My Retro Recruitment/Introduction
 

Hi, all! I have been a lurker for years, and I finally decided to sign up and post! I guess I will start with the story that got me here...my rush experience!:)

I went to a southern school (non-SEC) that was semi-competitive. My sister was a member of an awesome sorority, but her sorority was not one of the 7 chapters at my new school. I was coming from out of town, and literally did not know one person in any chapter! I was the definition of "open mind."

I came into town for a summer event...there were only 5 "rushees" there so we got tons of attention. Each chapter, except 1, had 3-5 people there. One chapter had just come from their retreat and had the ENTIRE chapter there. I got to meet and hang out with them a ton and really liked them...how could that not make a great impression?

I will call each chatper by holidays because each holiday has something wonderful to offer and who doesn't like holidays?;)

So here we go...just as an FYI...I have one of those freak-show memories so I still remember a lot of details:

Easter: Had never heard of this sorority
Memorial Day: Knew a little about this sorority (nationally)
4th of July: Had never heard of this sorority, but this lady from my hometown that I ADORE was one of these at a different school. She wrote my rec and had told me that they were really strong here.
Labor Day: Had heard of this group before
Halloween: Had never heard of this group before
Thanksgiving: Knew probably the most about this group b/c one of my good friends from HS had a sister that was this at another school...plus this was the group that had the huge presence at the summer event.
Christmas: Had never heard of this sorority

Just so you know...I will not be one of those people that drags this out. I will finish this post TODAY

OK...so I am going to do the frist two round together because we could visit all 7 for two days if we were invited back to all 7 after the first day, which I was. Looking back now-it is hard to imagine that the chapters could cut us the first night, but we could not cut them.

Also important to this story: When I went through, we did not get to rank the chapters at the end of the day. We had to wake up and meet at 7am the next morning with our Rho Chi's and they presented us a list of the chapters that invited us back and we got to pick the ones we wanted to back to (if there were more on the list than number of parties that day). Our campus has since then changed to let the pnm's rank at the end of the day.

SO FOR THE FIRST TWO ROUNDS:

Easter: This was obviously the smallest group on campus b/c they were double/triple rushing people. The other rushee I was paired with really hit it off with the sister who was rushing us. I felt like a third wheel, but I was happy that they were connecting b/c I knew this was not the place for me.

Memorial Day: Turns out the President of this group was a girl I had met at Orientation that I really liked. She came up and talked to me in this party. She is so great!:D Really liked this group. Really fun and upbeat!

4th of July: Something about this group felt different than the rest...they were just so elegant, but still down to earth. Really enjoyed conversation with each person I talked to.:p The President and Rec. chair both came and talked to me.

Labor Day: Turns out my Orientation Guide was in this chapter. She came up to me in the party as well as several other sisters. Unfortunately, I did not really click with my Guide, and could not really see myself in the same chapter as her. Also, one thing that still sticks out to me about this group was their rotation process...we were all lined up in rows and the members would literally all get up at the same time and move to the next rushee...hello, assembly line! It was AWFUL! Note: this chapter is no longer doing this:)

Halloween: Had the ABSOLUTE BEST conversation with one of the sisters here in the first two days. I loved this girl!!!!:D It was the best single connection I had made in the first two rounds. We totally hit it off! Also, this chapter had the highest GPA at the time, which was impressive. Finally, after the president came and talked to me, another sister came up to me and told me that she knew who I was b.c her real sister (who I had known from involvement on the state level of an orgnaization and who I loved!) had told her to watch out for me!

Thanksgiving: This group made another great impression! Their president and several girls I had met at the summer event came and talked to me. They were all beautiful women!

Christmas: This was another smaller chapter and some sisters had to rush 2 pnm's. I talked to a sister one-on-one both days. Turns out, the SGA President that I met this summer was in this group...really liked her and we talked about campus leadership a lot (which was something I was looking forward to).

Then we went out to dinner with our Rho Chi groups and went to sleep. The next morning, we had to meet to make our selections. If more than 4 groups invited you back to Skit Night, then you had to choose only 4 to attend.

I definitely knew who my top 4 were...:cool:

Wow...lots of detail! Love it!

Yea!

So the next morning I got up and headed to meet my Rho Chi. I had been invited back to:

Easter
Memorial Day
4th of July
Labor Day
Halloween
Thanksgiving
Christmas

YAY!!!!!:D

So I picked my Top Four...........................................

























Memorial Day
Fourth of July
Halloween
Thanksgiving

Today was the second Skit Day, so I was excited! (Our format used to be Open House, Skit, Skit, Pref...yes, this took place before Philanthropy Days came around;)) And we were frills all the way, which I un-secretly LOVE!!!

Memorial Day: Once again, all the girls were really friendly and great! Loved their President again! Wish they were more involved in campus leadership (seemed exclusive to the president), but realized this might give me an opportunity to really shine!

4th of July: Their skit was so great! REALLY connected with one of the sisters...best conversation all week...we just clicked!!! Their skit really showed the different personalities of the chapter and you could just "feel" the sisterhood.

