How Do You Present Bids during COB?

[ASTalumna06]

All of the sororities on my campus used to give PNMs balloons and a poster reading "Welcome to XYZ, Susy Sorority," (or something along those lines) when they handed out bids. Eventually, this was done away with as more things were allegedly being given out to the PNMs, and questions of dirty rushing came into play. Now it's even more difficult to find a way to make bid day a special event.

For those of you that have ever participated in COB, how do you give out bids?

Do you invite all the PNMs somewhere and present the bids to them? Do you seek out the PNMs and hand them out? Do you present them individually? Or do you have all of them together and make a small event out of it?

[sky&sea]

I joined my chapter through COB, and we were just called and offered a bid. It was pretty nerve-wracking, because we had to wait four-ish hours after the last event to get called. I actually took a nap because I was so nervous. I got my bid around midnight. Unfortunately, there were girls who didn't get bids who stayed up until 2 AM or later before resigning themselves to the fact they didn't receive bids (you didn't get called if you didn't get a bid).

Our version of Bid Night occurred after our Pinning ceremony, and it was a lot of fun. This is when we got our first presents, welcome posters, yummy cake, etc. =) I suppose that by doing it this way, PNMs don't feel pressured into accepting bids. It just sucks for the girls who are waiting for the call that never comes. =(

[LucyKKG]

We called the girls on Thursday night to offer them a bid, then went to their dorm on Friday to sing to them. They got a calendar of events, note about formal pledging/first meeting, and a few small gifts.

[ree-Xi]

When I COB'd Alpha Xi Delta, we had to wait in our dorm rooms for a certain amount of time, I think between 7 and midnight, during which we would either get a phone call or a knock on the door. We had to have our doors closed.

My next door neighbor, and the girl on the other side of her, also rushed. Every time one of our phones rang, we'd freak out, first out of fear of getting the dreaded call, then out of frustration at someone tying up the line.

I had a knock on my door at around 11:45, and a sister hand-delivered my bid to me. I was so happy because this was a girl I knew from high school; we car pooled together, and performed in musicals together. I was doubly psyched bc we had had a minor tiff in HS, and I was petrified that it was going to impact my chances. She was one of only two people I knew in the sorority.

At the same time, I heard a knock on one of my neighbor's doors, as well as a phone ring. My next door neighbor also received a bid, and the girl two doors down received the phone call.

Immediately after receiving our bids (and hugging and crying), we were rushed off to the chapter room. My neighbor and I tried to console the other girl, but we had to go. I felt really bad about that, and I am not sure if another way would work better. I think it was pure coincidence that three rushees (there were 5 spots open and around 25 PNMs) lived in the same suite of 10 girls.

[KSUViolet06]

I joined my chapter via COB. I attended COB events on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. A sister told me that I would be hearing from them by Sunday (about whether or not I got a bid). Sunday came and no one called. I figured I wasn't getting one.

On Monday, I went to a lecture for class, figuring that I wasn't going to be a Sigma. I was pretty bummed out. On the way out, I saw the Recruitment Chair (who had to attend the same lecture). She told me that she meant to call me, but forgot. I figured she was going to tell me TO MY FACE that I didn't get a bid. She said, "Hey, will you come to our game night tonight? We feel like you need to meet more girls before we make a decision."

So a sister picked me up along with like 4 other PNMs (who had been at all the COBs last week too) and brought me to the house that night. In the middle of a game of Catch Phrase, the VP came down and said she had an announcement to make. She said "The sisters of Sigma Sigma Sigma invite you 3 ladies to join our sisterhood" and handed us shirts and goodie bags.

I was flabbergasted. I'm pretty sure I said "Are you kidding me!?" because I seriously didn't think that was going to happen. We accepted, and went out for ice cream.

Generally, we would have the PNMs come to the house and surprise them with bids, then go out for ice cream or something. The last few COBs were usually invite only, so we knew that the girls who attended the last few COBs were interested and would accept. This eliminated the "what if they don't accept" issue.

