What was the most memorable moment of your New Member period??
 

JocelynC, you come up with the best topics!

Favorite moments of my New Member period:

* Running up the hill with my roommate to get our bids - both Pi Phi! And pick up night: meeting all the actives and the rest of my pledge class (most of whom I didn't know already), and then calling my parents afterwards and telling them all about Pi Phi.

* Big sis pick up, where my big sis was revealed and I was showered with gifts from my new family.

* Wearing my pick-up shirt to class the day after I got picked up, and then wearing my letters to class the day after initiation.

* Arrowdays (our I-week). Such a fun week! I loved waking up and finding breakfast from my big sis in my dorm room each day.

* Becoming good friends with my roommate. We were close before, but Pi Phi made us sisters, and we had such a fun time experiencing our New Member period together.

There are more that I just can't think of right now, it was such a fun time!

DIDnt have one.
 

Why, because I started the Local.

But, was Initiated before any of the Colony and WOW that was a surprise!

Out of the Blue and could not say anything.

Didnt for years and told some of the other Brothers of My Chapter much later and they were dumb founded!

Well, no more than me!:)

~Bid Night

~Coming home to my dorm room to find a huge ASA sign and a message from my best friend written on it.

~Gertting elected Vice President of Alumna & Heritage (I ended up getting initiated 2 days before taking office)

~Receiving Ladybug (Spirit) Award at Formal

When I joined my local:

- Getting my bid
- Walking into my sorority's bid day party and promptly getting tackled by all my new sisters :)
- Putting on my pledge ring for the first time
- My big taking me shopping for my first letters
- Getting to bond with all the sisters, especially my pledge sisters

These are all from when I was pledging my local sorority. I think the most memorable thing about us joining AEPhi was the chance for some renewed sisterhood bonding.

(I'm treating ritual as a gimme...)

best moments
 

1. Picking up my bid

2. Coming back to my dorm after pledging only to find my door festooned with crepe paper, candy, and a construction paper arrow signed by every member of chapter.

3. special ordering and then receiving my 1st pair of letters from a lady who makes a living out of making them in Peoria (still wear it often)

4. Having a sad Valentine's Day turn into a happy one when one of my sisters showed up at my dorm with cookies in hand :)

5. Being part of something larger than myself and feeling at home.

~ Going to our chapter room for the first time, and just seeing how close the girls were with each other.

~ Meeting the rest of my pledge class while we were waiting for our initiation to begin -- it's so weird to think back to when I didn't know my pledge sisters!

~ Coming back to my room and seeing all the decorations that the sisters plastered with my doors with!

~ Getting my first set of letters and wearing them out for a sisters' dinner that night.

~ All the presents I got during Activation week -- I've never seen so many white roses!

* Getting my bid to join DG.
* Getting our Charter (I was a founding sister of our chapter).
* Being pinned by my mother at initiation.

I love this topic!

*When I recieved the call about getting a bid!

*When I had just accepted my bid and was helping with Formal Recruitment, all the sisters warmly accepted me and treated me as if I had known them my whole life!

*Walking into the room (the full room) on Bid Day to see who had accepted a bid from Formal Recruitment!

*Retreats

*Inspiration Week -- everything! Surrendering of the Pin, Fireside, Initiation Retreat, Initiation, and then reading the notes that all the sisters had written to me saying that they couldn't have gotten through Formal Recruitment without me and that they were so proud to welcome me to the sisterhood!!

:D

- getting my bid
- big sis/lil sis week (even after i was initiated, it is still my favorite time of the year)
- during recruitment, a girl and i became friends and we were so scared we wouldn't end up in the same sorority (even though we both wanted the same one)......she got to the room before i did and i didn't know what sorority she got but when i walked in, my friend started crying and ran up and jumped on me....in the end we knocked over a trashcan and ended up on the floor crying and laughing hysterically
- being a part of one of the largest new member classes ever at UNCW.....and soon realizing that having 28 women in a pledge class could be the most incredible thing but also the most frustrating thing in the world.....but it made us all stronger and we are still one of the strongest pledge classes :)

Keep 'em coming, ladies, this is such a joy to read :)

JocelynC-

From everything I have read from you about your love of Sigma Sigma Sigma, the "Most Dedicated New Member" award is well deserved. Congratulations!!

Jennifer

*Running up the hill to the Greek Village to get tackled by my Orientation Assistant Stacy, who shirted me on Bid Day!

