Rush with NPC groups???
 

I couldn't find what I wanted under a search, and I need some help from local members and national members. Phi Chi is having recruitment next week. I talked to one of my sisters yesterday (I've been out of school for a year) and she said that our new Greek Life Director and the Coordinator are suggesting that we have recruitment with the NPC groups next year.
First of all, I was under the impression that non NPC groups were not allowed to recruit until after NPC. This has been the standing rule on my campus, but evidently all of the NPC sororities here agreed to this.
Second, I can not see this being a good thing for us at all. We have 15 active sisters and a small budget for recruitment. The other sororities average 90+ members, with many being over 100.
What have been some advantages that you have seen? Has this worked on your campus? Why or why not (in your opinion)?

We have ADPi, AOII, DZ, ZTA, Chi O, Alpha Chi and KD. Any ideas of extension have been put on hold for a year or so because of problems with a coupld of the fraternities in conjunction with having a new GL guy. (He wanted to handle those before we opened for expansion.)

The impression that some of my sisters have gotten is that GL is trying to help us get our numbers up because they do want us to affiliate with an NPC group. However, I find this prospect of recruiting alongside nationals quite daunting.

Input please!

Crystal, hopefully just because the Greek Life person is trying to get you to do recruitment with the NPC sororities, it doesn't necessarily mean that they're going to ask you to go national. My local was established on our campus in 1989 and was the first sorority. Ever since there were NPC groups here, we have always done recruitment with them. We do it the same way any NPC group would, we have a Rho Chi, rush rooms, etc.

This may actually benefit you because if the NPC's were allowed to recruit first before, then that meant that there were great girls who never got the chance to look at Phi Chi. Now with you rushing at the same time as them, it gives girls to look at your sorority. Not every girl out there wants to be in a chapter of 90+ girls (although some definitely do). Those who don't can see you as the solution. PM me if you have any more questions or ideas for themes, whatnot, etc.
Good Luck!

Are you the only local on campus? It would seem to me that if the NPCs have already voted on this issue and want to include you in NPC recruitment, then I can hardly guess that the thought behind that is "Let's get rid of Phi Chi by making them rush with us", in fact, they might think they are helping you out. Maybe send a rep to an NPC meeting and as the question: "If we decide to rush will you, would you be willing to help us out(i.e. having one of the NPC do a "rushing 101" workshop with your girls [as your rush may be a bit different then theirs], adding Phi Chi to all NPC ads for rush, etc)"

I don't think they're trying to get rid of us or anything like that - I'm just concerned and overwhelmed. I know it could help us get numbers way up, which will be good if we keep it at a manageable number. We more than doubled when I was rush chair, and there were a lot of problems because we didn't have the resources to handle that much growth. I know that there will be girls that love our small number, but the difference in size is still quite intimidating. There is one sorority (Alpha Chi) that has been on campus for a shorter period of time than we have - I want to say they came in 98 but I could be wrong. (We were founded in 96.)
I feel sure that we would be included on all the recruitment materials - already we are listed with the NPC groups on the Greek Life website, and every year in the recruitment handbook there is a page that tells about us. I think this year if girls didn't get a bid they were given a flier with our information on it.

ETA: We are the only local.

I think this shows that the NPCs are really trying to help you out, and in that case I believe that rushing with them might be beneficial, as (and I know this is NOT how it's meant) but a flyer for the girls who didn't get bids may feel like "Here's an ALTERNATIVE to a sorority, or an afterthought". You want your group to apper as a first choice, not something available to those who didn't make the first cut. If I were you, I would try it. If nothing else, it would be like a pre-event to what you are already doing. Unless your school has a no-COB for those who participate in Rush, you're not hurting what you're already doing, just adding to it.;) ;)

I'm not on your campus, so of course, I could be wrong, but I would imagine that most NPC sororities would think that every local does plan to go national at some time. So, they probably feel as if they're doing y'all a favor. And, as others have said, this is a great chance for more PNMs to at least see Phi Chi, and take it seriously.

I liked the idea of going to a Panhel meeting and asking about their motive, though. You never know.

Thanks girls - you've calmed me down quite a bit and given me some encouragement to pass on to my girls. I'm not active since I'd left school, but am returning on a special status - basically, I go to meeting when I can and I go to one social event and one fundraiser this semester. I felt I needed to somehow spend my last semester with my sisters, even if I didn't have the time to be active. I don't have a vote, but have spoken with several sisters and told them I would get advice from people who "know more than me". (Which means my lovely friends here on GC.) .

Good luck! I think the suggestion of getting an NPC representative in some capacity to go over rush rules is a GREAT idea. I know if we were in this situation, I'd definitely want a head's up.

We've been asked by past Panhellenic presidents if we wanted to participate in formal recruitment. There would of course, have to be a vote and rules set.

We've never actually done it. Money, time and the atmosphere are different with formal recruitment. So we hold our own events the week after and usually we bump up the PR since the NPC sororities can only advertise as a whole. We try to use that to our advantage.

But I mean, if your council is willing to help, I'd say go for it. Do you have recent/younger alumnae that would be willing to come back for a week? I know you were worried about the size of your chapter. Or if you still know your founders, how cool would that be to bring them in and say "These members are our foundation, come join our future..." or something cheesy like that.

We are doing Spring COB this year with the other groups, as apposed to waiting until next week. It's way early than what the chapter is used to, but I think it will go great since EVERYONE is looking now.

Are you allowed to choose how many bids you want to give out? I think that taking more pledges than you can handle is hugely important to think about. If you can't handle them (and i know you know this) you may lose them. I think you are smart to think about this now, before you get into it all

We never did formal rush so I'm not sure if NPC rules would allow this...

Good Luck! I think it is a great opportunity and if managed right it will work out in your favor

Yeah, that's what I was going to ask. Will quota apply to your sorority as well? (I assume it would, but I don't know.)

I think rushing with the other sororities would be an awesome opportunity for rushees to see what you all have to offer along with all the others, as well as maybe raise awareness in your sorority (since you all had your rush in previous years after the NPC groups had theirs, it's possible that some girls who might've joined weren't aware of your sorority when they were rushing). However, I can understand how you might be a little apprehensive since all the other sororities are so much larger. It's tough being a small chapter trying to rush with bigger ones, but it's definitely possible. I wish you all luck! :)

Quota applies to all sororities that participate in ALL rounds. There's a local on my campus that participates in formal rush, and they are a factor in quota.

But I've also seen it done where a local only particpates in first few rounds (i.e. the open rounds). If you aren't comfortable with fully participating in formal recruitment, you could talk to the Panhellenic president about possibly doing it this way.

My local sorority was invited to participate in formal recruitment at the start of my sophomore year. We chose to participate, and it was a HUGE mistake. We had ten sisters returning for rush, vs. 80-90 sisters in each of the 4 NPC sororities. We didn't have the resources of an NPC sorority in terms of area alums, song and skit ideas, money, etc., and since we were a new sorority, we only had one alum, who couldn't (or wouldn't) help out. We spent a lot of time and money preparing, and came out of it with NO pledges (although we did meet a couple of women who pledged later on via COB).

You may want to think about participating in round 1 of FR so that PNMs get to meet you, and then holding your own recruitment the following week.

My local used to participate in rush with the NPC sororities and we did VERY well...

Right after I graduated the girls decided they didn't want to do that anymore because they were sick of doing all the work.

Since the time I became Greek two of the NPC groups have closed down and the only NPC sorority left is Phi Sigma Sigma.