"I want to join ABC sorority" Facebook group
 

I was on Facebook earlier today, and I noticed that one of my friends joined a group called "I want to join ABC" for a particular chapter at her school. To me, this seems weird. I know that my chapter has had Facebook groups before, but it is for general information about the sorority... almost serving the same purpose that an independent website would.

We also don't have strict silence, or anything of that nature, so having potential members join these groups has never been an issue. I know that on the campus that my friend is at, they do have pre-recruitment silence and they are required to set their Facebook profiles to private during that time.

I also understand that they have formal recruitment in the fall. As has been said here many times before, recruitment is a mutual selection process. Is making a Facebook group that specifically says "I want to join ABC" a little misleading?

Yes, it was started by the chapter.

And again, we have had these groups before, but like you said, they've been titled something different like "Come meet the ABCs" ... having it specfically say "join" gives off the wrong impression, IMO.

That is really awkward. The only time I've ever seen anything like that is when it's an interest group for expansion. Even then, the group was called "Bring XYZ to [State] University!" I think that having a group like the one you're describing would hurt a sorority at my school. It would look weird and desperate.

I agree it seems odd. Is it really an open group or could it be a joke?

It'd be kind of a funny name for a new members' group.

It is definitely a legitimate group.

They have an introduction talking about what the sorority is all about, and everything that they do on campus. It has contact information for the Recruitment Chair. It has many pictures of the chapter. There are also a couple comments on it, one of which is definitely from a sister (who was pictured and tagged in one of the photos).

If it was started by a PNM, it might make more sense. It'd be creepy as hell, and they probably wouldn't get a bid, but I could understand it being titled the way it is. It is definitely strange that a chapter would create a group under this name.

Is it the only NPC chapter at that campus?

One of my friends joined an "I want to join XYZ sorority" facebook group, but that was because it was the only NPC sorority on campus. She ended up not joining though.

No, there are a few other NPC groups on that campus.

At University of Central Arkansas, there's alot of these groups.

They're mainly used to let peopleknow about rush events.

i would bring it up to your greek life advisor. not only might it appear desperate, but it might mislead the pnms and violate the recruitment rules on your campus.

Agreed! This sounds strange! I remember one year when my chapter did COB, we had a group that was like "Come meet the Theta ladies" or something like that. I can see the purpose of a group or invite like that on facebook.

However, the group that you are talking about should be addressed by Panhellenic.

Once on my campus there was an inactive member of a sorority not on our campus because she had joined one place and then transferred. She had a facebook group that said "Bring ABC to campus!" This actually turned off Panhellenic and when the campus opened for expansion, they ended up picking another group.

A group like this would probably be gossiped about at my school. Usually sororities here don't have an issue getting women to come out to rush, even with just the normal PR. A group like this would be seen as excessive, and desperate. Only a sorority at my school that is desperately in need of getting numbers would probably do this.

Once again, technology changes things. Before the Internet existed as we know it, people found other ways to obsess over organizations.

The ease at which aspirants come to message boards and websites like Facebook (not just researching an org and/or contacting members of the chapter via an email address on the website) annoys me but it's par for the course. I've had some of my buddies who pledged before I was born tell me that the way we did things (they didn't involve the Internet but rather face-face interactions) a decade or so ago annoyed many of them so it is what it is. :)

Whoa!! This is REALLY inappropriate and desperate sounding. Like you said a "come meet ABC" or "find out more about ABC" is borderline acceptable, but this sounds pathetic.

It would be in the chapter's best interest to get rid of the group or rename it because if someone signs up for it and doesn't get a bid, she could make life miserable for them. Not to mention that if a naive rushee even joins it to check things out - her name might as well be mud with the other sororities on campus. I won't even get into the strict silence and Panhellenic rules.

Another instance of "just because you can, doesn't mean you should."