What can be done to help smaller GLO's?
 

What can be done to help the smaller NPC sororities colonize at schools and become well known?

As a member of a smaller NPC sorority, I am frustrated when no one has ever heard of us before along with the fact that we aren't at that many schools where greek life is huge.

I am happy when any sorority starts a new colony, but I would especially love to see the smaller NPC sororities start more colonies, especially at larger schools. However, being smaller also means smaller financial resources to do this.

Anyone have some thoughts?

There are several things a GLO needs to expand:

1) A good reputation that will get its foot in the door for expansions. Locals need to have heard good things about it; the school's Panhel needs to know it has a strong national reputation. Is the chapter doing a good job of keeping existing chapters open? Is it a leader in policy and planning?

2) Alums in the expansion area to help new chapters out. This is where organizations that are strong in one region but not in another can have problems. You want to expand to Wyoming, but you've never had a chapter there or in Montana or the Dakotas. Can a new chapter really get the support it needs, fiscally and in advice and time?

3) Money, sad but true. Some schools, like Justamom has written, have enormous financial barriers to entry - a chapter needs to come in with a multi-million dollar chapter house. But even in the cheapest scenario, the national spends time and money to send consultants, money on parties, a loan for the house - and local alums chip in, too.

Depending on which difficulty a GLO is facing, it can approach things differently. If its reputation is weak, it's time for nationals to come forward with a strong vision; to first bolster existing chapters; to update its web page; etc. If it is regionally weak, it can do a couple of things. Let's say it only has chapters east of the Mississippi. It can creep gradually west, taking advantage of nearby alums to spread its influence. Or it could leap into a major city like LA which is going to have lots alums due its sheer size. If money is the problem, it may be time for a capital campaign, or to add alumnae dues. (Or, it could push for recruiting rich girls - j/k!)

Some of these problems are self-perpetuating. Let's say ABC and DEF both have ten chapters, but ABC is at schools where average size is 50, and DEF is at schools where average size is 150. Guess which one will have more alums and more money (and a more famous rep) after ten years. So in most cases DEF will have the advantage. However, if Small College has an expansion opportunity, it might actually pick ABC, presuming it knows that niche better than DEF.

Most of this is more easily said then done, of course. Cranky old leaders may not want to modernize their org. Poorer alums just can't give as much financially. And you can't export your alums to a different region as if they were corn or something!

You could ask the smaller orgs to stick together, but would that really happen? I doubt it.

All the smaller orgs need to form an alliance - not "against" the larger stronger groups, but to go into schools as a "package deal" so they aren't the one person walking in to the school dance alone.

And NPC needs to help the smaller groups out. We joined 50 years ago and are still feeling the effects. So many of our chapters died out because of double memberships - and I have a feeling the general NPC thought was "so sad too bad." :rolleyes: Sorry to sound so bitchy, but sometimes I think we and the other AES members would have been better off staying as we were.

By saying "going in as a package deal" do you mean several groups at once? I'm not sure how well schools are set up for rapid expansion like that.

Chapter houses and such are also not necessary ingredients for survival. Many campuses will provide you with facilities to use during recruitment and for meetings.

If a school is looking to start Greek life, transition locals to nationals, or needs 2-3 groups at once, the smaller groups could come in and say "if you choose (example) the ASA, AST and TPA combo platter, not only will the sororities be supported by their own nationals, they will work together as a cohesive unit."

Plus as far as Big 10 type schools, if 2 sororities went in together with the INTENTION of being smaller groups, it could be positive, for the groups and the school. Not everyone wants to be in a group with 200 people, yet even a smaller chapter at a bigger school could be larger than some of these groups' average chapters.

I hope this makes sense, somewhat :p

I think that is a great idea 33girl.

I also agree with FuzzieAlum when she said it is also good to establish chapters at not only big schools, but smaller schools as well. :)

In all honesty, I haven't even heard of some of the NPC sororities (big and small) until I started coming here to GC, and I have found that they are all excellent organizations that colligate women should all have the opportunity to become part of them.

Who are the smaller NPC groups? I'm sure DPhiE is one of them, along with SDT, ASA, AST, TPA maybe?

Why is it that certain groups are almost at every single college in every state, while some NPC groups are struggling to survive? Could it have to do with the smaller groups entering the NPC relatively late compared to the other groups?

I am just curious.

Out here in the Pacific NW, where DPhiE is mostly unheard of, I am constantly reminding people that I meet that we are not a local, but rather a national NPC sorority.

