More than one alpha class?
 

Does anyone have experience with handling two alpha classes per quarter/semester? Thanks!

yes my chapter has done it the past 3 semsters... it can make things a bit exciting to say the least and i don't really think it is the best idea ever... i think it causes divison between classes and doesn't foster unity ... but it can be done...

I know my chapter has done it now a couple of times. The only real problem we found with it, was that by the time for the second initiation girls were somewhat burned out, and it usually landed later in the semester which in turn caused people to be a lot busier.

This past semester we had two alpha classes, but only initiated the first class. We are doing the second initiation the week before classes start for spring semester. I am curious to see how this will work.

We've had 2 initiations every semester since i've joined in spring 2001. We don't have a clear distinction between the 2 alpha classes, its just that the later group alpha education sessions are a few weeks later than the earlier girls. We've hadn't had a problem with it. Why we have 2 initiations a semester is due to when the girls join. We do COR events throughout the semester, so we gets girls at different times during the semester.

with our chapter having more than one alpha class is pretty common. we are a smaller chapter so we have quite a few COR's during the semester. this semester we had 3 alpha classes. it can be tedious at times and hard for the new girls. the best thing is to make sure the sisters spend a lot of quality time with them because sometimes they are a little scared coming in the middle of the semester not knowing anybody. but i know for our chapter having more than one is common.

pi love,
kayla

How do you prevent competition?
 

Ok, another question for those of you who have survived multiple alpha classes--

How do you avoid them competing with one another? In my chapter in college, we only had formal recruitment and one of the largest houses on campus-- but were really firm in that we're all sisters and no one was better, but we still had a friendly "Whoo hoo-- A/C 99!" and other shout-outs going on.

So how do you label them to differentiate? Track one and Track two? Alpha and Beta? It still would seem that there is still a separation.... Thanks! I'm trying to get as much info on this as possible to take back to the advisory board (the recruitment adviser and I, member ed) really think this would be a good idea, as our girls' school has set an impossible chapter total. Not one of the sororities is at total! How do you plan COR events without overprogramming the chapter? Is every Thursday night COR night??? Thanks!

Pi Love :)

We have never had problems with competition between alpha classes, generally because they overlap. They really dont think of themselves as seperate alpha classes, or when they become very seperate due to timing they are just seperate classes. Being as small a chapter as mine is (around 50 members or less), we are really just one chapter and past your alpha period you may of some extra close friends in what was your alpha class, but we dont have the seperations of alpha classes.

As for too much in terms of COR events, my first year in my chapter was full of events, atleast one a week. It was busy. All we felt like we were doing was rushing girls not doing stuff as a sorority. Now this year we havent been doing that much interms of COR events. It doesnt feel right that way either. In reality maybe setting one day a week would work, the other option is every other week doing a larger event. It really depends on the chapter. The big this we have found as a chapter is to keep in mind the quality and not quantity. We were trying to get numbers too much during my first year.