That's exciting!

Good luck this semester!

first chapter on tuesday [tomm]. woot.

;) i'll post back on how it goes.

i like your motto. congratulations jess.

dissapointment
 

well. so we had our first meeting today. and while 7 girls said they would attend, 3 people [incl. myself and my roommate] showed up. some called me before hand and told me they were called into work under emgergency circumstances or that they always work on tuesdays [ the girl told me a week before].

i guess since they weren't there they don't get to vote[other than those that contacted me], and they have to go through recruitment [since they haven't been inititated since our ritual is what 3 months old?]. i am really really ticked off. :mad:

i've pretty much formed this group single handedly [literally] and to see people not taking it seriously makes me wonder why the heck i even bother. but then i know i can't, and that i'm not just doing this for me, but potientially females engineers after me, at my institution.

... off my soapbox ...

Keep your chin up. You've come so far already.

Perhaps there is a better meeting time available to the group? We used to have chapter on Sunday nights. Almost everything was closed then, so hardly anyone had to work.

Good luck!

So I sat down and read this thread in one sitting (when I'm SUPPOSED to be writing a paper...eek!) and I'm so impressed by you for turning your recruitment situation around and doing your own thing! I think you're the same age as me, and I just can't imagine taking on all of the stuff that you are. Keep your head up and don't give up-- you've come way too far for that! What's meant to be will always find it's way. (Sorry, I know that's horribly cheesy, but I couldn't help myself :))

woot. in my upsettedness i forgot to tell you what we decided.

we chose dates for recruitment [but not a theme, that happens next week.]
we have 4 officers Pres, VP, Sec., Tres., but we still need a membership educator.

and.....
the crowning moment............


we decided to petition a national org for affiliation.

WOOT!
which org will be revealed at a later date. :D [just in case stuff changes]

I'm so excited for you, Jess! In my GLO, I've been lucky enough to help out interest groups turn into colonies (and eventually into chapters), and I'm impressed with what you've accomplished in such a short amount of time.

The critical thing to do now is to let go of a little bit of the leadership. The other girls in the core group have to feel a strong sense of ownership in this fledgling group. If all of the decisions and activity center around you, it's way too easy for them to walk away if they get bored or frustrated or distracted with something else in their life.

So, question about the national you are seeking affiliation with: is it the same one you were in touch with last spring?

just an update.

after reading all the crazy drama on the recruitment stories board, here is whats been going on with us:

We chose Cinderella, to petition for national affliation, after other engineering org Pocahontas just kinda stopped talking to us. Like fell off the face of the earth stopped talking to us [and i've sent emails to their nationals] {the reason i am using code names is bc i don't feel totally comfortable revealing the org just in case what happened with Pocahontas happens with Cindy... but i think this ones a keeper :D].

Anyways as most of you know hurricane Ike hit the Gulf coast [and tech got a 'flood' day on a perfectly sunny day], anyways, i got an email today from Cinderella Exec, wondering if our sisters and families were ok. I was so happy that this org acually cared even tho i've never even talked to this person over the phone! :D i told my VP and she shared the same excitement [even tho she is a bit under the weather and it sounded more like 'oh wow thats so cool'.... i hope its not contagious]

Formal chapter is tommorrow, where we will [or I will] offically announce officers and what NEEDS to get done for recruitment week... WOOT! then i'll step back and let my minions do their work... :p

on a total side note: The chrome ring for my trackball on my Blackberry fell out. and it sucks... hopefully i can convince [yes i have to convince] my dad to spring the like $8 it will take to replace it.
GAH.

Oh, good! I was worried about you!

I hope everything with Cinderella works out OK! Let us know how formal chapter goes!

I am so thrilled for you and your sisters Jess!!

How amazing it must be to walk into a formal chapter meeting knowing that you wrote the whole thing. I know formal meetings are my favorite ones. I love ritual!

woot. the second meeting was today [and seeing as i only gave like a 24 hour notice prior due to the weather situation, the meeting was supposed to be on friday, when campus was closed] i say i had a faily decent turnout of 4 people. i've been too upset about my dad [instead of spending like $8 to buy me a new trackball he's going to ship me my old POS phone] to be upset about the meeting numbers. I am currently looking for an on campus job and it is stressing me out, and hopefully when i get my job i can fix my phone.
ANYWAYS. our recruitment week is finalized. It kinda hard to run formal meetings as formal [since the flow of people at meetings isn't consistant, and well this was our first...], and the ritual is still settling down.
But i am so excited about our recruitment theme.... we got a lot done today and i am happy to be settling down into the groove of things, along with allocating jobs.... its hard for me to realize that i CAN actually let other people do things, [the last few times i did that, i ended up doing everything by myself.] but now that i am starting to i feel some of the pressure lifted... an di need that now that i have homework due everyday, and some crazy hard classes [along with some not so crazy ones ;)].

ok well i guess i'm tired because i think i'm rambling.

Jess I know exactly what you mean about letting go and letting others do things! It's so hard!

But the great thing about it is, when it works, you know that you have solid women behind you. I'm learning that the slow [and hard!] way.

Are you writing out an agenda? This can help when running a meeting that can have different people attending. It can also help you keep focused so the meeting doesn't take as long. For example, you could start out with introductions (because you constantly have new people), move to old business and then to new business. At the end, choose your next meeting time. Email the agenda ahead of time so people can make notes and be prepared to participate. Have extra copies at the meeting, because people will forget their copy. Then adjust the agenda to add your minutes and send them out to the missing PNMs. This will also help with accountability, because it will have whoever is responsible for getting something done listed. It will also serve as a reminder.

