Big/Lil

walker_chio · #1 09-21-2004, 04:08 PM

Hey yall! My chapter is about to begin Big/Lil week. We have a very large pledge class (for us) and we wanted to get some new ideas on the revealing process. Any advice? Thanks!

adpiucf · #2 09-21-2004, 04:33 PM

During the week before revealing, new members can get special gifts delivered to their home or at chapter (a uniform gift like a homemade sign, a plush animal mascot, a letter shirt, a pin pillow, a poem about friendship, etc.)

For revealing: A candle lighting ceremony is always pretty-- on revealing night have the "bigs" bring two matching candles, either home-made decorated, or in matching pretty votive holders. Add a tag with the new member's name to the appropriate candle and place the candles in the chapter room. When the new members arrive for revealing, show them to their candle and escort them outside. Light their candles. Once outside, they will be greeted by the sisters standing in a circle serenading them. The new members will walk in the inside of the circle. When the new member reaches her "Big," the big sister will hold out her unlit candle and the new member will light it. They will stand together until all the new members have been matched with their "Big." At the conclusion, everyone blows out her candles and comes inside for refreshments.

I'd encourage any gift-giving to take place off sorority property. This way, if one girl is getting tons of gifts and another isn't getting as many, there won't be any hurt feelings.

Steer clear of any kind of hunts, quests, or any sort of activity that might even be interpreted as your new members having to "prove themselves" or having your new members being considered separate from the chapter (IE: making them wear a uniform color, when initiates wear another color, etc.) Your university, state and possibly your GLO HQ could construe this as hazing. Don't take the chance of getting in trouble.

walker_chio · #3 09-21-2004, 04:39 PM

Thanks for your input. We have done the candle ceremony several times-it's great and fun. We just wanted to try something new. Thanks again!

adpiucf · #4 09-21-2004, 05:10 PM

Anything matching works well: you could do a picnic with t-shirts-- the "big" makes or has made two identical shirts. The new members are driven to the picnic by the new member coordinator and are given their shirt prior to departure. Once there, they are greeted by the initiated sisters in their matching shirts. Great photo opportunity and a fun sisterhood event!

And remember, while something may be "old" to a sister who is a senior, it is brand-new for the member for whom it means the most-- your new sisters!

Good luck!

nauadpi · #5 09-21-2004, 05:30 PM

One thing my chapter did for a long time was have the big sister pick out a poem... Then it is split in half... The lil sis reads the half that she is given, then the big sis finished it... You can pick really cute sister or friendship poems and it can be very touching...

LyonLuv · #6 09-21-2004, 05:36 PM

We have SO much fun with this.

We have big/lil week that last 5 days. Everyday all the pledges gather at someones house and are surrounded by all the sisters. The pledge mom gives them a gift from their big each night. We have diferent themed nights i.e. monday candles, tues pic frame, wed mascot day, thurs family tree day. Each of these baskets has a little poem and the girls have to try and guess who their big is. On friday all the pledges come over and are given a bag with jammies in them. They have to put the jammies on and go back into the room. Then three sisters with lots of clothes on will start to strip to music and when they are done the sister who is the big will be wearing the same jammies as their little! It's so cute and the reactions are great!

KSUViolet06 · #7 10-06-2004, 06:52 PM

Usually, the bigs will leave clues all around the house. Each clue will lead you to the next one. Your last clue leads you to your big/lil lettered hoodie or shirt. The whole chapter is there and we're all wearing more than one set of letters. So you get your shirt, put it on, and go to where the rest of the chapter is. One by one, every active takes off their top shirt. Usually, the last person to take theirs off is wearing your EXACT shirt. She is your big sis.