Spirit Ideas
 

Hey girls! First off let me say I am very excited to have found this website. I accidentally found it, but I'm so happy.

I am from the Epsilon Chi chapter at Longwood University in Farmville, Va. We are a small chapter and currently have 55 memebers- we had 17 alpha's last semester, and it was awesome. I am a senior and pledged in Fall of 2002.

I am currently spirit chair, and after meeting with our TCC I realized that we don't do as much for spirit as other chapters do. She gave me alot of good ideas, but I was wondering if ya'll could think of anything you do/did that really god yall pumped!!

Pi Lovin,
ADPiEXF02

If your chapter is involved in intermurals, get members who aren't playing to come out and cheer... That does wonders... Silly fun sisterhood events work well... I mean doing things like watch an old tape of New Kids on The Block... It gets girls laughing, and just really helps... Make signs for each other... My chapter loved signs way too much... They ended up everywhere... One of the TCC's that visited my freshman year used to say how we made a sign for everything... As a result she got some pretty interesting signs whenever she visited... At meetings our chapter would give out a little basket of candy to the girl who they thought need their spirts lifted or had done something to lift another sisters spirit... Usually they had a big test the past week, or had been there for a sister when they needed it... Those are some of the things my chapter did in the past... I may think of more later...

We didn't have any "organized" spirit ideas, but some things that we did were:
*Cheers - they're so much fun to yell!
*ADPi Princess - nominate a sister who went out of their way for a sister (or a sister knew what they had done) to help them out
*Turning on music in the chapter room to dance and sing to (sisters looked kinda silly, but we all loved it!)

I think ANYTHING that you can do to bring a smile to your sisters' faces is a great step in the "right" direction....even telling a good joke, or sharing some silly stories (or situations) from the past week!

For a while, my chapter had the "Sisterhood Support Bra." It was this HUMONGOUS bra that we passed around week to week at chapter. Whoever had it last gave it to someone that showed them support that week. Whoever got it put a picture, magazine clipping, poem, etc. that symbolized that "support" they received. It made us all laugh to see it and it was a good way to get everyone to remember to support their sisters.

Meeting Spirit
* When the roll is called, each week, instead of saying "here" or "present," the spirit chair will direct everyone to instead....
1) Name your favorite location for a date
2) Hometown
3) Major
4) Fraternity
5) Color
Etc. A great way to learn little things about your sisters and giggle!

* The Celebration Letter. The first week, the spirit chair will write a letter to a sister who has made a meaningful difference in her life and read it aloud, and give the letter to the sister, perhaps in a frame. The next week, that sister will write a letter to another sis, and so on.... It makes everyone feel good.

House Spirit
* Warm Fuzzies
Start a bulletin board in the chapter common room. Glue fuzzy balls to push pins and leave scraps of paper for sisters to leave notes for one another, or "warm fuzzies." To introduce the board, read this story in chapter http://www.storybin.com/sponsor/sponsor138.shtml
and pass out paper scraps so folks can go and pin their warm fuzzies after chapter.

* Door Decorating Contests
Each holiday, assign prides to decorate bedroom and house doors for the holidays. Award a small prize (and points for your chapter points system to the winners.) And think of how pretty the chapter house will look for December, Valentine's, etc... and how the prides will bond when they work together!

*On the road and in the classroom
Inspire new sisterhood and friendship moments-- award sisters in chapter if you've seen them in letters that week, honk 3 times if you see an ADPi, etc.

Tape a challenge under people's seats each week--- say hello to two strangers this week, call your mom, etc... Also, leave little inspirations and quotes.

Keep your spirit time brief during meetings, but do take some time away from "business" to introduce a happy thought or encourage the members. Another activity is to do a pat on the back for encouragement where everyone pats the back of the person in front, back and side to side of them. You can also do a group massage this way!

There are tons of great ideas online, in ice-breaker books, etc. Another great resource are your school's Greek Adviser and the Resident Assistants!

Welcome to GreekChat, ADPifo2! Please take a moment to read our Forum Guidelines, and to tell us a little about yourself!

It's so funny, that adpiucf mentioned saying other things other than "here" during chapter roll call. We always said the name of another chapter, and mine was Epsilon Chi, Longwood College, Farmville, Virginia! :)

One thing we did after every meeting was Weeds & Violets. We'd be in a circle, and everyone would say something good & something bad that happened that past week - but it was okay to just mention the something good! The idea was to always have more Violets than Weeds, so no one could mention just a Weed.

We also did a Secret Sister - someone would send a little note with something like a candy bar ("You're so sweet!") or something. It was always kept somewhat quiet, but the person who got the giftie was expected to pass a giftie on to someone else within 3 days.

Good luck!

I dont know if you guys have a house or not but we didnt and part of the job of our spirit chair was to go around to everyone's dorm room or apartments before the start of a new semester and make welcome back signs and stick them up on the doors. Also send a little card or letter to all the sisters before recruitment started to get them pumped up.

We also had SOS- Save our Sisters. It was the chaplain's idea one year so it became part of the chaplain's job but it goes along with spirit. We had this box that would get passed around during chapter meetings. If you knew of a sister who was having a rough week for any reason you could write their name down on a piece of paper and drop it in the box. Then the chaplain/spirit chair would send you a little note or present during the week to show the sisterly support. I got them several times and believe me it makes a difference when you realize your sisters do care for your well being.

Hi, welcome to Greekchat!! :)

Here are some ideas that my chapter did when I was Spirit Chair.

Violet Box-
Basically is a plastic box like a inexpensive fish aquarium that is decorated. You put violet notes (little notes of support or encouragement) to a sister(s) that you read outloud to the chapter at the end of chapter meetings. For example, To Sherra, hope you have a good week, thanks for helping me with painting posters Pi love Ally. Something short and sweet. :) And any sister can contribute violet notes.

an Alphie (a stuffed animal lion) that you give to a sister that had a bad week, maybe she's had a cold or was sick, or stressed out about midterms, or broke up with her bf, etc. It's a reminder that her sisters care about her. :) She would have the Alphie for that week, then next chapter meeting, she would give it to a sister she thought needed it.

SunShine Pail-
It's a basket or pail that is decorated that is filled with goodies like candy, cookies, ADPi trinkets (like keychain, handmade gifts, etc), travel sized lotions, or whatever else you want, maybe keep it around $5-10. You give it to a sister you think did a good job doing a task, maybe she was the chair of a fundraiser and it turned out great. Then the sister you gave it to in turn next week fills the basket/pail with goodies and gives it to a sister she thinks did a good job with something. And so on :)

Learn a new ADPi song at the end of each chapter meeting, that ways it gets everyone involved and it would be fun.

Hope this helps. :D
Pi love, Ally

Wow! thank you guys sooo much for your input. It's hard to come up with new idea's if the only thing you have to go off is what your chapter does. I will defenitly be using some of the suggestions, and passing them onto the next lucky lady who gets my position! Yall are so awesome!

Pi Lovin,
Lauren:) :)