new member programs preparing you for life as an active

[bejazd]

Hate to dumb it down, but I'm reminded of Harry Potter and the Sorting Hat. I guess we all have to go thru this sort and identify process as a rite of passage in some way!

I know I'm still learning things about my sorority many years after my initiation, and our membership ed program is constantly evolving. We all seem to be on a shift of talking about "core values" although even that has evolved somewhat since our founding in order to make membership more open and meaningful to a broader group of women. I'm great with that, but we can't talk about values like scholastic achievement and service to community and then put 90% of our resources into social activities. If you want to know what people value, look at how they spend their time and their money. And then you have an idea why our membership ed programs are challenged. We can't "motivate" people to value things that they do not value. So to me, the challenge is to find balance between "social" and "core values" and combine these things in a way that works!

[33girl]

Originally Posted by bejazd

Hate to dumb it down, but I'm reminded of Harry Potter and the Sorting Hat. I guess we all have to go thru this sort and identify process as a rite of passage in some way!

I know I'm still learning things about my sorority many years after my initiation, and our membership ed program is constantly evolving. We all seem to be on a shift of talking about "core values" although even that has evolved somewhat since our founding in order to make membership more open and meaningful to a broader group of women. I'm great with that, but we can't talk about values like scholastic achievement and service to community and then put 90% of our resources into social activities. If you want to know what people value, look at how they spend their time and their money. And then you have an idea why our membership ed programs are challenged. We can't "motivate" people to value things that they do not value. So to me, the challenge is to find balance between "social" and "core values" and combine these things in a way that works!

I don't think the social activities are the issue - if you mean mixers, date parties etc - it seems to me that sororities and fraternities these days have LESS of these activities, not more.

Our groups might have evolved in some ways that are beneficial (such as removing exclusionary clauses based on race and religion) but I'd hate to think the purposes our founders had are being changed and diluted to make GLOs more politically correct and palatable to college administrators.

[AlphaFrog]

Originally Posted by 33girl

I don't think the social activities are the issue - if you mean mixers, date parties etc - it seems to me that sororities and fraternities these days have LESS of these activities, not more.

Our groups might have evolved in some ways that are beneficial (such as removing exclusionary clauses based on race and religion) but I'd hate to think the purposes our founders had are being changed and diluted to make GLOs more politically correct and palatable to college administrators.

We spent way more time on "business" then we did on socials, etc...
I'd have to say that I doubt our founders meant for us to PC & Robert's Rules ourselves to death.

[bejazd]

Originally Posted by 33girl

I don't think the social activities are the issue - if you mean mixers, date parties etc - it seems to me that sororities and fraternities these days have LESS of these activities, not more.

Our groups might have evolved in some ways that are beneficial (such as removing exclusionary clauses based on race and religion) but I'd hate to think the purposes our founders had are being changed and diluted to make GLOs more politically correct and palatable to college administrators.

I agree, there's probably less chapter sponsored socials...but the original question was why are PNMs and new initiates surprised to find out there's more to our orgs than just partying and being showered with gifts?

..I wasn't thinking that our "core values" have been "changed" or "diluted" to please the palate of college administrators (I had a different audience in mind!) but you bring up an interesting point.

and don't get me wrong...I think our orgs have to evolve to remain relevant. Otherwise we'd be having orations, literary or music recitals at our meetings, as they did in the 1870s. eek! The challenge is to retain the founding principles and incorporate them into programming that is meaningful today.

[SWTXBelle]

The Gamma Phi PACE program (similiar to many other NPC programs) can be very effective - if it isn't treated as an after-thought, and if the programming is incorporated into the life of the chapter, and not as a 30 minute part of the meeting once a month.

[bejazd]

I really admire the Tri-Sigma program concept someone was talking about earlier, with phases that continue throughout your active life. SWTXBelle, you are probably more up on the current GPhiB chapter programming than I am...but I know we have also implemented changes to PACE. Are they similar?

[SWTXBelle]

I'm not up-to-date with the recent changes to PACE - I was speaking to my experience as an advisor some years ago.
I will try and do some research, however.
Tri Sigma sent some information for us to use for our Alumnae Panhellenic Inforamtional Tea, and I too was really impressed with the program.

[33girl]

Originally Posted by bejazd

I agree, there's probably less chapter sponsored socials...but the original question was why are PNMs and new initiates surprised to find out there's more to our orgs than just partying and being showered with gifts?

..I wasn't thinking that our "core values" have been "changed" or "diluted" to please the palate of college administrators (I had a different audience in mind!) but you bring up an interesting point.

and don't get me wrong...I think our orgs have to evolve to remain relevant. Otherwise we'd be having orations, literary or music recitals at our meetings, as they did in the 1870s. eek! The challenge is to retain the founding principles and incorporate them into programming that is meaningful today.

I wasn't sure we were on the same page, so I'm glad you replied. So in other words - you think there's a disconnect between the way we market ourselves and what we really are? (i.e., we market ourselves as fun and sisterhood, when really there's LOTS of work involved)

[bejazd]

Originally Posted by 33girl

I wasn't sure we were on the same page, so I'm glad you replied. So in other words - you think there's a disconnect between the way we market ourselves and what we really are? (i.e., we market ourselves as fun and sisterhood, when really there's LOTS of work involved)

Exactly. I'm not sure we (NPC groups as a whole) do a very good job of communicating the idea that sisterhood doesn't just happen because you put on a t-shirt. You have to work at it. It's through doing things together, experiencing traditions together and working together that sisterhood is formed and cemented.

[33girl]

I think sometimes we're afraid that there are so many other things available for college students now, that they'll run in the other direction if they know how hard it can be. That IMO underestimates college students, and underestimates our orgs' value too.