"Tiers" Among Alumnae?

[33girl]

Originally Posted by irishpipes

I've encountered alumnae tier behavior in our local Alumnae Panhellenic but not in our alumnae chapter.

I remember going to a local APH meeting, seeing some of these women with full-length fur coats, and being SCARED. TO. DEATH. That all evaporated the night we got into a discussion of "what on earth is up with these Southern chapters."

[gee_ess]

Originally Posted by irishpipes

I've encountered alumnae tier behavior in our local Alumnae Panhellenic but not in our alumnae chapter.

This...

Also, just to keep it real, I think the women who are in alum groups locatedin the SEC, will probably admit that there may be a moment where they think, " Oh, she was a xyz at big university. That chapter is very strong/struggles/etc". As a Greek woman in the south, you do know this stuff.

That said, that is also where it ends. I do not think individuals are treated differently because of the strengths or weaknesses of their chapters.

[ADPiEE]

Everywhere I've ever met at ADPi in my 20 years of being an ADPi, it's always been like finding long lost family. I've met alumnae that have just graduated and alumnae that are older/very wealthy/intimidating and all have been very friendly and welcoming. It really is a unique experience that we have has sorority women!

I've also worked with women over the years from other sororities and finding out that we were both in sororities gives us an immediate bond and has made us automatic friends. Definitely no tiers as Alumnae!

Of course, I'm in Texas where everyone is pretty friendly in general

[KillarneyRose]

Originally Posted by ADPiEE

Everywhere I've ever met at ADPi in my 20 years of being an ADPi, it's always been like finding long lost family. I've met alumnae that have just graduated and alumnae that are older/very wealthy/intimidating and all have been very friendly and welcoming. It really is a unique experience that we have has sorority women!

You know, that has always been my experience as well. I wish the PNMs and undergraduate sisters would realize that the time you spend as an active is by far the shortest phase in sorority membership. But I don't think I would have listened when I was that age!

[MaryPoppins]

Originally Posted by ElvisLover

KR, in answer to your question, yes, I have witnessed some of this type of behavior during our younger years as an alumnae group. However, most of those alumns who perceived themselves as coming from superior chapters dropped out and stopped coming, so it made our group more cohesive.

Maybe they realized that they were too tacky for words and stopped coming?

[ElvisLover]

Originally Posted by MaryPoppins

Maybe they realized that they were too tacky for words and stopped coming?

Heehee! I hope so, although they were probably still too consumed with themselves to realize that! At any rate, we were just glad they quit!

[DeltaBetaBaby]

I think that there can be more drama when it comes to picking advisory committees for collegiate chapters in areas with alumnae from a lot of different chapters. That's a tougher thing, because on one hand, you want alumnae who understand the chapter well, but on the other hand, fresh ideas can be helpful, too.

Ideally, you'd have a mix, and someone from a "weaker" chapter may start out in a smaller advisory role, but over time, obviously anyone can learn. I wouldn't tell someone that she could never be on house corp. because she comes from an unhoused chapter, but I think that's where the claws can come out.

[KSUViolet06]

I'm a very involved alumna, so I have been privileged to interact with alumnae from tons of different chapters. Sigma has an Officer Training Academy experience every year that is divided by region. When I coached, I was somehow placed in one of our more southern regions. So I was pretty concerned about feeling like a "Northern outsider" amongst all these amazing Southern alumnae, many of whom advise at some of our most award winning and well-regarded chapters in this particular state. I can pretty confidently say that these were some of the sweetest and most welcoming women I have ever met and that I was probably being more concerned and weird about it than they were!

[ForeverRoses]

I'm the only alumna from my chapter that is a member of our local alumnae chapter. On Founders Day I was able to give my chapter's submotto (they go through all the chapters represented and everyone from that chapter says the submotto). It was honestly a really neat feeling and I didn't feel "uncool" for being the only one there. I agree that pretty much the only rivalry is the sports kind.

As a recruitment adviser to a chapter (not where I was initiated) I was able to to go Leadership Academy a few weeks ago. Every single adviser I met was amazing. Everyone was giving advice or hints to each other, it didn't really matter what chapter they were from.