Lifetime of Sisterhood

Karen Hickman, Theta Chapter (DePauw U), Rituals, Traditions, and Jewelry Committee

Unlike popular cultural beliefs, joining a sorority is not buying friends. Joining Alpha Omicron Pi gives its members rich and deep friendships. Friendship is the emotion or conduct between friends; the state of being friends; or a state of mutual trust and support between allies. If you’re like me, you have found countless friendships with sisters throughout your lifetime.

As young adults entering college, sometimes we’re not fully aware of what friendship is or what we want from it. We hope that during our collegiate years we will find the beginning of lifelong friendships. What we overlook is that the typical four years of college are simply the gestational period of lifelong friendships that continue to grow throughout multiple life experiences. Over and over throughout college, AOIIs are called to assemble and renew their ties of friendship. AOII’s sheaf of wheat represents individuals bound together by ties of friendship that are stronger together than they are apart.

After graduation, AOIIs are encouraged to join alumnae chapters. Why? Because alumnae chapters are welcoming meeting places for college and fraternity comrades, a home away from home, or “Homicron” as collegians call it now a days. As sisters move all over the United States and Canada, AOII is there for them with sisters welcoming them to their new cities, offering instant friendship. It doesn’t matter if new sisters don’t know anyone in their new cities or alumnae chapters; the invitation for friendship is waiting from sisters who want to be your new best friends.

Another way to celebrate friendship is to attend a Founders’ Day celebration. On this day our Founders encouraged members to take stock as to if we were carrying out the tasks we accepted when initiated. At this time of year, rejoice in the Fraternity’s beginning, reflect on the Founders and renew friendships, especially when joining hands to sing the Epsilon Chapter Song. If you’re lucky, you’ll even establish new friendships during the celebration.

Some AOIIs are fortunate enough to have other AOIIs in their family which enrich familial friendships. Let us not forget that sisters honor sisters with Fraternity awards and when milestone anniversaries are celebrated at 25, 50 or 75 years of membership. These expressions of friendship are often overlooked, yet so important to maintenance of the friendships.

Embrace your friendships. Reach out to sisters you haven’t heard from in a while. Be bold and attend an alumnae chapter meeting or event, or a Founders Day event. You won’t be disappointed and very glad you did.

You may contact the Rituals, Traditions, and Jewelry Committee (RT&J) about anything Ritual-related at RT&J@alphaomicronpi.org