As
a recruitment counselor, I frequently hear young women using the excuse, “I
don’t want to pay for my friends,” as justification for deciding not to go
through sorority recruitment. Although this is a valid statement for
individuals who are unaware of what a sorority stands for, I am writing this to
reassure all you readers that this statement, is in fact, false.
I
get it, as soon as you pledge a sorority you are required to pay initiation
fees, membership dues, and other various social payments, but just like any other
club you find yourself joining on campus there are financial obligations that are involved in making these organizations successful. A
sorority is probably a lot bigger than what you have in mind. Each sorority has a
national executive office (A.K.A. headquarters).
Membership dues allow
for the chapter to carry out various functions such as…PHILANTHROPY EVENTS! 26 various sororities alone raised over
$5,000,000 in philanthropy money (membership dues look pretty small now, right?). One part of being in a sorority is learning to serve others, and in
order for us to serve others effectively there must be funds available.
That being said, although there are those required dues, many of the charges
you might receive are simply voluntary. It is not a requirement, but merely a
choice, to buy every t-shirt that is designed or to attend every single date
party/formal that is planned.
We
also need to keep in mind that sororities also provide opportunities for its
members! Many sororities provide opportunities for those members who
demonstrate academic success and thrive in leadership abilities to be rewarded
scholarships because they truly enjoy helping you succeed. So along with holding you accountable for your grades and providing leadership opportunities, your chapter also has the potential to
contribute to YOU financially.
During
my time as being a Gamma Chi recruitment counselor, one thing I constantly remind girls going through recruitment, happens to be my favorite
and the most relevant statement I have heard since I have been a sorority
member, and that is, “YOU GET OUT WHAT
YOU PUT IN!” (and I’m not talking about the money). Just because you pay
your monthly dues does not mean you automatically have friends. How silly
would it be for you to assume that when we pay our bills we are suddenly going
to have best friends blowing your phone up to hang out? Yes, when you are a
member of a sorority you do have tons of sisters, but sisterhood is different
than friendship. When you join a specific sisterhood you are only promised to
have ONE thing in common with all of the other members…. Your promise to uphold and live out the values of your chapter. It is important to remember that as members of a sorority we are still human beings and work to build those relationships
with each other.
After
I’ve said all that, I’ll go on to say, the experiences, life lessons,
knowledge, and relationships I’ve acquired during my time in my chapter are
PRICELESS and if I’m going to be stereotyped for paying for my friends I
certainly have not paid enough.
Written by Guest Writer, Mary Ware; Edited by UNA Panhellenic
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