Update, please! I can't wait to find out which one is Phi Mu! ;)

Finger sprain makes typing tough. Y'all may have to wait a few days.

At least we know you're not torturing the addicts on purpose!

ok its been a few days now!! update update!

Im waiting wheres my update

Update, update!!!! (No excuses! C'mon!!!) :p

i've really been enjoying your thread-especially the comments about the phil. crafts. i bet there are a lot of pnms who feel the same way about having to do a craft(and sorority members too, for that matter). i have heard new members admit that they were so worried that the sororities would critique their craft after they left the party-that had never dawned on me before they said it.

please come back and finish your story.

I would agree that there are probably a lot of PNMs that probably aren't crazy about the crafts that are done for philanthropy projects. I can remember one year, it was decided to do a Panhellenic wide project and the project were randomly assigned to the chapters. I think it was for the Boys and Girls Club in town. I imagine coming up with 14 different projects had to be difficult. My chapter was assigned to decorate pencils with the PNMs - not that fun or exciting for anyone involved.

LOL, one PNM I sat with during our philanthropy party decorated part of her craft with a color combination that was another sorority's colors. Apparently another PNM out of my earshot told her that these were another sorority's colors, and the next thing I knew the PNM was furiously redoing her craft. I couldn't figure out why for the life of me, but she just kept saying "No, I screwed it up, I have to do it again." She ended up becoming one of our new members, and she later confided to me that she was worried we'd cut her for putting another sorority's colors on the gift bag. The funny things the PNMs stress about! ;) It's really not easy sometimes to look at those things rationally, though, when you're a crazy-stressed PNM!

We didn't do those back in my day. Does everyone do them? I don't remember dd talking about doing them at UNL? :confused:

Many schools do these indiv. type projects but some schools do group projects. For example, on Tuesday morning, all the PNMs board buses and go to Goodwill and sort items. That afternoon they go to the chapter's philanthropy parties but they'll talk about it instead of doing something.

I was recruitment chair the first year that Elon did a "craft" philanthropy round. We made pillow cases for the kids at Duke Children's Cancer Hospital with paint pens. It ended up being a huge mess and a real pain!!!

However, I will say that we looked very cute in AXiD's Green Choose Children shirts. No other org had specific shirts designed by their nationals for their philanthropy.

I think philanthropy days started in the late 1990s- when I was in school 92-96, we didn't have them but I remember starting to hearing about them a couple years later. We had an openhouse round, talking round, skit round, and preference round. I think the philoanthropy round replaced the talking round. In theory it sounds like a good idea, but some of the crafts seem kind of cheesy.

It was hard to come up with a craft where you could be engaged in conversation and make something in under 20 minutes.

The first year we did it, we made the whole room into a kids theme (like hand print cut outs, teddy bears and pics of all the sisters as kids -- which was really adorable!) we had the PNM's come in to a song we obvi changed the words to, and then had our philanthropy chair explain what Choose Children is and then showed a brief computerized slide show of some of the different events that we did and read some letters from the girls in the brownie troop we sponsored. Then it was time to make the craft and then clean up.

Of course that was the first year that Elon had philanthropy round and I am sure a lot of the kinks have been knocked out since, but it was brutal to get cleaned up and set up between each party!!!

Oh, and one of the PNMs at one of our parties had a paint pen explode all over her -- and she was wearing white!!! It was not a good scene!

I'm sorry in advanced at how cynical this may sound, but at a really big recruitment, you kind of have to wonder what the philanthropy group is really going to do with 1000 pillowcases (or painted flowerpots, I'm not trying to single any one craft out, and maybe they can use 1000 pillowcases) all at once. It really is hard to figure out how 18 groups could have everyone make a meaningful craft, you know?

I think having a day to focus on the groups' philanthropies is a great idea, but that maybe it should focus more of videos, scrapbooks and photos of the projects that the group, particularly in support of their national group's philanthropy, really does throughout the year. That way the benefits keep coming because group may be inspired to actually do more or more substantial projects, and it can be a focus for the sisterhood. It could also get big to have pictures of your members working on other groups philanthropies, building up pahellenic spirit.

Again, with the cynicism, but I sort of feel like this was a "what-can-we-do-to-change-the-image-of-sororities" idea rather than an authentically well thought out philanthropic idea.

I totally agree, and as someone whose art skills would need assistance to get up to suck hard, it places another pressure on the PNMs and sisters who aren't inclined to that sort of thing. Not to mention the wanting to look nice because you're rushing, but being afraid to wear TOO nice of clothes because of the glue/paint etc you may be using. Not to mention that not everyone has a philanthropy easily translatable to a 15 minute craft.

