Quote:
Originally posted by PsychTau
OK, I'm looking for some info here, cause I don't really understand. I know NPC/NIC is different from NPHC, but I'm wanting to learn a little more background on this. NPHC members, please!
1. What is inherently wrong with having 10 members in a chapter? (Forget about the "less than 10 and your not recognized" rule for a minute. And forget about the percentage of potential members on campus. In fact, don't even think about a campus when answering this.) Simply from a chapter/operational/National standpoint, is there a problem with having more than 10 members in a chapter? I'm not talking about having 70 or 80 members....but what about 10-15?
2. What does your HQ say about chapter size? Do they want you to be at a certain size? Or is that not even discussed between HQ and chapters?
3.  Is that really true that you pay all those dues up front? Whoa!! I can see how that would be a deterrent in recruiting members. Any way to change that or spread that payment out some? How do first generation college students actually afford that?
4. I might be treading on thin ice here, but answer with what you can reveal.....Do you "actively recruit" members, or wait for them to approach you? I'm not talking about hanging posters everywhere and having a big COB party....but what if I were an AKA and I had a good friend that I had met through several classes together. We know each other pretty well and I know she would make a great AKA (live up to the standards, be active, etc.). Could I mention that to her ("Have you ever thought about joining a sorority?") or even invite her to one of the info sessions? Or do I have to wait for her to express an interest on her own?
I'm asking all of these questions because I have an opinion on this article, but it's not a solid one, and I would like more background info before really deciding about it. Coming from my NPC background (and a chapter that was down to less than 10 members in my lifetime), my first gut reaction was "Why would anyone want to have less than 10 members???" But then I read 33girl's post and figured that maybe I need more info before jumping to that conclusion.
Anyway, thanks in advance for educating me!!!
PsychTau
|
1. Nothing really wrong with having 10 to 15 members but realistically on some campuses that isn't possible. While the sororities were large on my HBCU campus, even on my campus the NPHC fraternities never hit 15 members. It's not a matter of trying to keep numbers low but a matter of interest on the part of non-Greeks, selection and competition from other groups.
2. Only HQ decides what the minimum number of people that can be in a chapter and even with that, in certain orgs, they can have time to try to reach that number before a chapter is deactivated.
3. Yes, we pay up front, and for Delta now you are paying up front for two years. Anyone interesting in BGLO life tends to know the financial burden will be great and either work to get the funds, use extra money they have from school or parents help finance that. First generation students don't really get a break there, we seem to know going in what's expected there. And there's NO way to space that out.
4. As someone say we can encourage people to come to RUSH but we do not recruit. The NPHC process is more of an attend events, get to know members, attend formal RUSH and apply for the chance to become a member. There isn't a lot of chances post the RUSH party to interact with members of NPHC sororities if you are applying.
And we wouldn't take anyone that doesn't meet at least BASIC requirements. We can't be forced to just to make a 10 person quota.