Members Leaving
 

I posted this in BSP, but maybe it's a more general problem.

We are a new online chapter. As in, we just started putting together this chapter over the last 6 months, and about 90% of our 20some members are pledges.

We're getting to the beginning of our "year" - we've just put out a member interest survey, and choose online meeting dates and times, and scheduled our first meeting for the first week in September.

Today, we had 2 members (that's 10% of our group!) decide to leave because of the commitment. Is this normal?

I don't want this to start a chain reaction of everyone getting spooked and leaving...

Any advice for the newbie president?? Much appreciated :)

Paula

Hey Paula,

I've served on executive boards for a plethora of organizations and have seen this same problem constantly prevalent. For example, in AXO last year I believe two girls de-pledged and three others de-affiliated. In the MIT Asian Dance Team, we lost over 10 girls in the span of a year, which was nearly 50% of the team at the time. The MIT Chinese Choral Society used to consistently have 30-40 members, and now we're down to 10.

It's really difficult to set up an organization in a way that it accommodates everyone, and arguably some people are going to have to make sacrifices in order to continue participating. It's just that some people cannot make the sacrifice (sometimes for very good reasons), and it's just difficult to press them to remain. The ones that are willing to stay and stick it out are the ones we will bond the most with, and they are the ones that will help shape the chapter into the great entity we want it to become. Not to say the departing members are bad people, but they may just have different priorities in life right now.

I wouldn't worry too much about it. The ones who choose to stay are the types of women that we are hoping for; BSP membership is a self-selecting process, and I am confident that everyone will eventually find what is right for them. If you ever need any help, I'm always here =)

Paula - Attendance is always an issue in a "voluntary" org. I see participation wax and wane among the membership and board members of the ones I am currently involved with. It's a little harder to understand not being able to make an online meeting though. That seems to be very accommodating to me! :-)

I try to encourage attendance/participation by being as forgiving as possible about absences while at the same time reminding the member that they are an important part of the org and that their contributions are needed and appreciated.

~ Debora K.

This is your problem. Get a few other women who are already sisters involved. I know pledging in BSP is different, but the only way a chapter full of newbies works is if there's a national/advisory board watching over it.

Paula, I sent you a PM.

In my experience, at the beginning of a new chapter/club/business, there is always a period of membership fluctuation. People need to get a feel for what the group is like, how it will operate, etc. There are always going to be people who find that the venture (whatever it may be) just doesn't fit their expectations. You may never fully understand what those expectations were, but it is probably best to let those women go, and assure your sisters that the chapter is stable and ready to move forward.

In Sisterhood,
Erica

Also Paula, 33girl makes a good point. It is common but not required that a new Beta Sigma Phi chapter have a more experienced member as a "sponsor." You can look into getting one if you feel that might help. Since International played a large role in the birth of Online Xi, you may already have something like this in place. If not, I or a few of my OLK sisters would love to help in any way that we can.

This is actually something the exec board has discussed - how do we get those who aren't pledges more involved? We're hoping that they'll be active on the committees, but none of them stepped up for the exec board. Any suggestions?

We had 3 advisors, 1 really involved, 1 kinda involved, and 1 not really inolved, but they have all gone back to their own chapters as of the beginning of this month. Thanks for the offer Erica!

Hmm...I'm sorry to hear that your time with the sponsors is coming to a close. And it doesn't sound like it was so productive anyway.

As far as the "experienced" sisters not voluneering for Exec. board, I would suggest creating the position of parliamentarian. Directly approach the women who have BSP experience, and see if they would be willing to be appointed to the position. They will simply need to observe the chapter meetings and the Exec. board meetings and offer advice as needed. It would be a low-key, low-commitment position, but it could improve the flow of advice/communication among the new officers and a more seasoned Beta Sigma Phi.

Just a thought!

New chapters always tend to have some fluctuation from the beginning. Some women are looking for something a little different from what our organization offers (ex. all the fun but none of the work). It's not the quantity of the individuals in your chapter but the quality of the rest that counts. Set one goal at a time and see where it leads you.