Some of my friends and I last year tried to go to Greek Life about bringing another NPC sorority here. (We need one - not even half of the girls that went through recruitment this year got bids.) We liked some of the ones that were smaller. Unfortunately, we were told there wasn't a need and they wouldn't bring in another one for several years. I would love to see Theta Phi Alpha or DPhiE come in.

I'm sure time has something to do with it, but then again Chi O is pretty young and is very, very strong. (And if we're looking at age, I'd look at the date it went national, not when it was founded - if a group stayed local for 50 years that doesn't help it much come expansion time.)

For several groups, I think I know why they're smaller, and it has nothing to do with their intrinsic worthiness:
-The AES sororities lost a lot of members when they joined NPC
-Theta Phi Alpha was limited to Catholic women for many years; SDT and AEPhi to Jewish women. By the time they became open they had catching up to do in terms of expansion.

Other groups, who knows. For example, AXD and Phi Sig have about the same number of chapters. AXD has done better in regards to spreading around the country, and why, who knows? But then again AXD is still relatively small, so why is that?

I think strength has something to do with how carefully groups expanded in the past. Did they overextend themselves? Did they have a plan for starting chapters all over the country?

For example, I look at AXD (I know it best after all), and many of our dormant chapters - esp. the Alpha XXX chapters - are at the kind of big schools that draw in the numbers. What happened that those chapters ended up not working out for us?

I do think there is one factor here, and it just occurred to me, so I haven't rigorously tested it. Sororities are biggest and most competitive in the South. Think of the sororities that you know are strongest, biggest, most respected, and they're all successful in the South. Again, look at AXD - yes, we have southern chapters, but they're not our oldest, and we didn't even merit a mention in "The Southern Belle Primer." For some reason, the south sets sorority fashion.

OK, that's one theory. Feel free to debunk it!

DPhiEAngel, this has nothing to do with why smaller NPC sororities are having more trouble than larger ones, but in all honesty, I had not heard of DphiE, Alpha Sigma Tau, or even Theta Phi Alpha until they were scheduled to make appearences at my first school. None of the other NPC sororities wanted to even present their organizations to the school (while I am sure they all had their reasons, one might have been because of the lack of support for the greek system there) After hearing about them, all the local greek women on campus did much research on the organizations via the web, etc.

I thought all the groups were very extraordinary and wished they had all been on our campus before hand, and am very glad DphiE & TPA chose to colonize there :)

I have heard from friends back home that are now TPA colony members that their experience is so awesome, and the women who are [future] colony members of DphiE are soooooo proud and happy to have found a 'home' with Delta Phi Epsilon :)

Delta Phi Epsilon and Theta Phi Alpha (whether they are "small" or not) are doing an *amazing* job at rebuilding the Greek Life there at TAMU-K, and I think that in itself will open the doors for future efforts to expand.

I think that 33girl and a few fellow GCers had a conversation about this. Mainly, I really think that some of the sororities are very selective about where they go, and that is why they have done so well. Granted you could miss out on some great girls at a specific university but in the same sense is that school going to be able to provide the support, have the enrollment numbers that will keep the chapter active, are there alumnae willing to assist in the area, etc.

Also, like I said in our forum, while small schools are nice the bigger ones help boost the reputation by turning out more alumnae. We don't have many chapters at big schools and I do believe that it is difficult for our International organization to assist those at both the bigger and smaller schools at the same time. The things that fly for the other three chapters I advise wouldn't at the fourth, I think at convention this year it was the first time that they broke them down into groups according to things like commuter schools, etc. for chapters with similar areas could get ideas that may work at their campus.

I think on a whole that we need more alumnae support and the reputation and expansion would follow. If I had to pick a NPC sorority I would look for that as the deciding factor as that is the most fluctuating.

Just my 2 cents!

Re: What can be done to help smaller GLO's?
 

I don't think there is going to be too much expansion in the future. At some schools the demand isn't there. According to info on the rush threads, there are many GLOs that are having a tough time recruiting. Some groups didn't get any pledges this semester.

If the school does have the demand like at a Big 10 school and there are a few hundred girls that go unmatched then you hit the next hurdles. Housing and money. At some places the homes cost over a million bucks. So if you want to compete with the existing groups you are going to have competitive housing.

A hundred years ago if a national wanted to expand it probably wasnt that tough because there was a ton of demand and not a lot of competition. Now its just the opposite.

Would it be possible to target local groups that already have members, $$, and a house?