I think it would be much better for everyone to get together before or after rush and build a Habitat for Humanity house or something along those lines.

You know, what little I remember of my rush, I do remember making a "magic wand" for the Robbie Page Memorial, and a quilt square for ASA...and sadly, I don't even remember what happened to that quilt square. But I can't imagine what you would do for Alzheimers(sp?) or Make-A-Wish...just picking a few...

Imagine Juvenile Diabetes which was our focus when I was in school. Decorative insulin pumps maybe? Personalized insulin syringes? (I apologize for being in bad taste; I'm sure there are helpful things that could be made, but it doesn't immediately seem to lend itself to crafts.)

Or Alpha Gamma Delta Foundation officially. Here's the mission statement: "The Alpha Gamma Delta Foundation impacts and enriches our communities by providing essential support for education, philanthropy and leadership." It's pretty wide open. You could do school supplies that you then donated; there are lots of possibilities.


ETA: Here is an excellent video prevention on our website. It's a wonderful overview of our foundation: http://www.alphagammadelta.org/conte...efault.htm.htm

Sometimes, you'd almost have to. Or you could make items which would be sold later to benefit the national group.

It's a shame because sometimes a charity or community service group really might need the benefit of a couple of thousand extra hands, in terms of sorority members and PNMs, but with recruitment there are build in limits.

OK I JUST LOST THE POST I WROTE responding to this... but, im gonna to an apples-to-oranges of how an NPHC community service could work for NPC philantrophy day (just an example of course)

for example, NY Cares Day has lots of different projects happening in one day on one site. a few chapters (either from one org or a mix of orgs) sign up and split up between the projects (ie. organizing bookshelves, painting murals, planting trees, etc) for a part of the day (or even a full day if you're ambitious).

more often than not, we open our comm service events to interested members so they can get to know us and give back in some aspect. while NY Cares isn't any of the NPHC's official national projects, at its core it allows us to serve our respective communities in the name of service just like every NPC has their own philantrophy, generally speaking it is understood within your principles.

with what i outlined, you solve the following:

1. well, a philantrophy day that isnt borerline suck@ss
2. show that your org (and that greeks in general) do more than the stereotypical party, drink and what not
3. save a mess on nicer clothing (and everyone wins cause they can wear jeans and tees!)
4. getting to see all the orgs in action at once. that way the PNM can see exactly how social the orgs are in one setting, versus going to each house every day in an isolated setting. and you know greeks get together and it turns into one big chant fest (ok maybe that's a NPHC/MCGLO thing? but i know NPCs really go at it with door chants!)
5. not getting stuck with pillowcases, flowerpots, blankets and picture frames that not even yo mama would pretend to love. remember, just because theyre the less fortunate doesnt mean they dont deserve qualilty handouts.


im sure there would be kinks to work out ie. "hey wait - isnt that hazing?!?!?!" and size issues (i know many schools have hundreds and even thousands of rushees a season so it could gets really hectic! but i think it could be doable...

I'm not sure if this is common knowledge yet, but UGA is now including a philanthropy round. It is replacing/ enhancing the skit round. This year though, I don't imagine many chapters will do crafts. Probably just extra info about their philanthropy of choice. I couldn't be more thrilled. When I went through recruitment in my own special way, I knew everything I could about the chapters' philanthropy and tried to start conversations about it -- much like AlwaysSAI, actually. I adore our foundation and love talking about it to PNMs!

Every chapter at my school made their philanthropy for the childrens hospital. We made flower pots during the party but then we filled them with candy. I'm sure the kids didn't give two flips about the flower pot but the candy was a nice gesture :) Every year we'd get thank you cards from the families of the kids that had gotten gifts so obviously it meant something to them.

Another house made pillowcases and they'd write "get well soon", "the xyz's are thinking of you", etc. Another one made picture frames and the insert would have the same kind of sentiments on it. Those were the only othert two I remember but regardless of how great the projects turned out it's still a nice gesture.

Plus at my school every PNM got a philantrhopy day t-shirt and were told to wear either denim or khaki pants, skirts, or capris. It was also the only party that PNMs were told it was ok to wear flip flops.

I say yea philanthropy, boo crafts!

As I said before, a slide show/video focusing on what the group had done or does would be excellent. 5,400 craft projects, not so much, in my opinion.

