Recruitment Bag
 

Last year, there was a thread about things to put in your bag to have with you between rounds. That list got pretty long - it would be a pretty full bag so when I couldn't find the old list, I figured we might as well start a new one.

I saw this on sale at J.Crew and thought it perfect for a nervous PNM. Especially since now you might only be able to have a small bag.


http://s7.jcrew.com/is/image/jcrew/0...80?$pdp_fs418$
http://s7.jcrew.com/is/image/jcrew/0...d2?$pdp_fs418$

http://www.jcrew.com/girls_category/...0kit/01361.jsp

It includes: hairspray, glitter nail polish, emery board, lip balm, earring backs, hair bands, barrettes, facial tissues, breath freshener, emergency info card and sparkly adhesive bandages.

I think the only things missing are a notebook, pen, and a paperback to read during the break. Maybe some safety pins?

Tide to go pen, deodorant, comb, bobbi pins (if you have your hair up or something)

Face blotters, or if you can't find them, coffee filters.

Comfy shoes for between houses.

Comb and/or brush.

(and if you're in a very bad frame of mind) Vaseline for your teeth.

I kept a small tube of body spray with me. It helped me to freshen up in between houses, and it wasn't so strong that it was overwhelming.

At my daughter's school, each PNM was given a list of helpful things to pack in her bag. She thinks the list is packed in storage, though. This was winter recruitment, and I think it would be nice to have a thread on that when the time comes!

I do know her school provides tampons, which are delivered to each house before recruitment starts! I thought that was pretty funny (and also a good idea).

Depending on what makeup you wear, bring some to touch up at lunch or between houses. I wear powder, eyeliner, and mascara, so I brought tiny versions of those things with me to touch up if necessary (which it often was, considering how hot it was!).

My daughter has this small kit, not quite as small is the mini emergency, but did come in gator colors
Inapickle.com
I'd put in a pic if I knew how!

I know it seems ridiculous, but a small emergency sewing kit can be of huge help too! This one looks sturdy: http://www.containerstore.com/shop/t...uctId=10007394. I can't count the number of times one of my sisters had a wardrobe malfunction during a recruitment party or between rounds.

Was at a Crabtree & Evelyn store this week and asked if they still sold blotting papers(like we found for my daughter for her rush 7 years ago) and they said they no longer sell them. They were so nice and came in a little cardboard envelope for carrying ease, but alas, they no longer carry them ;-(. Coffee filters work well.

That's so nice that the school provides tampons! At my school, each sorority usually provides things in the bathroom that the PNMs can use if they are there during a party -- usually things like tampons, oil blotting sheets, hair ties and bobby pins, spray deodorant, hairspray, tissues, and maybe even some chapstick. As a PNM, I really appreciated that the sororities did that -- it's not required, but is a nice touch! And as the recruitment chair last year, I cared a LOT about making sure PNMs felt comfortable in our house!

I would also add two things to the list: (1) umbrella and (2) compact mirror!

Tampons (or pads if you prefer them) are a must. Aunt Flow always stops by at the worst possible time. :/ We held most of our recruitment parties in the student center, and if you were a PNM and Aunt Flow arrived, you were pretty much screwed if you didn't have a tampon with you.

I wouldn't think glitter nail polish would be an "essential" or "emergency" item. Say you're wearing bright pink nail polish, and it chips - how is glitter nail polish supposed to help? (I'm not just talking about recruitment. Say you've gone out for dinner and a show, and your polish chips during dinner? You're supposed to walk around with 9-1/2 nails bright pink and 1/2 nail covered in glitter?)

Still, it's a good starter for an emergency kit.

Band Aid makes this stick of blister block. You just rub it on your feet before putting on shoes. Daughter got some at the recommendation of someone in last year's thread and did not have a blister at all. She was one of very few without hurting feet.

I stuck some of those little Wisp disposable toothbrushes in my daughter's bag, along with one of the mini dental floss things that the dentist gives out. I hit the travel bins at Target and Walgreens and got some mini hairspray, hand sanitizer, kleenex packs and Q-tips (great for quick eye makeup touch-ups).

Sally's Beauty Supply has the blotting papers, as does Sephora. The ones at Sally's have a little powder coating too. If you don't have a Sally's or Sephora nearby, they're both online.

