Gamma Chi Membership Requirements....PAY ATTENTION!

[TigerGirl52]

OK...I'm gonna have to agree with James and Ex Greek on this one. At first I was open to the idea of Gamma Chi but now I really don't see the point. First off...what would I or anyone else get from being a member of GX? I thought and thought and thought about it and I came to the conclusion that there's really nothing for me to gain. Not to be rude...but that's why we have GreekChat in the first place. We all came here to get and share ideas about how to make Greek Life better. It's not like I could put on my resume that I'm a member of Gamma Chi. Any prospective employer would think I'm nuts for joining an online "fraternity". Most employers I know would think to themselves..."HMMMMM...that's great. This person isn't going to be productive at all because they are going to be spending every waking moment online with their "fraternity". I've just been reading the threads and the whole idea kinda rubs me the wrong way. It just seems that an elitist group of posters has decided to section themselves off from the rest of the posters here. Why do that? Just seems to me that it will only help to perpetuate the stereotypes that outsiders may have about the greek community. Why can't we all just be one big happy GreekChat family????

Allison

[Beryana]

Originally posted by James
Also, would whoever posts under this name, please sign their actual name so the rest of us can respond directly. . . otherwise someone needs to introduce us formally to Mr./Ms. Gamma Chi Membership Committee.

Thanks!

Not when speaking on behalf of the entire committee they shouldn't! If its information from the entire committee then the signature is the entire committee. If its one individual person writing something then the individual person signs.

Sarah

[tcsparky]

Thank you to all who have weighed in to defend Gamma Chi.
No, I did not anticipate that this would take off as it has. I am pleased with the large numbers of positive responses. A person does not have to actually be a member of a Greek organization to be able to promote Greek communication (which can occur between Greeks or between Greeks and non-Greeks). Most of the detractors from Greek life on any campus are non-Greeks. By including non-Greeks and their opinions in Gamma Chi, we become MORE inclusive, and have a better quality of communication. Since no one is born a member of a Greek organization, all persons here were once non-Greeks. Their feelings and opinions were just as important then as they are now that they are members of a Greek org.
Gamma Chi is an EXTENSION of the goals and aims of Greekchat, not a replacement, not a clique. We have formalized our resolve, and taken it to the next level. I agree that I will never list it on a professional resume. I list only my professional organizations there. There are many interests or activities that I do not list on a job application or professional resume, because that is not the place to list them.
I hope that posters will continue to evaluate what they read, and be supportive of efforts to improve communication between different Greeks orgs, and the friends they have outside of the Greek community.

[Lil_G]

Originally posted by TigerGirl52

It's not like I could put on my resume that I'm a member of Gamma Chi. Any prospective employer would think I'm nuts for joining an online "fraternity". Most employers I know would think to themselves..."HMMMMM...that's great.
Allison

uh oh, you mean i shouldn't have put it on?!...no wonder why i haven't been getting call backs from perspective employers.

Just one question, sharing common themes from around the world? What does that mean, exactly?

[The1calledTKE]

I agree all this Gamma Chi stuff should be moved to its own forum or at least merged into one thread. There are more people on here than not that don't want to particpate in the Gamma Chi stuff. Everytime I check greek life I see all this Gamma Chi stuff. I don't mind you all have your online co-ed fraternity but please don't take over the greek life forum. I don't want to have to start avoiding it because all it has is Gamma Chi stuff. I know it is not ALL Gamma Chi stuff but at the rate new threads are popping up it will be. But thats just my humble opinion.....

[KSig RC]

Originally posted by tcsparky
A person does not have to actually be a member of a Greek organization to be able to promote Greek communication (which can occur between Greeks or between Greeks and non-Greeks).

What, exactly, is "Greek communication"? Are we talking about conversing in Greek? Are we writing exclusively in that alphabet?

I just don't get it, not to mention how to promote it - this needs to be more fully outlined.

Originally posted by tcsparky
Most of the detractors from Greek life on any campus are non-Greeks.

But the impressions LEADING these people to be anti-greek are almost exclusively propagated by the Greek community at large - and as such, if you're promoting "greek communication" (which still hasn't been defined), then it starts and ends with Greeks. Period.

