When to do rush
 

At our meeting last night we got into a discussion about when is the best time to do rush. My co-president and I agreed that the best time for locals to rush would be the week after the nationals do theirs. Our Vice President disagrees and thinks that there is no reason we can't do it the same week. We explained to her that it seems to be an unofficial thing here that the locals all do it the week after nationals, and that it would look unprofessional to do otherwise. Also it might be frowned upon by the other Greeks. I think it's important that the locals and nationals have a seperate rush week, and I always liked that it was usually done that way. Most girls go to the nationals first and if they decide it's not for them they decide to look into the locals. I always thought it was nice that they get a chance to do that the following week instead of waiting a semester. Any thoughts?

I think i would do it afterwards also.

My sorority is the only local on campus, and we do our rush at the same time, and it is harder to compete (with their decorations, etc) but we've come out on top more often. We also don't really have a choice about when to do rush, the school mandated our formal recruitment (in the spring) but doesn't handle our COB stuff... but we usually do it at the same time....
they got 10 girls this semester (i'm alumni now so they did the work lol)
let me know if you have other questions

My concern is that our local is one of the few local greek organizations that actually are recognized by the school, and we have fought very hard to gain this status. There are TONS of national and local sororities and fraternities that we are competing with at this school and it seems rather unfair that these societies get first dibs on members when we too are registered. I blame the rush week being afterwards for being partially responsible for the fact that locals grow slower than national organizations.

I personally think that a smaller organization is better. and that its one of the positives to being a local group. Im not saying that smaller is always the way to go, but sometimes people come to campus looking for something small, not everybody feels comfortable with taking on 40 new sisters, rather than taking say, 20?
I know my interests group has a unified opinion that smaller also means more personal and you dont feel as lost as you might would in a larger group. i'd like to think of my sorority as more of an exclusive thing, since we dont have to fight for numbers... (COB's and Snap's)

QUALITY OVER QUANTITY!!!!!!!!!!!!!:D

Our Collegiate Panhellenic designates a week in which the Associate/Local chapters are allowed to recruit, and we can COB after that. The week is always after formal recruitment for the NPC chapters. One benefit of this is that any girls who may have been cut from NPC recruitment still have options.

Also, our 6 NPC sororities on campus only have fall recruitment, whereas the Associates & Local (and OPhiA too--which doesn't affiliate with CPC on our campus) also have spring recruitment. That helps. ;)

I don't understand why a local would think that getting NPC leftovers was a benefit. I would hate to think of my sorority as a "backup" or "second" option if I didn't get into a "real" sorority. (Note: I'm not one that thinks that locals aren't "real" sororities - but this kind of thing perpetuates that kind of thinking).

Leftovers is such a nasty term. I've seen plenty of fantastic women not make it through NPC recruitment. On our campus, the fact is, we only have 6 NPC chapters, and it's plenty likely that none of the personalities of any of those chapters are right for a particular woman. Also, we're small, so it's possible that they simply might not have heard of us. We can publicize our hearts out, but at the end of the day, there's 30 of us, while all of the NPC chapters have 100+.

At my campus we are working hard to promote the (non-local) but Panhellenic Associates (not members of NPC) during our regular recruitment. That way, people will know that there are other options.

They aren't required to recruit with us, but people will understand that NPC groups aren't there only options from day one and be able to meet the women.

If you are a concept in their heads from day one, then even if they still go through PC rush for the experience, they may still be focusing on the other groups and not finding anything they desire in PC Reccruitment, or being unsure about PC Recruitment, will return to the other groups for another look. That way, you aren't "leftovers" there was simply a "detour" in the process before they find their home.

Perhaps, if you are members of the PC (if you're not then I guess you don't have this option) then you can require the same promotion as you do pay the same dues!

Perhaps they aren't LEftovers....
Perhaps, these women, ACTUALLY want a 'real' sorority-- one thats ACTUALLY based on Sisterhood!
Not every NPC is what a girl is looking for...
That second option, is just sometimes the ONLY option for someone who actually wants to make a difference on her campus!!!
NOT every girl wants to plegde to a 'real' sorority, and end up paying $200 member dues, for three t-shirts, and the ability to say "Hi, im so and so, and I'm in XYZ..." AND that's it??
Sometime those "backup" sororities are the ones that dont charge anything and allow you to say things like "Hi, i'm so and so, and i'm in ABC and as a member i'v done numerous events for my community, i'm head of so and so in this group, in that group, and i've only been a member for one semester....
SOMEtimes~ second place ain't so bad
I can only speak for my campus, and my local here...
As i'm sure you were..
Your comment is amusing

OmegaPZPreZ, are you trying to say that NPC sororities aren't real sororities? That we don't have actual sisterhood? That's sure what it sounds like. If so, you really don't know much about NPC. I got a lot more than a few t-shirts from my organization, as has every sister I've ever known of any sorority, local or otherwise. You may think AlphaFrog's post is amusing, but I think yours is rather uneducated.

As stated before, i speak only on behalf of NPC here at my campus.... Congrats to you, if your group actually accomplishes things like they should!
But my comment to ALphaPhrog is that sometimes Locals are created in a response to NPC groups that do not *seem* to fulfill the need of sorority~
And i am using a general definition of sorority that i hope we can agree on:
Sorority- An organization based for people of the female gender to come together with shared idea, morals, and interests, for social or service purposes, ( and that can be expanded into what ever you want) along with a life long bond of sisterhood acquired through each organizations education process.
Honestly, I have respect for every GLO that does what it was created to do. whether it is social or service. I just like the idea of a sorority being more than just saying that your in a sorority, as many girls on my campus do.
PLEASE, don't take offense to my comment, espcially if you know that you a part of a GLO that actually means something and actually does something.
And to say my comment is uneducated is a bit unfair- since you dont really know where i'm coming from~

i agree with lauralaylin re: your post sounding uneducated.

i am in a local but we are currently seeking npc affiliation because there are so many more things that are offered by beng national. just because one campus has npc sororities that you do not feel are "accomplishing" things doesn't mean you should stereotype the entire npc organization. also, since you are not a member of any of those npc organizations you really have no idea as to what they do or do not accomplish.

what is your sorority classified as? are you social, service, multicultural?

Actually, my local has been in pursuit of NPC extension on our campus since our founding in 2001. Even with the infamous ratio here at Georgia Tech (3 guys to every 1 girl), it's still hard to fathom that there's only 6 NPC sororities represented on this campus. Tech hasn't had a successful expansion since the 80's, when there were far less women on campus.

Last week, a committee gave a presentation at the Panhellenic meeting recommending pursuing extension after recruitment in the fall, so hopefully it will happen soon! Even though I graduate in December, I look forward to the prospect of AI and being a part of something even bigger. :)