I FELL YOUR PAIN DPHIe ANGEL !!!!
I was a camp counselor this summer and A LOT of people working with me were greek (I met quite a few Kappas, Pi Phis and Alpha PHis, as well as a Delta Gamma and a Delta Zeta) NONE of them, even though these girls had come from all over the country had heard of Phi Sigma Sigma. It makes you sad because you love it so much and no one else has even heard of your org !!!
I mean if you go the Phi Sig website you'll see there is a HUGE Area w/ no chapters in the middle of the country we have LOTS of chapters in the northeast esp. Penn. and NJ) and a farily good handful here in Cali... but NONE in the south (except for a few in the southern part of the east coast in Florida and georgia.. and a very few a bit further north on the coast in Maryland) and NONE in the midwest !!
I think Phi Sig is a GREAT organization that would be a great addition to any campus... we have a great new member program, national offers MANY MANY scholarships to its members, We dont' haze, they offer jobs and such to alumni, We seem to have a good reputation on the campuses we ARE at, and even though there may not be a lot of alumni in some areas which would make it harder to expand... I KNOW that there are girls out there who, although there are a good long drive away would make the sacrifice and go help with any colonization process if national would ask them. ( I know quite a few people in my chapter in San Fran. would GLADLY take a road trip to LA and help in whatever way we could in the process)
I mean... when I read Corina's thread I immediately wrote to national and told them the situation and told them what great spirit Corina had and about the situation at UC Santa Cruz, and because San Fran is only like 1 hour away from Santa Cruz, we totally could've helped in the colonization process and everything, there's no houses at UCSC, so therefore not a HUGE financial barrier, but they weren't interested.... DON"T GET IT !!!
I mean I know all orgs. can't be as big or well known as some, but it does make you frustrated whenever you talk to someone and they're like "Oh we don't have Phi Sigs at my school"
== Sigh == I guess I'll just have to wait until I'm alum and join the Supreme council as director of expansion until I can make my dream of Phi Sig taking over and being at every campus in America come true :D

Keep those colonies going ladies! They will make *excellent* alumni bases for future colonization and growth !

*cough*PHI SIGMA SIGMA*cough*

we are mainly found in the North East, Florida, California and Canada...

I have definately been asked if its a local... BY ANOTHER NPC person!

I think it should be every NPC sorority girl's job to at least RECOGNIZE the other 25!

When I was the "pledge mom" for my chapter I would make signs for the bathroom walls featuring info about the other NPC orgs, and I had the new members look over the other orgs... learning is FUN! (or maybe Im just a big dork!)

Mwahahaha! Cara and "The Grand Princess of Everything Phi Sig" (aka Alison, so named by Cara) take over the country, establishing Phi Sig chapters at EVERY school and support greek life where ever they go...

Who knows, maybe we will gather sisters from all 26 and hop around the globe expanding EVERYWHERE until everyone is greek! Even the people in Greece!

Mwaahahaha!

*Yes, I have been awake too long and am very very bored at work... dood, its 6:30am, and Ive been here since 5...

I guess a lot of it is regional. I'm from the South, and I had never heard of TPA, SSS, ASA, etc. until I had already joined a sorority and learned the list of NPC groups. I imagine that at a school where it's just the big strong groups, even if the smaller ones have the money, alumnae support, and resources, that it would be very difficult because you do have girls who come in saying "I want to be a Theta/Chi-O/Pi Phi/KKG" and don't give the smaller ones a chance. They aren't being superficial, they're just going by what they know.

That said, I'd love to see another sorority at my school. There is a lot of anti-sorority sentiment, but there are 2 of us, and we're at/near capacity. It's hard having a Panhellenic with just 2 sororities--we have a lot of deadlocks. But, I'm not sure whether to consider my school large (based on its name and prestige) or small (based on the fact that we have about 5,000 undergrads).

In a word, EDUCATION. In the push to shorten pledge/new member periods, a lot of NPC lore has been lost. I know that our initiation test had two parts, a local and national section, and we were expected to know every GLO on our campus and a good percentage of ones that weren't. You can't miss something that you don't know exists.

I would advise all pledge moms/new member moms or whatever the PC name is today, to at least give a list of ALL of the GLO sororities and fraternities to the new members. That way, when they visit another campus or Greekchat or whatever, they won't come off as a ditz.

honeychile

Something that my chapter did to promote learning the other 25 NPC sorors... our Panhelenic representative gave the chapter a challenge as to who could name the most NPC orgs... the winner got a prize... and anyone who could name more than 10 (other than the ones on campus) got a smaller prize. Yeah it kinda sucks because Phi Sig actually has the same number of chapters as some other more "well known" Orgs... but the chapters are usually at smaller universities and smaller chapters... so... it's ok I know Phi Sigs Kick Booty !!!!

