Wanna be an Alpha Sigma Alpha!!!

[countrygal]

Hey ALl,
Whassup? Just needing a little advice on rush and what advantages or disadvantages could come from my mom being an Alpha Sig when she was in college. I also am married and have a little girl (she lives with my 'rents), but I am very active on campus. I would give an arm and a leg to be in the same sorority that mom was in....I have wanted to be in it since she told me about her experience. It sounds like so much fun. I am a freshman at UCA (Arkansas) and am planning to rush next fall. I have had some bad experiences with one of the sororities on campus already....over petty things, but I still know that I just have to be a part of Greek Life. It sounds like a blast!!!! I am so excited!!! Anyone who has time to offer advice, PLEaSe do!!! Thanks ya'll are awesome! Hope to hear from you soon! Luv, Tracie

[ilovemyglo]

Hey! Well, since your mother was in the sorority you are interested in that makes you a legacy to them. Most, but not all, sororities take special consideration for legacies. Have your mother write you a letter of recommendation to that chapter or call them to let them know you are coming through.
At me school three years ago a married woman came through rush. Some sororities do not allow married women to be active members, but you could be an alumni initiate. When this young lady came through rush one woman at a chapter was talking with her and said "Yeah and I hear there is a married woman coming through, can you imagine? Who would take her" About that time the married woman lifted her finger and showed her the ring on her finger.
She ended up finding the right sorority for her (She is my sister now!!!) and she has always been an asset to our sorority. Sororities take a lot of time, and she managed everything so wonderfully!! She is alum now and we all miss her, but it is just one example of how some people can be closed minded.
GOOD LUCK!

[countrygal]

Hey All,
Thank you so much for answering my questions. I have a few more that popped into my head after reading your replies. I got some conflicting replies when it cam to whether I could be an alumnae initiate and still be in college...which is right? Also is there any chance that I could still be an active member....I want to do something for the sorority and hang out with sisters my age...i'm only 18. This seems kinda unfair, but I guess I understand the concern. The chapter would be afraid that I wouldn't be able to spend much time for the sorority, but that's just it...I WOULD. My husband works more that 10 hours a day, and I live in the dorm at school. My little girl stays with my mom and dad until i graduate and I usually only go home once or twice a month. HELP!!!! I feel kinda panicky! What should I do? and How do I get the number of the chapter pres. here, they don't have a website!!! Thanks you guys are the best! Luv, Tracie

[Billy Optimist]

I'm rushing in the fall too. If you want to be active in college, I say definitley rush.

[ilovemyglo]

well there are 7 NPC groups here and we welcome ANYONE to rush, married or not and children or not. There are always concerns, but that goes for every member. You don't HAVE TO BE AN ALUM INITIATE!! I know this for a fact because we intiated an ACTIVE member, she was married and was in the process of trying to have a baby. We didn't have a problem, we supported her. It didn't make her any different. She was very active in the sorority. Having a child and being married doesn't mean that you have the plague it means that you have other things in your life which isn't a problem.

[LexiKD]

I'm not sure if chapters would like or dislike a member who was married and had a child. Most likly Panhellenic regualtions say that you have to attend that school and that's probably it. The NPC sororities will have more strict regualtions than Panhellenic.
Well, I wanted to respond to NPC being called convervative and closed minded. If you really think about it, college chapters might find it difficult having a married member because of a conflict of interests. I'm not saying it couldn't be done or it hasn't but, chapters want to utilize its members to the fullest and someone who has obligations to a husband and baby may not be able to give as much as a chapter requires.
It all boils down to time and image. Chapters may feel if no one else has a married member than they wouldn't be too fast to jump on the oppurtunity.
Last year a married Potential New Member went through recruitment and did not get a bid then or afterward during snap or COB. But that is here and I don't know where you are or how your campus is. I just wanted to say that chapters can have real reasons to not accept a married member.
I would call ASA HQ and ask, they should be very helpful!

Originally posted by ilovemyglo:
well there are 7 NPC groups here and we welcome ANYONE to rush, married or not and children or not. There are always concerns, but that goes for every member. You don't HAVE TO BE AN ALUM INITIATE!! I know this for a fact because we intiated an ACTIVE member, she was married and was in the process of trying to have a baby. We didn't have a problem, we supported her. It didn't make her any different. She was very active in the sorority. Having a child and being married doesn't mean that you have the plague it means that you have other things in your life which isn't a problem.

I have to agree with my sister ILOVEMYGLO. When I joined AGD, a woman in my pledge class was also married. She was 23, which was somewhat older than most of us, and not only that, she's a military wife.