*Meeting the girl who was soon to be my big sister 2 weeks into my NM period before our "bid day" party and laughing until we cried about something stupid while my Owl Pal thought we were crazy!

*When Stephanie jumped up as my big sister even though Nikki blew out my candle!

*Every single moment with my big sister who is my best friend! Out of everyone in my pledge class, we had the tightest relationship of any big/little pairing that year.

*Being chosen as the Model New Member and Model Initiate in my pledge class.

*Every time I walked through the front door of the house and realized that I was home!

I wish I could say! :)

So many great memories...

*our Bid Night mixer; getting to really know my pledge sisters in a more normal atmosphere (ie. not rush!)

*the first time I wore letters

*Inspiration Week: getting cards and letters from the sisters telling me how happy they were that I was going to soon be their sister. I still have them.

*Initiation. Such a beautiful and special service. But I'm sure everyone feels that way about their initiation! :)

-The very first night that I decided to check out Phi Delt, I came to the house with my buddy and we were introduced to a bunch of the guys, and they were all really friendly and cool to talk to. It completely erased all the stereo types I had in my head about "frat" guys from the movies. (This isn't part of my pledge experience, but I include it because It was the night that changed my mind and my life)

-The night I got my bid (I was really pumped for things to come)

-Induction night, I was nervous but excited because I had all my new pledge brothers with me and we were in it together,

-The night we got our Big brothers.

-Initiation. This by far was probably the best night of my life to date. I felt awsome for the next several days. Whenever I feel down, I just think back to that night and it can lift my spirits.

Day of initiation after 8 long months as a pledge.

LOL...
 

LOL!!!

I feel the exact same way (give a few weeks)!!! AND I MEAN LOOOONNNGG!!!

Knowing that one of the most challenging periods of my entire life was finally over...

And seeing the Teke ritual for the first time... :D
Pride swells like a friggin 60 foot set at Maui's Jaws!!!

Actually, I was in awe of the Bid Ritual the night I got my bid and the local chapter tradition that proceeds it!!! That was INSANITY!!!!! I also really enjoyed Big Bro night, Big Sis night (when I got my Hot Damn Delta Gamm' Big Sis who I care for dearly!) , and Preference Ritual/Dinner...


GO BEACH!!!

*My roommate and I receiving bids together, at the same time!
*Finding out we will become founding mothers.
*Initiation and receiving our charter!
*The mega huge ritual at convention.

I can't wait for this semester to be here and experience our first Alpha New Members! :)

Oh, there are so many but the ones that stand out are:

1. Coming back from bid day and seeing my door COVERED in AOII stuff. I was totally at a loss for words!

2. The first time I got to wear letters

3. Getting my big sis(especially since the little trickster sent someone out to tell me I hadn't gotten her and I was devastated. Now, we make that a family tradition!)

4. Knowing that when I call someone my "pledge sister" it means so everything to me. These women saw me through so much and each one holds a special place in my heart.

Oh yeah...
 

I forgot to add "Walking through the front door" for the "first time"... Only members of my chapter would understand that...

Not to mention wearing my letters - which I didn't take off for about 2 weeks straight! :D LOL...

GO BEACH!!!

I want to cosign on this!!

* Running up to my future big sis on bid day! (She had preffed me and we stood there crying and hugging before I left the night before)

* Coming back to my dorm room to pick up whites for the pledging ceremony and seeing my door covered in decorations!

* Getting to eat my meals at the house and just getting to know the actives better than if I had just gone to NM/Active socials.

* Getting really close with one of the seniors and the sleepovers at the house I would have!

My own New Member list:

Y Obviously, getting my bid & all of the rituals.
Y The day our New Member class had a party & really "gelled".
Y When we found out that we had the largest New Member class on campus - Woo Hoo!!
Y When we had to get new New Member books, since the actives weren't expecting so many New Members, and some of us had to use out-dated books until then!
Y Being Junior Panhel Rep for ADPi, along with one of my best friends from rush (who had gone Theta).
Y Getting my first ADPi t-shirt!
Y My first Greek Week!
Y Our first New Member Mixer!

and so, so much more!!

*Recieving my bid
*Bid night, having a pizza party/get to know you with my new pledge sisters (120 of them!)
*Being a part of the rechartering of the Delta Sigma chapter
*Our first fireside
*Initiation!
*Being pinned by the national president at Initiation!
*Watching our chapter president recieve our charter

I love this thread! JocelynC I also cosign the part about you absolutely deserving that award. :)

--getting my big sis :)

--the great feeling when I made a 100% on the National Exam, no mistakes!! (SAIs will totally understand this...our exam is long!)

