Coke Dates

PiPhiGirl2005 · #1 03-15-2004, 04:21 PM

I've never started a thread before, but I was wondering....

At my school (Hillsdale), we have four (soon to be three) NPC sororities and no other local or multicultural GLOs, so any girl interested in joining a house must go through formal recruitment, informal recruitment, or receive a 'snap bid' (COB). We also have deffered recruitment, so all freshmen go through recruitment at the start of second semester each year.

During first semester, no freshmen girls are allowed into the sorority houses (each group does have a house) unless they have a blood sister living there. Therefore, we are all very into the process of 'Coke Dates', where different houses invite groups of girls out..... to dinner, ice cream, etc. We have all kinds of rules for Coke Dates also: for example, no Coke Date can last more than one hour, occur after 9pm, or occur outside the city limits of Hillsdale. Basically, the events are designed so that the potential PNMs can get to know the actives in each house, and the rules are in place so nothing potentially 'shady' occurs.

I was just wondering if any other schools out there have a process like this. It seems a little archaic to me, if you catch my drift, but nonetheless it is a tried-and-true process which has been going on here for years.

If you have a Coke Date system, how do you work it? What are the 'rules' associated with Coke Dates at your school? What kind of pros and cons do you see with Coke Dates and the various regulations placed on them?

Glitter650 · #2 03-15-2004, 04:41 PM

My school doesn't have a coke date system.. but it seems to me like it would just makes things that much more competitive, and I'm sure that even with the rule shady things go on in those ice cream parlors and pizza places...
HOWEVER if my chapter were allowed to do them though I think it would be best to have them be very informal and casual with only like a group of 4 or so women going out .. maybe two PNMs and two sisters... I think one on one in this type of situation would be intimadating and more than that would be as well. I have question about this system though how do ladies get invited on these "coke dates " ? are they invited personally if you just happen to meet them, do you get a list and call girls you already may know or how does that work ?

PKTKKG · #3 03-15-2004, 04:47 PM

Which sorority is leaving Hillsdale? Just curious.

PiPhiGirl2005 · #4 03-16-2004, 12:50 AM

When we do Coke Dates, we usually have 8-10 PNMs and 12-14 members and keep it very casual. There are definitely rules about how many PNMs and how many members can be on the coke date.

We call girls to invite them on Coke Dates and sign them up. Say I meet Susie PNM in my history class and think she's nice, I'd invite her to ice cream with some girls in my house on our scheduled Wednesday night event and then put her on the list.

It's kind of a complicated process.

PKTKKG, our chapter of Alpha Xi Delta is closing because of their numbers struggle for the past few years. Several of them have been on the cheerleading team with me and they're sweet girls, so it's sad to see them close. However, whereas our Greek system is really thriving right now (two of the three houses are only a few away from cap), it's become difficult to maintain four active houses. I'd love to see our system grow over the next few years and have the Alpha Xi house back on campus.

shadokat · #5 03-18-2004, 10:43 AM

We never had a structured Coke Dates system. It was something we and other sororities did during the fall semester because freshmen couldn't go through recruitment until second semester and we wanted them to be able to get to know us. I can't believe that your school puts restrictions on them though. I mean, it's fine to have rules, but this is a bit much, eh?

Rudey · #6 03-18-2004, 10:57 AM

I have never heard of the term coke date. I thought you'd be talking about using drugs as a rush incentive.

-Rudey

FSUZeta · #7 03-18-2004, 06:26 PM

rudey, behave!!

Glitter650 · #8 03-18-2004, 11:18 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by shadokat
We never had a structured Coke Dates system. It was something we and other sororities did during the fall semester because freshmen couldn't go through recruitment until second semester and we wanted them to be able to get to know us. I can't believe that your school puts restrictions on them though. I mean, it's fine to have rules, but this is a bit much, eh?

I think rules is a good thing to ensure no shadiness goes on becuase it would be easy for it to get shady very quickly bid promising etc...

shadokat · #9 03-19-2004, 10:42 AM

What sort of shadiness? If you're having these Coke dates to interest women in your chapter, and they want to join and you want them, I think you should be allowed to offer them a bid contingent upon their grades at the end of the term. I guess it would remove someone from the NPC formal recruitment in the spring, but if it's informal recruitment, there shouldn't be rules imposed.

Quote:

Originally posted by Glitter650
I think rules is a good thing to ensure no shadiness goes on becuase it would be easy for it to get shady very quickly bid promising etc...

Glitter650 · #10 03-19-2004, 03:04 PM

Well if freshmen aren't allowed to rush until spring... then I wouldn't think that there should be any bids or bid promising going on.. I mean what's the point of having rush in the spring if chapters are just inviting girls on these coke dates and giving out bids ? I mean if they are sophomores then yeah go ahead but if they are freshmen then to me there shouldn't be any bids going out until the spring semester.

XOMichelle · #11 03-19-2004, 03:07 PM

I don't think they actually give the girls bids, it;s just a way to meet people. The sororities here make it a point to invite girls over for dinner to get to know them and build a rep among the freshmen.

33girl · #12 03-19-2004, 03:12 PM

XOMichelle is right. This is the way deferred rush is SUPPOSED to be run, with the rushees getting a chance to know the members before formal parties, instead of asinine rules preventing sorority women from speaking to freshmen for a semester.

shadokat · #13 03-19-2004, 03:59 PM

Co-sign!

Quote:

Originally posted by 33girl
XOMichelle is right. This is the way deferred rush is SUPPOSED to be run, with the rushees getting a chance to know the members before formal parties, instead of asinine rules preventing sorority women from speaking to freshmen for a semester.

AshleyPi · #14 03-19-2004, 04:14 PM

We also have deferred recruitment, so we do similar events to coke dates. Our rules, however are far more lax. The rules go something like this- no drinking alcohol, even if it is one sister who is over 21 having one drink. That's about it. We can go wherever, and do anything at any time.

Some girls definately get promisory bids, but my house is very careful to not do that. Also, the PNM's know what a promisory bid is and that if they get one that it is NOT kosher. Trust your panhel, and remember to be classy!