Small Campus - Phi Mu Needs help

[PhiMu1996]

Hi ladies...this is my first time posting here, so please be kind!

I am a Phi Mu alumna from a small college in the Midwest. We have 3 other NPC sororities on campus and have been struggling for the past few years with the number of members in our house.

Last year we had 4 girls graduate, 5 girls leave the university and 3 girls who did not return to the house. It has been years since we hit quota despite always getting rave reviews about having the best skits, decorations, songs, etc. during Recruitment.

We are currently doing COB events to increase our members but so far they have not been successful.

Currently we seem to be known as the quiet sorority who doesn't know how to have fun. I am trying to improve our PR on campus and would appreciate any ideas that you have.

Also, the university's greek advisor seems to be clueless and the university itself has seemed to take an anti-greek approach in the last few years. All around recruitment numbers are way down, so that doesn't help our cause either.

I feel helpless and am hoping that my Phi Mu sisters on here can help us grow our chapter!

Thanks!!

~PhiMu1996

[DeltaBetaBaby]

Does your NPC do a formal recruitment?

[PhiMu1996]

Yes, we have formal recruitment with 1 pref night.

We had a 67% return rate for pref night so we had our hopes up that this year would be the year we'd turn things around. Unfortunately, we only matched bids with 10% who signed bid day cards.

[Benzgirl]

I am pretty sure I know what campus you are speaking of and feel free to PM me if you need ideas.

It sounds to me as if you need a little PR overhaul. What can you do first to increase your presence? Can you do possibly a taco night after the campus bars close? Can you do a Trick-or-Treat where you go dorm to dorm to collect canned goods for a local food bank?

Are you currently doing COR to increase membership? There are several threads here on fun things to do.

Once you show the campus that you are "out there", I think you will get passed the "quiet sorority" stigma.

[DoctorD]

swerving out of lane some, but you might want to look at the information over at Phired Up. Some of their blog postings as well as their recruitment information may be spot on for you.

[33girl]

Originally Posted by Benzgirl

Can you do possibly a taco night after the campus bars close?

Holy crap this is the best idea EVER EVER EVER.

Make sure you don't hang out with the same fraternity all the time. This turns a LOT of girls off in rush if they don't dig that particular fraternity. Start going to other fraternities' parties. 21 year olds, even if you hate the bar, even if it's a complete hovel, go there on whatever the unofficially designated student nights are.

Don't have too many COB events (once or twice a week is uber too many) or make them too much like formal rush parties. This just makes the entire sorority feel stressed out and pressured and the PNMs will see that and run fast in the other direction. Have a [insert popular TV show that I am too much of an old bat to know about] night instead.

If you feel that the Greek advisor is doing things to harm the Greek system in general or your group in particular, make sure the regional person (whatever you guys call it) who has your chapter in their jurisdiction is aware of the situation.

[PhiMu1996]

Thanks ladies...I appreciate it.

I just got sorority numbers for the last 3 years...there has been a 22% decline in sorority membership since 2007. That doesn't help our cause either.

In regards to the event after campus bars close, we don't have any on-campus bars. We have a couple in town, but they close at 2 or 3am. We do 2 philanthropy events that are late night food events. Perhaps we could do a similar thing just as a PR event (not to raise money).

[DubaiSis]

If your girls are suffering from the quiet girl reputation, make sure the girls are out there, letters on, looking good, and doing fun things as much as they can. This may feel uncomfortable to some of them, but it will help out both themselves and the chapter at large. Intramural sports, hanging out at the Union, whatever it is the cool kids are doing. Does that sound awful? Try to take what I mean - get out there and be visible having fun - not what it could mean - if everyone else was jumping off a bridge ...

I have no idea what campus you're on, but if you're NOT using RFM, you should be pushing for it. You're the kind of chapter it helps. And I think it has a residual effect of getting more girls to go through recruitment next year when a higher percentage get placed this year.

Good luck!

[PhiMu1996]

I have "strongly suggested" the girls get out and go to events, they don't have to drink but at least go and be out and about. We also did mini makeovers and helped them showcase their best physical features and helped them build more self confidence. We are also sending treats to all the greek houses and cards on the Founder's Days. It's a work in progress but there is a part of me that wonders if nothing is going to work.

