COBing
 

How exactly does this process work?

Does the chapter as a whole vote on whether or not you can pledge?

While I have no firsthand knowledge either, I have to believe that, just like anyone else being extended a bid, the entire chapter would have to vote on someone going through COR. It only makes sense.

I would urge you to investigate all of the chapters on campus who are COBing, instead of having your eyes on only one chapter.

Good luck, lil_princess!

The selection process would be the same whether you are COB'ing or going through formal recruitment, at least for most chapters.

I don't think anyone can make assumptions as to how any chapter does their selection process, or how formal recruitment selection may or may not be different from COR.

And that's all I have to say about that.... :)

Re: COBing
 

The membership selection process is confidential. The "policy" on membership is not, i.e., that we don't discriminate...

Good luck with your COB experience -- Just like formal recruitment, it is a mutual selection process (they pick you -- you pick them.)

It just seemed to me that some people were assuming the process was the same? :confused: And I don't like giving PNMs any sort of false ideas about what might be going on during recruitment. Didn't mean to upset anyone...

But NutBrn said it best anyway!!!

I know that I should check out ALL the sororities to see about COB stuff.

NutBrownHair said it best.

Yet, I have heard from many PNMs that, if one sister tells them "Do you want to join?" during COR, that's the equivilant of a bid. While I don't pretend to know how other GLOs operate, I would rather discourage the attitude of assumption that I described rather than encourage it.

If that steps on someone's toes, I am sincerely sorry.

This is true of my chapter, though having read your thread I pretty much know for a fact my chapter isnt the one you are referring to because we do not do that kind of recruitment where we recruit before break and then they pledge the next semester. I wish you the best of luck during COB though, and do give other chapters a chance because you truly never know :)

I agree with you, honeychile. :)

i'm familiar with your campus and the chapters there. i would say go to everything you can, see what's out there and give it your best shot. but keep your eyes open because you just never know what's going to shake out. hopefully a successful ending for you.

How do PNM's????
 

How do PNM's speed up COB? Like at UK COB is such a slow process, especially if you don't know many of the PANHELLIC officers. Can a PNM do anything to help speed up the process?

Re: How do PNM's????
 

There is absolutely no reason you can not e-mail the presidents or recruitment chairs of every chapter and ask if they are doing COB. If they are, they will be thrilled to have a PNM.

......
 

You think that's ok?

UKDaisy-
I found for my whole COB experience that it was a matter of networking. For some chapters I had the help of alumnae with introductions, others it was through fraternity men I know, and also just on my own. I am a new student this fall semester but due to having a centralized job on campus (the bookstore) I run into almost everyone at some point or another. One chapter invited me over for dinner after I asked two sisters questions on how to get involved with their philanthropy locally, since I had been planning to do so where I used to live. Other clubs and activities (including my oncampus church group) have been places I have run into sisters of a chapter I had already been to, and let me get to know them better. You probably already know a lot of women in sororities, whether you relaize it or not :) I think I could have just given my name to the Greek Advisor as well, but this other way really helped me meet new people and get involved at my new school.

I don't know why it seems like COB is such a "secretive" process at some schools... at mine, probably because for years most of the chapters didn't reach total through formal rush Panhellenic gives the chapters the list of non-bid women and you better bet EVERY SINGLE recruitment chair is calling them... all I can say to speed it up if your school handles COB more through Panhellenic try contacting the chapters on your own or the Panhellenic office and make youre presence known. :D

....
 

Thanks! I was so confused!!!:)

I think emailing the recruitment chairs would be a great idea -- if they're doing COB they'll be pleased at your initiative, and if they aren't doing COB they'll still probably be flattered at your interest. Although things are getting crazy right now with finals coming up, so nothing might happen until after break... Good luck!

....
 

Okay I'm heartbroken. I had this wonderful idea to do COB to help keep my grades, meet new girls, and all of this good stuff. The lady in the greek affairs office gave me a list of 4 sororities who were COB'ing. Well, turns out 1 sorority is not having any COB events until the middle of next semester, another sorority is already at quota, another sorority I have a friend conflict with, and the last sorority I tried to COB with last year and they seemed like they didn't care whether I was there or not. :( I'm so sad! I really wanted something to work out! I dont' know what to do. If you have any inspiration PM me, Lord knows I need it at this point. :(

I wouldn't rule out any of the three that are not at quota. The group that isn't holding events until next semester just means waiting a little while longer. And even though last year a group may not have seemed excited about you, the membership changes from year to year, and the girls who are members now may love you.

I would also recontact the greek affairs office after the semester break. A group that may not have previously been eligible to COB new members this semester may have some spaces open after grades and graduation.