Funny funny: When I went to LTS, I told Gina D'Amato Kaufman that I could name all 26, it was during this carnival thing where you played games dealing with different aspects of the fraternity and other stuff (fun times) and you got tickets and could get things with them... well she was at the NPC table, and I named them all... she gave me a lot of tickets... :)

Good times.

I did it the other night at my house... I think Im somewhat of a sideshow or something... Our SDC (pledge mom) told me she was going to hire me to come talk about all I know (Phi Sig and NPC wise) The meeting would have to be longer than one hour ;)

It would seem (and this is comes from an uneducated source) that as far as smaller schools are concerned you wouldn't have such a hard time colonizing. If you have a good colonization plan you can succeed with MINIMAL resources. In my fraternity our colony was given 1 advisor for a year and then after that they visited us TWICE. Now in our first year with the amount of dues and initiation fees we've paid in I'm positive HQ has made back their investment already.

I might be wrong, but I think the typical sorority colonization requires more resources than that of a fraternity, due to having to educate the girls about things like formal rush and such. And again, it's the eternal circle. It is a lot less of a strain for (as an example) XO to take one of their 8-10 consultants off the road to stay with and help a new or struggling chapter. Whereas if ASA wants to take a consultant off the road to do it - that's 1/4 of our consultant force.

Yes, theoretically it's easier to start a chapter someplace where you don't have to have a mansion-house, but I would wager the costs for that get made up by local member dues. Where the "profit" (sorry, crass word, but can't think of a better one) happens is with national dues. A DZ at Clarion pays the same national dues as a DZ at LSU. If you have more sisters, you will have more national member fees, period.

In Kappa Delta's Normal Shield (our new member manual), we have a handy-dandy section in the back that lists all of the NPC sororities, shows their new member and initiate badges, lists their place/date of founding, colors, symbols, mascots, flowers, etc.... We didn't go over it in our new member program, but I checked it out on my own (yeah, I'm a "learning is fun" person too!). Do any other groups have this in their manuals?

We don't have that, but I wish we did! :D I memorized all the NPC sororities just for my own benefit...I think girls in my chapter sometimes get caught up in our Greek system and forget that at most schools there are more nationals than locals...

Alpha Delta Pi did when I was a pledge, and continues to do so, as far as I know.

Color me yet another "learning is fun" person, but I still feel better knowing the different NPC pins, mascots, flowers, etc.!

honeychile

Phi sig's new member manual has an NPC seciton with how the NPC was formed and a list of all the orgs, their colors, symbol, flower,founding date, and school where founded.

So does D Phi E :)

33girl, I hear what you're saying about the LC sacrifice, but we (DPhiE) use our volunteers to make up the slack for that sacrifice, and so far, so good :)

I think that's really cool how the new member manuals have that section with all the NPC section!

Our manual has the sororities, their badge, their year and school of founding, and their flower and colors (no mascot, crest, pledge pin or philanthropy). Unless, they've changed it, however, they do not include the NPHC groups, and I wish they did - that's one reason right there for some of the ignorance NPC members tend to have about NPHC groups.

Alpha Gam's new member manual had a section concerning other NPC sororities. It had a picture of each Badge and Pledge Pin, date and place of founding, colors, flowers, jewel, and philanthropy. We also had a listing of the NPHC sororities and fraternities.

The manual's been updated since I pledged, but I have no reason to believe that the info was removed. Its so important to know that information!

I'd like to know who has more ideas about this topic!

Just a thought
 

I am not really sure how to change this but would the idea of smaller orgs getting bigger similar to why chapters at a university remain small. I mean, lets say i am part of a group that wants to go national and i had my pick of say 4 NPC's, Lets say that ABC is well known, DEF is Just as well know. Now GHI and XYZ have the same amount of chapters as ABC and DEF but are not as well know. Now, who would i choose. A group where i know that a lot of people will recognize the name and i can easily brag about being a ABC or DEF and have most non-greek people recognize or go with a group that might have the same amount of chapters but just not have the name appeal as the other two.

I know its shallow, but i know that we faced this at my chapter. The chapter is about the same size as the other chapters, but people on campus still have the notion that my chapter is small. Small, say 10 members short of total. It is all the notion that bigger is better and a more recognzed name somehow equals bigger than an unrecognized name.

So, i guess the "answer" to the original question would be that the small organizations need to be able to promote why they are outstanding and offer so much more than the well know, but possible equal sized organizations. Now, how to do this I don't know how. THis was still an ongoing process at my chapter to show why we are better and have a lot to offer.