Halloween: This skit was really great, too! Very fun! While I loved, loved, loved so many different women in this chapter, I was starting to feel that this chapter as a whole may not be for me. They were definitely athletic and involved...I was starting to feel like I was a little more girly than this group. Not a deal-breaker, just something to think about. Their skit was super-creative though, which I loved!!!

Thanksgiving: If there was one group that stood out before Recruitment to me, it was this one. They had not disappointed yet! Their skit was great...many women came up and welcomed me back, etc. Then when it was time to go, the PRECIOUS girl rushing me threw me a curveball. She said, "What qualities do you have that would contribute to XXX?" Talk about being gob-smacked!!! Luckily, we were in the line walking out by this point, but I found myself spurting things from my resume..."I have really great grades, I was involved in this, this, and this." In my mind, though, I was thinking, "Aren't you supposed to be rushing ME???" Talk about having something to think about now...now I know that it is a mutual selection process, but I had submitted my application and had come to pre-recruitment events and everything...didn't they already know what I had to offer???? Those were my thoughts at the time.

Again, dinner with my Rho Chi (who by the way was so fabulous!!! we totally clicked!)

Back to the dorms to think about what to do...I thought I knew who my top 2 were before this day! Now one of them had thrown me for a loop! Turns out, they had asked everyone this question, and it had turned a lot of people off...what to do, what to do???:confused:

OK, so I met with my Rho Chi the next morning and was invited back to:

Memorial Day
4th of July
Halloween
Thanksgiving

YAY!!!!!

Now for decision time...

I had thought a lot about it, and had decided not to hold one question out of the whole week against a certain group. If you took that one question out of the equation, then Thanksgiving was definitely one of my top two groups that I felt comfortable with:)

With that being said, my choices were:

Fourth of July and Thanksgiving

Time for Pref Night:

I went to Thanksgiving first that night. As a funny note, there was this really obnoxious girl in the line with me and I thought "Uggghhh-I hope she does not end up in my chapter!" More on that later;)

Thanksgiving: We sat in rows and were really close to each other, so it was really hard to hear the members that were talking to us. The President of the chapter preffed me-no pressure, lol;) It was an honor, though! Their ceremony was lovely...many sisters cried, but I did not. It is funny-of all the days of Recruitment, Pref Night is the one I remember the least!

Fourth of July: Two girls preffed me in this party...one of them was the girl that I had hit it off so well with on Skit Day and the other one was a girl I had talked to earlier in the week. Their ceremony was beautiful...again many sisters and rushees cried, but I did not. Looking back, that makes me laugh b/c I am total crier and I did not cry one time during Recruitment.

After the parties, we went immediately to rank the sororities. I only sat and thought for a minute because I knew from the moment I walked in their door on Day One what I wanted to be, I just tried to not make it so obvious here:D

So my rankings were:

1. Fourth of July!!!!!!!!!!!
2. Thanksgiving

Then came the waiting until bids were given out the next day...

How funny! I guess they forgot they hadn't asked you and had to get it in before you walked out the door! It's not a bad question, but sounds like it did turn people off.

love it!

OK...time for the ending:D

We all showed up for Bid Day. Our Rho Chi's revealed their affiliations, and we got our bids!

I am happy to report that I received a bid to........


Fourth of July:)


also known as.................
































ALPHA GAMMA DELTA!!!

That's right! I am a proud Squirrel Girl!!!

A few fun notes:

1. My Rho Chi ended up being an Alpha Gam as well...and she became my Big Sister! Love her!

2. The "obnoxious girl" in line on Pref Night of course ended up in my pledge class...she also ended up being my best friend! Funny how things work out!;)

3. The girl that was being double rushed with me in the first round at Easter ended up pledging Easter, so I was really glad that I kept my usually big mouth shut and let them hit it off!

4. I still adore the President of Memorial Day to this day! We are still friends, and she is still awesome!!!

5. I am advisor for my fabulous chapter, and have been for over 10 years! I still use stories from my "rush" when teaching my girls about Recruitment techniques...no matter how Rush (er, Recruitment) changes, the basics still remain the same.

6. The chapter that asked me what I thought was an awkward question on Skit Day, still asks that question of everyone. Every year our new members talk about it as well after they pledge. It must work for some people, though, because Thanksgiving remains a wonderful chapter, and to this day is still our biggest "competitor" during Recruitment.

That is all I have for now! Hope you all enjoyed/enjoy my journey into Greek Life. I kind of knew what I was getting into, but really had no idea how much Alpha Gam and the Greek system in general would impact my life! I am so thankful for my sisters and love serving them and meeting new sisters every year! My favorite part of being an advisor is being able to see them run through the door on Bid Day and walk out the door after Senior Tea four years later and seeing how Alpha Gam has helped them grow into wonderful young women!:)

Thanks for sharing your story (and doing it quickly)! :)

Great story, southerngrace, and what a wonderful Greek experience you've had. Yay for another Triad ending!

Another Alpha Gam ending!!:cool:

Yay! Come on over the Alpha Gam forum and chat with us sometimes there!

Congratulations to you and Alpha Gamma Delta!

Don't bother linking who's who, but what other chapters were at your school?

i loved your story-and the fact that you did not drag out sharing it with us!!