How many years? COB question

texas2013 · #1 09-03-2013, 11:18 AM

Good morning! In general, how many years is a chapter permitted to be below total before they close? In other words, how long should a chapter be COB-ing non stop? As much as a chapter wants to fight for survival, it just seems that reputations are so hard to overcome.

Another question - Is it possible for a chapter to make a successful comeback after many years being a WRC?

Thanks for your input.

wavycutchip · #2 09-03-2013, 11:27 AM

Each NPC national/international group will make their own decision about a timeline for being under chapter total. I think all groups will give ample warnings, develop a plan to help them achieve total, and give as much resources (national officer visits, etc) as possible. Closing a chapter is one of the hardest things an organization does.

Yes, it is possible for WRC to make successful comebacks. RFM has shown this in recent history, but I am sure there are other examples as well. In addition, there are more resources than ever to help with branding/recruitment/retention.

I would encourage any WRC to bite the bullet so to speak, and ask for help from their nationals, local campus panhellenic, and private groups. Have the chapter develop its goals and make a plan, and then try to reach it. It takes a lot of hard work from all members, but it can be done!

gatordeltapgh · #3 09-03-2013, 11:29 AM

They should check with their HQ. Everyone is different. Some would rather be the wrc on a campus than not their at all. Some orgs are quicker to close chapters than others. An open and honest discussion with HQ and the support team is the best course of action.

On the chapter side, every campus is different. I've seen some chapters grow successfully. It depends on how hard everyone works and if the campus is supportive.

MaryPoppins · #4 09-03-2013, 11:32 AM

Texas2013, are you an alumna, member, a mom, or a pnm?

texas2013 · #5 09-03-2013, 11:38 AM

a mom

texas2013 · #6 09-03-2013, 11:44 AM

And, thanks for your responses. I figured as much! I am in another state from my daughter and am just concerned for her chapter. They seem to struggle year after year, but always have *just enough* membership to stay open.

DeltaBetaBaby · #7 09-03-2013, 11:48 AM

Housing is also a factor. A chapter without housing has a little more leeway when numbers get low.

agzg · #8 09-03-2013, 11:52 AM

There are so many factors. Hopefully they have some recruitment help from their international headquarters that's helping them figure out what works for them as a chapter and on their campus.

ASTalumna06 · #9 09-03-2013, 11:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by texas2013

Good morning! In general, how many years is a chapter permitted to be below total before they close? In other words, how long should a chapter be COB-ing non stop? As much as a chapter wants to fight for survival, it just seems that reputations are so hard to overcome.

Another question - Is it possible for a chapter to make a successful comeback after many years being a WRC?

Thanks for your input.

My chapter was down to 4 members a couple years before I joined. During my time as an active, our lowest number of members was 8, and the most was 19. Interest in Greek life in general was low, and all the chapters struggled to get new members.

Greek life is now flourishing, and all 3 sorority chapters consistently have at least 30 members. A couple years ago, they moved from a strictly COB system to a more formal style of recruitment. It took many years to transition and get to that point (I was a new member in spring of 2004 as a sophomore, if that gives you some frame of reference).

It all depends on the sorority, the situation, and how hard the chapter is willing to work to stay alive.

HQWest · #10 09-03-2013, 01:11 PM

Even at a very big school, even some SRC chapters will still COB every year. They may be a SRC chapter but lose one or two women due to early graduation or from sticker shock once Mom and Dad get the bill for in-house dues.

One chapter I worked with total was 80 and the house slept 78. They constantly were just below total at 78 because girls liked being in the house. No one wanted to be the one girl that didn't live in.

AOII Angel · #11 09-03-2013, 01:38 PM

It also depends how far below total the chapter is. Chapters that are struggling are usually on their network/region hierarchy's radar. After awhile of under performing, they likely are given recruitment goals and assistance to meet those goals. Chapters that have no way of recruiting members to meet the goals set by their organizations end up closing. This is luckily a rare occurence. Being a member of one of these chapters is hard work and can be heart breaking. It can be turned around. I know several chapters off the top of my head, thanks to RFM and a lot of hard work by collegians and alumnae, that have done it.

WCsweet<3 · #12 09-03-2013, 02:20 PM

Not to say that the chapters that close don't have hard working collegians or alumnae, sometimes it just doesn't work out for whatever reason.

Good luck to your daughter and her chapter! It can be really trying for a WRC. You love your chapter, why can't the PNMs see the awesomeness? My chapter has rebounded fairly well, but when I joined we were just hitting our upswing. I was a recruitment counselor and watching as PNM after PNM put my chapter lower on her list was hard. However, things can change! It did for my chapter. COB is common at my alma mater, but we hardly need to anymore, mainly just to cover spots of seniors that graduate early.

honeychile · #13 09-03-2013, 02:46 PM

Also, there are chapters which, for some reason or another, the Powers That Be have decided that they will keep that chapter open at almost any cost. One of them was my own chapter. Its numbers have been up and down for years, but in the past 10 years, they have become a major force! When they won Alpha Delta Pi's most honored award, The Maxine Blake Chapter Excellence Award (aka The Golden Lion), the officers affectionately referred to it as "The Little Chapter That Could". It's been the largest chapter on campus for a while now - but it's because they became the best COB chapter I've ever seen, and they wanted it badly enough.

33girl · #14 09-03-2013, 05:22 PM

This is NOBODY'S decision but that of the [inter]national office and the chapter. If girls don't want to go through formal rush for fear of being matched with the chapter, I guess they won't be Greek then. Oh well. When a chapter is told that they are too small to have a "positive sorority experience," many times it's the haranguing and pressure from HQ or their advisors/alumnae that are really what is causing the lack of a positive experience...not their size. If they can pay for whatever their housing situation is and have enough members for offices, all's good.

However, if the chapter is being a jagoff and continually voting against expansion, that's another kettle of fish. Their [inter]nationals might want to explain to them why this will make them social pariahs...or vice versa.

KSUViolet06 · #15 09-03-2013, 05:31 PM

Also, depending on the school, it is possible for a chapter to do really well at COR and go from being the smallest on campus, to a competitive size. I work with a chapter that went from being smallest of 4 to largest of 4 in one school year.

Additionally, there are schools at which you can have one good recruitment during FR that can change things for the chapter. This tends to be true at schools where reputation and social standing are more fluid.

Ex: The chapter I spoke of went from "chapter no one wants" to cross preferencing with the top dogs on campus because the school is such that a change in size made PNMs view them differently. I recognize that there are places where XYZ could go from 40 to 200 and no one would want to join it because the reputational structure is ingrained in PNMs, rather than being flexible and based on size.