University of Alabama Recruitment 2007

Zillini · #1 08-22-2007, 09:58 AM

This was one for the books and I had to share it with all of you. I received a call from a alum who was absolutely livid! She was calling on behalf of her distraught friend/pledge sister and the mother of a legacy who had been released. To add insult to injury, the active recruiting the PNM didn't even know this girl was a legacy and so didn't treat her with the courtesy she was entitled to.

I track all the legacies going through the Recruitment process and this name didn't ring a bell. My initial reaction was what went wrong? Sure legacies aren't guaranteed a bid, but we do make all of our actives aware of the legacies during our Rec Reviews in workshop week. Needless to say I apologized and promised to investigate.

So I pull out our Legacy Intro/Rec books. Nothing there. Did we misfile her info? That might explain it. I checked the non-legacy Rec books, nothing. YIKES! Please don't tell me it got lost! I check the PNM's Panhellenic application -- she left the entire section blank. No mention of being a legacy at all.

The alum had given me her name and address as well as mom's. I checked on our Inat'l database. Sure enough there they were, initiated at this Chapter. Why is this important? It obviously wasn't a case of being from a school where they didn't know any better. It also means they are receiving their Inat'l magazine at the correct address. Every summer it includes the Legacy Intro and Rec forms along with the addresses of where to send them for every school.

I called the alum back and asked (politely of course

) if she had sent in a Rec. No. Had mom sent a Rec or a Legacy Intro? No. I see. No explanation was offered as to why, but apparently we should have just known. Seems we didn't do our homework to know who the PNM and her mom was.

(I didn't say this but I certainly thought it.) You're kidding me right? We had 1410 PNM's signed up and it's our responsibility to investigate all of them to see if they are/aren't legacies? We did at least investigate those who claimed on their app's to be legacies but we didn't receive any paperwork on. You never know if Grandma passed away or is infirmed. But this PNM didn't even identify herself as a legacy when she signed up for Recruitment.

*sigh* Yeah, it must be all our fault.

NutBrnHair · #2 08-22-2007, 10:03 AM

Zillini,

No, it's not your fault. All you can do is process the information you receive. THEY dropped the ball.

Question...did the young woman mark herself as a legacy on her Panhellenic form?

NutBrnHair · #3 08-22-2007, 10:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gung-Ho-Chi-O

I'm just kidding but I think with a sorority having as rich a history as KD has at Alabama, people don't need to worry about their chapter or question their member's choices. I can tell you one thing...the strong sororities at Alabama know who they want practically years in advance...the girls in the houses know who is "back at home" & will be joining them in the near future. They know not only who they want but who they will be fighting to get them. It's not like they are going into rush to meet all the girls & see who they like from a few brief encounters during the week, although some sororities do pledge girls they just met & grew to adore. The focus of most actives who have a girl from home or a relative they are pulling to pledge is to make sure their girl meets the rest of the girls that aren't from her hometown or that haven't met her previously from a spring party or visit to the University.

Quote:

Originally Posted by MVisKD

News straight from the second floor of the KD house:

I have spoken to a current KD senior, and she had NO CLUE that they did not meet their numbers....She said everyone was so excited about the new members and it seemed she genuinely did not know that they didn't meet quota. She said that all of their top girls pledged and that is all they care about! I am not sure if the Exec board is keeping it quiet or what, but I think that publicizing whatever did happen would hurt all of the new pledges (and actives!) feelings.

Quote:

Originally Posted by bamabelle99

I MISS MAGNOLIA DRIVE TOO!!!!

That said, if KD wanted to meet quota, they would've. They are very selective, they have the right to be...and like a previous poster said - they know years in advance who is going to be in the house.

When I was in school, I remember a few Old Row sororities not making quota - not because they couldn't, but because they didn't have too. In general those houses will always be strong and don't need to take quota to have a successful rush (I refuse to call it recruitment).

I see the "party line" is in full force!

Ladies, I can assure you, even strong, good, Old Row chapters wouldn't want this to happen four years in a row.

33girl · #4 08-22-2007, 10:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NutBrnHair

I see the "party line" is in full force!

Ladies, I can assure you, even strong, good, Old Row chapters wouldn't want this to happen four years in a row.

Even if your "not quite" quota is 60 - I can't imagine explaining this to your HQ. "Why didn't you take quota?" "We didn't feel like it."

Zillini · #5 08-22-2007, 10:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 33girl

Even if your "not quite" quota is 60 - I can't imagine explaining this to your HQ. "Why didn't you take quota?" "We didn't feel like it."

I don't know about other sororities, but our Inat'l uses achieving Quota as a criteria for awards. But it doesn't matter if it's achieved through bid matching, snap bids and/or COB. Achieving Chapter Total is also a criteria.

MVisKD · #6 08-22-2007, 10:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NutBrnHair

I see the "party line" is in full force!

Ladies, I can assure you, even strong, good, Old Row chapters wouldn't want this to happen four years in a row.

I sure am glad I have a "party line" to help back up the lone KD on the board!

I know you feel allegiance to your home chapter as well and wouldn't want everyone spreading rumors that they snapped 16 girls or had alums come back to help rush because they didn't have enough members to do so. I am only trying to keep a good vibe about my chapter so this news doesn't spread down to next year's potential rushees and keep us from getting quota again.

So thanks for all the KD support and good words, everyone!