--singing the Chorale for the first time

--our weekly pledge meetings (we were still called pledges...the next semester, fall '01, it changed to Members-in-Training) because we would get so off track and they were just fun. :)

--in initiation night, being awarded as Best Pledge. I was so honored. :)

Getting My Bid at our Speghetti Dinner.

Having a lot of fun on Brotherhood Night

bonding with my pledge brothers

having the biggest smile on my face after being Initiated.

Borrowing my fellow ADPi's hearts...:)

Y Opening my bid card next to a fellow new member at the same time, then hugging my fellow sister for the first time!
Y Returning from bid night activities and finding my door decorated with streamers, signs, and notes, and having my roommate come in from her sorority's activities and giving me the biggest hug and telling me she knew that I'd be a terrific addition to my chapter
Y Alpha retreat with 11 women in a small chapter room with our diamond sisters and wonderful NMC, getting to know one another and hanging out
Y Chapter retreat the folowing day where the Alphas had all been up late the night before, but we still had a great time with the Delta members for the full day retreat brainstorming ideas and playing games
Y Finding out who my diamond sister was
Y Receiving my letters from each "specialty sister" during Diamond Days
Y Getting to experience Initiation from the "sister" side the same day that I was initiated
Y My first formal!

- Alpha Ceremony---my alpha sister and I are still close
- all the sweet notes from sisters that I received every week
- "Baby Got Back" music video
- Lindley, my alphamom and future roomate, who would have thought that later I would sing/be in her wedding?......
- Learning early on, the value of sisterhood and our ritual

Being initiated after 3 years as a candidate.

ETA: Not really a candidate, I should have said a "colonist".

3 years as a colony is no fun -- on the other hand, it was great fun.

Most Memorable Moments as a Beta Sigma Phi pledge...

*Receiving our charter in the mail. Hooray for Delta Pi chapter!!
*Seeing our chapter listed as a new "Friendly Venture" in the sorority magazine...February 2003
*Being named Woman of the Year by my chapter on the day that I received the Ritual of Jewels (the ceremony after the 6 month pledge period)

Most Memorable Moments as an APO pledge...

*Hearing the pledge ceremony for the first time and wondering if the other candidates were having trouble standing still! I was!
*Exchanging gifts after the ceremony. I got a Koosh Ball Slingshot! :)

Erica

Here's another memorable New Member moment:

***I LOVED going to COB events and telling the rushees about my awesome sisterhood, and watching girls get bids a week or so later- looking about as suprised as I did on my bid day :)

Getting my first "set of letters."
Being initiated..literally as a "new member class of one."
Roses,
Silver

Hearing the Alpha Gams singing on my dorm floor on bid night because I was the only one on my floor who went through recruitment so I knew they were there for me!

Finding out that my sister-mother was my sister-mother, because she was the one I adored through rush but she was also our VP Frat Ed and wasn't supposed to get a sister-daughter because of that role.

Greek Week! What fun that was! It was also my Pre-Initiation week (we called it Inspiration Week that year).

Trick-or-Treating for JDF that year.

Donut sales!

Going to Greek Night at the local dance club and singing "We Are AGD!" at the top of our lungs when they played "We Are Family" by Sister Sledge. There are some songs that put me right on the dance floor with my sisters when I hear them on the radio too!

Wow, those were good times! I wish I could go back!

Dee

My Lcaol Experience
 

When I was a part of Phi Gamma Pi my favorite moments as a new member were:

1. GETTING MY BIG!!! :D She was my new member educator, but since the chapter was so small, I got her! I about cried when she revealed herself and I saw my paddle!

2. Phi Gam didn't give letters until activation, so that's my second- getting my first set of letters and proudly wearing them!

3. My friend in AZD giving me a hug when she found out I got a bid! How Panhellenically sweet!

4. My sister telling me that she and my Big were fighting over who would get me as their Little (she was #2 on my list).

5. Being named the unofficial Super Pledge by the president! (Yeah, the terminology is politically incorrect, but Super New Member doesn't sound right.)

6. Having one of my sisters who didn't know me very well tell me that she believed I was the future of Phi Gam since the day she met me!

Ya'll are making me sad because of the rocky start I had (FYI for all you PNMs, I am just a hard person to get to know even though I am very sociable). I wish I had some of the wonderful memories ya'll had!

My best memory, I guess, is getting my bid card and getting my door decorated by sisters.