Re: Re: Re: Why is this happening?!?!
 

It's not a bad size, but average chapter size on this campus is around 150/160ish...and there are several groups at 200, and one group at 240 :eek:, and there were over 1000 girls going through rush last fall. It's just very small when compared to the other numbers on this campus!

I sincerely hope everything works out for them, I will let you guys know if anything else happens! :)

It actually is a pretty poor size, considering our soror # stats....on other campuses it would be fine but here its really affecting their livelihood....for things like homecoming where its ALL work and about who has the biggest #'s to get things done, obviously they're going to have a harder time finding someone who wants to work with them.

Here's to hoping things work out. :(

I was just wondering if the National Headquarters of XYZ have offered to help them? Or are they helping them by bringing in other sisters? If for some reason XYZ doesn't make quota this year a great idea would be in the weeks after bid day to have a special XYZ rush. Where all the Greek guys and gals are wearing buttons like go XYZ and all unafliated fr, soph, and jr women in the college are invited to a rush party at XYZ house. With the massive PR for XYZ that occurs with their special rush they are sure to get more women! Sorta like a refounding their chapter... I have seen this work and it does wonders! The problem is you have to get ALL other sororities involved and I am guessing your campus might not like that since they are so competative but its just a thought! :)

I have an idea for XYZ...

Before we closed our PHC and IFC helped us out by wearing T-shirts with our letters...

Front: A New Begining in ASA(in greek letters) Come Join the Fun

Back: Greeks Support Greeks (surrounded by all of the GLO's, much like a Greek Week shirt could be)

Even if not ALL the other soroities are willing to buy and wear them you can probably get a bunch of Fraternities to buy and wear them.

It was too little too late for us.....but it could help XYZ

when i rushed, my chapter had sisters from other chapters present. while talking to those women, they said that they weren't from the campus, but they were very knowledgeable about phi mu. they didn't have different name tags or anything. if they were asked a campus related question, they deferred it to one of the chapter memebers. as far as the other sororities on campus go, no one made a big deal about having other sisters there (at least to the rushees), however, there were many comments of "oh, well phi mu is closing, so you probably don't want to go there." for the 3 years i was in the chapter, the other groups said that. we always had a ton of rushees ask us when we were closing bc they heard at xyz party that we were!!! ugh. i really hope that panhel pulls it together for these women. being in the smaller chapter is a lot of work....but that doesn't mean the sisterhood is any less.

FAB and AXJules:
I hope you can spread some of your Panhellenic spirit around!

I pledged in 96 and there was a chapter on campus with the same problem. They had been recently colonized and their Nationals had pretty much left them on their own without much support. I know ZTA and another chapter tried as hard as possible to get the word out and help this chapter. We even held an ice cream social in our suite as a rush event for them. I would take down names and numbers of unaffiliated women in my classes fo them. Unfortunately, it didn't work out for them and they ended up closing.

Maybe at the next Panhellenic meeting some of you can take a stand and help them out.
I hope it works out!

JohnsDGsweethrt & AlphaFrog have great ideas for XYZ :) I hope things work out for XYZ, and I hope the greek community can support them
:)

Those ideas are awesome! Sadly though I really don't think many of the houses on our campus would be willing to help like that, but it might be worth a shot. As for their Nationals helping them, I know that they came in last fall during recruitment and tried to help them then and they did several informal rush events throughout the year, but I think they only ended up with 11 new members, and I don't think all of those new members stayed. :( They are pretty much at the very end here, which makes me sad b/c I wish there was something I could do to help, but this system is so messed up and so wrapped up in politics and things that it's hard to get your voice heard.

Are the women from XYZ's other chapters that are coming in to help from schools in the area? That might actually work better than having chapter consultants or national reps come in...because as someone else pointed out what works in Louisiana doesn't always fly in Ohio. A school local to the area will be more familiar with the culture of the campus, etc. Not only that, there's a possibility they will know some rushees and connections can be made that way.

I'm pretty sure they're talking about bringing in girls from local colleges. We have about 7 other big schools here in Missouri. Last year I know they brought in girls from one other school about 20 minutes away....if it wasn't a big deal then, why now??

Just to clear something up- they haven't recently colonized. They've been on campus forever and used to have pretty decent numbers, although from what I've heard the reputation was fairly the same.

The T-shirt idea.... we tried something like that to coordinate when they were COB'ing girls last year. No houses decided to participate in wearing them.

AXJules I love you signature! Some peole on Greek Chat are too funny! ;)

LOL thanks.
I just wanted to have a truthful signature that reflected my opinions..and after spending some time here I think its humorous yet accurate, lol...

True. True.

I stopped by a LXA chapter in California just to visit and see what the members were like.

It just so happened I stopped by during rush - so, I did what any BROTHER should do - introduced myself, rolled up my sleeves, and starting rushing prospective members...I doubt IFC at that campus or other fraternity chapters would have made a fuss.

It seems the mindset of the opposed chapters are of typical "freshmen" greek mentality. I'm not judging, I thought that way too once, you know, "If all the other chapters just folded, we'd rule the campus. By sophomore year you dont think this as much, and start to make a few friends outside of your house and a few in other houses. By junior year you start to see some common things with a few other houses, and make freinds from class or get on IFC/Panhel with people from other chapters and realize you have a lot in common with them, as greeks. Finally, by your senior year your really good friends with some peeps from other chapters, you know the struggles of their houses, and they know the issues your house faces. You bounce ideas off of each other and are really grateful for their friendship. You also understand that the university would never bother to have you around if there werent enough of you to justify the office of greek life.

Just sounds liek the girls who oppose it are "immature" in the bigger sphere of the greek community. We've all had our ups and downs. The problem with some of todays undergraduates is the they HAVE NO ORGANIZATIONAL MEMORY. They dont remember anythign beyond 3 years in the organization, yet carry the banner of "tradition" (which to an undergrad, means it was done once or twice before), but yet have no concept that all orgs have, at one time or another, helped each other out.

I agree you and your chapter are showing true panhellenic spirit ! I know that when I went through rush... (although it was informal) at open house one of the houses had members from a nearby school talking to us. I don't think there is anything against the rules about it and it was classy of the chapter to let everyone know what was going on. I can't believe that there are chapters who aren't supporting this. I mean there's really nothing they can do about it anyway.. since the chapter bringing in visitors has already told Panhel, I'm sure they'll tell the rushees... so the larger houses telling the PNMs they are being rushed by sisters who don't belong to the chapter they would be joining is moot anyway, but it is sad these chapters are acting out of such a non panhellenic spirit. :(