Clemson Theta closing

[LuvMyPNM]

Bingo Kempk - there were no financial reasons: they were given a financial award at a recent national conference, there were no sisterhood reasons, there were no scholarship or leadership reasons either. They felt that the success of a recolonizing chapter getting closer to campus average was the nail in the coffin. My question is how come when they knew that was happening they did nothing to assist that Chapter in having a stronger recruitment? It is a competition after all - they were content to let it go, just as they were at Ole Miss. ADPi was a recolonization too don't forget, and is a strong force in the South. APhi is another strong sorority. What did nationals do really to help EZ chapter there? Somehow a chapter which was under the size of other houses at that campus led in all the advertised important features, but it was the underlying size of chapter and reputation which did them in - things that were not considered by the members of those chapters to be detrimental and yet they were. Sad.

[ladybug12]

As someone who has volunteered for over 2 decades as a national officer in the membership department for my GLO, I agree that closing a chapter due to membership numbers is a very difficult situation.

I have worked with chapters that struggled for years with membership. Some have made it, some did not.

The negative factors I have seen:
Toxic/negative campus environment. Fraternities who refuse to have mixers with the chapter. Chapter reputation as the "fat girls" have members told not to be seen eating in public. Never having a chance to be paired with a strong organization for Homecoming or big campus events. Only having half the women who match with you on bid day actually show up year after year. Being told constantly to COB or else.

Chapter members who accept their reputation/situation. "we like being small because we are so close". "We suck! We are losers" (actually said during a workshop I was conducting and no one challenged her besides me).

Successful reconstructions:
Other NPC sororities networking with our chapter and supporting our philanthropic efforts and doing "Super-Swaps" with frats that normally would not have a social event with us.
Chapter embracing/changing their internal identity. Rather than being the awkward sorority, recognizing that they have top grades and embracing/promoting the new reputation as the "smart girls on campus."
Being willing to go beyond their comfort zone and try something different during recruitment...whether that is party structure or content, changing "what has always been done".
Changing how they prepare for formal recruitment. I was astonished to visit a chapter on a large campus where my chapter did not have any PNM review sessions or matching chapter members with PNMs who had similar interests. They had just not ever done it or been told to do it because "we are laid back". The first year this was implemented, recruitment stats improved. The second year, the chapter met quota and got quota additions...and everyone showed up on bid day.

These are just a few examples in my experience. Closing any chapter for any reason is painful to many people beyond the chapter women and their alumnae. We have all been through this with our own organizations and I hate that Theta will close 2 chapters with long histories on their campuses.

[LuvMyPNM]

Ladybug I concur -- I don't know if any of that was attemped but it certainly does seem to make a lot of sense. I remember when my oldest was going through at Ole Miss and she talked about how the women at houses she was attracted to connected on some level with her - major, where she was from, sports she played, etc. When she got to the other side, she realized why - they planned that! They matched people up deliberately - it's not rocket science. You want the PNMs to picture themselves there, as they'll see someone or several someones they already have something in common with. This is why too at many schools there are clusters of girls from same hometowns or high schools or involved in something already at the school (e.g. cheerleaders or dance team) are swept up into certain houses. They already have something in common. To go into recruitment not thinking that way is to be unprepared and not setting yourselves up for success.