Girls who didn't get bids usually received a phone call at some point BEFORE the invite-only events. For example, if Monday was invite-only, a girl who wasn't going to be invited back usually got a phone call on Saturday night or Sunday.

[fantASTic]

I PM'd you.

[AlwaysSAI]

SAI holds a week of recruitment events that are very similar to COB. We hold a formal event every semester that is invite only. This year we instituted our first preference ceremony (which I wrote) at the formal event. It was written into the ceremony for the bids to be presented to the girls during the ceremony. It's pretty.

They usually have a week to decide to accept. Any girls that were invited but couldn't come, we put the bids in their student box.

[kappa_dancer]

I joined Kappa through COB. There were 3 open-house events, once a week for 3 weeks and after those three, there was an invite-only "Pref" ceremony. I got my call the day before the second open house (ironically, the same day Heath Ledger died). After the open houses, I had a poster board key with "Kappa <3's Erin" put on the front door of my apartment with a note about the bid-day festivities and formal pledging.

[joliebelle]

I actually received my bid to Gamma Phi from COB. This year we're doing Manis and Pedis, Mocktails, and BYOB for our COB events.
After we do MS on the PNMs, we go to their door (usually after sisters/new members have made sure that they're in the room) and clap and sing to them.
I love seeing the looks on their faces after they open their door

[cali_gossip]

I also joined DZ through COB (I have a mini-thread here somewhere). They had events at the house so it was a really laid back environment. I went to the first themed night (80's night) and met as many girls as I could. The next night, as I was talking to some of the actives, the president and VP of recruitment said they had to talk to me and took me to another room. I was completely freaked out thinking but they said the girls really liked me and offered me a bid and gave me a bid day shirt after I accepted.

[KappaKittyCat]

The chapter president and membership chair just showed up at my door with my bid. It was pretty laid back.

[Kansas City]

Originally Posted by KappaKittyCat

The chapter president and membership chair just showed up at my door with my bid. It was pretty laid back.

This is how I've known it to be done since my chapter doesn't have to COB much. There is usually not a big production out of it since there is only one or two members taken through COB. The chapter will try and make the new COB members feel special and appreciated but it isn't anything too formal.

[lindz0722]

When I joined, the president and VP membership came to my dorm room with my bid card and one cream rose. After I signed my bid, I got a candy-covered poster with "Delta Gamma <3 Lindsey" on my door like the other girls in my new member class. I think it was a good cross between not dirty rushing and still making me feel welcome and included once I accepted.

[ASTalumna06]

Thanks everyone for your responses

Originally Posted by lindz0722

After I signed my bid, I got a candy-covered poster with "Delta Gamma <3 Lindsey" on my door like the other girls in my new member class. I think it was a good cross between not dirty rushing and still making me feel welcome and included once I accepted.

This is a cute idea. These are the kinds of ideas we're looking for. Since we only do COB, have a designated bid day, and need to give the girls 24 hours for them to sign their bids, it makes it difficult to try and make things special.

In terms of "surprising" girls, the only thing I could think to do would be to give out bids the day before bid day.

[Buttonz]

The local that I pledged before SDT only does COB. What they do is they have informal events and they tell you if you are going to get a bid you'll receive a call by a certain date. I only went to one event, the last one, so I didn't think I'd get a bid. Imagine my surprise when I got a call from the sister who I talked to all summer who convinced me to go to the last event telling me that I received a bid and if I wanted to accept to be at so and so's house Sat night. (commuter campus). Out of the 8 of us offered bids, 7 showed up.

For SDT, I joined through COB. I was just told what time to be at the library to sign my card, it wasn't done as a big deal. For classes after ours, it depended if we knew in advance that we would have a lot of COB's (like 3 girls who were going to go us who couldn't make Bid Day because of work), we'd do dinner and balloons and stuff, or not. We usually just did a nice dinner once we had the whole class.