Why does the NYC Wide Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority take in lines at two year intervals?

Question

I am currently a student at a NYC university and I've noticed the trend both with Delta Sigma Theta and Alpha Kappa Alpha city-wide chapters.

I am interested in assisting with outreach and volunteer efforts before I express any interest (I think I want to prioritize getting to know the chapter women, and vice versa, before I go into anything headlong).

Sadly, if the time comes for me to be asked to apply for membership via RUSH, it appears that RUSH invitations are extended to prospective applicants every two years. I assumed that because it's a city chapter there are obviously more interests attending events from various schools, and as a result, there would be yearly MIP's to accommodate the level of interest in the organization; not the exact opposite. Does anyone know why?

Answer 1

First, no invitation is required to attend a Rush activity for Alpha Kappa Alpha.  Rush activities are advertised and any interested young women who attend the university may attend.  An MIP invitation is extended to qualified women who recieve a favorable vote.

As for the every-other-year thing, it is up to chapters to determine when they will have a MIP.  Various circumstances lead to there being a process some years and not others.  It is typically not a 'tradition'.  Additionally, all MIP activities must be approved by the university and Regional Director.  This can sometimes lead to there being a time when there is no MIP.  Being a part of a city chapter has nothing to do with it.  City chapters are not necessarily larger than other chapters.  If you have any questions about it, find out who the graduate advisor is and contact her.  

Answer 2

Actually,

It is usually a trend of when particular chapters have MIP. Some schools do it every year in the same semester each year (like always spring and never fall, or vice versa) and some schools only do it every 2 or 3 years.  I think it depends on that culture at that particular school.  I went to a large well know PWI university and none of our our greek orgs would ever have lines every year unless we were coming off of suspension.  Generally speaking for both the male and female chapters of the Divine Nine at my university lines were usually every other year.  Also I currently work at another large PWI and here most of the Divine Nine orgs have city-wide chapters.  It is the same way, no one has a line every  year - it is actually more like every 2 or 3 years.  I think at smaller schools/especially smaller HBCUs they tend to have lines more frequently, but the larger HBCUs tend to have at least a 2 year space between line.  

As far as reasoning, we are here just for the purpose of granting membership to people, so chapters main focus is not on that until it's needed.

Also FYI, at least in the area of the county that I am in, Citywide chapters of our orgs actually tend to have less interests that a school chapter becuase if you think of it, if any one particular school in that particular area had a large enough interest pool they could sustain their own campus chapter.  That has been my experience.