New Member Period

[REE1993]

Originally Posted by GC2theEC

Another idea which is popular across our campus is to hold a scavenger hunt with clues about members of the sorority. It makes pledges work together and it's a fun way to let them know more about their potential sisters.

Be careful about scavenger hunts. They may constitute hazing.

[OmegaPDPrez]

these posts are really helpful.... i too am looking for ways to make learning about my organization a little more interesting... i know my future sisters look foward to becoming a part of my family but i dont want to steer them the wrong way, or over whelm them in any way...
Thanks,

[BlueEyedButrfly]

Thanks everyone!!! We are initiating our first class on April 18th We wanted to do it sooner (like this month) but things didn't work out the way we wanted them to. We are sooooo excited about this whole process!!!

We were definitely thinking about doing a scavenger hunt. I don't see how a scavenger hunt would be hazing, but then again it must depend on your college, the girls, and what type of scavenger hunt. It's kind of sad how some of the most harmless activities can be considered hazing!

How do you create class tshirts? Would you just purchase plain shirts and have the girls decorate? Any ideas re: this would be really helpful b/c I love this idea!!

Thanks again for all of your ideas, they were all amazing...i wish we could use them all!!!!!

[SigmaPezY60]

It might be a fun activity to make class shirts. Get your shirts, paint, rhinestones, etc together...grab your sisters and your new members, some great chic flicks and have a great time bonding and making shirts.

The reason that scavenger hunts seem to be frowned upon and seen as hazing is because usually the new members are encouraged to steal things or get things that are impossible to get, or encourage illegal activities. The difference between doing a scavenger hunt with your church youth group for fun and doing one as a pledge is that most pledges are made to think that they have to bring back these items or they won't become members. Church groups

I think when its something related to your history and your members it's okay (that's just my opinion...you may want to check with your administrators and/or advisor on anything you think is iffy) And as long as you stress that the objective is to work as a group to accomplish a common goal.

If you want to do a scavenger hunt for specific items, try forming groups made of both active and new members, with a prize for the winning team. This helps the actives get to know the new members better, and helps the new members work as a team with the active members.

hope that helped.

[lauralaylin]

I've personally always loved scavenger hunts, but I think a problem can be that they start out ok, but later turn into hazing. Like five years down the road, they start making the nm's search for inappropriate things.

Good luck with everything. I am very interested in your group's development. I was a charter member of my org (although I joined right after they stopped being a local), and I am from RI and went to URI. There aren't too many RI threads here, it's nice to hear about a school I'm actually familiar with!

[GC2theEC]

Before I started going to my college scavenger hunts were frowned upon because it was encouraged to get drunk as you went around campus (yeah, because that makes it easier to find what you're looking for...). With a local sorority it's not that big of a deal, just keep it quiet if you want to avoid being harassed. People are also more willing to accept it if you go through and plant everything you want the girls to find, this way they're not "stealing" from other people.

[OPhiAGinger]

When you enter a national park, have you ever seen a sign that says "Take nothing but photographs; leave nothing but footprints"? You can apply that same idea to a scavenger hunt.

Instead of making a list of things that the teams must bring back, you should arm each group with a digital camera and make a list of pictures they must take of each other at different places or doing different things. Ideas: washing a car, shaking hands with the university president (clear it ahead of time), carrying grocery bags for someone else at the grocery store, at the campus library, etc. Make the list long and spread out and the time limit tight so they couldn't possibly do them all. At the finish line, have an official "referee" count up how many of the photos each group snapped (either by downloading them onto a central computer or just by flipping through the memory on each camera) and declare a winner.

That way, you don't run the risk of someone taking something they shouldn't. Plus, you get some great photos for your scrapbook or website!

[ssuchidelt]

Originally Posted by BlueEyedButrfly

How do you create class tshirts? Would you just purchase plain shirts and have the girls decorate? Any ideas re: this would be really helpful b/c I love this idea!!

We usually leave it up to the pledges to decide what they want to do with thme. Some classes have got together designed them and ordered them, some have done iron on transfers, others have puff painted and all that jazz. It's just a really fun activity that the girls get to do together as a class.

We also ask them to wear them on days we wear our letters around campus and so forth. It's an activity that's good early on to get them bonded. Hope that helped.

Originally Posted by REE1993

Be careful about scavenger hunts. They may constitute hazing.

I know that some NPCs don't allow scavenger hunts anymore. Personally I don't see how it could be hazing, but I can see how it might be a risk management issue.

When I was a pledge, my Frat Ed advisor said that they did scavenger hunts in the early 90s. When IHQ found out, they weren't too pleased.

Locals can do scavenger hunts if they want as long as they're not doing anything illegal. They don't have to answer to a higher authority.