[FSUZeta]

cob=continous open bidding,also know as informal recruitment

pnm=potential new member, formally known as rushee,someone seeking sorority membership

sip=single, intentional preference, formally known as suicide-when a pnm decides she will accept a bid from only one sorority and lists that sorority alone on her preference list

quota=the maximum # of pnms a chapter can pledge during formal recruitment

total=the maximum number of members a chapter can have(the only time that chapters can go over total is when they pledge quota and that puts them over total)

ordinarily, when sororities do not make quota(pledging the mazimum number of pnms they can during formal recruitment) they will participate in informal recruitment(also known as cob or cor), in addition to being able to continue recruiting girls until they reach quota, they can also continue to recruit girls until the chapter meets total. they ordinarily invite the girls via telephone or email, but they might ask some of their new members(pledges) if they know any great girls who they would want as pledge sisters.

informal recruitment is so much more relaxed-chapters may invite pnms to go bowling with them, skating, sitting with them at a sporting event, see a movie, grab some ice cream, invite them over to the house for lunch or dinner, invite the pnms over to the house to watch a favorite tv show,etc.

they may divide the chapter up into smaller groups so that it is less intimidating to the pnm-in other words, the pnm may do an activity with four or five sisters and other pnm, or that group may meet up with another small group and do something together. they might also have a big event at the chapter house. it is totally up to the chapter what they choose to do, and there is really no time limit to when they begin or when they end. theoritically, they could recruit all semester until they reached quota or total and if they did not meet their goal in december, they could start back up with informal recruitment when they returned from christmas break.

if your daughter is interested in cob/cor, she should contact the panhellenic office to see if she needs to put her name on a list. since bid day at fsu was yesterday, today would be a good day for her to call. they might not yet know the when the chapters that did not reach their membership goals will start their informal activities, so she would have to use every ounce of patience!!

there might be a few more chapters participating in spring informal recruitment, if some chapters have enough members graduate to take the chapter below total, but i would hope that your daughter would give it a go this fall, so she doesn't miss out on all the fun starting right now!!