NutBrnHair · #7 08-22-2007, 10:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MVisKD

I sure am glad I have a "party line" to help back up the lone KD on the board!

I know you feel allegiance to your home chapter as well and wouldn't want everyone spreading rumors that they snapped 16 girls or had alums come back to help rush because they didn't have enough members to do so. I am only trying to keep a good vibe about my chapter so this news doesn't spread down to next year's potential rushees and keep us from getting quota again.

So thanks for all the KD support and good words, everyone!

I totally understand and you'll see from my previous post when I stated it would be a "wake-up call" for any of us -- and we've ALL had similar situations.

I do wish KD all the best and I'm positive they have a terrific pledge class, but it rubs me the wrong way when the mantra is something like "they didn't want quota" ... "they didn't even know they didn't make quota" ... etc.

MVisKD · #8 08-22-2007, 10:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NutBrnHair

I totally understand and you'll see from my previous post when I stated it would be a "wake-up call" for any of us -- and we've ALL had similar situations.

I do wish KD all the best and I'm positive they have a terrific pledge class, but it rubs me the wrong way when the mantra is something like "they didn't want quota" ... "they didn't even know they didn't make quota" ... etc.

Let me just make it clear- the woman I talked to said SHE didn't know they didn't make quota. She said a completely different number than others on this board have posted. She is also a Senior and not that concerned with all the hoopla, anyways. She probably was just covering their butts so word doesn't get out and the rumor mill started. Again, it is not something they are advertising.

I know this has happened to all chapters. During my years at Alabama I saw chapters get smaller and smaller and the quality of the girls pledged every year just diminish - they ended up with pledge classes full of someone else's leftovers. It is a hard thing to come back from and I don't wish it on anyone, and especially not my chapter.

honeychile · #9 08-22-2007, 10:53 AM

Shame on you, Zillini! You don't have the entire alumae database memorized yet?

They both should have known better!!

NutBrnHair · #10 08-22-2007, 10:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by honeychile

Shame on you, Zillini! You don't have the entire alumae database memorized yet?

They both should have known better!!

Wait!!! I think it's honeychile's fault too! She should have TOLD you.

honeychile · #11 08-22-2007, 11:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NutBrnHair

Wait!!! I think it's honeychile's fault too! She should have TOLD you.

Um... Okay, IT TAKES A VILLAGE!!!!

Omigosh, now I'm doing it....

irishpipes · #12 08-22-2007, 10:58 AM

I guess I am thinking of the KD situation differently. I am wondering if this is a case of a strong chapter falling victim to the new release figures - not being familiar enough yet with that process to avoid this pitfall. I know that a few years ago at Georgia some of the strongest chapters had to snap to quota and the general feeling was that the new release figures caught them off guard a little. The new release figures help the smaller chapters right off the bat, but the stronger ones may need several recruitments to understand fully how to achieve the same results with fewer PNMs.

Just a thought.

Bamarox · #13 08-22-2007, 11:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by irishpipes

I guess I am thinking of the KD situation differently. I am wondering if this is a case of a strong chapter falling victim to the new release figures - not being familiar enough yet with that process to avoid this pitfall. I know that a few years ago at Georgia some of the strongest chapters had to snap to quota and the general feeling was that the new release figures caught them off guard a little. The new release figures help the smaller chapters right off the bat, but the stronger ones may need several recruitments to understand fully how to achieve the same results with fewer PNMs.

Just a thought.

That's exactly what happened. Because they have had one of the highest return percentages they had a higher release figure. If you are not smart you will miss quota, next year their release figures will be lower. For the top houses there is very little margin of error.

bejazd · #14 08-22-2007, 12:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by irishpipes

I guess I am thinking of the KD situation differently. I am wondering if this is a case of a strong chapter falling victim to the new release figures - not being familiar enough yet with that process to avoid this pitfall.

I wouldn't look it at it as "falling victim." If you think about the way the new release figure method works, it's normal to expect that some very strong chapters are going to miss quota from year to year. Top chapters have big release numbers and they are all competing for the same girls. But the chapters aren't psychic. They can't possibly know for sure what Polly PNM or Patty PNM is going to do ....it's happened to everyone that a group of PNMs that have "bonded" during recruitment week and they all decide they want to stick together and pick the one house they all have in commom and boom! there goes 5,6 10 girls on your bid list who may truly have loved you. Whatever. Some of the greatest members you'll ever get are pledged in COR.

Sheesh all these chapters are fabulous in their own right. I give 'em all snaps for a terrific recruitment!

dukedg · #15 08-22-2007, 01:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by irishpipes

I guess I am thinking of the KD situation differently. I am wondering if this is a case of a strong chapter falling victim to the new release figures - not being familiar enough yet with that process to avoid this pitfall. I know that a few years ago at Georgia some of the strongest chapters had to snap to quota and the general feeling was that the new release figures caught them off guard a little. The new release figures help the smaller chapters right off the bat, but the stronger ones may need several recruitments to understand fully how to achieve the same results with fewer PNMs.

Just a thought.

We had this same problem with the Cal DG chapter the first year we used the new release method! We were shocked to not make quota, but didn't really understand how the new method worked back then. I think all the houses at Berkeley that had higher percent returns were affected, but after a couple of years the percentages moved into a more reasonable range for us. The first year we were only allowed to invite back something like 32 girls with a quota of 25 (only two houses at pref for Berkeley)! That is because they used our previous years' percentage returns when the heavier cuts were not made up front.