Running for positions
 

Hey everyone! I'm interested in running for a position in my sorority, and elections are at the end of this month. After reading all about recruitment on GC, experiencing it myself, and hearing friends' experiences, I'm really interested in recruitment. If you read my story, you know that my school has a really interesting recruitment style. I really want to be involved, but I'm not sure how to get my foot in the door and make myself seem worthy of the position. I haven't had any opportunities yet because I just joined this semester. I have talked to the current recruitment coordinator about how I want to be involved with it in the future and she basically told me just go for it. I know that I am clearly not as qualified as some of the other ladies in chapter, but I would still like a chance to be involved. As far as I know, there is a recruitment chair and then she has an assistant. They pick the assistant based on votes of who comes in second for the position, or so I understand. I'm just worried about getting shot down because I'm a newer member. Should I even try? I do realize that asking sisters in my chapter is the best option (and I have), but I also want outside opinions. I was wondering if you ladies had any suggestions of how to proceed. Any helpful advice would be greatly appreciated! :)

If you want the position give it a try. Just don't be dissapointed if you don't get it, because frankly it is an important position they might not want to give to a new sister.

I don't know...you might want to actually see recruitment from the other side before taking such an important position (even as asst recruitment chair.) I'd recommend taking another position this year than going on to recruitment next year, but that's my opinion. Your current recruitment chair didn't seem to think it was a problem, so maybe I'm wrong :).

Also, some chapters have traditions when it comes to Recruitment Chair. Some prefer newer sisters, while others want a junior or senior. IMHO, RC is the most important office after President, and you need to know a LOT prior to running. That said, should you be up to the positition, go for it, and listen to any and all advice you're given (but throw out the bad advice)!

Thanks for the input everyone, it's been great so far! Are there any books I could read to help add credibility and to help prepare me?

I agree with AOII Angel. A LOT goes into recruitment that you won't be aware of, having only seen it as a PNM. However, your chapter knows your chapter's procedures best so I'd ask around (your big, exec board, etc) and see what older members think about it.

Aren't you a new initiate? If so, I'd think about everything that went really well with recruitment and what really sucked. That means EVERY sorority, not just yours. Then ask your fellow new initiates what they liked and didn't like. Some chapters even have break out sessions with their newly bid women to get this information.

There's a book that, if I count to ten, will probably be mentioned, and I think it's by a sister of yours!

Sidebar and swerv: Is this something that's shared between chapters of different GLOs?

If you have friends in the other chapters, maybe. But everyone hears things from the NMs who attended the other chapters' parties. A theme didn't go over well? You'll know. Someone's party go poorly due to timing? The chapters will know. And as a NM you remember your own recruitment. But it's not really something the chapters sit down and talk about on most campuses. YMMV.

There is "I Heart Recruitment"
by
Jessica Gendron (I believe) but I do not heart recruitment so I've never personally read it.

OK. We will sometimes share information like that with members of other organizations, too. I thought she meant there was an NPC After Action Report or something.

Thanks.

Yeah, the Panhel recruitment coordinator emailed us all a survey, but it was for Panhel purposes only (as far as I know).

We always did a very detailed survey, what chapters did you attend, what parties did they have, what did you like, what didn't you like, and then special attention to our own chapter. We did this the first week of pledging, while it was still fresh.

I always assumed that everyone did it. I know at least two other chapters that did it.

The new girls weren't asked about their opinions of how recruitment went but I'm sure the actives talked about it at length. Anyways, thanks for all of your opinions so far! I'm planning on running for a smaller position too, such as Hayride chair, song chair, or sister spirit leader, so either way I really hope to be involved. Even if I'm on a committee that would make me happy! I'll keep you guys posted :)

At least on my campus this survey from Panhel is shared with the recruitment chairs of each NPC on campus.

I would think that being a party or day chair during recruitment would be a good place to start getting experience.

I'm going out on a limb and guessing they don't have such a thing.

I'm not really sure... but if you mean party chair as in social chair for regular events, yeah we have that. If it's something specific to recruitment, I don't think so. I'm sure that there is someone who handles that kind of thing, but they don't have a specific title like party chair or something.

I'm a big fan of this book and recommend it often. Then again, I do adore recruitment!

I'll have to check that book out from the library or something. From what I've read from reviews on Amazon, it seems really interesting, regardless of whether I'm running for recruitment chair or anything. I talked to several of the executive board sisters tonight, and they said that there aren't any restrictions on who can run for a position. Our chapter is small-ish (but there are more sisters than there are positions still) and they pretty much encourage as many people as possible to hold a position at least once. I talked about being interested in recruitment and they all thought it was awesome and encouraged me in that path, so it's good to know that I have my sisters' support behind me in theory at least. I found out that there is also a committee which is appointed by the recruitment chair, so that's definitely an option. :)