How to keep focus and motivation..ADVICE APPRECIATED

WannaB3 · #1 03-31-2008, 10:20 AM

Hey GreekChat,

I think this is my first post. I have been lurking and searching the boards like you guys always tell people to do when they post a question that has been asked over and over. I have learned a lot from the past threads but I still have a specific issue I'd like to pose for your assistance...

...I am in the process of forming an interest group for a national non-NPC organization. In the 6 months or so I have been carrying out this mission I have:

Had my vp resign;she joined another organization

Encountered numerous struggles with the office for student organizations. We finally got recognized as a registered student organization just last week!

Been shut out by the council that we need to get accepted into in order to proceed with any expansion plans. The council recently expanded and will not even consider expanding again until the orgs the let in become full members.

Tried my best to motivate others in the group to stay the course but slowly one by one people started dropping out of the group...some for legitimate reasons some a little more ambiguous reasons (how is it that you can't make a 30-45 minute meeting , but you got pictures at the university yacht party the same weekend?)...Anyway out of the 6 girls we started with at the beginning of the semester ...we are now down to 4 ladies and 1 is graduating this summer. The other two ladies do not really respond to me when I send out notices for meetings the and will RSVP they can't make it...but this is the time we all agreed upon at the start.

So..I've pretty much thrown my hands up and said fine! I started this on my own so I can surely start OVER on my own. I arranged my own informations, made a PP presentation and sent out invitations to classmates, other student organization and womens' groups, and posted on public bulletin boards. I gotten a response from 3 main girls and have met with 1. I have a formal membership process mapped out which I hope will help them to fully understand all the work that will be involved both as student org and a potential colony.

So I've said all that to ask this...once I do...hopefully..rebuild this interest group how do I ensure that people will not drop out as we continue to wait the 1-1.5 years it may take for the council to open

It's a long tough job and I want to be certain that I find women that are up for the challenge and support each other through the struggles. Is this an unreasonable expectation? GreekChat, I look forward to your feedback.

WannaB3

H0NEY1987 · #2 03-31-2008, 02:49 PM

I think it depends on the type of members you allow to join your group. Be very selective in your process. Get to know the reasons why women want to be a part of your organization. Have an extensive time period in which you carefully take time to build relationships with those who claim to have a true interest. You already understand the steps needed to make your organization successful, so you have to make sure that you stress your point to other people.
Also, i think you should definitely include the major benefits of being a member in such an organization. Discuss the reasons why you are trying to colonize the group, include your reasons for wanting to stick it out during the next year and a half. if your group has a chance of survival on campus, there are probably alot of women out there who may feel the same way you do and just don't know that your interest group is there.
I would also suggest you think about the reason you are trying to form a colony. Is the organization you are interested in not located at a nearby campus? Perhaps you can become a member by traveling. Also if you find that not enough support is coming from your campus, your interest group may not survive even if you become a colony of the organization. Some sororities will not let you colonize if you dont have enough members in your interest group, so if you are serious in making this work then you have to consider the journey you'll need to take to get enough dedicated members to join you.
There is not gaurenteed way to know if the people who claim to have interest will truly stick it out. The best thing to do is present your self well, use campus resources and word of mouth, to get your group noticed, and work with your existing school council on advice about how they were able to get their group off the ground.
It helps to have at least 10 members in a group. Good Luck and keep us posted if you can!

WannaB3 · #3 04-01-2008, 12:39 AM

HI

Thanks for your suggestions many of them I have already done. I have a 4-week process for membership which includes an informational, social, week of events, paperwork and interviews and orientation & induction. The girls are told at the informational that the group we are now, XYZ, is trying to affliate with a national organization...however I will not disclose any information about colonization and the time span until orientation in the final rounds of membership. This is to set me more at ease that they will be willing to stay the course.

There are neary chapters of this sorority but I can not join those chapters if I do not go to those schools and they are way too far to travel. My only option would be the grad chapter which is still based an hour away. The sisters from those nearby chapter have been VERY supportive of me and my endeavor. I talk to them almost daily. They often help me keep my eyes on the prize. I don't think it will be impossible to gain support from the multicultural greek community, but regardless they will not be open to expansion for a while.

I really thank you for your advice.

Ch2tf · #4 04-02-2008, 01:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by WannaB3

Hey GreekChat,

I think this is my first post. I have been lurking and searching the boards like you guys always tell people to do when they post a question that has been asked over and over. I have learned a lot from the past threads but I still have a specific issue I'd like to pose for your assistance...