I really don't think it's a good idea for the size recruitment UGA's is to implement philanthropy crafts. Think of the cost to the chapters to dream up something appropriate and cute and then, assuming it's a late round with only 1/4 of the total girls still attending, buy enough crafty stuff to have 300 or so people make them.

Surely the money for such an expense would be better sent directly to the charity since we're certainly talking thousands of dollars when you look at the total amount for the 18 groups. Wouldn't the money directly in the hand of a philanthropic foundation potentially do more good than they most beautifully decorated flower pots, pillow cases, fleece blankets?

It makes me kind of sick to think about the waste really.

At the right sized recruitment, it's a good idea. I'm not negative about philanthropy crafts completely. But at the point that you'd have more flower pots than patients, well, it might not be sure a great idea. It's partially a question of the scale of the recruitment and the needs of the community.

At a school with deferred recruitment, it might be really great to do it this way. I agree with your list of benefits.

It's a little harder to figure out how you'd do it at campuses where they have recruitment for girls who haven't even attended their first day of class yet although I guess you could make high school girls welcome. But that's mainly because we insist on doing our intake in such a silly way. I bet it does seem ridiculous to NPHC folks.

So I got invited back to:

Marvels
Ripplers
Ice Pearls

I would not be returning to:
Alpha Delta Pi
Phi Sigma Sigma

I guess I was happy enough, at this point, and could see two of the three chapters working out for me. Of course, I would attend pref at all three.

My dorm friends were all still in their perfect rush modes, and they were going back to some of the same chapters. I was worried that all three would pledge the same place, and I would be left out, but I also had a lot of friends who were not rushing at all.

I agree. One year, when we went down to the storage closet to start getting out the recruitment stuff, we found the philanthropy projects we had made the previous year.

You are working within a recruitment budget, so anything you put into the craft takes away from something else. Also, some of the crafts take a ridiculous amount of preparation before you can give them to the PNM's. I think we made lion hand puppets one year, so you can imagine how many felt manes had to be cut out in advance, to be assembled by the PNM's.

I think the whole thing should be scrapped.

Looking forward to more updates!

Okay, prefs. I wore a red cocktail dress with big black flowers, and black platform shoes. I am tall to begin with, so I was easily over 6 feet.

Marvels. I was introduced to a girl who lived near me, and knew a lot of people from high school. She was really shy and nervous, but I got a really good feeling anyway, and I was happy that so many people stopped by to say hello, either girls I had met previously, or girls who told me they had heard good things and wanted to say hello. Once we got food, we were talking with another rushee and active, and I knew the rushee, and she didn't shut up the whole time, so that part sucked.

Ripplers. They did something where they stood in a circle and the rushees were on the outside, and they told stories and there was lots of crying. It was too much like it looked -- rushees on the outside of things. The girls were nice, but I just didn't get the good feeling I had elsewhere.

Ice Pearls. I was shocked that I had a rusher that I didn't know, because there were so many girls in this house who did know me. She laid it on thick, and dropped a lot of names, but nobody came by to say hello. Annoying rushee from the Marvels party spotted me and said something about how I was following her :rolleyes: They sang "True Colors" and it was really, really well done.

So back to the union to sign pref cards. I spent about five minutes writing it out, and signed:

Marvels
Ice Pearls

My RC asked if I was sure I didn't want Ripplers, and I said I was sure.

____________________________(time passes)_______________________

A few hours later, I ran into my rusher from Marvels at the bar (KAMS!), and, in the spirit of strict silence, walked right up to her and asked if I was getting a bid. She stumbled out some reply, actually telling me that she scored me as high as she could, but she doesn't make the final decision (I guess I had it in my head that each round, your rusher decides if she wants you to get an invite for the next round). I didn't want to get in trouble, so after that, I left her alone and went back to drinking my O'n'O, the freshman girl drink of choice for 1999.

ooh! Thanks for the update. I think I'm going to root for Ice Pearls for some reason. :)

Well, who wouldn't?

I really don't know what I would have done in the same situation, but I admire your directness.

Hahaha, do you know what the code names are?

I just googled, and you're more of a sick puppy than I realized, DBB. Enjoying having people publicly declare a preference for one? hee, hee.

Hmm, now I'm gonna have to google it....... :confused:

Ok so I am not the only one that thought the code names were a little naughty. ;)

Mostly I am amused that I almost did the whole thread without anyone noticing.

Well when you first started I thought the code names were a little....uh, interesting but I wasn't sure what to make of it.

I wouldn't have caught on though. (I just googled "ice pearls" and only came up with a special car paint.) Now that I look back on the names though. Duh! :D

Can't wait to hear about Bid Day!