The Panhellenic Aspect of Sorority Recruitment
 

OK, so I was in college "back in the day." For years I thought about my own chapter around recruitment time and wondered how they were and what they were doing. I never thought about any other campuses or chapters unless I knew someone that was in a particular chapter. But what I like about GC is the Panhellenic aspect of sorority recruitment. I like the thought that it is not about my own national and my own chapter but part of something larger, all chapter-encompassing. I want to know about the new colonizations of all Panhellenic chapters, which nationals are growing, which chapters are winning awards. It goes beyond being just a rush addict.

Recruitment will always be competitive. This is just the nature of recruitment. But I believe that the Panhellenic spirit is what recruitment is about now. It's not just about your own chapter, but all chapters everywhere. Sorority membership provides both a universal experience as well as a unique personal one.

The point of this thread (which I have been thinking alot about during this recruitment season) is that while we all love and appreciate our own chapters and nationals, we are all in this recuitment thing together. The sorority experience must be based on the Panhellenic experience - by NPC sorority membership, we are all members of Panhellenic and the Panhellenic spirit is what ultimately matters. We cannot exist without each other nor would we want to. So let's talk about just what makes recruitment truly Panhellenic. :)

I don't know if this is the sort of thing you have in mind, but I was talking to a friend a work who had just taken her daughter off to college. At her campus, women wearing panhellenic t-shirts were helping with move in. My friend asked which group they were in, and they said that they weren't supposed to tell. The idea, I think, is that they are all out together representing sorority women in a positive way to increase the profile of the whole system. I think they have a delayed recruitment, so this will be the first contact that new students have with greek life.

On a different note, I find myself authentically cheering for chapters who pledge their legacies, no matter what group it is. It's just a sweet bond.

That is a great sentiment. :)

This is a great suggestion for schools who are really hoping to grow their system and/or campus profile. Back when my sister was in college, the fraternities helped the girls move in, but I like it better that the "sisters are doing it for themselves." I don't remember anyone jumping out to help me move in:(. What's with that?

When I was at UK, we sorority members helped the freshmen move in every year. We wore jerseys with letters & as such represented our own chapters. I like the idea of not being able to tell - this does further the Panhellenic aspect.

I'm thinking of things like helping the new colony on campus have a smooth recruitment (for instance, at UK Alpha Phi just opened 2 years ago, and Phi Mu is colonizing this year). I'm talking about any effort to get beyond "your own chapter" and include others in the general recruitment theme. :)

That's really sweet barbino. I agree. When a new colony/ chapter comes to your campus, it would be great to help them.

I can't help with current PH efforts, but the query reminded me of rush at Mizzou in
1971.

The NPC groups were competitive and isolated in "siloes," to use a contemporary buzzword. There were fewer PNMs that year than in years past (and in years to come)--lingering effects of the counterculture/antiwar movement. Quota was lower in 1971 (25) than it had been in 1970 (34). It was my first year on the member-side of rush. Our chapter was small and we were anxious.

The first evening of workweek the Alpha Phis showed up on our front lawn, singing, "Hey, hey, hello, we are Alpha Phi. Hey, hey, hello, come along with us." We went outside and joined our chorus to theirs: "Hey, hey, hello, we are Alpha Gam..." and we and they moved along to the Chi O house....eventually the song morphed into "Hey, hey, hello, we are the Greeks." And we made our way throughout Greektown, stopping at each house and adding those women. (The fratboys weren't sure what to make of the swarm.<g>)

It was a very moving way to begin rush -- and obviously it made such an impression on me that I remember it clearly 40 years later!

Last year during my daughter's college visits to both Alabama and Auburn I would hear statistics showing that the Greek Communities of both campuses are right at 33-35% of the student body and while the Greek System is great there are so many other opportunities for students who are not Greek. Yet at both schools every Student Recruiter, Ambassador, and Group Leader I met was Greek. None of them ever shared their affiliation except to say all the Greek Organizations on their respective campus are awesome! Then when we went to orientation, both the parent and the student counselors we had were Greek - but couldn't share their membership, and on move in day the Panhellenic Leaders and the Pi Chis were all helping girls move into their dorms. I think they made a great effort in showing that they were a big Panhellenic Family made up of individual Greek cousins. (I'm stretching to make that family symbolism - forgive me if that relationship is wrong. I'm still learning.) :)

I am a proud Greek Momma now and hope I can be adopted into the family.

