another pnm question.
 

Hello GC!

I have been reading GC for a while and I have been through almost all of the sticky threads that answer typical PNM questions. I have learnt so much by reading them and it has definitely helped me prepare for upcoming fall recruitment. I wanted to thank you all for all the material that you have contributed to help pnms like myself.

I am a pnm hoping to go through recruitment at a Canadian School. I don't know how competitive FR is at our campus and so I am not sure if I should be looking to secure recs, or if they are even required. I am not a freshman and from the looks of it, greek life is not very large but still very active at our campus. I know that discretion about school is key but I was wondering if any Canadian greek alums could tell me if recs are necessary for sorority recruitment at Canadian Schools?

I look forward to your reponses.
Thanks:)

I would assume Canada is a lot like the Pacific Northwest where I'm from. Recommendations are not common here, and they are certainly not required, but if you have a friend or family member that is an alumnae for a chapter on your campus, I would definitely have her write a letter about you and send a picture as well. The more people you know from different chapters, the better. My chapter loves it when we get these letters, as it helps us to have some background information on a woman going through recruitment.

Good luck!

As someone in the Pacific Northwest, I disagree with you. They don't hold the same weight as they do in the SEC, but they are common enough at my school it has been mentioned on the Greek Life pages. I've been approached by women for them, and they are very useful for chapters, especially for women who are from other states and no one was in Girl Scouts, Rainbow, Job's Daughters, or attended school with them. I have no idea where you attend school, but at schools with larger systems (University of Washington, Wazzu, Idaho, Oregon State) they are likely more important than at Boise or Idaho State where there isn't as much of a residential presence and a large formal recruitment. They are also probably not as important at Albertson, Whitman, UPS, Willamette, and Linfield as those students are at private schools and you don't have a woman with less than a 3.0 going through like at some public schools, or one who is the first to go to college in her family and therefore the first to participate in Greek Life.

Hello!

Thankyou all for responding.

I don't actually have any greek connections. No one from my friends or family has gone greek, or even know of it. I am still unsure as to whether or not recs are necessary for my campus so is it okay if I contact the University's Panhellenic if they require them?We have an alumnae panhellenic group in my city. Are they the ones who I would have to contact in order to acquire any recs?

I know a few girls in one of the sororities on campus but they are active members and with being very close to recruitment week, I don't know if I should be asking them. I think that we may be in that silent period(or is it called something else?).

Jen: UBC has an amazing greek system from what I have heard. Would getting a rec look like 'over-kill' if they are not common?

Thankyou all again for your feedback. I appreciate it:)

Contact the alumnae Panhellenic, NOT the collegiate Panhellenic.

^ Thank you agzg!

I actually wanted to contact the collegiate Panhellenic to ask them if recs were needed. If they would have said yes, I would have then proceeded on to the Alumnae Panhellenic. Is that okay or us contacting Collegiate Panhellenic wrong in this case?

Since recs are written by members of individual groups, the campus Panhellenic has no say in whether or not they are required they do not make membership decisions, individual chapters do.

Oo okay I understand. Thankyou VandalSquirrel. I have to start contacting the local Alumnae group now. Hope it goes well:)

If you receive any recs make sure to send a thank you note.

For sure!Thank you=)