On paper it sounds like a great idea to refocus programs with the intention of eliminating cliques. In reality, it is human nature to bond with others and that is why cliques form within cliques.
Heck, isn't that why we join sororities? Looking for a place to belong? And within that place to belong, you'll find another subset-- a clique.
ADPi's Diamond Sister program was formed with this intention. On paper, the Delta (initiated sister) sponsors the Alpha (new member) through her new member period as a personal mentor and guide to acclimate her to Greek Life and serve as her sponsor through ritual. All new member gifts, on paper, are to be budgeted through the chapter so that more women can serve in this sponsor role without assuming a financial burden. On paper, there are no "families" and the Diamond Sister relationship formally concludes with initiation.
It sounds great on paper, but in reality, ADPi's want Bigs and Littles like every other sorority. So you'll hear collegians referring to their sponsors as their "Big" or their "Big Diamond," there will be family cliques with "Grandlils" or "Grand Diamonds," and in my chapter there were even "adopted Diamonds" or "Cubic Zirconias" (if you ever see an ADPi sign a letter "CZ Love," they're adopted! LOL).
The Pride Program is a great concept-- rotating small groups to help members get to know one another better, serve on committees and support the chapter (IE. XYZ Pride takes on Task A, ABC Pride takes on Task B, etc...), but it's another system that really doesn't work well in practice when you have members who are already overprogrammed enough as it is with school, sorority and life. Getting together as a pride to bake cookies is sometimes just one more activity that can't be crammed in there-- it's like setting up a playgroup!
I think they're all great ideas on paper, but the execution needs to continue to evolve. I've no doubt it will.
Sororities need to continue their sponsor sister programs, but there should be more emphasis made on gift giving coming from the chapter and not the individual's pocket.
ETA: My chapter had a rule that any gift giving outside of a note or something small like a bag of candy or a little stuffed animal had to be given off sorority property. I think this helped discourage "keeping up with the Jones'" and getting carried away with gift-giving so that one new member didn't feel like she got stiffed in comparison to another. I think it was a good idea and that the alumnae directors who supervise sorority programming should continue keeping an eye on budgets and being mindful of the tradition of gift-giving. New member sponsors aren't going anywhere anytime soon: they have been an integral part of the new member period for far too long to disappear in a hurry.
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