NME ideas to spice up pledging
 

I'm looking for new ideas to integrate into our NME program. I want to have fun, memorable meetings and make sure the new girls really understand the fundamentals of Gamma Phi as well as maintain a strong sisterhood. What have you done during pledging that you really enjoyed? Any Gamma Phi specific things? Thanks!!!

When I was a collegiate, we always had the new members have a sleepover at the house, and part of the sleepover, they had what we used to call a "candle passing", though that got confusing with real candle passings.

The new member version involved having the new class in a room together without any older girls, turn the lights down or off, and they take a large pillar candle and pass it around as each girl gets a chance to speak about what brought them to Gamma Phi, their experiences thus far in college, what they were looking for in college, what high school was like, etc. It takes a good hour or two, depending on the number of women you have, and you learn a lot about the women in your pledge class.

For chapter retreats, we'd usually do a full-chapter version as well, which generally involved some crying. We always loved it, though.

Another idea that I love is rock painting or, if your chapter has a rock garden (where all the members, present and past, have left a personalized rock), the new members can customize and "intall" their rocks there.

Sisterhood Jeopardy! is another cute idea that helps the new members learn about Gamma Phi. Conduct a friendly competition to see who has learned the most about Gamma Phi.

Hope these help!