Theme Night Ideas - HELP!
 

Hey all,

My chapter recieved some disturbing news after Bid Day from our Rho Chis this year. Apparently PNMs leaving our Theme Night party felt that our theme was childish. Our theme was Under the Sea with AGD, and our skit was redoing songs from Little Mermaid about AGD.

I guess girls thought it was just very kid-like!

Any ideas for a better theme party for next year?
Thanks!

I would start by surveying your pledges. Let them know to be honest because if they think it's childish, how would they feel if they had to put it on.

Also, ask them honestly which chapter had the best theme night they attended and why. Let them know that no answer is a bad one. I'm sure they will also appreciate being involved in input to future recuitments.

You need to know what other chapters on campus are doing so you can gauge where you fall. If your the only chapter doing a theme night based on a Disney movie the PNMs likely memorized as a 3 year old then, yes, it'll look childish.

Various themes done on my campus back in the day:
Night Club
Cabaret
Jungle
Coca Cola
Hawaiian
Surf/Beach
Airline

When I was membership director, back in the dark ages, we did a cabana/beach/surf/hawaiian whatever theme and used some great adaptations of the Beach boys songs.

Remember it was back in the day when *gasp* party favors could be taken out, and we did sand painting with little plastic palm trees stuck on top LOLOLOL. Oh my the memories.

Anyway, the songs were a BIG hit with all the pmns (or so we were told).

When I went through rush 80's, Sex and the City, Tiffany, and Chicago were used by the other chapters. Alpha Gam did a Paris thing and incorporated a fashion show describing sisterhoods (pjs) socials (themed outfits) and formals...it was simple but cute. But that has changed. I know for 2 years we did Alpha Gams a Girls Best friend and had the scence from moulin rouge in the background while we danced..haha. But I think that has changed yet again.

Yes - definitely ask your pledges. They are your BEST resource. If you think they might not feel comfortable telling you to your face what they thought, just have them fill out an anonymous form.

FWIW, I think this should be standard practice for every chapter after rush!

Did you mean 90's? I don't think SATC was popular in the 80's.;)

LOL. I read that as meaning she was referring to "the 80s" as a theme along with SATC, etc... :)

You're right, I read it as "When I went through rush IN the 80's"...I didn't think she was that old, but umm...yeah.

Skits my chapter did: Grease, Les Miserables (that was amazing but not sure if it's as popular as it once was--cute Parisian theme tied in well), and Wizard of Oz (complete with ruby slippers--works particularly well with the AOIIs)--"There's no place like XYZ." In the days before no-frills, munchkin food like petit fours worked very nicely with that Oz theme. A lot of chapters used the Oz at one point or another. Thetas nicely tied in the yellow brick road.

What about a spin on Wicked? You could incorporate some songs but make it so that "Alphaba" and "Gam-Linda" both end up joining Alpha Gam (can't you see it-they each wear a t-shirt at the end--one with Alpha and the other with Gam) and loving it?

Sometimes I can't believe I still think like this. You can take the girl out of recruitment but...

I thought the exact same thing! :D

Sorry...Im not that old...haha...I meant 80s, SATC etc were done when I went through rush.

Sorry about the confusion. :)