We do use the RFM on our campus and though the new system is suppose to help the weakest chapters and "help achieve parity" it isn't working. The other 3 houses are pretty equal and then there is us in distant 4th.

Don't get me wrong, the girls in our house are amazing - they have worked their butts off and all us alums are supe proud of them. I think that is why I am doing my best to help them. They truly represent the spirit of Phi Mu. I just wish others could see that there is more to being in a sorority besides superficial things. That's just too hard to explain and market to the PNMs.

[33girl]

Originally Posted by PhiMu1996

I just wish others could see that there is more to being in a sorority besides superficial things. That's just too hard to explain and market to the PNMs.

Get rid of the word "market." You are a member of a special sisterhood. You are not a bottle of cola.

Go out - every single member - and make friends. In class, in extracurriculars, at work, wherever. Then introduce them to your other friends, who happen to be your sisters. If they seem to enjoy themselves, ask them to join your sorority.

No, you cannot do this in 5 minutes. No, it's not like formal rush where you start the week with nothing and end up with 20 new members. But you'll most likely have a lot more women staying around rather than leaving the university or the sorority. That will be because they got to know the women on a more personal level rather than a total 2 hours of rush conversation, and they'll have decided that whatever flaws your sorority may have (the quiet girl rep, the smaller size) are worth putting up with because they truly feel as if they've found a home. You will get girls who want to be in YOUR sorority, not A sorority.

[thetygerlily]

Originally Posted by DubaiSis

If your girls are suffering from the quiet girl reputation, make sure the girls are out there, letters on, looking good, and doing fun things as much as they can. This may feel uncomfortable to some of them, but it will help out both themselves and the chapter at large. Intramural sports, hanging out at the Union, whatever it is the cool kids are doing. Does that sound awful? Try to take what I mean - get out there and be visible having fun - not what it could mean - if everyone else was jumping off a bridge ...

Ditto to all of this. We struggled with the same thing- for years we had been the "smart" (aka bookworm) group, and even when that improved the reputation didn't. Wear letters all the time, everywhere they can. The more visible they are, the larger they look and the more diverse they appear. Be sure they are getting involved in a lot of non-Greek activities- including sports if possible. Diversification is not just for financial portfolios. It will take time, but it's a big step in the right direction.

[UNCphimu]

A couple of things my chapter did to improve PR and to just promote how fun and laid back we are:

We had pink neon hats made with "PHI MU" embroidered on front. The girls wear them all the time (backwards and forwards) and we all wore them on bid day. Here's a link to the ones we used: http://www.hatcastle.com/store/p/889...ester-Cap.html
They were really cheap too.

We also wear, and included in bid day gifts, the neon pink plastic ray ban sunglasses that say PHI MU on them. You can get them from Carnation Collection: https://carnationcollection.phimu.or....aspx?item=813

Just some fun things you can wear in addition to just letter shirts to let the campus know what cool girls you are

[PhiMuMagnolia]

All of these suggestions are great! It's all about PR, and all it takes is ONE class to turn the whole thing around. Bottom line is girls who go through Formal Recruitment want that "sorority experience". They want the crush parties, the big banners, crazy letters, pearls- everything you think of when you think the word sorority. Go to football games as a group and make a sign for the team. Start an on-campus philanthropy every year. We did a kiddie carnival with four-square, hopscotch, jump rope, etc., with lots of candy that was from when we were kids- the entirety of Greek Life LOVED it! Play some music from the 90's that people will recognize. Have "Karaoke for a Cause" at a local restaurant or a high traffic area on campus one night. And keep up with sending "congrats" notes to the other houses!! Make flyers for COB with images people will recognize and gravitate to. Take girls out for COB events- bowling, picnic- events where you can talk.

Talk up the fact that Phi Mu was the second fraternity for women- we're the originals (along with ADPi, of course)!

Also, INVEST IN GEAR! I know it sounds somewhat materialistic, but when you have the bags, hats, letters, tshirts that look like stuff people would wear, they'll want it, too! Spoil your girls!

Bottom Line- if you're enjoying your sisterhood, others will, too