Originally posted by tcsparky
By including non-Greeks and their opinions in Gamma Chi, we become MORE inclusive, and have a better quality of communication. Since no one is born a member of a Greek organization, all persons here were once non-Greeks. Their feelings and opinions were just as important then as they are now that they are members of a Greek org.

Since when is inclusiveness an implicitly positive thing?

I don't buy the logic here - the goal of my greek organization, if no other, is to promote becoming a better man - a gentleman, a man of honor and courage, et al. That means that my feelings and opinions (ideally) are more refined and informed as a result of the organization . . . take that for what you will.

Originally posted by tcsparky
Gamma Chi is an EXTENSION of the goals and aims of Greekchat, not a replacement, not a clique. We have formalized our resolve, and taken it to the next level.

Look at the top of the screen - GreekChat.com, "The Fraternity and Sorority Chat Network" . . . how is Gamma Chi an extension of that? Better yet - how is your resolve formalized? I don't even get the precise goals of the organization, and I could be called a "regular" here by most.

Plus - it is definitely a 'clique', by definition. Note that this does not make it a bad thing necessarily - just don't be afraid to call a pear a pear.

Originally posted by tcsparky
I agree that I will never list it on a professional resume. I list only my professional organizations there. There are many interests or activities that I do not list on a job application or professional resume, because that is not the place to list them.

This is a good point - although if you held important positions in a social fraternity that exhibits skills which may be applicable to the job, those are (generally) appropriate to list, to go against what someone else said earlier.

Originally posted by tcsparky
I hope that posters will continue to evaluate what they read, and be supportive of efforts to improve communication between different Greeks orgs, and the friends they have outside of the Greek community.

I'm supportive of efforts to improve the image of Greek life, and of my Greek Letter Organization - I don't know that an online community made up primarily of Greeks is the best place to start. I applaud the effort as much as I think the concept novel, but there are problems to be sure.

I'll continue my personal efforts, and aid where I can - I encourage everyone else to do the same, rather than worrying about "new member ceremonies" and such trivialities of a new, online organization.

Good! It was meant to. Why? Cuz I've pretty much had it.

"I" UMgirl (Tonya, and Alpha Gamma Delta Alum from the University of Michigan), whatever you want to call me, am the one who is writing the post on behalf of GCMembership and most people have known this fact cuz in a few of the post I did write my name. And as Beryana said I was doing it on behalf of my committee and they also can use the GCMembership name if they want to. I am not the only one with access to it. Its a committee screen name so our info could be given out.

Are you really trying to tell me that about 10 lil threads (with about 2 having more than 30 replies) our of about 10,000 or whatever is really getting on your nerves!?!? That sounds a little ludacris to me. As people have said time and again on here, you can always skip over it. No one is forcing anyone to look at it. And yeah, we did request a separate forum, but havent heard back. Maybe we should have did locals but since many people dont go into the locals forum if they arent IN one, the thought might have been to put it in Greek Life, ya know since it is about Greek Life and people always come into this forum. And I have only heard a few people disagree over Gamma Chi while a ton have expressed interest in it (even someone who now seems against it) so a majority of people on GC cant be against or don't care about it.There aremany people who don't care about A LOT of the stuff thats posted in many of the forums, but I have never really heard anyone tell them to move it to another forum until now.

TigerGirl52- No one told you to put it on your resume. No one even said you had to join and as far as it being exclusive.... please explain how since its open to Greeks of any org, conference, academic, professional, honorary, social, local, internationa, and national and any others that I may be missing. Even to NON-greeks who want to know more about Greek Life. And someone is right when they said you don't have to greek to help promote greek life. Yes its great to have the experience of it behind you, but thats kind of liek saying, "Hey you can't promote Civil Rights, cuz your not African American",thats being exclusive. And I do put my sorority on my resume and I have had MANY people impressed with it and ask about it. Would I put GX on my resume now? No not at the moment, but if it took off on a grander scale and wasnt just internet-base as I assume people want to make it.. I would.

