Fines as Punishment
 

In my chapter we have a set monatary sum that is fined to each member for unexcused absences. For example, if someone misses chapter without a valid reason they are charged $10 the first time time, $20 the second time, $40 the third time, etc. Fines are also issued for missing community service, recruitment events, ritual, etc.

The problem that we're having is that some girls would rather just pay the fine than attend. We recently had a mandatory community service event and some girls showed up and then decided that they would rather pay the $20 fine than participate. We've considered some alternative punishments like suspending girls who don't show from socials or requiring them to clean/paint/do things around the house. We just need something more effective than fining.

(I know that girls should participate because they want to and that it's the whole point of being in a sorority/fraternity but we all know that isn't the case with every person who joins. And this isn't a HUGE problem in my chapter but we'd like to curb it before it gets even bigger)

Generally speaking, rewarding people works as a better motivator than punishing them. I always advise chapters to have point systems that reward members. This is a lot easier for housed chapters because they can use the point systems for things like room choice and parking. In unhoused chapters, you can set up your bylaws to require people to attend a percentage of events or have a number of points in order to have social privileges and then allow people to make up some points on a case by case basis. You can also reward people by giving prizes to those who have good attendance.

To be blunt, if your chapter is mainly composed of girls who are well-off fining won't work at all. It only works for poor people.

Things like "if you don't show you can't go to the mixer" usually work better because often these are the people who only joined for the mixers and could care less about sisterhood. Either they'll get into it, or they'll get fed up and quit - and if it's the latter, good riddance to bad rubbish.

Bruinaphi makes a good point about positive vs. negative reinforcement (well, the chapter advisor on one of my advisory boards would agree!). I think points systems definitely work, if they're implemented properly.

The problem w/ the fine system that you have in place now is that your fines are too low. Start out by fining them $25 for missing the first event, and move up from there.

Initiation should be a $100 fine whether it's the first event they've missed or not. This is, of course, only if it's an unexcused absence.

Something else to consider is if they have too many unexcused absences, they can't attend the formal.

IIRC, my chapter used a carrot-and-stick approach. People who were very active and involved, never missed chapter or ritual, etc. were recognized. Unexcused absences from the "biggies" (rush, ritual, chapter, and the big annual charity fundraiser) resulted in steep fines - I seem to recall that an unexcused absence from work week or rush was $100 per day, and this was ten years ago.

I'll point out that the "if you don't show you can't go to the mixer" threat won't work very well on a girl who is in a relationship. You might get an undesired response: "OK, I won't show, and I'll get out of the mixer, and I'll get two sorority-free evenings to spend with the boy!" Threatening to exclude people from formal has a little more bite - most people want to go to formal whether they're in a relationship or not.

We would use a merit system and that worked well ... you had to have enough points to got to socials.

THAT sounds like a fine idea!!

When I was CA, the actives gave out awards of the week for grades, sisterhood, spirit, etc. When they started to add an award for doing your own dishes, I lost it! I told them, "When you get a job, do you know what you get if you do your job right? You get to come back the next day, and do it all over again!"

Merit points sound SO much more fair/mature!

anything from the guys on fines/point systems?

My colony has talked about using a fining system, just curious what other fraternities have done on this.

ive discovered that fines and the assignment of extra chores does not motivate girls to do their chores.
neither does giving them a week off if they complete them.

but i've also disovered that mentioning that i'm having locks put in all the cabinets in the kitchen and on the laundry door and that i'm willing to restrict those rooms usage if they aren't cleaned seems to be working.

KKG has a no asessing fee, and as such we do not fine.

Besides, there are much better ways to get members to your meetings without taking an arm and a leg of them each time they miss.

Try making things more fun for girls to be at. Award those who do show up. Have random walk in raffles. Girls show up, they get a raffle ticket for being there, and someone randomly wins. Make sure not to drag things out longer than they need to be. Keep meetings to the point and don't let officers go off on tangents. Give your members a reason to want to be there. Have some things that they can't learn from the minutes, that they'll be upset if they missed.

While that sounds like an awful lot of fun and something that I'd love, I don't think it would be particularly effective to habitual skippers.

New question:
If you are on a merit/award or demerit/fine system, who keeps track of the points? Is that its own office? If so, what's it called?
Just curious. B)

Our secretary kept track of our merit points.

We used to spend a lot of time focusing on silly stuff like this.

Mostly it was a waste of our time. Here's why. Fines only work on people that basically want to attend stuff anyway.

People that really don't want to go to things will eventually just not pay fines and totally quit. So basically you end up just pissing off certain people that have to pay or else creating a non-fun situation where people are only there to avoid getting thir balls busted by you and your fines.

ITs the hall monitor/traffic cop approach to chapter management. ITs simple and easy and appears to work . . . . somewhat.

The point system is the best approach I have seen written here. Not because its forcing people to attend per se, remember most people want to attend most things, but because it forces people to be more conscious of their own attendance. A kind of self monitoring.

It would be even more effective if it was monitored say every half a semester and girls that got say 95% of their points got secret giffts from the chapter or something. It gives a little more encouragement.

They should also be a way to earn extra points if necessary. You never want to make it impossible for a girl to succeed even if she missed stuff early on,

Oooo. Since OSU has that crazy 10-girl rule ( ;) yup I'm familiar with it.) You could use the postive point system that allows girls to choose many different things.

For instance, take a look at your chapter programming and assign point values. Ritual is higher than a TG, etc. Also weight points based on past performance. If you notice you're not getting people to show up to Phil events then they get a higher point system.

THEN when sign-ups for the different parties happen, the person with the most points gets to sign up first for that party and so and so on.

That would be my first suggestion.

Second you could also use the point system for "get out of jail free card" type situations. I can't remember where you chapter stands among the other 13 on campus, but you could definately split up and give some people an off night. That break could be just the motivation they need to attend an event where PR is key.

I'd be happy to talk to you more about this - PM me and I'll give you my phone - since you're right here in C-bus.

Heidi