Rec/Rif confusion...please help!

[NutBrnHair]

What about posters for the PNMs? Some campuses receive posters with pictures and slogans promoting the PNM. Do you know which campuses like or dislike posters?

Me either -- so I don't give blanket advice unless I'm sure.

[AlphaFrog]

Originally Posted by NutBrnHair

What about posters for the PNMs? Some campuses receive posters with pictures and slogans promoting the PNM. Do you know which campuses like or dislike posters?

Me either -- so I don't give blanket advice unless I'm sure.

[NutBrnHair]

KAO15, welcome to GreekChat!

Seriously, keep checking back -- I know there are individuals on here who have first-hand knowledge of the system at Arkansas.

PIG SOOIE!

[adpiucf]

A RIF is the actual form. The "5 recs" are simply letters of support from alumnae, and not a form.

Someone please correct me if I'm wrong, but this is how we defined it for our girls at our Alumnae Panhellenic Roundtable in Texas. Many of our girls attend school in TX/LA/AK/GA and this is what we advised them.

ETA: Here's the packet we give to area HS Seniors, which includes info about recs/rifs.... 5 letters of support sounds like a bit much (1-3 will suffice at the very competitive SEC schools), so I think the person who told you "5 recs" may not have the right information. Here's that link: http://houston-panhellenic.org/rush/2006%20Recruit%20Info%20Guide%20for%20Website.pdf

[ForeverRoses]

Originally Posted by adpiucf

ETA: Here's the packet we give to area HS Seniors, which includes info about recs/rifs.... Here's that link: http://houston-panhellenic.org/rush/...%20Website.pdf

That packet is wonderful- I wish I was given something like that prior to going through rush/recruitment.

If 5 letters was seen as being "needy"- then couldn't that possibly be a strike against someone before they even start recruitment?

[AlphaFrog]

Originally Posted by ForeverRoses

If 5 letters was seen as being "needy"- then couldn't that possibly be a strike against someone before they even start recruitment?

YES.

[dgdramadawg]

Originally Posted by ForeverRoses

If 5 letters was seen as being "needy"- then couldn't that possibly be a strike against someone before they even start recruitment?

My friend's exact word about sending five recs was "obsessive." You never want to appear "obsessed" with a sorority, because no one wants a creepy new member (see the stalker PNMs thread).

[TSteven]

For sake of discussion, lets say Polly PNM is a perfect fit for ABC but she doesn't know it yet. (That is what rush is all about.) Polly follows the suggestions provided by the campus Panhellenic and gets two letters or recommendation - on her own - for ABC from alumnae in her area. She does this for the other sororities as well. Yet, unbeknownst to her, an ABC alumnus in her home town knows Polly and can see that she would be a wonderful member. So she writes a letter. The sweet and kind ABC lady at Polly's place of worship also feels Polly would be a delightful ABC and sends a letter. The head of the animal shelter where Polly volunteers is an ABC and she too writes a letter in hopes that one day, she will be able to call Polly "sister".

As such five ABC alumnae think highly of Polly and have sent a letter on her behalf. Three of which were unsolicited by Polly. Would the chapter know that three of the letters were unsolicited?

If not, and as some suggest, it seems like it would be possible that ABC might release Polly - someone who in theory would have been a perfect fit - simply because they felt Polly was obsessed with them. Yet ironically, it is ABCs that are obsessed with Polly.

[AlphaFrog]

Originally Posted by TSteven

For sake of discussion, lets say Polly PNM is a perfect fit for ABC but she doesn't know it yet. (That is what rush is all about.) Polly follows the suggestions provided by the campus Panhellenic and gets two letters or recommendation - on her own - for ABC from alumnae in her area. She does this for the other sororities as well. Yet, unbeknownst to her, an ABC alumnus in her home town knows Polly and can see that she would be a wonderful member. So she writes a letter. The sweet and kind ABC lady at Polly's place of worship also feels Polly would be a delightful ABC and sends a letter. The head of the animal shelter where Polly volunteers is an ABC and she too writes a letter in hopes that one day, she will be able to call Polly "sister".

As such five ABC alumnae think highly of Polly and have sent a letter on her behalf. Three of which were unsolicited by Polly. Would the chapter know that three of the letters were unsolicited?

If not, and as some suggest, it seems like it would be possible that ABC might release Polly - someone who in theory would have been a perfect fit - simply because they felt Polly was obsessed with them. Yet ironically, it is ABCs that are obsessed with Polly.