Gamma Chi is suppose to be a org where people from all walks of Greek Life communitcate together about common issues they have and try to solve those while getting Greek Life out there. Thats where "sharing common themes from around the world" comes from. All Greeks share common issues (i.e. themes). As to my knowledge this isnt happening in the "Real World" yet and no even on here to a point (John, I know that this is probably what you want it to do and I give major props, but I mean that it takes PEOPLE, not just one person ). If you want to do it on your own your way...fine, so be it. But let us do it ours. If it doesnt work out, we can say at least we tried.

Also people, please read through stuff before jumping to conclusions and that may clear up some of the confusion that is going on with Gamma Chi. Also I know everyone is trying to be helpful with GX but people please ask someone, ANYONE, about starting groups or forming something on your own. It just adds to the confusion and makes it hard to communicate when some have no clue what's going on.

If you don't like the idea of Gamma Chi. Don't be in it. Plain and simple, even though i'd be great if everyone could. No one is forcing you too. If you think its silly, that's your opinion and your more then welcome to it.
Everything has problems to overcome, if all the people who are working on Gamma Chi continue to work as hard as they do, I am sure the bugs of Gamma Chi will get solved, but lets remember nothing is perfect (not even one's org).

You know, I seriously thought about saying the F*@! with Gamma Chi after all the confusion thats seems to be going on with it and trying to clarify thing. Moreover, after I read some of the post in this thread (which was not written for replies but just to clear confusion). But now, I want to stay on, because I like the idea of Gamma Chi or something like it before tcsparky even thought of the idea, to prove it can happen. And like i said if, it doesnt...oh well. At least we tried, which is more than what many can say.

You can report me, ban me, do whatever you feel is right. You did what you had to do. Just like I'll continue what I have to do.


*side note*

I really am not this big of a B&%$! usually

[Lady Pi Phi]

Thanks for sticking with us UMgirl!!!

We really need you're help and you're doing a great job. Try not to lett the petty people bring you down. As you said if they don't like what we're doing then they can leave us along. We're not bugging them, they don't need to bug us.
Stick with it, I hope everyone sticks with it because this is a great idea, and while it's still in its infancy, it has the potential to go far if we all work together on it.

Pi Phi and Gamma Chi Love,

Emily

[KSigkid]

I think some people here are confusing differing opinions with personal attacks. As posters on Greekchat, everyone has a right to post their opinions on things such as Gamma Chi, whether good or bad. People didn't think it was appropriate to post GX topics under Greek life, and that's their opinion. Let's not get too hung up on different perspectives on something.

It's as much people's rights to post against Gamma Chi as it is the right of people to post in favor of it.

Collin

Originally posted by KSigkid
I think some people here are confusing differing opinions with personal attacks.

Heh...no isht.

As posters on Greekchat, everyone has a right to post their opinions on things such as Gamma Chi, whether good or bad.

Many people are serious about this, so more power to you! While I think the idea behind GX is wonderful, I don't think GX is for me and to be honest--no personal attacks please--it's this negative attitude that's turned me off to this whole thing. Don't get snippy with me just because I have an opinion.

Lady Pi Phi & Tonya, I don't think people are trying to be petty...the suggestion was to move GX discussion to its own forum...where's the wrong in that?

[aephi alum]

Wow... I go away for a weekend and come back to a controversy...!

Here is my take on Gamma Chi.

1. It's certainly not intended as an elitist or exclusive organization. The Alpha class had to be kept to a manageable size, and a good way of doing that was to offer Alpha class membership, as a reward, only to those of us who have joined committees and worked at contributing to the fledgling group. Everyone else will have an opportunity to join the Beta class. I'm not a member of the membership committee - but I had envisioned a Beta new member period running almost concurrently with the Alpha period, maybe 2 weeks behind, so that we would all be full members of GX almost at the same time.

(Sadly, I think a lot of people have fallen through the cracks - they've PM'd someone or posted about wanting to join a committee, not gotten a response, and gone away discouraged. I'm sure I'm guilty of this too.)

2. I was a little surprised to see what the membership committee came up with as far as membership rules and the application. Frankly, the application is too long. It's appropriate to ask for people's greek affiliation (if any), what philanthropic cause they plan to support, etc. But some of the other questions just don't belong.