I was in awe at her enthusiasm to be back in college. A lot of people I know who have been out of school for a while generally don't have the drive to be involved with school. In her first semester as an AGD she served as recruitment chair and now she is the social coordinator. If we had a "BUSIEST AGD" award, she'd definitely win hands down.

Her husband wholeheartedly supports her ambition with AGD and he often helps us out with some events, and we love having him around when we do non-AGD stuff.

The moral of the story: If you have the drive and desire in your heart to become a member of Alpha Sigma Alpha and share in the sisterhood with your mother, I say go for it. I'm pretty sure that the ASA sisters will see that during Recruitment.

I wish you the best of luck with Fall Rush (and with ASA)!

------------------
"Talk doesn't cook rice."--Someone smart

Visit Alpha Gamma Delta-Delta Sigma chapter!

[CutiePie2000]

You have come to the RIGHT PLACE!!!!
I think it is great that you are interested in sorority life, and more specifically, Alpha Sigma Alpha!

Since you seem to be interested in ASA (and ONLY ASA).....
First inquire at your campus as to whether you are eligible for formal rush (given that you are married and have a daughter). If you are not eligible, do not despair! You can still potentially become an NPC sorority member through the "alumna initiate" route.


I think you would be considered an "prospective alumna initiate", as you don't fit the traditional collegian profile for a Potential New Member....I think most NPC groups are still pretty conservative, will only initiate collegians into "collegian membership" who are "the perfect virgin"....in other words, unmarried and without children. Since you are a collegian, but you also married and have a little girl, you may have to go the "alumna initiate" route. I'm not sure whether you are eligible for Formal Recruitment, given that you are married and have a child. (although universities will have anti-discrimination and diversity mechanisms in place).

My advice to you is to compose a nice letter to Alpha Sigma Alpha Headquarters, tell them that you are interested in membership in ASA and that you are interested in exploring the possibilities of being a "Prospective Alumna Initiate". Be sure to mention that your Mom (give her full name) is an ASA alumna, from "such & such" chapter and campus.

Also, you could also inquire whether you are eligible to participate in Formal Recruitment (i.e. Rush) at your university (given your marital status, and that you have a child). Even if you can't go through Rush, you could potentially bypass that altogether, if ASA National Council votes on your petition to become an Alumna Initiate.

(Also, even you were without husband or child in college, if you were single, pledge a sorority and then got married while still in college, most NPC groups would make you an "alumna" member, unless you wrote them a letter asking them to allow you to keep your "collegian status" while being an enrolled, married student).


(Please NPC ladies, correct me if I am wrong in my information, but I always thought the NPC was fairly conservative regarding recruiting collegian members!)

Also....go to this thread...we talk a LOT about "alumnae initiates".
http://www.greekchat.com/forums/ubb/...ML/000015.html

Hopefully you will find some helpful information there (there are 2 pages' worth of posts).

FYI: I am an "alumna initiate" myself of one of the NPC groups!

I hope that you will get your dream of realizing membership in Alpha Sigma Alpha!!!
Alpha Sigma Alpha will be lucky to have you!


[This message has been edited by CutiePie2000 (edited April 04, 2001).]

[This message has been edited by CutiePie2000 (edited April 04, 2001).]

[countrygal]

Hey everyone,
Thanks for responding so much. I got in contact with one of the new members today, and she was very excited that I was interested in Alpha Sig especially since I am a legacy...I talked to my mom and found out the chapter and campus she was a member at. Tommorrow night the girls that I talked to are going to take me to an Alpha Sig soccer tournament game and introduce me to senior members. I am so excited! They also said that from now on they will invite me to all of functions that they are able to invite me to. I sent one of them an email to get some more information, but other than that it seems like i'll just have to sit back and wait...and pray. My husband is very supportive of me, because he knows how much this means to me. And for everyone who is encouraging me, thank you so much....It makes me feel so much stronger to hear others success stories. Keep in touch...update later... Luv, Tracie

[Billy Optimist]

Tracie, be sure to keep us updated!

[CutiePie2000]

It sounds like everything is going great with ASA so far.
The reason why I was thinking you may have to go the "alumna initiate" route, is because if you are single, pledge a sorority, then get married while still in college, a lot of sororities deem you to be "an alumna", even when you are still finishing off your degree! If that is no longer the case, and you can still rush, then that's perfect! Good Luck, I hope it works out for you and tell us all what happens!

[ASAgirl]

GOOD CHOICE!! IM A ACTIVE ASA MEMBER AT INDIANA STATE UNIVERSITY AND I LOVE ASA! MY SISTERS ARE AWESOME AND I LOVE ALL OF THEM SO MUCH! GOOD LUCK WITH RUSH AND KEEP US UPDATED,ALPHA LOVE AND MINE:ASAGIRL