Getting initiated members to be more open

missyvwc · #1 03-07-2008, 03:34 PM

Hey there. When I joined my chapter a year and a half ago, we had just recovered from nearly losing our charter. We've continued to grow, but in comparison to our campus total (45) we are still small (21). I know we could grow by leaps and bounds, because our girls are amazing... once you get to know them. There are about 10 girls in the chapter who simply don't make an effort to get to know our PNMs, and during bid discussion, all they have to say is "I can't have an opinion of her because I don't know her". I've tried to explain that the girls who are coming to CORs are nervous. They aren't the ones who are recruiting us- we are recruiting them. It is our obligation to get to know them and make sure they get to know us. Because they didn't get to know the girls, they won't vote for them and we sometimes we aren't able to bid girls that most of us agree would be excellent additions to our chapter.

I guess my question is, do you all know any activities we can incorporate to make it easier for these sisters to get to know PNMs? Any suggestions would be much appreciated.

nittanyalum · #2 03-07-2008, 03:53 PM

I know you're looking for help and there is a lot of information and knowledgeable people on this forum, but I'm really really really going to recommend you take the identifying information out of your signature (user name is tougher, but you can ask to have it changed). You're likely to get more initial responses asking why you're putting your chapter on blast rather than anonymously asking for basically innocent information. But you're really not making your chapter look too great on this big huge world wide web at the moment. Ask your question, but don't feel you need the whole world sticking its nose right into your sisters.

And my answer to your questions is Rush Training. Do you have it? If you do, do more of it. Lots more of it. Ask your HQ and alums for help. And if those 10 girls say they don't have an opinion (are they shy or just lazy?), then they should abstain from voting, and abstentions always go with the affirmative, so they shouldn't be able to keep you from bidding girls. "I don't have an opinion" should not trump "girls that most of us agree would be excellent additions to our chapter." Why are you letting them hijack the membership growth of your chapter?

33girl · #3 03-07-2008, 03:58 PM

Try having match-up type games during your COR parties which force the members to talk to the rushees.

Did most of the women in your chapter join through formal rush, informal rush, or just knowing a member? If they have never been rushed, they will find it hard TO rush. As NA said, ask your HQ for some help or exercises that you can do within the chapter.

ComradesTrue · #4 03-07-2008, 03:59 PM

I would add something, but Nittany said it all.

Do exactly what she said.

skylark · #5 03-07-2008, 04:19 PM

Signature needs to go and so does the username if you're going to give out that kind of info. I wouldn't go through the trouble of waiting for a username change because that will likely take longer than it will for someone to quote you... and when that happens your post and username will be here forever. I honestly think that deleting your post entirely and starting out fresh with a new username (that doesn't identify your school) and without an identifying signature is the way to go.

TO OTHER POSTERS:
Can we give this poster a day before quoting her, please, so that she can possibly fix her problem? I know I'd appreciate the same courtesy if the poster was a member of my own chapter.

AOII Angel · #6 03-07-2008, 04:46 PM

Why is everyone telling this woman to take her chapter out of the equation? She didn't say anything disparaging about the chapter or her sisters...in fact she said they were awesome! Everything she mentioned is likely readily visible to all PNMs...they only have 21 members; it's not like they can hide that. To the poster, you have to stress to your sisters that recruitment is the ONLY way your chapter will survive. If they don't learn to come out of their shells and get to know these PNMs, they are dooming your chapter to fail!

Benzgirl · #7 03-07-2008, 07:06 PM

Discretion is your friend

AOII Angel · #8 03-07-2008, 07:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Benzgirl

Discretion is your friend

I agree...but she can just be careful what she says so that it doesn't come back to bite her in the butt! She can be proud to be a Phi Sig on GC. If she doesn't mind that people know who she is, then why should she change it. She's already plastered on the internet on their webpage anyway.