I do know all 26 sororities in the NPC, but that is cause i took the time to learn them and it was not part of my new member process, but i think that is should be.

I've already said that, when I was a new member, we had a section of all the NPC sororities, along with pictures of their pins and other information.

As my Pledge Mother was also Panhel President, she expanded our weekly tests, and we had to know not just the other sororities on campus, but at least five others. This included knowing that Alpha Phi was Alpha "FEE", that Pi Phi meant Pi Beta Phi, and the other sorority nicknames. I could certainly live with having new members know ALL the NPC sororities!

Knowledge is power.

Also, does it really kill someone in a larger sorority to show a little Panhellenic kindness from time to time? When one of the smaller sororities at my school was in serious trouble, EVERY ONE of our sisters wrote to the NPC to see what they could do to help. I'd love to say that we got a response, but we didn't - but the sorority in question did!

Me too.

Think
 

If you want to add chapters, think outside the box.

Sure, you and your members and friends and alums would like to start new chapters at Big 10, SEC, Ivy Lg., and major impressive GLO systems, and you can if you totally commit every asset and resource you have (people and $$$) to that one colony for about five years.

On the other hand, you could start five colonies at lesser schools, for less $$$ and effort.

These five lesser school colonies might prosper and grow, because they would have less competition, and the existing competition might be housed in old family residences (not U Miss-style columned mansions), might be smaller in number of members, and might be less competitive.

I would urge you to follow the path many of the fraternities (such as LXA, SPE, TKE) have done and build your number of chapters at the smaller and less-known schools. If you start chapters at Butler, Ball State, and Tri-State, perhaps an opportunity to start at IU, Purdue, or DePauw will come along in a few years.

Good luck.

I totally agree to the sentiment about how much it stinks when someone doesn't recognize your org. Or especially when they mention that the smaller orgs will go under in the next...what...20 years? I sincerely hope AST does not succumb to that.

I think at some point you have to realize that in order to get to the 'big schools' you need money. Say AST (or any 'smaller' NPC) colonized at a major university. You figure you need at about a million to purchase a house, then you need to furnish the house, create a marketing campaign, gifts for all your founders, plus the need to have a permanent rep on campus. The costs add up quickly and if that chapter goes under during those shakey first 10 years, it would seriously put the entire national org in jeapordy. I think that while it would be great to see my letters more, I don't want that dream expansion to put at risk my chapter and the 80 others that exist.

I'm so excited to see AST expanding (faster than any other NPC I believe), but I also trust that our NC made some very smart decisions.

What I'm trying to get at is that expansion is great, but not at the expense of the entire organization. I'd rather have letters rarely seen, than a defunt nat'l org.

On the upside, because we're smaller, we make less badges, so they are harder to buy on ebay. :D

Re: Think
 

Theoretically, yeah.

But the fact is, 1) a lot of the time there's more effort than you'd think since the Greek system isn't as strong and you're constantly having to promote and 2) the numbers are SO different - which I don't think is as true for fraternities.

Like I said, unless something drastically changes with the Greek system at either school, in 5 years the new DZ chapter at UF is going to have as many alums as it will take our chapter in Alaska to have in 30 years.

You're definitely right though, about starting chapters that are near big schools.

Re: Think
 

At one time, LXA did put Badges and Pledge Pins in.

They quit doing that and have added Listings of GLOs all that or of National Prominence.

We are trying to get them to go back to adding Badges/Pins so that More will know Who some are and learn education about other GLOs.



LXA as such TKE have not totally centered on Major Uns. Yes, I am sure We All want to be there, but Cost is a major factor.

Cost is what is keeping Nationals from expanding to Alaska and Hawaii. It is easier to drive to closer Chapters than have window time. Spend time with Chapters and not on the highway.

If you check, Groups are specifcialy in Groups of the country. More so with Soroitys I think.

As much Money as one might think, HQs arnt Rich.

LXA has a two pronged espansion as some others do, Grow to Schools that are/were State Colleges and are becoming Uns. Also going back and try to recolonize.

I am an alumna at University of MD, and honestly, I am surpirsed that DPhiE, SDT and Phi Sig were considered to be smaller NPC's-at UMD you would NEVER know that. All three groups are VERY highly regarded on campus and consistantly make quota during formal recruitment. I don't think any are at total, but then again, only 4 groups are :(, and I do know that DPhi E normally takes quota plus in the spring :), so at least at UMD, your orgs are going strong which I believe has one of the larger greek systems in the mid atlantic/northeast