Fun Pledging/New Member Activities?

[Rio_Kohitsuji]

I'm curently working on Fall semester's pledge program and I need some help. So far we have a usual activities and all, but now I'm looking for some more fun activities we can do with our pledges. Any ideas on team building/ trust activites? I have looked on the net and found a bunch, buuuuuut, they're for groups with more than 10 people, we're needing something made for maybe less than 5 pledges.

LIL, Kayla

[aephi alum]

When I pledged my local sorority, our pledge project was to prepare a "potluck" dinner. We were responsible for cooking, setup, and cleanup, but sisters and pledges alike enjoyed the meal itself.

The way we did it (each of us responsible for her own food item - there were 5 of us) didn't really foster pledge-class bonding, but you might try asking the pledges to prepare the food together as a group.

Take care that whatever you plan doesn't border on hazing.

[adpiucf]

I'd recommend new member sessions where you engage them in group discussions and interaction.

For example, you could take turns reading a history of your founding and the principles upon which you were founded.

After reading this, hold an open discussion about those principles: IE: What is loyalty? What does it mean to be a good friend?

You could follow this up with a simple craft. IE: Create a "Friendship Garden." Using old magazines, photos of the new members and collage materials, each member can represent a "flower" of her choosing that she can make using magazine pages and construction paper, while incorporating her photo in the flower part. The stem can be words to describe the new member (written in or words cut out of the mag). Words can float over the garden that describe what makes a good friend.

The girls can interact, laugh and get to know one another while working on this easy craft, and the collage can be hung in a highly visible place where older chapter members can see, and can put a name to the face of the new members, since it includes their photo. You can also use this "garden" as a place to tack up notes to the new members from sisters and other new members.

This "garden" will show the diversity of your new member class, put a name to the face, and help the chapter and new members learn about one another.

Steer clear of any activities which could be construed as hazing, either under your university policies, sorority bylaws, state and federal laws. You will retain respectful members who contribute MORE when you treat your new members like adults, and not like little children.

ETA: Instead of team building/trust exercises with just the new member class, why not pair with your VP of Membership and plan these team building exercises for the entire chapter. This way you can 1) eliminate new member class bias and encourage all-chapter PRIDE and participation, and 2) you can do those awesome activities you have already found. When your new members feel involved in chapter events, they will want to stay around longer and will be more likely to want to get involved in leadership sooner.