JessSigKap's Retro UMD Recruitment

[AnatraAmore]

Can you imagine going to the next pref party with slightly burnt hair? Eeek! What a story to tell down the road though! Especially if she were to pledge that chapter!

[JaimeNicole]

Originally Posted by JessSigKap

she told me that she had accidentally set a PNM’s hair on fire during the first party.

Side bar - the PNM involved in the "incident" ended up joining the chapter!

[violetpretty]

Originally Posted by JaimeNicole

Side bar - the PNM involved in the "incident" ended up joining the chapter!

That's love.

[Faith4Keep]

Originally Posted by susan314

/semi-hijack
But, I've witnessed firsthand other chapters project almost what appears to be an inferiority complex - an attitude that says "we don't know why you'd pick us over all the other chapters, but we really hope you'll do it anyhow." It would behoove anyone recruiting from/assisting with a chapter that might have that mentality to read JessSigKap's description and realize what impression that gives a PNM - Jess was excited about them first round because she liked them, and then they sabotaged themselves by not being confident in their chapter.

/end semi-hijack

Continuing the hijaking,

I totally agree. There were a few chapters when I went through rush that tried to "sell! sell! sell!", but I felt there were also chapters who would just stop trying (or worse, not try at all) when the actives realize that the PNM wants nothing to do with the chapter. Nothing depresses me more than a "I give up" attitude.

Okay, how horrible do you think this idea is: have each active in your chapter "rank" all the chapters at the school from the best to the worst on secret ballots, and see where, on average, your own chapter stands (as far as how your chapter percieves itself)? It was just an idea I came up with, but I'm not sure if it would help or hurt the morale, if say your chapter ranked itself 5 out of 10. I think that if you had a very inspirational, motivational officer, that person could turn the whole thing into a learning experience, and try to change the attitudes of actives to a "we are the best!" attitude pre-recruitment. I guess it could go the other way- no one ever really wants to hear where you "rank" unless it's #1!

[violetpretty]

Originally Posted by Faith4Keep

Continuing the hijaking,

I totally agree. There were a few chapters when I went through rush that tried to "sell! sell! sell!", but I felt there were also chapters who would just stop trying (or worse, not try at all) when the actives realize that the PNM wants nothing to do with the chapter. Nothing depresses me more than a "I give up" attitude.

Okay, how horrible do you think this idea is: have each active in your chapter "rank" all the chapters at the school from the best to the worst on secret ballots, and see where, on average, your own chapter stands (as far as how your chapter percieves itself)? It was just an idea I came up with, but I'm not sure if it would help or hurt the morale, if say your chapter ranked itself 5 out of 10. I think that if you had a very inspirational, motivational officer, that person could turn the whole thing into a learning experience, and try to change the attitudes of actives to a "we are the best!" attitude pre-recruitment. I guess it could go the other way- no one ever really wants to hear where you "rank" unless it's #1!

That probably wouldn't be such a good idea. I think it would hurt the morale of smaller chapters. Also, it depends on how you define "best". The chapter where I fit the best? The highest achieving chapter that wins tons of awards? The chapter with the prettiest girls? I think the answer to "best" in each of those categories woulc be very different in one's ranking of "best" chapters.

[KSUViolet06]

Our Leadership Consultants and Advisors told us:

PNMs can sense when chapter members are nervous or not confident. Go into recruitment with the attitude that you are the best sorority on the face of the universe, and make it a point to exude confidence during EVERY round, every day, to every girl you meet.

[SWTXBelle]

When I was an advisor, at a chapter retreat we had the actives decide on a scale of 1 - 10 how the chapter was doing on various levels - and plotted the results. A 10 meant it was plotted at the outside of the circle - a 5 halfway in. It gave a really good visual picture of what the chapter conceived of as their strengths, and what they decided to work on. I like it because you get a chance to celebrate what your chapter excels at, be it sisterhood, or philanthropy, or grades, while still identifying things the chapter is not so strong in - it worked great for our chapter.

[violetpretty]

Originally Posted by SWTXBelle

When I was an advisor, at a chapter retreat we had the actives decide on a scale of 1 - 10 how the chapter was doing on various levels - and plotted the results. A 10 meant it was plotted at the outside of the circle - a 5 halfway in. It gave a really good visual picture of what the chapter conceived of as their strengths, and what they decided to work on. I like it because you get a chance to celebrate what your chapter excels at, be it sisterhood, or philanthropy, or grades, while still identifying things the chapter is not so strong in - it worked great for our chapter.

That sounds like a good idea. What Faith4keep mentioned was to ask the actives rate where they perceive a chapter to be in relation to the others (i.e. where they are on the "social ladder") which wouldn't do much good in terms of morale before recruitment.