RA: i do write out an agenda, and notes in what i like to call 'the notebook,' which contains our ritual as well as a list of initiates, signed and dated, and other information that we would like to pass down to members. but i need to the the secretary on the 'individual' agenda.

Anyways i write this update with a smile on my face because [after emailing about half the girls in the Coll. of Eng.], i got back about 6 emails from PNMs! :D i have hope that this number will grow since i only sent out the email today, and some people might not have had time to reply, or read their emails. WOOT! i am so excited! we went shoping for our decorations and ribbon for pins [sky blue and kelly green for pledges, and Indigo and Yellow for actives] we decided to do ribbon pins for all because i don't think its time or cost efficient to have pins made that we might only wear for a semester or two.

Recruitment starts in 2 days and Bid day is saturday! we will hold COB events at a later date.

i think i'm getting sick and i have 3 tests and 1 quiz this week.... not to mention recruitment.

edit: i found out that there is a girl interested in rushing that is from my High School! WOOT! :D that makes me super happy!

TODAY IS BID DAY!
 

Weds. and Thurs were info nights and we let people know what we are about and played this game called Either-Or...

Last night was Movie and Mocktails... We all dressed up Sex in the City-ish, We had mocktails [i made them :D] and watched a bid of the presidential debates.... then we went to my room and watched Sex in the City... Till 11:30. Later we called the girls telling them to meet and we'll provide lunch [they don't know whats going on ;)]

Today is bid day! We'll be extending bids to 6 lovely ladies. [making our total 11]
BUT..
about 14 girls are in a facebook group, because they couldn't come this week [there were tests for a lot of the science classes this week] and about 24 girls contacted me saying they couldn't make it this week but they were interested. So we've decieded to kinda do COB over the semester...

But anywhoo we're taking the girls on a picnic, and later tonight there is a short pledging cermony. :)

I'm really tired, but still really excited. I was talking to VP/Roomie about how NPC's have work/polsih week and they do skits and songs and chants and other stuff and she was like i bet its like this but 50 times more tiring but i bet they love it...
OFF TO THE PARK I GO!

jess, what wonderful news!! congratulations-now don't let those other girls who are interested slip away!

i posted our bid day pictures on the Bid Day Pics Thread but here is one of my favs.

http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/n...e/TXDGroup.jpg


its the actives and the pledges, we're getting shirts made at a later point. :D
[I'm the one holding the Delta]

Well done, Jess! Congratulations. :)

Hurrah! I'm excited for you!

JESS! Congrats!!!!!! :)

Congrats Jess! That's great news :)

What lovely ladies Jess! A big "Woot" to YOU! This has been a great journey and I'll look forward to reading more.

Great news!

What a lovely group of lady scientists! I love seeing women embrace a male dominated field!!!:D Best of luck with your first semester of activities, Jess.

so... one of our officers decided to take a "hiatus..."
so other than that everything is going well with cinderella...
pocahontas contacted us about the pause in communication, but we've decided to stick it through with cinderella....
i love love love the new members [i can't say that enough] they are so active and energetic. if it weren't for them i would have been pooped out/giving up already

chapter tonight! :D

Yeah! Good luck at chapter, with your new girls, finding a replacement officer, and with Cinderella!

so i just read like the last 5 or so pages of this thread and i am really really impressed! you started a sorority while taking engineering classes (my roomie is an engineer, she has to skip her classes to do her homework! she works like 24/7. it is insanity). i'm only an english major and i get stressed out when i have 1 paper coming up. lol. basically, you are pretty amazing :)

eh. i'm not amazing. i just hate having too much downtime in my schedule. I find that the more i'm involved in something, the better i do in school... its strange i know. But it's also my folly.... i have very little patience.
but thanks! :)

with that being said....
I filled my petition to affiliate with the national! :D
i just have to scan in some documents with signatures and we're all set [which i'm doing sometime tonight]....
i am so excited at how fast this is all going...

hopefully we can have a totally happy ending soon enough!

i just found out that the executive board voting of wether or not they should colonize us is on the 27... thats like 2 weeks away....
GAAAAAAAAAAAAH!
but i'm still doing a happy dance :D

That's exciting news! Good luck!

Best wishes!!

woot! chapter tommorrow...
So much is going on and i can't wait till [hopefully] all our efforts come to fruition!
wating for colony voting [october 27] is KILLLLLING ME
and i haven't told the New Members yet, that happens at chapter tomm.... the actives know tho...

it's the 27th!!! any news??

so apperantly i misread the email... it said the WEEK of the 27th... not the 27th...
I'll find out Thursday Night/Friday morning. :)

AND the UT Game is this weekend. OMG the engergy flowing on campus is great! and i love poking [in a friendly way] fun of my UT and A&M friends. AHHH!

Keeping my fingers crossed!

So, did you tell your pledge class yet?

i did indeed tell them, But they were mostly like whatever happens yaay! i think i'm still one of the more excited ones.

our pledges don't really know how hard we had to work to get to this point so i can understand that they don't totally get it...

i wonder if chapter founders for NPC orgs have that same issue, or if pledges are just as excited when they find out their local is becoming part of a national org.?

I'm keeping my fingers crossed for you, Jess!

I'm sure that all of your work will pay off!

GOOD LUCK! :D

OMG this week is going to be GREAT!
we decided [last week] to throw a halloween party [Fright Night], and invite all members, new members, and potential new members [and thier dates]... like a recruitment event [no alcohol will be served]
then after the party, i'm going to go stake out for the UT game [my friends have been there since sunday... :)]
and of course i find out whether we get to be part of a national org...

WOOT!