Are you about to reenter the job market, or want to switch careers? Have you retired, but want to stay active and earn income? Do you love your independence?
There is an ideal career for mature women between the ages of 40 and 70, one you may never have heard of before. Consider becoming the House Director for a sorority.
Imagine finding a new career at mid-life that does not discriminate against age or gender!
Being a sorority housemother has been a rewarding career for thousands of mature single women, who find themselves on their own by choice, or circumstance. Perhaps you are a baby-boomer nearing retirement, but want to remain self-reliant. Or you are adventurous and want to see different parts of the US from a secure vantage point. Or you own your home in one part of the country, but want to spend time near grandchildren living elsewhere. Or you need to find work after a divorce, a death, job lay-off, or foreclosure. Maybe you do not have the up-to-date skills to abruptly jump back into the workforce. Yet you want freedom and security and a job you can love all at once!
Believe it or not, your maturity, wisdom, and life experience are assets in this occupation. Also working to your advantage are the experience and skills gained from past jobs that transfer to managing staff and a large house. It could be just the right opportunity for you.
An Unexpected Lifestyle
A sorority house mom (house director) not only receives a salary, but a lovely home, meals, utilities, security, housekeeping service, and yard work provided for her. Does it get any better than that? Yes! You live in a vibrant university community brimming with cultural events, usually in the nicest and safest area of the campus.
What if You Were Not a Sorority Sister Yourself?
Your own upbringing may be about as far from the sorority world as imaginable. But the reality is, while the governing board, advisors, directors, and treasurer are all adult former members of each sorority house, the housemothers seldom have such an affiliation.
The fact that you have no knowledge of what this job is because you do not have a traditional sorority background might make you hesitant.
But if this job sounds intriguing to you, join the thousands of older women across America caring for lovely old mansions, inhabited by young women in that in-between stage maturing from teens to young adults. It is a special niche where you can live comfortably, while providing a secure place for collegiates at the beginning of their careers.
What is a Sorority?
The Greek idea actually began in 1776 at William and Mary College in Williamsburg, VA. This male fraternity began as a literary and social group at a local tavern. A young Thomas Jefferson was part of it. The students wanted to discuss ideas not approved by their professors. To protect themselves from school spies, they developed secret rituals. More of these clubs sprang up at other universities over the next century, evolving into Phi Beta Kappa.
Not until 1851 would a fraternity for women appear. In Greek, the word fraternity actually means brothers or sisters. So today, some of the oldest female groups are officially known as fraternities. The word sorority is not Greek at all; it comes from Latin for sisters. The women organizations modeled themselves after the first male Greek groups: they include some degree of secrecy and rituals; there is an initiation ceremony; the members pledge an oath of allegiance to the group; and they adopt a motto. Of course, the point is to create a strong bond of friendship and to support academic excellence.
Today, the Greek system is the largest philanthropic organization in the country. Besides maintaining their academic studies, students raise millions of dollars for charity.
The Beginning of Secret Societies for Women
Why did it take so long for female sororities to come onto the scene? Only men were privileged to enjoy higher education up until the mid 1800s; in fact, through colonial times girls were educated at home in Dames Schools.
The first young women to fight for the privilege of attending all-male universities were remarkable. Society was so different then. Women did not have the right to own property, their children, vote, or even work outside their home. They themselves were considered property. Those exceptional pioneer girls and their supportive families must have truly valued education.
The first secret society of women was formed at a southern college in 1851, Wesleyan College in Macon, Georgia. It took many years for the concept to be accepted at conservative New England universities.
Given the sometimes hostile reception that these teenage girls were subjected to by teachers and male classmates in higher education, it's not surprising that these small groups of girls banded together for support. These little societies really existed to help each other academically, socially, and emotionally. The bonds of friendship were tight, as they tended to be anyway in previous centuries. But these young women were facing stiff resistance to their very presence and success. Their allegiance to that first support group remained strong throughout their lives. The fraternities (the word sorority wasn't used until 1874) they formed and nurtured exist in chapters across the continent into this modern 21st century.
When you look at the pictures of these resolute pioneers on the websites of the oldest sororities, it's hard to imagine that those demure girls with their upswept hairdos and lacy collars were fighters. They were devoted to the love of learning!
In this day and age of post-feminism, the beloved, aging sorority houses still stand at universities and colleges across the country. They must be cared for, their staffs managed, the food ordered, the yards mowed, and you can be the one directing all of this.
Pass This Information on to Your Mature Women Friends
If you are not in need of such a position, please share this information with a woman friend. Pass it on to your mom, an aunt, a single woman who would enjoy a home and job and most importantly, her own independence! This career has certainly blessed women for over a century and a half.