Duke's chapter of Alpha Delta Pi sorority to close effective immediately

[navane]

Originally Posted by ASTalumna06

There's a difference from our perspective - as seasoned members of our orgs - but do you think that's how most people view it, including the young collegians who participated in the vote? I doubt it. And ultimately, what difference does it make if the result is the same?

All it takes is one situation like this for other chapters to catch on, whether they're ADPi chapters or otherwise. Either way, I'm sure we all hope there won't be a trend and that this is a one-off.

If you're going to die on a battlefield, is it better to die with a sword in your hand or in a corner, sniveling? It's principle. I know I'm going down; but, if I have a choice, I'm not going down on YOUR terms. I won't give you that satisfaction.

Also, the option of not giving in also presents the headquarters with the small chance that the chapter could still be salvaged. It may be a tiny percentage, but closing the chapter only on the demands of the members presents a 0% chance of staying open.

I don't care what the former members think. I don't care if they run to TikTok to proclaim they won. If the sorority wasn't for them - cool, they can go on their merry way.

[Kevin]

I wonder whether Greek organizations need to employ membership contracts with members obligating them to pay dues so long as they are matriculates at the University and spelling out very specific circumstances for early termination of the contract? We have contracts for everything else, so why not that?

At least with a contract in force, these ladies might not have resigned when they would continue to have a financial obligation to pay dues or transfer someplace that's not as prestigious as the school they're at.

[shadokat]

The thing that I find incredibly weird about Duke is the huge variance in the sorority membership numbers. There's Delta Gamma and Kappa Alpha Theta taking new members, and they're the largest chapters by far, but those chapters who are 50-100 members took no new members. What's the deal there?

Duke is typically a spring formal recruitment school, but it looks like they did formal recruitment this fall? Maybe not for first years?

As for ADPi, I trust that the staff and volunteers who were working with this situation have their reasons for why they don't think they will be successful, and clearly HQs agrees. If Greek Life comes back at Duke, they'll likely try to go back then. I'm sure there is something in the language of this closure that allows for them to return.

[33girl]

Originally Posted by Kevin

I wonder whether Greek organizations need to employ membership contracts with members obligating them to pay dues so long as they are matriculates at the University and spelling out very specific circumstances for early termination of the contract? We have contracts for everything else, so why not that?

At least with a contract in force, these ladies might not have resigned when they would continue to have a financial obligation to pay dues or transfer someplace that's not as prestigious as the school they're at.

That would go belly up when you wanted to terminate a member. Some groups do have a policy that if you’re an initiated undergrad, you either have to be active or self terminate - even if you transferred in from a totally different school.

If they want out, that is fine with me. My main gripe is their turning in the charter (for what has been up to this time a decently performing chapter with no membership or RM issues) and ADPi accepting it. They don’t have a house to fill, so why not recolonize or reorganize?

I feel like giving up and closing the chapter just says “these girls are right, we don’t deserve to exist.”

[Kevin]

Originally Posted by 33girl

That would go belly up when you wanted to terminate a member. Some groups do have a policy that if you’re an initiated undergrad, you either have to be active or self terminate - even if you transferred in from a totally different school.

If they want out, that is fine with me. My main gripe is their turning in the charter (for what has been up to this time a decently performing chapter with no membership or RM issues) and ADPi accepting it. They don’t have a house to fill, so why not recolonize or reorganize?

I feel like giving up and closing the chapter just says “these girls are right, we don’t deserve to exist.”

If there was such a contract, sure, there could be off ramps, such as judicial procedures for conduct, subject to approval by HQ. But you could at least be financially protected if 100 members "self terminate." Sure, they can stop coming to events and living in the property, but they could still be obligated to pay dues until graduation. They could negotiate to be released, but at least HQ would be holding some cards.

That would at least equip the local alumnae working with HQ to have some leverage and might even result in a financial cushion to go into recruitment with to save a chapter.

[Low D Flat]

those chapters who are 50-100 members took no new members.

Right, including a couple of chapters that PNMs would sell their souls for. I can't understand what I'm seeing.

[g41965]

I've long thought that some the ills that have stalked Greek life in the northeast would spread into the south , Particularly on campuses like Duke , UVA, Vanderbilt etc. The student body is more into going abroad, less into traditional fraternity culture etc.
Just like fraternities started going local on New England Campuses in the 1960s you see chapters going local at UT Austin ,U of The South , W and L . I see a division between the big state schools and the more selective private schools.
It never got much better in the northeast , I expect for these trends to continue in the south.

[33girl]

Originally Posted by Kevin

If there was such a contract, sure, there could be off ramps, such as judicial procedures for conduct, subject to approval by HQ. But you could at least be financially protected if 100 members "self terminate." Sure, they can stop coming to events and living in the property, but they could still be obligated to pay dues until graduation. They could negotiate to be released, but at least HQ would be holding some cards.

That would at least equip the local alumnae working with HQ to have some leverage and might even result in a financial cushion to go into recruitment with to save a chapter.

I don’t know, I think there must be another way to do it. At schools with a heavy percentage of “maybe-joiners” being told that you have to pay four years’ worth of dues even if you quit would be enough for a lot of people to say forget it. I also think the FWAP FWAP would become deafening.