Good VS Bad New Member Activity Ideas

[tunatartare]

Originally posted by FSUZeta
political correctness sure does take the fun out of a lot of things.

I agree

[AGDee]

Many of the things that ya'll have mentioned that are now considered hazing, but were once fun, have become hazing because some didn't keep it fun, and turned it into harassment. Some of them wrecked it for the rest. It's a shame, but it's what happened. As for having NMs attend chapter meetings, I think dirty laundry can be shared in front of NMs because they need to know what they're getting themselves into. Going along, thinking sorority life is a Cindarella story, then finding out, after initiation, that everything isn't rosy leads to a lot of disillusionment on the part of the newly initiated members. Perhaps it can lead to more mature levels of conflict resolution as well.

The "switch days" would not be allowed for AGD either. When GLOs first started cracking down on hazing, the groups started doing "switch days" so that others could haze their pledges and they could say "we didn't haze them!".

The "rules" didn't come out of nowhere.. they were created after "fun" activities were abused, sadly.

Scavenger hunts are also a risk management issue, beyond hazing. Even our alumnae club can't have road rallies anymore because of the risk of a car accident. If teams are rushing to get somewhere to be the first team done, to meet a deadline, etc, they are less likely to be cautious.

As for good activities, I just posted some of these in the AGD forum and I'll repeat them:

Divide the chapter into teams (intermixing NMs and Initiated Members). Give each team some ingredients and have a cook off. Award prizes for best tasting, most creative, etc.

Tee shirt making

Make overs: Get a reputable make up artist to come in and ask for volunteers (don't force anybody!) for an "extreme" makeover.

Trading Spaces, Scrapbook edition: Swap scrapbooks and make pages for each other

It is definitely sad when a small number ruin things for others, as we are seeing in the risk management forum often, with alcohol related deaths leading to huge slams to the whole greek system at a campus, etc.

Dee

[tunatartare]

Regarding New Members attending chapter meetings: in my sorority, the policy is that they attend the first formal meeting before initiation (usually it's like the week before or the week of initiation) so that they can see how our meetings are structured and can get a feel for them so that when they become actives they aren't going to feel overwhelmed in their first meeting. However, anything regarding "airing dirty laundry" during any meeting is saved for Open Forum. As they are not yet initiated, Open Forum is the one part of the meeting that they aren't allowed to be present at.

[TigerLilly]

Originally posted by FSUZeta
bad-allowing new members to attend chapter. if someone needs to air dirty laundry, they can't do it because it could upset the new members(read harriet saying to ozzie, not in front of the children), so things just keep festering week after week instead of getting resolved.

I disagree on this part. I think it's important that new members do attend chapter, so they know what's going on and how things run in the chapter. If there's something going on along the lines of "dirty laundry airing", send the new members out of the room with the new member educator during that time, but let them around for the rest. It's important to make them feel included and like they're a part of the chapter.

[RUASTgrrl]

We had new members present for the beginning of the meeting, and they left for their own meeting about half way.

[tunatartare]

Originally posted by RUASTgrrl
We had new members present for the beginning of the meeting, and they left for their own meeting about half way.

Was this at every meeting? Cuz wouldn't it mean that the New Member Mom also had to miss about half of meetings?

[RUASTgrrl]

The new members had 2 meetings a week, one with the new member directors, and usually one on their own. This was when they left chapter.

[KSUViolet06]

Originally posted by TigerLilly
I disagree on this part. I think it's important that new members do attend chapter, so they know what's going on and how things run in the chapter. If there's something going on along the lines of "dirty laundry airing", send the new members out of the room with the new member educator during that time, but let them around for the rest. It's important to make them feel included and like they're a part of the chapter.

That's how we do it in my chapter. We have a section called "Member Talks" and we simply send the NM's out to meet with their educator for a bit until we're done.

[Glitter650]

We allow NMs in the middle part of the meeting, they come in late and leave early.

Good:
Call them, ask them to hang out randomly, that's probably one of the main reasons they joined, just have people around to hang out with and randomly go get ice cream, a drink, or have someone to meet up with during a long break between classes.

Family dinner: Get all the members of your family line together and have a pot luck, or cook a meal together.


Bad: Making the NMs all line up with actives across from them staring with cold faces as they grill the NMs with sorority questions and the greek alaphabet.

[lyrica9]

Originally posted by FSUZeta
bad-allowing new members to attend chapter.

our new members come to chapter meetings every week. they just aren't present during ritual. um... way for me to state the obvious

[tunatartare]

Another fun thing you could do would be go to a "Our Name is Mud" or a "Little Shop of Plaster" type place. You know those places where you buy a ceramic thing and paint it? I love doing things like that!

[PhoenixAzul]

wow, it really is a world apart between nationals and locals. By the way, we have to be there at every meeting during pledging.

[adpiucf]

ADPi new members attend weekly new member sessions and part of the regular chapter meeting.

It just depends on the sorority and their policies regarding new members at business meetings.

(In the Junior League, new members can't vote or hold office their first year. Coming from a collegiate sorority that allowed me to vote and hold office as a new member, I was all like, hmph! But I understand the merits to both systems: new members observing the first year and learning the ropes, or new members immediately being treated like involved and engaged members of the org.)

[tunatartare]

By us, newly initiated members aren't allowed to vote or hold office for a year unless there are special circumstances that make it necessary. I understand why we have this as a bylaw, but sometimes it can really suck. Like last year when during elections my entire pledge class was eligible for positions and one position that only the 5 of us were up for, and we weren't even able to vote.

[adpiucf]

The great thing about bylaws is that they are up for review and revision yearly, and chapter members must vote to approve them for the following year. Get a chapter dialogue going!