...I am in the process of forming an interest group for a national non-NPC organization. In the 6 months or so I have been carrying out this mission I have:

Had my vp resign;she joined another organization

Encountered numerous struggles with the office for student organizations. We finally got recognized as a registered student organization just last week!

Been shut out by the council that we need to get accepted into in order to proceed with any expansion plans. The council recently expanded and will not even consider expanding again until the orgs the let in become full members.

Tried my best to motivate others in the group to stay the course but slowly one by one people started dropping out of the group...some for legitimate reasons some a little more ambiguous reasons (how is it that you can't make a 30-45 minute meeting , but you got pictures at the university yacht party the same weekend?)...Anyway out of the 6 girls we started with at the beginning of the semester ...we are now down to 4 ladies and 1 is graduating this summer. The other two ladies do not really respond to me when I send out notices for meetings the and will RSVP they can't make it...but this is the time we all agreed upon at the start.

So..I've pretty much thrown my hands up and said fine! I started this on my own so I can surely start OVER on my own. I arranged my own informations, made a PP presentation and sent out invitations to classmates, other student organization and womens' groups, and posted on public bulletin boards. I gotten a response from 3 main girls and have met with 1. I have a formal membership process mapped out which I hope will help them to fully understand all the work that will be involved both as student org and a potential colony.

So I've said all that to ask this...once I do...hopefully..rebuild this interest group how do I ensure that people will not drop out as we continue to wait the 1-1.5 years it may take for the council to open

It's a long tough job and I want to be certain that I find women that are up for the challenge and support each other through the struggles. Is this an unreasonable expectation? GreekChat, I look forward to your feedback.

WannaB3

I'm glad to hear that you are working hard. The previous advice offered is good advice. The way to determine the dedication and commitment of the women in the interest group is to form personal relationships with the women as well as observe how active they are in the group, and what kind of initiatives they take to help get the interest group to where it needs to be. If they are slacking now, or going MIA then they are not really committed to the task at hand, or the organization you are seeking to be a part of.

You said this is a non-npc so I'm going to assume it is a cultural/mglo that you are seeking to join. This issue will very much be an issue if you are ever able to colonize. While the work of being a chapter founder is completed, you will have to determine which women that claim they are interested, are in fact truly interested (and for the right reasons) and can uphold the ideals of the organization.

Even though you are only an interest group, I recommend that you continue to uphold the ideals of your group (I'm assuming they are inline with the ideals of the organization you are trying to join), and continue to meet (if not exceed) the criteria that the organization has set for you. It seems that you are getting your name out there, so women with similar goals and ideals will take interest in your group. Having your name out there (in a positive way), is one of the best ways to consistently attract more women.

Good Luck in your journey.

OPhiAGinger · #5 04-05-2008, 11:26 PM

I applaud your determination in starting a new organization on your campus. I did that myself as an undergrad, and it was much tougher than I had anticipated!

No matter what you do, no matter how dedicated you believe your potential members are... some of them are going to drop out along the way. This is a normal part of college life. Every semester some of your student members will transfer, graduate, drop out, flunk out, or just get overcommitted elsewhere. So, how do you deal with this?

1. RECRUIT TWICE AS MANY AS YOU THINK YOU NEED. If you must have at least 10 full-time students to be recognized by the university, aim for a membership of 20. (I know, easier said than done....) Get all your core group members involved. Let them know that your target is 20 and make them all responsible for seeking out potential members.

2. Set your scholastic standards high. If your typical member has a GPA of 2.1, the chances of some of them winding up on scholastic probation (or worse, flunking out) are very high. Set the GPA requirement at 2.5 or above to ensure they already have reasonably good study habits. For the same reason, minimize the number of newby freshmen you recruit. It's much better for everyone if they have at least one semester of college-level work under their belt before they commit themselves to your group.

3. Build a sense of ownership in each person. The hardest thing for the initial organizer to do is to let go of some of the key tasks and decisions, but you must give a lot of the responsibility to the other members. If you don't, they will continue to think of this as "WannaB3's sorority" rather than their own sorority and it will be easier to walk away.

4. Set local dues carefully. They shouldn't be so high that they form a barrier to membership, but they need to be high enough that each member feels they have a 'stake' in the organization, something to lose if they walk away. Make it clear that the dues are non-refundable.

