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As the New Member Educator of my sorority, I know at first it must seem a little deceiving but it isn't done with bad intentions. My philosophy is that the New Member Period should be one of the best semesters in a Member's Sorority Life. No matter what may be going on within the active chapter, I stress it to the actives that active business stays active business. It's not a time to burden the new girls. As far as when they become actives (or if they happen to hear stuff as a new member) and are introduced to situations that may arise, you have to teach them (and I do this throughout the New Member Period) that this is LIFE. Not everyone will get along or agree all the time, but no matter what organization or job you are in, it will happen and part of being in a sorority is learning to be tolerant and respectful of one another. If they have a question about a situation, I do my best to explain it in terms that they can understand but general enough not to start gossip or rumors. In our chapter I think interpersonal issues are handled pretty well. I think the way we handle matters such as personal, financial, scholarship, etc. is great because we're very positive and try to find a solution, or mediate between members if it gets to that point. Our president has conferences with each girl to see how she thinks things are going, gets suggestions, and really takes a personal interest in her opinion. We always stress "communication". If someone offends you, be a sister/grownup, and talk to them. So many things can be solved by communicating. Morale is something that should always be kept up and I think our chapter does a great job with it. But all that is something that you learn, and I teach.
So basically, keep it real, and positive.
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