Any suggestions...
 

Hi everyone! I am new to this forum so hopefully I am posting in the appropriate forum. I was just wondering if anyone had any suggestions on how we can get a better turnout of attendance at chapter meetings. I saw another post on here about bringing food or making food for the meetings. Are there any other ideas or suggestions on things that may have worked for your sororities/fraternities?

we fine guys for not showing up to chapter, we also use social probation

Thanks a lot for your suggestions. Those seem like something we may need to enforce. I really like the point system. Thanks again.

Make sure your meetings aren't longer than an hour.

Send an email summary of officer reports to people at least 2 days prior to the meeting.

Have food starting before the meeting, say 45 minutes, and ending 10 minutes before the meeting starts.

Call people in advance that like to skip meetings and ask them to bring something o the meeting for you, or research something to present.

There are very few reasons to miss Chapter meetings:

Illness
Work
Classes.

If they are not making meetings, then why are They Members?

If they cannot make meetings just because they dont want to come, then why should they be allowed to attend Social Functions?

Meetings are when all or most members can be together and discuss The Chapter. If there is nothing major to discuss, then keep the meeting short.

It is also a time that after the meetings there can be an impromtu social gathering:)

If it is just a Bitch session, then who wants ot come.

Greek Life is supposed to be fun, that is why We are called Social Greek Organizations!:D

The norm in our chapter is to have "study groups" when people feel like skipping chapter. It usually flies even though it's pretty obvious when it's just a few girls from the chapter with notebooks sitting open on their laps while watching a movie in the tv room.

I would say check your laws/by-laws, it's probably addressed in there.

We have a minimum requirement of showing up to 2/3 of brotherhood events, including, most importantly chapter meetings.

1) you get put on social probation
2) you lose your number for room selection, meaning you lose your room.

as far as our policy goes, we have a sergeant at arms position that takes attendance at all events (mandatory or not) and those sisters that miss without an excuse of class,sick, work, fam emergency- etc and do not tell the sergeant at arms (voice mail, phone call, im, email) are marked absent. at the first eboard mtg of every month, the sergeant at arms comes and tells eboard and especially the President if someone has been missing repeatedly. If there are problems, then eboard decides if the President should speak with them (b/c some of the members may know about something else going on) and then it is my job (pres) to contact that sister and find out what the problem/situation is. I have to then help resolve any issues as far as attendence, personal prob, sorority probs, etc. If they continue to miss events, then they are fined, written up for misconduct (if their absence interfers with their position duties esp) and/ or called out in front of the whole chapter if it is a severe situation.

We don't usually make food or anything, but sometimes if a sister has time... i don't really think that I should have to bribe sisters to come and participate if they are active (we also have a partial activity level as well as inactive) but i can see how it would be effective, I guess its just because we don't have time to make stuff:)

All good suggestions - one of the keys is making sure that the meeting is as well organized as possible, so that people aren't getting bored or losing focus. A crisp, well-run meeting will keep that from happening.

Have a come to god meeting with your members and discuss chapter goals. Part of this meeting can be a Town Hall style set up where members can voice greviances and recommendations. This should not spin out of control into name calling or negativity-- just a chance for exec to ask "how are we doing?".

Your recording secretary should have some large posters or easel paper set up, and the president can encourage the members and officers to shout out positive chapter goals. One of these should be weekly meetings. Put a positive spin on this goal setting and an incentive for meeting this goal.

Talk about incentives. Point systems are a great way to recognize people. Make sure you reward high points each month in chapter meeting with a small reward. End the semester with a sisterhood event to celebrate the chapter, high GPAs, leadership positions within and outside the sorority, philanthropy, and members with high points.

Talk about the importance of mandatory events and a fair system for ensuring that the work of that chapter gets done. You should have a pre-set (and fair) system to penalize members who don't make the mandatory events.

Talk about the fact that sometimes there are unanticipated events or emergencies to prevent people from fulfilling their obligations. Identify what is an excusable absence from a mandatory event and what is not. Be fair but be firm. Penalties can include imposed fines, extra community service, temporary loss of social privileges, etc. The "punishment" should fit the "crime" and the Standards committee should be involved in doling these out.

Next, provide chapter members with a calendar of your upcoming events. Clarify mandatory chapter requirements for the semester (meeting attendance, x number service hours, recruitment workshop, initiation, etc.) and the fun extras like formal, socials and non-mandatory sisterhood events.

Review that the purpose of the org is to come together for sisterhood and friendship, but that each member has an obligation to fulfill to the organixation and herself. You might ask that members sign a "contract" that acknowledges these rules have been explained to them and that they agree to them.

Next, keep your promises! Don't spring unexpected mandatory events on people. Also, take baby steps. If someone misses an event, like chapter, without an excused absence, allow one "get of jail free" card and give them a warning. The next time they miss a mandatory event, they will be fined or have a similiar penalty.

At your meetings, have a printed paper agenda so each member can follow along with the meeting. All officers should submit officer reports a few days in advance of the meeting so it can go on the agenda and be approved.

During the meeting, stick to the agenda, limit open discussion (only so that you don't lose control of the meeting-- this is not intended to limit members' right to speak their mind-- it is simply to keep things moving), and follow Parliamentary Procedure.

Officers should strive to give 1-2 awards to members in their reports (A+ Scholar, Helpful Housemate of the Week, Intramurals MVP), etc. Members love to be recognized. While you might have to address unpleasant issues at meetings, always end your meeting on a positive note.

Also, try to keep meetings short. People have school, work and other activities. Sometimes, like with membership selection, homecoming pairings, etc., this may not be the norm. But a long meeting should be the exception-- get in, say what needs to be said, get members involved on committees to do the work and nurture your up and coming leaders so they will want to come around and be involved.

Good luck!

We use fines. Plain and simple the reasons for missing a meeting are spelled out in our chaper constitution. We fine them $1.00 for being late to a meeting, $5.00 for not showing up to a meeting and $20.00 if it is ritual. All other events are decided when planning the event.

We started alternating business chapter meetings with programming meetings. Programming can be on topics that will benefit the members, or subset groups of members. For example, to benefit everyone might be a program on personal safety or self-defense, or on womens' health issues. A program to benefit a subset might be resume writing, interviewing skills or etiquette.

To communicate any important chapter business or provide reminders, a sheet of paper with announcements was passed around the room during the programming meetings. That way chapter business could still be addressed, to an extent.

This way the members knew that it wasn't going to be a weekly "drag".

for our chapter, we use a 100 point system with meetings being worth 2 points for a miss, study hours worth 2 for incomplete, and get higher with more value placed on the event. you start at 100 and you need 90 points to go to social events. there are also ways to get bonus points (holding an office, good gpa, etc)

also, we fine for big events - recruitment, initiation, etc. and you can get with your nationals and get the members sorority bill put on their school bill (with tuition) and that will eliminate people trying just to "quit" without really quitting (ie- just not coming around anymore and never pay the money)