Spring Pledge Class

[TSteven]

Originally Posted by DubaiSis

Who says they can't do fun stuff? Just because it's a smaller group doesn't mean it should just be a rote business transaction. For things like serenades, you may need to pepper in some actives, but there are things they can do that don't require 20 guys to be successful. Presuming you really want these guys, you should be putting in the work to make their experience as special as yours was. And if they're not worth the work by your whole membership, they shouldn't be pledged in the first place.

Big co-sign to the bolded.

Do all of the Greek Life events happen only in the Fall on your campus? I ask because most campuses I am familiar with, spread out activities and events over both the fall and spring semesters. For example, does your campus have intramurals? Normally IM football is played the fall semester while IM basketball in played the spring semester. Do any of the sororities have fundraisers or events in the spring? Any other campus wide events - Greek or otherwise? If so, emphasis those events with your spring pledge class.

Frankly, most spring fraternity pledges understand that their experience may not be the exact same as those that pledge in the fall (i.e. football in fall, basketball in spring). However, a similar experience should be expected and fairly easy to provide. If you have mixers in the fall, have them in the spring as well. If you serenade sororities in the fall, why not serenade in spring too? And as pshsx1 noted, if you have a fall pledge retreat, have one in the spring.

The bottom line is that most everything you do in the fall for your pledges, you should be able to duplicate - in some way - in the spring. The events may be somewhat different or smaller, but they should be just as rewarding for the spring pledges as well as the chapter as a whole.

[aephi alum]

Obviously I'm not in a position to comment on anything specific to fraternities. But my chapter recruited, and still recruits, year-round. We've had one-person new member classes. We always tried to give even those small NM classes the full new member experience, including I-week (which also serves to bond the whole sisterhood together) and initiation - often, where a NM class consisted of one woman, her big sister would participate alongside her little as if she were a new initiate herself.

So your spring pledges miss the fall activities. They will get to experience them next year. If you want to pledge these men who come through in the spring, snap 'em up now - don't let them miss out on spring semester activities, and don't watch them go to another fraternity come next fall.