I refer to my panhellenic cousins - I'm from the south, and basically any relative who doesn't fit into a convenient designation is a "cousin".

I read somewhere that at some campus (sorry, but someone will be able to fill in the blanks here and making all appropriate corrections to my swiss cheese memory) a couple of sororities are sharing their chapter houses with the colonizing chapter so they can have events in an actual chapter house. We know how disruptive that would be, so that is REALLY kind of them. Every one of those future colony members is going to have a warm spot for those host chapters for years to come! Now THAT's panhellenic.

Tears, crying ~ what a memory.
What a wonderful way to begin rush.
What a wonderful way to begin recruitment today not to mention fun!
Thanks for sharing.

Oh so true! lol

I think that is Kentucky (Go CATS) sharing with Phi Mu.


ADPi will be the site for 2 different sisterhood events. The Theta house will host the bid day events.

That would be Phi Mu's Colonization at Kentucky.

Sunday, August 14, 2011:
Formal Recruitment - Open House Round

Tuesday, September 6-16, 2011:
Marketing, Public Relations and Personal Interviews
*Look for Phi Mu representatives on campus and stop by our information table to learn more about our new chapter at UK!

Tuesday, September 13, 2011:
"Pink goes with Everything" recruitment event
Event #1: 5-6pm
Event #2: 7-8 pm
Location: Alpha Delta Pi House

Wednesday, September 14, 2011:
"Sweet on Sisterhood" recruitment event
Event #1: 6-7pm
Event #2: 8-9pm
Location: Alpha Delta Pi House

Friday, September 16, 2011:
Phi Mu Bid Day, 3pm
Location: Kappa Alpha Theta House

Was "composing" while you were posting. :)

Isn't that just a remarkable thing? I'm assuming these are traditional chapter houses with 40+ girls living in who will probably have to avoid the front door, not hang out on the ground floor of the house for several hours, maybe give up a meeting space for the colony advisors... I'm proud of them!

What a great story! I got chills!

As for me, I like when chapters support- I mean really support, not just offer lip service- to a chapter that is struggling. ALL of our groups have smaller chapters, struggling chapters, SOMEWHERE, so I love the karma aspect of sisters at one school helping a group out, knowing that hopefully our sisters are receiving similar assistance at another school.

An example- on one campus with a small number of chapters, FR didn't go so well for one of the chapters (we've all had off years, right?). Even though all chapters were still below total, the other groups agreed to a informal "ban" on COB events for two weeks, to help the chapter with a bad FR catch up. All the chapters did PR for that group, ate lunch together as Panhellenic, and did similar type things to introduce women to that one chapter. Once that chapter had reached quota through COB during those two weeks, all the chapters resumed COB events to reach total.

No problem. Actually yours is better. I am proud of these two houses. There was a time that probably would not have happened.

Yes.

The older I get, the happier I am about the whole panhellenic thing. I'm so happy to hear about women finding their sorority home, that while I still get giddy over a Kappa happy ending, I'm still thrilled that GLOs as a whole continue to thrive.

I especially love legacy stories that work out. Back in the day, I was devastated that my legacy group dropped me, but in retrospect, that chapter would not have been the best place for me, great women though they were (and still are). I hope that my daughter will be a Kappa when it's her turn, but if she chooses to be a KD like her grandmother and aunt, a Chi O like her great-grandmother and other aunts, a DG like her aunt, a Theta like still another aunt, or whatever fine organization she chooses...I'll be happy for her that she is a sorority woman. (I can't wait for her older cousins to start rushing - maybe our family can start challenging the Carnation Nation on the panhellenic family! As big as we are, I have a feeling that she's still got me beat. So far, though, my daugher has 15 cousins and none are in high school yet!)

Any news on how Phi Mu recruitment is going at UK?

LOL!