Big Sister selection
 

Some sororities get big sisters on bid day, some don't get them for a few weeks. Why do some do it right away and why do some wait so long? Which is better?

Better is what works for that particular sorority. Which is why some do it right away and others wait. I know that's not the answer you were looking for, but that's the truth.

The 26 sororities are very much alike on many things, but also very different on others. Also, unless you were a member of more than one (which is a total no-no) it would be hard for any one person to say why some do it different and which is better.

It also depends on the individual chapter.
One argument is that it's better to wait and better match personalities. Personally, I think a week or two is plenty of time...the poor nm needs somebody she can go to with questions, and to encourage her. Especially with these huge nm classes, they tend to get lost...nobody notices when they don't show up regularly...I'm an advocate of big-sister-from-the-second-week, but I have heard of half the NM term finishing before a big sis is assigned.

One thing I really like about ASA is that on bid night you get a Ruby Sister who is your temporary Big, until you get your official Big. Best of both worlds.:D

Lots of sororities do this, a sort of "bid day big" until you get your big. In Sigma Kappa, we call them heart sisters. I've heard of DG's anchormates, ZTA's strawberry and white violet sisters, AOII's panda pals, Theta's kite sisters, Kappa's key sisters, etc. I like it because as a new member, it's nice to have someone to guide you right away, yet, if you meet someone else you fall in love with a few weeks into your new member period, you're not bound to the girl you met during recruitment.

We had heart sisters until one sister decided to change it and call them dove darlings which made me throw up in my mouth a little.

When I pledged back in 1996, I got a "Rose Buddy." She was my temporary Big Sis until I got my real big sis. She was just someone who sat with me at meals and I could call her if I had in questions. I personally think that a new member should find out who their big sis is about 2-3 weeks into the new member period.

Heart Sister, Dove Darlings...we called them Heart Sister back in my day, but the current chapter I advise calls them "Pearl Pals."

In my chapter when I was an active member we had a Pi Pal until we recieved our diamond sisters at our sisterhood retreat. Now the girls that are actives get there diamond sister on bid day I think b/c our International office thought that was a form of hazing. I liked not knowing who my big was until sisterhood retreat b/c it was a total suprise and we were giving clues along the way to trick us.

We had a big sister of the week every week until right before initiation - then we had a big sister reveal.

My chapter did something like this.. we had "Violets" until our Diamond Sister reveal... every week for about 2 (or was it 3?) weeks, we had a different "Violet" who would write us a sweet card about being in the sisterhood and we'd get a small gift.

It was awesome!

I think I had two Rose Buddies before getting my Big Sis....it doesn't really matter how you do it since you end up the same place. (i.e. with a mentor type sister who looks out for you.)

We used to have one Turtle Pal the entire plege period until you got your big sis, which was right before initiation. This year we're trying to get a new turtle pal every week so the girls will get to know more people and we can better match people. On Bid Day we gave each new member a Bid Day Buddy who brought a little gift and hung out with them at the party.

[quote=violetpretty;1518560]Lots of sororities do this, a sort of "bid day big" until you get your big. In Sigma Kappa, we call them heart sisters.

At our chapter we call them violet sisses.