I would still keep the three sororities in mind as well like BetaRose said, because you never know, and memberships/attitudes do change from year to year and in some cases depending can change semester to semester. You never know when a couple of ladies may decide not to return to school next semester or to that sorority and spaces can open up. It may also be to your advantage to wait till spring semester anyway due to the shortness of time left in this semester and finals approaching. Concentrate on your finals and do well and COB afterbreak. :)

When I was as UK, COB was done for chapters who didnt make rush quota until they reached the rush quota. Once they reached rush quota they were not allowed to COB any more women even if they were not at chapter total (though i always felt that to be rather stupid and one reason why the smaller groups stayed small). This may have changed however since I've been gone. My current school, and I believe most schools do this as well, are encouraged to COB till chapter total is reached (which is how it should work).

....
 

My only problem with the one sorority is that some of those girls were flat out mean to me. SO much so that other sororities noticed it and came to my defense and turned those girls into the council. I have mega details but I don't want to give them over the net. I have a thread about this somewhere when I was actually going through COB last year.
One of the others my roommate was in and dropped b/c of a big incident. I was really worried last semester when I talked about talking to some of her former sisters. She kinda just smiled but I could tell it bothered her a bit.
Its just very frustrating!!!!

...
 

Sorry I'm posting again. Why doesn't UK do that? It would make so much sense!!

Re: ...
 

If UK is not allowing groups to bid up to total, they are violating Panhellenic rules. I would call the regional Panhel rep about changing this because it defeats the whole purpose.

Re: Re: ...
 

Are you serious? AchtungBaby or ThetaPrincess help me out, that is correct right? I mean the sororities here, I think, are only allowed to match quota? Which is why we have 3 sororities COB'ing and almost of them are full as of now.

You forget about me, UKDaisy? ;) I have no idea if chapters are allowed to COB to total or not, but I do know that our Panhel can be seriously messed up sometimes. They do a lot of things that are not quite right. We didn't know any different, we thought that was how it was supposed do be done, but our national consultants always remarked on it when they visited our chapter.
End hijack!

good luck to you lil princess. i am COBing two sororities in the spring. may you get what your heart desires!!!!!:D

.......
 

I'm sorry Tigerlilly!!! Maybe you should PM me about some of that. Good luck girls right now that are COB'ing!! With any luck maybe I"ll have a story to tell, who knows!

Re: .......
 

Let me once again clarify, that that is how it was done when I was there. I've been gone for three years, so I dont know if things have changed or not. Someone who has been there more recently would know better.

I'm glad the rude girls were turned in to Panhellenic.

Yeah, ours had some issues with it, too...but to the best of my knowledge, yes, sororities at UK do COB until they are at total. This I am pretty sure of, because my chapter did it when we recolonized. My pledge class was the first one from formal rush, and there were about 35 of us. Quota, obviously, was a lot more than that, but we were allowed to COB not to just quota but to chapter total. My chapter is very close to or at total, but there are a couple I can think of who probably aren't and there is nothing stopping them from COBing until they get there.

Re: ....
 

I think you have the answer to WHY that chapter's not at quota/total! There is never a good excuse for being rude to a PNM. Well, maybe if she's psycho and tries to set the carpet on fire...

OKAY, I asked this a long time ago!!!!


What is COBing!!!!!!!!!

Will some one PM me and let me Know?

I know it is a Soroity thing!

Thanks!:)

.......
 

COB is Continuous Open Bidding. It allows chapters who did not fill quota during formal or, apparently, who are not at total to still recruit girls through COB. COB, at UK, starts the day after formal recruitment and ends until they reach quota or total. COB is much less formal and less stressful. Does that make sense? I'm not very good at explaining things.

oh I like this group that you are going after. If one of the activates like HP then they are super cool.


Oh, and good luck!


Christia.

I love Harry Potter

lil_princess05, I wish you nothing but the best of luck with COBing!!! :D

COB
 

yea- COB is basically what UK daisy said... however- at my school- we never reach rush totals or wahtever.... (thats how little girls acutally do rush) so we're allowed to do whatever we want basically throughout the semester.......

I would think COB is little more stressful than formal rush because instead of large groups of girls to be rushed it is you and maybe a handful of other PNMs and i would find that being like under a microscope and more intense selecting. Than again i am an Alum Initate

Cob is such much harder then formal rush ... during formal girls come to you and during cobing we have to go find them. We hae always been told that we cob until total not just quota.

For the chapter, COBing can be more difficult in the sense that yes, you usually do have to go out and find these women. But it can also be easier because you're only focusing on a few women at a time, so it's easier to get to know them. From my experience, COBing is more like "coming over to hang out and get to know the girls and do something fun" than a formal recruitment party.

For the women going through, it can be less stressfull because you're more relaxed (hopefully!) and the chapter women are more relaxed. You can get a better feel for a chapter and have the potential to meet more girls in a more open atmosphere than you possibly could during recruitment.

Thanks everyone for clearing this matter up. For those of y'all that don't know, I was cut after the second round of formal rush. Hopefully, COB would be much better so that the girls can know the real me.