Given the seriousness of signing a bid card, SIPing, etc. and all the potential for mistakes to be made (Rho Chis mess up in not clearly explaining this information to PNMs, PNMs don't listen or understand, etc.) why doesn't NPC come up with some kind of little card that CLEARLY explains to the PNM exactly what the consequences are? Every woman gets it when rush kicks off and again when it is time to sign the bid card. Every woman reads it and knows exactly what her options are. Either NPC has one that every school uses or each school comes up with their own and has it approved. It doesn't matter to me.

This seems way too important to leave it to chance as to whether a Rho Chi adequately and accurately explains this to each and every woman. When a woman is in emotional turmoil trying to make such a big decision, having something in writing will be much more real than one more person talking when she's been listening to people talk all week.

Sallie

I've seen the forms that one Panhellenic school uses, on the form in big bold and underlined words it says something to the effect of: By signing this document you are bound to a chapter that offers you a bid.

I understand that with everything that goes on before bid signing, emotions are running high and people may not be reading everything, but its really important that they do. 10 years ago I remember someone from Panhellenic got up and made a big deal about "if you sign this, you have can't get a bid from another chapter for a whole year". But then again, our campus "frowned" upon SIPing, but allowed it.

I know when my daughter went through recruitment at Alabama that they explained every thing at length. Pref night took forever because, as my daughter put it, they had to sign their life away before they were allowed to leave. I believe they were individually asked if their pref card was right and they explained to them again what signing that card meant and the PNMs signed a form saying it had been explained to them and they agreed to abide by the rules.
Of course, at that point they all just wanted to pledge and probably would have signed just about anything but I was impressed that they attempted to impress upon the girls the seriousness of what they were doing.

well. transfers coming into a four year school from a community college transfer in as a junior. someone rushing in the same poition were they were bound for one year but rushed as a freshman, or sophmore would have the next year to give it another shot. junior transfers gets one shot and one shot only. what makes it different from a junior that had been there and a transfers that someone who had been there had 2 previous years to rush.

What great chances would you have to get a bid to a chapter you wanted even if you weren't bound for a year? Are the chapters you're interested in even doing COR? I think a lot of this is overblown.

A-MEN.

what do you mean by COR, is that like COB? but yea actually my top two choices did have COB

We officially released our bid to that poor woman, but the Panhel Advisor held her to it. We seriously didn't need her crying hysterically because she was forced to accept our bid! She was forced to wait a year, but the whole experience left a bad taste in her mouth. She never went through Recruitment again. :(

You surely don't have to convince me that not all Rho Chis make sure that each woman in her RC group understands the seriousness of the whole Recruitment "game"!

Well, that was hurdle #1, but #2 is that these chapters had a chance to give you a bid during FR and chose not to. It is very rare for a chapter to turn around and give a bid to a PNM they released just weeks after releasing her. It has happened, but there is usually a reason why they took a second look (i.e. you are best friends with one of their New Members, etc.)

Actually, NPC has had such a form for at least four years. It is considered the script for the Membership Recruitment Acceptance Binding Agreement (the official name for the form signed after Preference and used in Bid Matching.)

It outlines all of the choices the women has as well as the consequences (list all, list one or less than all choices, or list zero and not sign, etc.) Many Panhellenics provide this explanation at more than one time (before Pref, in Recruitment Counselor groups, at Pref.)

If campuses are still not using this, they should. It really helps! In various capacities, I have worked with the Preference event at four different schools (types, numbers, atmosphere, location in country, etc.) and all are using this script in some form. Most even have a shortened version on the paper or computer screen that the PNM signs so that it is right there with her regular or electronic signature.

Sometimes they just DO NOT listen. I had explained to my little group in particular one year EXACTLY what happens when they sign that pref card.

I repeatedly said that unless they hated their other choice, they should list them. But IF THEY WOULD CRY ON BID DAY because they got their second choice then they should consider only listing their first choice, with the understanding that that would make it more likely that they will not get a bid since a no-match would result in them getting dropped. (We don't go into COB unless they specifically ask as some see that as a second option).

Guess what one of the girls did? Yep. Cried on Bid Day.

Sometimes they just DON'T listen.

We have started using, this year, a form which outlines all specifications and possibilities very explicitly and the Panhellenic Advisor goes step-by-step through the process. Not only are they getting it from their Rho Chi's, but they're getting it from the Advisor as well...and the sheet of paper they sign.

When I went through I single-preffed, but I wasn't even told I could. I guess I either had a lot of balls or was really dumb. I'm not as against it as some are...I understand why it should not be encouraged but am always frustrated when it is intentionally not mentioned. That would eliminate the crying-on-bid-day scenario.

Is there something like a pref night card for COB? I don't think chapters do a Pref Night for COB since it's informal...

Edit: Just wondering how accepting bids work for COB cause I know the same rules from FR apply to COB.

No, there are different rules for COB. During informal, a PNM can theoretically be offered a bid to each chapter participating. She is not bound by a chapter merely offering her a bid. She is bound to a chapter for a year once she signs a chapter's bid to accept it.

The "pref card" (Membership Recruitment Acceptance Agreement/MRAA) is only used in formal recruitment. It discourages SIPing to place as many women as possible. Once PNMs rank their chapters after preference and sign their MRAAs, they are bound to whichever chapter they match with for a year. The "accepting or declining" on bid day is a formality.

Thanks for the clarification. At my school, very few chapters participate in COB, but I am still interested in checking them out. Even though I will be participating in COB, I am wondering if it would be best to not accept a bid (if I do receive a bid) and wait for FR. Most chapters don't do COB here, which is the disadvantage of participating in COB because I would love to see all of the chapters, but is not accepting a COB bid a missed opportunity? More than half of the PNMs receive bids during FR, but there is still a significant amount that end up bidless.