Pan-Hellenic Council Regrets To Inform You...
 

I was reading a LIFE magazine article from 1945 about sorority rush at the University of Colorado. The article, in describing Bid Day activities, noted that young women who didn't receive any bids found a card in their envelopes that began "Pan-Hellenic Council regrets to inform you..." . The article said that women receiving such cards never finished reading them and barely had the energy to walk away from the room in which the bids were distributed.

I have read in various threads that Rho Chis/Rho Gamma personally inform the young women that they have been released from the rush process. I am curious if any college/sorority/Pan-Hellenic Council still gives the bad news via cards. I am also curious when colleges/sororities/Pan-Hellenic Councils decided to stop using the cards and letting the Rho Chis/Rho Gammas be the bearer of bad news, hopefully softening the blow.

BTW, in Edward Cohen's memoir about growing up Jewish in Mississippi, he describes a similar scene concerning Bid Day at the University of Miami. He said that rushees who didn't receive bids to any fraternity had a note in their envelopes suggesting that they join the Pep Club, the Student UN, etc.

In the NPHC, the indiviual org is the bearer of such news. In Delta we do it by letter and include the reason(s).

But the blow may not be as hard it is with NPC or IFC, bcause the way we are structured you can always try again. For example it took me two tries and it took my daughter two tries.

At Auburn in the seventies, we had rush counselors who informed the girls if they didn't get a bid so it's been around at least that long.

Pan-Hellenic = NPHC
PanHellenic = NPC

That was the first thing I noticed, too, but back in the 1940's, I doubt that they were savvy enough to make a distinction. It's hard for the anti-greek media to keep them straight now!

I did notice that, but considering the context of the article I assumed it was referring to the NPC. Especialy considering the school.

They must be notified some way.

So what do some of you think would be the easiest let down?

I guess some new people are not up on Greek s--t like some seem to be!

I was sure you noticed.:) I agree the article is in re:NPC...but then the OP continued on using Pan-Hellenic, so I assumed she didn't realize it either.

It was PanHellenic Council. I didn't have the article in front of me. Sorry

At my school for IFC the duty falls to the guy sitting at the IFC desk on bid day. All the fraternities turn in their bid cards to IFC and the next day rushees go to the table to pick them up. If someone didn't get a bid at all the IFC guy just says "sorry" and invariably recommends that they "spend more time hanging out with the brothers".

Its sort of a crappy way to do it, I imagine it feels pretty horrible to go pick up your bids and find that there aren't any waiting for you.

Ten years ago when I was a Rho Chi we had the "Knock" period. For an hour, all PNMs had to sit quietly in their rooms hoping they did not get a knock. I had to knock on two of my PNMs doors. I cried far more than my PNMs did...I felt like they were such great women who deserved a chance. Having that personal one on one time with them is the only humane way to do it. A card in the mail with regrets is cruel. Luckily I was able to talk one of my PNMs into COB-ing my chapter a few weeks later. She became my Lil Sis. I think the Rho Chi's have an excellent opportunity to make relationships with their PNMs that will allow them to comfort them should the unthinkable happen.

It's interesting to note the shift in thinking about what to do.

I guess that in the "regret card" days, the thinking was that groups chose their members and if people ended up unmatched, they were capable to weathering this storm without assistance from Greek Life.

I agree that the event of bid opening will be happier if mis-matched members are told in advance, but at some point, I really think we're making/validating mis-matching as catastrophic when it's really not.

Those of us who experienced college life an a independents before we rushed as upperclassmen can testify that while Greek Life is enriching, it's really not (or shouldn't be) a centrally defining element of your life.

Intreresting. For some of our chapters you hoped for the knock. It meant you got the vote.

Really? You give specific reasons? Like, "Sorry, no membership for you, you have BO!"?