Girl On Her Own

I spent last weekend (Thursday - Sunday) in Orlando, Florida. I got to spend a couple hours at Downtown Disney, a couple hours by the pool and a day at the Magic Kingdom. I didn’t have to pay for my flight or my hotel room or most of my food.

That has all the markings of an awesome vacation, right? Not really.  It was a sorority convention.

Yes, that’s right, I’m a sorority girl.  Excuse me, sorority woman.

For the past two years I’ve served as a chapter advisor for my sorority.   I actually advise the same chapter I graduated from 8 years ago.  It has been an experience that it has been both utterly frustrating and totally rewarding at the same time, and I have learned a tremendous amount about myself.

It sounds like such a fluffy, silly thing, a sorority.  I almost hated admitting to people that I was taking time off of work and spending several days in a hotel in Orlando on sorority business.

But honestly?  The weekend was amazing.  It was an experience that really made me realize, again, that my sorority experience is not something that is mine and mine alone.  It is thousands of women, over almost a hundred years, who have been united in a singular vision.  Who have uttered the same language of ritual.  Who have treasured the same symbols and worn the same jewelry.

When our sorority was founded in 1913, women didn’t have the vote.  It was founded by a group of women who, because some were Christian and some were Jewish, could not join the same sorority.  These idealistic founders had no idea how their world would change — they would face WW I and WW II, they would live through the Great Depression, they would shorten their hemlines and (gasp!) wear pants.  And when they created our sorority, they gave generations of women something to belong to.

Every time I go to a convention I am amazed at the women I have the privilege of calling sister.   They have ambitious careers, raise families and yet donate so much time and energy and money to our organization.  I find myself surprisingly touched to take part in ritual ceremonies.  I feel grateful that I didn’t just leave my sorority experience in college, that I have found a way to give back.

Sororities and Greek life get such a bad rap nowadays.  And it’s not completely unwarranted.  But I truly believe, at the heart of it, there is as much a place for sororities and fraternities now as there ever has been.  Sorority life taught me to be a leader.  It taught me to juggle priorities.  It still teaches me.  I think, especially for women, it can be empowering and inspiring.

This weekend one of our previous national presidents was with us.  She served as president in the late ’50s and early ’60s.  She is 80-some years old now, sharp as a tack and still as passionate about our sorority as she ever was.  I loved seeing our collegians interact with her, and I loved seeing how delighted she was at how the sorority has grown and changed and continues to move forward and be relevant.

Oh sure, some of it was fluffy and silly.  There was a lot of changing of clothes.  There was a raucous auction, in which a lot of money was raised for our philanthropic foundation.  There may have been a dinner wherein I and all the other chapter advisors wore plastic tiaras.  There were corny traditions and many, many awards.

But there was also love and respect and admiration and devotion.  There were women leading other women.  There were a lot of chances to give back to others.  There was a Sisterhood.  One that I am very, very grateful to be a part of.