3. I envisioned Gamma Chi not so much as something you'd have to apply for, be voted into, etc. - but as a fun and *open* way to bring this community closer together. To have a way to recognize fellow GreekChatters (via pins, letters, etc) if you happen to bump into someone on the street. To encourage people to get out and serve their community. To foster inter-greek relations. (To give us an excuse to spend money on new letters. ) Instead, we seem to have a division in this community now, and that bothers me. I think we've all gotten into the wrong mindset. Most, if not all, GLO's are exclusive organizations; you have to rush, be voted in, and complete a period of provisional membership before becoming full members. GreekChat, however, is not an exclusive organization. Anyone can sign up - it takes about 30 seconds. Gamma Chi, as an offshoot of GreekChat, has to reflect that openness (though it should take longer than 30 seconds to join - hence the new member period).

Just my $0.02

As for what forum these posts belong in, may I suggest a Gamma Chi forum under the Gamma listings?

[dzsaigirl]

I happen to agree that while the intent of Gamma Chi is good, the way that it has come across to me is kinda negative so far, especially this thread in particular...can't we all just get along!

[damasa]

Originally posted by dzsaigirl
I happen to agree that while the intent of Gamma Chi is good, the way that it has come across to me is kinda negative so far, especially this thread in particular...can't we all just get along!

I feel the exact same way. The majority of the things I've read about Gamma Chi, now that it is being put into play, are in a sense negative. I.E. this thread where the last part of the topic says "PAY ATTENTION." It seems as if someone is screaming through their computer monitor and bashing their fingers on their keyboard out of rage and anger. That doesn't seem to project a positvie attitude of the organization.


Furthermore, imagine what many of you could be doing with your own organizations (granted you do belong to one) if you put all the time you are putting into Gamma Chi, into your own org. Imagine the possibilities, the chances, the situations that you could use your time for/with. I would like to think that you would put your time and effort into that first, and this second, but that is just my opinion, and that is what I would do.

[DGPhoney]

wow, I do agree, I too, go away for a weekend and work all week, and come back to drama x's 3. So heres my two cents.Really, I believe some are looking at Gamma Chi like it's some elite group, when really folks, settle down it's not that serious.
I mean really, like anything else on this board, if you don' t like it, and all that , then don't be bothered by it. As for those asking why can't the actual person send or rather post remarks about Membership or recruitment or etc... Well heres a clean answer, Gamma Chi is broken up by committee's , so no one thing is decided by a person. SO thats why some things come from GC Membership Committee hense the word Committee :-D
Also I don't think Gamma Chi should have it's own forum , cause then every other local and other greek org should be listed, so if we going to do it that way , then be fair.
My soultion is to just use MSN or Yahoo or whichever message board system to post everything, since the Gamma Chi"Thread"(sense some think of it that way) is taking ohhh soo much space in greek life and other forums.
Well thats just my two cents, so Gamma Chi'ers up for the move

[Kevin]

Since the subject has come up I guess I'll comment on it. I'll preface it by saying that the IDEA underlying Gamma Chi is great.

However, what is the difference between Gamma Chi and Greek Chat? They have the same intentions, ideas and goals. What is the benefit to the members that could not be provided by simply being a regular poster/reader of the Greek Chat Message Boards?

I can't really see how a 'membership committee' or a 'PR committee' or anything like that can really help this organization. All this stuff it seems to me to be extra.

If y'all want to spend your time and energy on this, it's really none of my business. Reading the messages doesn't bother me. I agree that we can ignore what we don't want to be involved in.

I would just strongly urge those that are steering this ship to take a step back and iron out some truly defined goals. Decide on questions like:

"What will Gamma Chi do to benefit the Greek Community as a whole?" (set goals)

-- Set Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Time-Bound objectives (SMART) as to how you'll accomplish this mission.

I see a great amount of intrest and it's true that the greek community tends to be a community of leaders, but sometimes we get carried away. I think it would be good at this point to step back, take things in and refocus your energy in a better way.

IN NO WAY do I want to detract from any of your hard work at this, I am just making a casual observation. Neither positive, nor negative. I actually see a great deal of potential here as long as it's well thought out and not over-burdened with politics, committees, etc (ANY time you get a lot of Greeks together in one place working towards a goal, politics will come into play in a BIG way).

It just seems you're putting the cart before the horse (or however that cliché goes). I'll now return to my silence

LHT
Kevin
MT #5
University of Central Oklahoma