Merit System Help

GammaGirl1219 · #1 12-27-2004, 05:00 PM

Hey everyone
(sorry i advance for this being long)
We just recently had our elections and i am the new standards VP for my chapter which i am very excited about. Over the past couple years we have been attempting to put in place a point system. Slowly but surely its been more accepted. Unfortunately the sister who had my posistion last year really slacked off so all the progess that was made kinda went backwards. So heres my predicament. I was wondering what suggestions GCers had for making sure the point system works. I have already done a search on this topic i was just wondering what other thoughts people had. Either on things to definatly include in standards, what points various activites are, or how to handle excused abscences etc. Pretty much anything that you think you can help me out. Thanks in advance!

Kate

TSteven · #2 12-27-2004, 09:24 PM

Congratulations. And here are a few suggestions.

First, you might want to make sure that you separate mandatory meetings & events from other 'general' or 'social' meetings and or events etc.

While you may still award or take away points for mandatory events, as the case may be, it is very important that every member understands that mandatory events mean just that - mandatory.

Be clear. That if they do not meet the mandatory requirements for the chapter and the GLO - i.e. attending X number of required mandatory events, GPA, dues paid by a certain time, etc. - they may be suspended, put on probation or even expelled - regardless of how many points they may have. What ever is appropriate for the situation per your chapter's and GLO's by-laws.

The other suggestion would be to form a committee to finalize the point system. Try to have every class represented on the committee as well. And solicit ideas from the general membership too. Once it's finalized, then have the whole chapter approve.

It may be that you will have to start the whole process and even develop the guideline or frame for the point system. Yet if you solicit additional input from the general membership - regardless if you get any input or not - it may go a long way to getting everyone to buy into the system.

Best of luck.

GammaGirl1219 · #3 12-30-2004, 02:05 PM

Thanks so much for your input TSteven. Those suggestions really helped. Im sure some of you have some more please let me know. Also, i was thinking of maybe giving rewards to the people with the highest points because as bad as some of our attendance is there are some girls who are at everything and i think they deserve something too. The only problem with that is i dont know what it should be. we dont have a house or anything so i cant do like room or parking spot preferance. So i guess any ideas on that would be awesome. Sorry im so clueless this is just a huge transistion for us and i wanna do the best possible.

Kate

FSUZeta · #4 12-30-2004, 05:37 PM

if everyone who doesn't make the minimum points has to pay a fine, you could use the money collected to buy a nice gift to reward the person who has accumulated the highest number of points. something everyone would really like, like a pedicure, or manicure or whatever, or reward the highest point getters with bonus points for the next semester, so they start out with points in their column before the semesters events even start.

flirt5721 · #5 01-26-2005, 02:56 AM

We have a nation merit point system. Everything counts for some amount of points. Things such as meeting, panhellenic meetings, retreat, and etc. Social can count as bonus points. The girls are required to make 70% of the total point for the month. If they do not make the points for the following month the are not allowed to attend and social event.

alfuzzxi · #6 01-26-2005, 07:01 PM

What we did was sit down as an exec and came up with a point system that would deal with the difficulties within the chapter. For a while it was difficult to get sisters to do thier community service hours so we made those events worth more points than other events.

I can't remember what the exact percent was but each sister had to make 90% (seniors only had to make 65%) of thier points each month or they would be put on social proabation. People will make sure they make their points once they realize they won't be able to go to the fun events.

Rewards are nice, but people shouldn't have to be rewarded just for participating in an organization that they pledged themselves to. Those sisters who are always there are being rewarded, they are the ones who enjoy their time in the chapter, have close bonds with others, and are the ones who are making the most of their time in the chapter. It's the ones who don't show up who need to learn what they are missing out on and they need to be reminded why they joined in the first place.

quillogold · #7 02-08-2005, 07:13 PM

We do something cool to reward the girls that do come out to things. At the last chapter meeting of the semester the girl that keeps up with Merit Points gives out raffle tickets. The girl with the most merit points gets 10 tickets. The girl with the 2nd highest amount gets 9...and so on like that. All the tickets go into a hat to pick for really nice prizes. They're usually AZD themed things, just stuff you can buy at a greek store. It gives the girls incentive to go to things all semester so they'll have a chance at the end for cool prizes.

As far as for the people that aren't doing anything...we require girls to go to 75% of mandatory events (i.e. chapter, initiation, founders day, etc). Seniors only have to go to 50%. We as an exec board are getting strict this year. The girls will go on probation if they don't achieve their 75 or 50% minimum. The probation means no formal for this semester.

gpb1874 · #8 03-10-2005, 02:22 PM

hi kate,
i used to advice my chapter of gpb. we have a good point system set up, it's just hard to enforce it. i think by our gpb guidelines, it has to be kept positive - so no fines for not getting enough.

we have events listed as gamma (mandatory), phi (strongly recommended) and phi (go if you can, but mostly just for fun).

works pretty well. we give special rewards if someone is doing oustanding with points, not just for doing good. for example, if there is a girl who is at everything, has a great attitude and does everything she can to be at events, help other girls out, then we will give her a little something.

it doesn't have to be big....it can be a certificate, new shirt, price break in dues, massage, movie tickets, etc.

it can be hard. like others said, get a little committee together and think of all the different things girls can get points for. then try to list them in order of importance and assign points to them. if you can get others involved and excited about it, they will spread that excitement to other members.

hth....if you want more suggestions, send me a pm