Hi Tracy (and all others in this situation)!!

I was sort of in a semi-similiar situation with the Mu Psi Chapter in
Cedar Rapids, IA. Except we didn't have SAI's, but Sinfonians (PMA),
who competed for the guys with us and another music group who wanted
to become SAI but couldn't for one reason or another and remained
Sigma Phi Mu as a solitary women's fine arts/music club.

Long before I got to the school there was rivalry of course, and I
became VP one year after trying as IFMRep since a lot of the
Sinfonians were my friends. It was so hard to get all the groups to
come together. It seemed as if, if I put it together and did all the
work, then yes they might consider participating in a joint recital,
etc. But it never pulled through because there's no way I could get
all those guys (and the girls too) to fully pull their own weight.

Then my last year in Mu Phi, PMA said, oh hey, want to do a recital?
And managed to put one together--but the trick was--it was all done
without the Mu Phis at the very end because PMA and SPM managed to
more closely collaborate and basically left out the Mu Phis in the
planning.

Needless to say, we felt forgotten, but also busy on our own accord,
stage-managing and doing our own services and recitals. I think in
the past several years we have gotten more new initiates who are more
close as friends/camerades with the other two music groups on our
small campus. That will help relations more than just one person can
pull all that weight. Whether you're doing it or not, as VP it is
your job to find new people when you do pledges that you can trust to
build your community on campus and around town, and build up the
chapter, not just finding people who "qualify" for all the
requirements of Mu Phi. Make sure they are up to everything Mu Phi
stands for, including music community. (ps-we had about 3 people drop
out who "qualified" for mu phi, but didn't want to live up to the
expectations and live as a Mu Phi. The remainder of people in the
fraternity have managed to pull their weight and make our group more
wonderful than ever!

I hope this gives you a bit of hope. Good luck with everything and
let us all know how things turn out! Don't forget about recruiting
this year--make it worthwhile! :)

Mu Phi love,
JoAnna
Mu Psi Alum


--- In muphiepsiloninternational@yahoogroups.com, Tracy Leggett
<wickedgypsy79@...> wrote:
>
> I am in need of some advice.
>  
> I am the VP of the Epsilon Kappa chapter at Southern Illinois
University-Carbondale and we are having boundary issues with the
advisor of the Sigma Alpha Iota chapter.  I am trying to establish
the required Inter-fraternal Music Council but I am often met with
strong opposition from the SAI advisor.  She knows that she may
not serve as the advisor of our IFMC, but I feel she
keeps interfering despite of it.  She continuously responds with
condescending remarks that are irrelevant to the situations at hand. 
She ignores my ideas for combined fundraisers and social
activities.  My question is this: How much input constitutes her over
stepping her boundary and who do I talk to about this problem? 
>  
> Our advisor stays out of it.  When I need to send an e-mail or have
any communications I inform my advisor and their advisor by Cc-ing. 
I feel that everyone should know what is going on.  But I am always
met with some overly critical remark or action from their
advisor...not the chapter.  When I talk to the ladies of the
SAI chapter, I find they are kept in the dark about a lot of what is
going on.... 
>  
> Please I really need some advice
> Tracy
>  
>  
>
>
>
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>