about us on an international level.
I was the exact opposite -- but then again, that's what happens when your chapter's the only NPC on campus and we're located smack dab in the middle of the Pacific Ocean and the nearest chapter is a 5 hour flight away.

Whenever rush comes around, the fact that we ARE international is one of our biggest selling points. I knew that the resources the Fraternity could provide me numbered more than that of the ones of the local sororities on campus.

Our span of chapters goes from Hawaii to Nova Scotia...however it wasn't until I attended my first International Convention in 2001 that I was able to witness firsthand the enormity of it all.

And to echo what AGDee said -- I was one of the "jaw-droppers" at Convention when I met Jane Graf for the first time. Conventions just won't be the same without her.
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  #9  
Old 04-15-2007, 05:31 PM
AGDee AGDee is offline
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At the 2004 Convention, I quickly did the math to see if I had a chance to make it to that many Conventions. I won't live that long... (I've only attended 4 so far, San Antonio will be 5 and I don't see living another 40+ years)
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  #10  
Old 04-15-2007, 06:01 PM
DSTRen13 DSTRen13 is offline
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Originally Posted by Senusret I View Post
Let me throw this into the mix....

Some NPHC members DEFINITELY care more about their chapters. It depends on the person and the chapter, but I think it relates less to recruitment and rush and more about their level of activity once they graduate and what sort of brotherly or sisterly relations they have with people outside their chapter.
I think this is true, BUT I don't think that you see members joining an org because of the chapter very often. It isn't common that someone will arrive on campus and make their decision based on whether they like the local chapter of Delta or AKA best. Now, you will have some members who, AFTER that point, will be very dedicated to their chapter, moreso than the national org, but it's not the same as choosing your org based on the local chapter. I just don't see that happening very often, in my (admittedly limited) experience.
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  #11  
Old 04-15-2007, 06:16 PM
OOhsoflyDELTA#9 OOhsoflyDELTA#9 is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by DSTRen13 View Post
I think this is true, BUT I don't think that you see members joining an org because of the chapter very often. It isn't common that someone will arrive on campus and make their decision based on whether they like the local chapter of Delta or AKA best. Now, you will have some members who, AFTER that point, will be very dedicated to their chapter, moreso than the national org, but it's not the same as choosing your org based on the local chapter. I just don't see that happening very often, in my (admittedly limited) experience.
I agree 100%...if for some reason my undergrad chapter hadn't selected me or if there was no Delta chapter at my school, I would have waited and persued DST at the grad level...no other org was an option...the activities of Delta in the community that I witnessed from a young age shaped my desire to pursue membership though..so I guess you can say that the inter./national misson of the organization influenced my interest and my decision...
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  #12  
Old 04-15-2007, 06:24 PM
1908Revelations 1908Revelations is offline
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Originally Posted by OOhsoflyDELTA#9 View Post
I agree 100%...if for some reason my undergrad chapter hadn't selected me or if there was no Delta chapter at my school, I would have waited and persued DST at the grad level...no other org was an option...the activities of Delta in the community that I witnessed from a young age shaped my desire to pursue membership though..so I guess you can say that the inter./national misson of the organization influenced my interest and my decision...
Hey Sisterfriend!!!
That is exactly how I felt, but about AKA. I had interaction with members at an early age and their influence taught me that it was moreso about the ogrganization rather than a chapter.

I'm not knocking how other people choose their orgs, but I would rather pursue Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated rather an undergraduate chapter that I would only be involved in for a year or two.
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  #13  
Old 04-15-2007, 06:32 PM
DSTRen13 DSTRen13 is offline
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Originally Posted by OOhsoflyDELTA#9 View Post
I agree 100%...if for some reason my undergrad chapter hadn't selected me or if there was no Delta chapter at my school, I would have waited and persued DST at the grad level...
Exactly. Once I decided that Delta was what I wanted, then nothing else would have been right. There are a lot of wonderful sororities, and I have much love and respect for them, but my research kept pointing me toward Delta.

I'm getting all emotional now, thinking about all of that ...
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  #14  
Old 04-15-2007, 06:33 PM
ΑΓΔSquirrelGirl ΑΓΔSquirrelGirl is offline
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Many of the NPC organizations have very similar foundations...basically, we all strive to be good people and good sisters/brothers. When I was going through rush I had five options. My mom was interested in me going Chi O because of the national reputation, and while that is an important factor in the decision, I chose to be sisters with the girls that I fit in with the best.

NPC Recruitment itself is more about chapters than organizations. It doesn't bother me, because I think all 26 are good organizations on national/international levels, so you can't go wrong. NPHC is structured much differently. It is admirable to join the organization instead of the chapter when they are so different...it's just that I think for most NPCs we really aren't that different on the basic level.

I joined a sorority to have friends for college. I wasn't thinking much about afterwards. I think that's common and it is one drawback of the way NPC recruitment is run. But I love Alpha Gam because of the girls who are AGDs...I wouldn't last through college if I joined a chapter that I did not fit in, just for the benefit afterwords. It's short sighted, but college is hard enough as it is.

Last edited by ΑΓΔSquirrelGirl; 05-28-2007 at 01:39 PM.
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  #15  
Old 04-15-2007, 08:24 PM
33girl 33girl is offline
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Originally Posted by ΑΓΔSquirrelGirl View Post
NPC Recruitment itself is more about chapters than organizations.
Yes. Until/unless this changes, the majority of NPC alums, if you ask them, will hold more affection for their chapter than their national organization.

I joined ASA because of the women I met during rush. If those women had been ZTAs, I would have joined ZTA. If they had been ASTs, I would have joined AST. I could have cared less about philanthropy or networking or alumnae involvement. I chose women who I liked, who I thought liked me (I was right, LOL) and who hopefully would be my friends for the rest of my life.

And guess what? They still are. If I had joined because of a philanthropy or because of the national strength of the group, I don't know if that would be the case.

There's something I see a lot in the NPHC forums when women bring up problems they are having with a certain person in the chapter - "see to the business of {insert sorority name here}" and don't let your personal feelings get in the way. I think because the women and men who started the NPHC groups had to go through SO much to get there, they're not going to let petty BS get in the way of the mission they have to accomplish.

Not that NPC groups DO let petty BS get in the way, but I don't think the same kind of responsibility to a community as a whole that is felt by the NPHC groups is there.
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