5. Focus on the near term benefits. No matter how committed the members are to the eventual goal of being recognized as a new chapter of XYZ, if the meetings and projects of the local group are a snooze they'll drop like flies. Balance your long term goals with the near term need to have fun and develop strong sisterly relationship. If people stop showing up for meetings, etc, think realistically about what they are getting out of the organization right now. Ask the members for candid feedback, and then action whatever you discover. If there is no near term benefit for your members, you'll never reach the long term goal.

Good luck and keep us informed!!

WannaB3 · #6 04-08-2008, 09:05 PM

hello GC,

Thanks again to those who replied. I really appreciate your feedback. Just to update, after a couple rounds with my new interests, I found that I needed to continue my search for quality women... so I'm trying to get our group website put together (HELP!!) and I will continue with collecting interests information until I can arrange to begin the membership process again.

To OPhiAGinger

1. There's a membership quota for my group which is 25 full members and 10 associate members. associate members are members who are on academic probation or did not complete the membership process, for whatever reason, and were offered associate membership. So my goal is to reach full membership by Summer of next year when the MGC opens...hopefully!

2. The minimum GPA to be a member of my organization is 2.7. You can be an associate member with a 2.5 GPA. Minimum credit hours is 9 credit hours completed. A 9 credit hour applicant would probably be offered associate membership for a semester given that she met all other expectations.

3. SIGH...yeah that ownership thing. I tried that with my original group of girls and a lot of times nothing got done or I would have to bother them 50 million times about getting things done and I don't like that. I go to school FT and work 2 PT jobs and I have a young child, If I can get things done I feel anyone can if they really want to.

4. Dues are $70/yr for new members ($40 at orientation + $10 per semester); $30/yr for full members ($10 per semester); $15/yr for associate members ($5 per semester).

5. This is my main goal as I regroup. I want the girls who fill form this interest group to be friends first. This is why I created my membership process the way it is. There's lots of bonding and other activities planned during that time so that hopefully, by induction, everyone is comfortable with each other and feels that they are uniquely needed in this group. I never forget that any number of these women could end up being my sisters one day, so I definitely want to feel the sisterhood and camaraderie.

Thanks again for the advice.

WannaB3

WannaB3 · #7 04-21-2008, 11:56 AM

This is just an update for those who are interested.....

Since my last post here, I have listed an open call for new members for my interest group organization, Omega Sigma Epsilon*, two times in our weekly campus e-newsletter. I have received responses from 9 ladies last week and 7 so far today (the e-newsletter for this week went out this morning)!! I even got a response from a graduate student wondering if she could participate in the group as well! So I'm moving forward, I will post a final open call next week, and then proceed with the Omega Sigma Epsilon membership process!

It looks like things are restarting and quickly! I just finished a 4000 level course in Organizational Theory so I feel like I'm now better prepared for what building an organization really entails and the different dynamics within organizations.

I'm open to further advice and suggestions at this point, especially ideas for quick fundraisers and sisterhood/bonding activities. Thanks GC!

WannaB3

*The name of this organization has been changed to protect the guilty and the innocent.

H0NEY1987 · #8 04-21-2008, 12:24 PM

congrats on your progress. are you planning to keep your interests involved throughout the summer?

WannaB3 · #9 04-21-2008, 02:57 PM

Yes, after we complete intake, I already have some idea of programming for the course of the summer. I have activities planned during the membership process that will encourage the new ladies to share ideas about other events we could do during the summer and in the future.

WannaB3 · #10 04-29-2008, 11:18 PM

hey GC

Just another quick update.

The e-newsletter ad generated 18 interested women for Omega Sigma Epsilon so that is very exciting. I am meeting with 4 tomorrow and 2 graduate interests on Thursday. I'm very excited to have graduate support because one could end up as our group faculty advisor and the other attends at a satellite campus and maybe able to gain undergraduate interest on that campus!

Meanwhile....Office of Greek Life says there's still nothing that can be done to influence the council to open, so whoever of these 18 I select to join, would be along to a bit of a journey. I sincerely hope that things will go better this cycle.

WannaB3

H0NEY1987 · #11 04-30-2008, 09:26 AM

congrats and good luck!

WannaB3 · #12 05-11-2008, 09:48 AM

Hey GC,

Another update for anyone who is keeping score. We are in phase 3 of 5 of the Omega Sigma Epsilon membership process. Started with 5 ladies, but now down to 3 ladies who I think will make it to the end. Quality over quantity right?

Anyway, now that it is getting close to induction time, I'm trying to think of ways to make the OSE induction ceremony special for them. They will have worked hard for 4 weeks and I want to give them a fitting recognition.

So if anyone wants to lend some suggestions on this, I would be most appreciative.

WannaB3