Gamma Phi Beta Alumnae Love

Today I'm linking up with some pretty awesome ladies, Chelsee from Southern Beauty Guide, Kristyn from Carolina Fireflies, Amanda from Rhyme & Ribbons, and Kelly from Messy Dirty Hair (fellow Gamma Phi alum!!).  

I've talked about my Greek experience before being an alumnae initiate and discovering that one of my closest friends is also a Gamma Phi.  Since the whole point of the link up is to talk about your experience I think that I will definitely be giving a different perspective from most of the ladies in the link up.  

Currently I am the President of the Chicago Northwest Suburban Alumnae Group.  A mouthful right?  So far I haven't done much in my new position but I've been an extremely active alumnae for FIVE years!  One thing that makes me sort of sad about my friends who are Greek is that none of them are active in their sororities as alums.  There is soooo much more than just those four years it's amazing.  Don't get me wrong I really wish I would have been able to have a Big that spoiled me on bid day (not gonna lie kinda miss not getting to have all the kitschy Gamma Phi stuff!) or gone to formals but sometimes I feel if I had been an active in college I might not have been so active as an alumnae.

My first and one of two Gamma Phi shirts.

I have always been an overactive type person, meaning I tend to be involved in about four different activities and Gamma Phi has not been any different.  Being in a large metropolitan area has allowed me to be active in three different alumnae groups, Far west, Northwest and Chicago groups.  Granted I'm not super active in all three because of my other involvements but I love going to all the different events with the different ladies.  One of my absolute favorite events is our Christmas ornament exchange in the Far West suburban group.  We all scour the stores for ornaments shaped like or with a crescent.  This isn't a requirement but it's become a sort of competition to make sure you found one.  I'm happy to report that I found one this weekend while we were in Boston!!

Through my alumnae connections I have met so many interesting and fabulous women of all ages.  One of the ladies in the Chicago group is probably one of the most formidable, hard working but caring and giving women.  She became a doctor at a time that I'm guessing there weren't too many women getting that type of degree and she succeeded like crazy!  The whole time she remained active and did so many wonderful things for Gamma Phi Beta by giving not only money but so much of her time.  She had a Gamma Phi jacket that she only wears for meetings and events because it contains probably about thirty pins from her milestones, offices, and so many other Gamma Phi related things.  I do not see how she could still be standing it probably weighs so much!!  I love that I am able to meet and be inspired by strong women like her because I am an active alumnae.

Doing crazy things at Convention

I urge any Greek woman to check out her local alumnae group.  You can be as active or as inactive as you want and you never know who you will meet!  I think as young adults in college we don't realize what all goes into organizations like this and how much people contribute.  I know it seems silly but I feel kinda like I'm paying it forward by being a part of sending those care packages to the current actives and attempting to build a strong and active younger alumnae group.  Someday I hope to have my own little legacy and I hope that the local alumnae group will be as active with her too.  

Since joining the Northwest group I discovered the larger world of the Panhellenic group and I love it!  We're already planning one of our meetings around an AGD fundraiser and I'm looking forward to going to the Panhellenic scholarship dinner in the spring.  Can't wait to meet more fabulous Greek ladies!  I feel like this link-up is almost a little Panhellenic meeting of sorts and I love it!!