This is necessarily for you bag but if you aren't used to standing in heels all day, I also recommend some of the Dr. Schol's inserts. They have some now that are ultra thin and made for stripy sandals. It's amazing what just a little extra cushion will do

I would also add a small hand held fan and water mister. An umbrella may help at summer time recruitment to keep the sun off of you and for rain. There is also a product I just saw that is called model in a bottle that is supposed to seal your makeup- I would do a test run on that though.

It was probably me. I swear by Blister Block! I always carry it in my purse.

It was decreed by Panhel that although PNMs are not allowed to take anything from a sorority house (no gifts), we were NOT required to ask PNMs to remove the tampons we gave them. I always wondered what overzealous rusher required that ruling!

I asked my daughter what she thought was most useful and she said the handiest thing was one of those dollar store plastic ponchos. Her cheapie umbrella broke, so the poncho was a life saver.

LOL...I'll pass this bit of trivia on to generallygreek. :) She's already said she's going to have to be careful not to get overly involved in/distracted by informal recruitment.

These PNMs are going to need a backpack to carry all this stuff around? :)

At Ole Miss they use fashionable tote bags. Those are also good for holding the heels or flip flops when a PNM change between houses for walking.

LMAO! I can just imagine a sister saying at the end of a party, "Well, Sally PNM, it was really great meeting you! By the way, that tampon you needed? I need you to duck into the bathroom and take it out and toss it before you leave the house."

There was one chapter at my school that sprinkled glitter on the floor of their rush room during one round. Naturally, the glitter stuck to the soles of the PNMs' shoes and they tracked it out of the room. (The sisters diligently vacuumed everything up at the end of the day.) Another chapter filed a rush infraction against them EVERY SINGLE YEAR for giving gifts (i.e. the glitter) to the PNMs. :rolleyes: But I digress...

Blotting papers are available at Sephora - the brand is Boscia. Totally cute packaging too.

I always recommend small emergency ice packs (the kind you "crack" to activate) a wonderful on the back of the neck for an emergency "pick me up" on a very hot afternoon. I also recommend these to chapter members for bump bags/kits.

I kid you not. The two chapters in question were frequently in contention for the same PNMs. The "glitter" chapter once called a rush infraction on the "thou-shalt-not-glitter" chapter because one of their members saw a member of the "thou-shalt-not-glitter" sorority jogging near campus while wearing a lettered t-shirt, during work week, when wearing letters is forbidden. Note that I say "sorority" and not "chapter" ... the member of the "non-glitter" sorority was from a completely different chapter.

I hasten to add that neither sorority is AEPhi.

Just found "blotter papers" and a finishing spray, like "model in a bottle" on a Mary Kay website today!!

How to post a pic of my daughters recruitment "kit"
 

Would love to share the picture of the recruitment "kit" my daughter used last year---but I cannot figure out how to post it (it is a jpeg file) It came in handy for her and many of the other PNM's in her Rho Chi group!

You have to put it on a photo sharing site (i.e. Flickr, etc.) and then you can do a photo link using the icon that looks like a photo of a mountain with a fellow sky.

i got my daughter a Vera Bradley messenger bag that she used to hold everything. She preferred it over a tote bag because it closed and she also used it instead of a backpack all year.

You can also buy blotting papers at any Walgreen's or CVS.

How to survive wearing high heels (wear in comfort) <- click

Rush kit picture
 

http://www.flickr.com/photos/99112471@N02/9323537608/

Here is a picture of what my daughter used last year....she had everything in a small tote and the Rho Chi's watched over everyone's bags while they were in the various houses.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/99112471@N02/9323537608/

The notebook with the labeled tabs is so cute! What a good idea.

It was super helpful for her to take notes. She actually began using it for the spring parties that were held, so it was interesting for us to go back and look at her notes and impressions from Feb and March to the actual notes she took during recruitment!

We also got a cute little note book. The tabs are a great idea. Did your daughter have any issues with the Rho Chi's or whatever they are called at Alabama reading her notebook?

There was no issue with the Sigma Rho Chi's with writing in the notebook in between houses; however, the girls may only take their copy of "Greek Chic" in with them when they go to rank at the end of each round. She would just reference the more lengthy notes and then write in her Greek Chic what she needed during the ranking.

My daughter was under the impression that she was only allowed to carry her stuff in a large ziploc bag. Does it depend on the school as to what is allowed?

Probably depends on the school. I can only speak to my daughters recruitment at Alabama last year......