In that highly unlikely situation...no, the ABCs would not know which are solicited, unless the rec writer spesified. However, the two that were solicited are likely to be close, as they'll probably be made from the same resume...where the unsolicited ones would be unique because they were written without her resume, and for a spesific reason. Could she be released for it? It's very possible...

[DeltaBetaBaby]

Originally Posted by NutBrnHair

What about posters for the PNMs? Some campuses receive posters with pictures and slogans promoting the PNM. Do you know which campuses like or dislike posters?

Say wha? Really? Oh, man, we Northerners miss out on all the good stuff!

[dgdramadawg]

Originally Posted by NutBrnHair

What about posters for the PNMs? Some campuses receive posters with pictures and slogans promoting the PNM. Do you know which campuses like or dislike posters?

I've heard of and seen houses at big schools (like mine) MAKING posters for PNMs to help the sisters remember their names and faces... but oh how I would laugh if a PNM sent me a poster to promote herself or if a rec-writer made one for her. Are there really people who send posters to promote the PNM? I'm very interested in hearing about this.

RIFs and Recs are the same thing. Some sororities call the form a RIF and some don't.

I actually asked a friend who was recently Greek at Arkansas and she said that she doesn't know of any houses that would require more than 2 Recs. She agreed that, as has been posted above, five recs would have been viewed as excessive and needy by her chapter. Different chapters function differently.

Good rule of thumb for recs: Unless each rec is really going to tell the sorority something completely different about you, there is no reason to have more than 2-3 (and that's for the competitive schools). If your mom, grandma, and two sisters were all ABCs, they might all have different reasons you'd make a great ABC and thus four recs might really help the chapter out. But there's no reason to seek out five random people who are just going to regurgitate your resume onto a form to fill a number of recs that you've heard is "required."

As far as the two picture thing goes: If your PNM is concerned about this, she could set up two recs for each chapter and give one person a formal shot and one a casual shot. Then the chapter would end up with both, whether or not they actually need them (God knows why they would).

[UGAalum94]

The rumor was that some chapters had slideshows of the PNM that were reviewed during recruitment. My chapter didn't at least when I was there.

Along the lines of looking at pictures of PNMs, somewhat interesting highjack: I was talking to a male former student, and he said his Greek group will pull up Facebook pages to see what the guys look like and how they present themselves.

It might be wise to think of myspace and facebook entries as recruitment posters of your PNM. They might be used that way.

[AnchorAlumna]

Originally Posted by Alphagamuga

The rumor was that some chapters had slideshows of the PNM that were reviewed during recruitment. My chapter didn't at least when I was there.

Your chapter didn't??? A slideshow/power point is the norm for most SEC schools...and others in the South...and probably elsewhere. Daughter's chapter made posters of girls from various towns around the state and put them up in hallways, bathrooms etc so members would get familiar with PNMs.

Originally Posted by Alphagamuga

Along the lines of looking at pictures of PNMs, somewhat interesting highjack: I was talking to a male former student, and he said his Greek group will pull up Facebook pages to see what the guys look like and how they present themselves. It might be wise to think of myspace and facebook entries as recruitment posters of your PNM. They might be used that way.

This is standard operating procedure for most groups now. So beware, PNMs. Clean up your Facebook pages! (And the same for sorority members)

[dgdramadawg]

Originally Posted by AnchorAlumna

Your chapter didn't??? A slideshow/power point is the norm for most SEC schools...and others in the South...and probably elsewhere. Daughter's chapter made posters of girls from various towns around the state and put them up in hallways, bathrooms etc so members would get familiar with PNMs.

Here's the difference: Pretty much every chapter has a power point or slide show, which is used (like the posters) to help girls remember who is who. What (I think) alphagamuga is referencing is the old rumor that chapters would review the photos of every PNM and make cuts based on them prior to recruitment. That's still a rumor.

[violetpretty]

Originally Posted by dgdramadawg

What (I think) alphagamuga is referencing is the old rumor that chapters would review the photos of every PNM and make cuts based on them prior to recruitment.

A friend of mine told me flat out that her chapter does this (She goes to an SEC school, but I will not name the sorority). She said they would cut at least 100 out of 800 before they even walked through the door. When I said that my chapter doesn't even have pictures of PNMs for use during MS, she looked at me like I had six heads.