Handing out bids

[rcoux17]

I'm a member of Phi Sigma Pi, co-ed honor fraternity. As Recruitment Advisor I was looking for ideas on handing out bids. Several ideas our chapter have going are having a fake second interview (all members participate in a group interview) or have them give a presentation to the chapter on themselves. Do your chapters do anything interesting or fun when handing out bids or do you have any ideas?

Thanks!

[johansla]

I have mixed emotions about the fake second interview. It works well because it does make it easier to have them come to you, and is a clever way of surprising them.
However, you can't repeat it more than once or twice, because people will start to catch on that a 'second interview' means a bid. So in a year or two, you'd need to come up with a new game plan.
The PSP chapter on my campus called the lucky people to meet at the main auditorium/historical building on campus, and they got their bids there. It was slightly less surprising, but from my friends' reactions, they were so thrilled it didn't matter.
I hope this helps!

[Xidelt]

Sorry, but your two ideas don't sound very fun. It's more work and stress for the rushee to have to prep for an interview or prepare a presentation. If I was a rushee who had gone through the work of making a presentation and then find out it wasn't for real, I would be really annoyed. Why not have active members deliver the bids in person with a small gift for the new member, such as m&ms in the fraternity colors or the fraternity flower? I also like the idea of meeting on campus to hand out the bids all at once.

[carnation]

Plus some may not be happy if they get a surprise bid in public (fake second interview). This happened to me with a Little Sister group. I wasn't sure I wanted to be a fraternity little sister when I was nominated but a friend told me to go along with it and see what happened. At our second party, we were at lunch at the house and the president said, "Surprise! Y'all are the new little sisters!" and I had to play nice while thinking, "Crap! I'm not sure if this is for me!"

[Gusteau]

What's wrong with having an authentic conversation with someone about how you think they would be a good member of your organization and extending them a bid in a one-on-one meeting?

Sigh...

[33girl]

Originally Posted by rcoux17

I'm a member of Phi Sigma Pi, co-ed honor fraternity. As Recruitment Advisor I was looking for ideas on handing out bids. Several ideas our chapter have going are having a fake second interview (all members participate in a group interview) or have them give a presentation to the chapter on themselves. Do your chapters do anything interesting or fun when handing out bids or do you have any ideas?

Thanks!

I think if someone faked me out like this, or made me do a presentation, I'd throw the bid back in their faces.

[PGD-GRAD]

Receiving a bid is a special thing--why not make it a special moment? Have a current member who knows the PNM well offer the bid in private: in the PNM's room, over coffee or lunch, or some other less public place. Write out the bid on a card with your organization's crest or letters printed on it. If the bid is an oral one, then include a hand-written note from the member giving it, explaining the personal importance of the organization and, perhaps, a heartfelt sentence or two about how much having the PNM as a full-fledged member would mean. Also, include a few words about the benefits of belonging to the organization.

[jazing]

What ever happened to just using the bid room?

[33girl]

Originally Posted by jazing

What ever happened to just using the bid room?

Phi Sigma Pi is coed and I believe unhoused. I don't think they have a "bid room." (Many chapters that are housed don't have such a thing either, for that matter)

[AlwaysSAI]

My PSP chapter did two weeks of open recruitment events that culminated with interview night. A couple years, we did groups of PNMs being interviewed by the whole brotherhood and a couple years we did small groups of brothers interviewing a couple PNMs. Either way, we always decided bids after interviews and depending on how many we decided to take, brothers were assigned PNMs to call. The call was basically an invitation to the pledging ceremony the following week which equaled an invitation to membership. It gave the PNMs a little time to think about it and the invitation was easily declined but not showing up to pinning.

[pshsx1]

Here's how ours goes:

Brother who knows PNM well: Hey, can you help me grab something from my car? (or some variation)
PNM: yeah, sure thing!
*Brother guides PNM around the building or through the parking lot or whatever to somewhere dark*
*Brother and PNM turn the corner to a small group of Brothers*

At that point, the President or VPR go over the duties of a Brother and then explain to the PNM how he has stood out during Rush and how he'd make a great addition to the chapter.

The latest we give out bids is the Wednesday before Rush ends (Rush is 2 weeks long). That gives the PNM 3 to 4 days to come to a decision.

[wareagle93]

Bump