To become a member of the Bee, an undergraduate woman must be interested in the club. She must be interesting to club members. She must stand out among the more than 100 women who have also been punched.

At punch events, she must introduce herself to as many women with gold stars on their name tags as possible--the stars indicate members of the 35-woman organization.

Some women might only be invited to the Sunday afternoon tea at the Fly. Others might make it to the punch's second round--a Thursday night cocktail party at the Phoenix. An even smaller number will be asked to attend an all-day outing, last semester's final punch event. Ultimately, about 20 women will be inducted.

But the path to Bee membership does not get much clearer than that.

"There are no guidelines or criteria for becoming a Bee woman," says Vanessa G. Hoermann '99, president of the organization, explaining that the Bee's mission is to serve as a support network for women on campus.

To that end, Hoermann says the Bee looks for women who represent a variety of academic and extracurricular interests--women who will "bring something to the organization."

But Hoermann's perspective of the Bee as a meritocratic institution is not one widely shared on campus.

Less than a decade old, not officially recognized by the College and without a building to call their own, the Bee's low profile has led many to dismiss it as an elitist institution welcoming only those who can claim Phillips Exeter Academy or the Groton School as their alma mater or the women's squash team as theirprimary group of friends.

It is no surprise then that accounts of the Beeand its events vary widely. One recently-inductedsophomore described the organization as a "nice,nice group of girls who are articulate, confidentand good role models."

But Kamil E. Redmond '00, who was punched forthe club and decided not to join after attendingthe first punch event, says she only met "anextension of a New York all-girls prep school."

"I could picture these women 40 years latergetting together for tea and crumpets," Redmondsays.

Redmond and others are also quick to bemoanwhat they perceive as the club's lack of ethnic orsocioeconomic diversity. Redmond says she believesshe may have been punched because, as a blackwoman, she could add diversity to theorganization.

In the face of such criticism, Hoermann standsby the Bee as one of the few places on campuswhere women can feel a sense of single-sexcamaraderie. But while few question the importanceof a support network for females on campus, manyquestion whether gender is the only prerequisitefor membership in the Bee.

From Sewing to Socializing

More than a century ago, the Bee had a moredefined purpose.

During the Civil War, the women of Cambridgeformed a sewing bee--a circle of women whoconvened weekly to sew uniforms for the Unionsoldiers. Members naturally formed friendshipsover the long hours spent together working, andwhen the war ended, the group continued to meet asa book club and social outlet.