Quote:
Originally Posted by OPhiAGinger
Now recs seem to be given so casually, by friends of friends of your parents, or by an alum chapter member who meets the PNM for 15 minutes at Starbucks. How much meaning can those types of recs really provide in the membership selection process? Think of a job recommendation: would you ever provide a formal job recommendation for someone that you didn't know really well? I would not, and I think sorority recs should be treated the same way.
And to the alumnae who agree to provide recs to young women they don't know or don't know well: obviously you are doing the PNMs a big favor as they scramble to check off all the GLOs on their campus, but might you be doing your sorority a disservice?
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I disagree. I can't speak for any other organization's rec form, but our rec form asks specifically how well you know the PNM. The chapter receiving the rec knows what level of knowledge the rec is based on and considers it accordingly. This is why PNMs on GreekChat are encouraged to exhaust all sources who know them well for recs before resorting to going through the local Alumnae Panhellenic or other contacts who wouldn't know them personally.
If a young woman in my community wanted to meet me for the purpose of obtaining a rec letter, I'd be happy to oblige. However, the rec letter would certainly not carry as much weight as one from someone who has known her/her family for years, and I'd make sure to let her know that. If she had no other options and felt that recs were a necessity at her school, I'd assist her. I don't feel that it would be doing a disservice to my organization, because they would be well aware of the level of my acquaintence with her.