Little Chapter, Big Recruitment: Spring 2009

[gatordeltapgh]

Originally Posted by silverpearls

I would not be at all surprised if this spring, they were recruiting for a colony.

Just remember that to open for expansion a vote must be taken and the NPC Area Advisor must be contacted prior to the vote. Each chapter gets one vote and confers with their NPC Delegate or HQ first using data form the past few years. Even if a group of women want to become an "interest group" NPC Member Groups can not begin work on a colony unless the College Panhellenic votes in favor of expansion and verifies this via their Panhellenic minutes to the NPC Extension Chair.

Part of NPC Unanimous Agreement V

B. When a campus has two or more NPC fraternities and is open for
extension, NPC fraternities can communicate with a student(s), an
interest group or a local sorority only with prior permission of the

Proper Authority.

In your case the Proper Authority is the College Panhellenic since there are at least two NPC groups on your campus.

Best of luck - Keep us posted!!!

[silverpearls]

Originally Posted by gatordeltapgh

Just remember that to open for expansion a vote must be taken and the NPC Area Advisor must be contacted prior to the vote. Each chapter gets one vote and confers with their NPC Delegate or HQ first using data form the past few years. Even if a group of women want to become an "interest group" NPC Member Groups can not begin work on a colony unless the College Panhellenic votes in favor of expansion and verifies this via their Panhellenic minutes to the NPC Extension Chair.

Part of NPC Unanimous Agreement V

B. When a campus has two or more NPC fraternities and is open for
extension, NPC fraternities can communicate with a student(s), an
interest group or a local sorority only with prior permission of the

Proper Authority.

In your case the Proper Authority is the College Panhellenic since there are at least two NPC groups on your campus.

Best of luck - Keep us posted!!!

Thanks for the info! I was on Panhel for a bit so I'm fairly familiar with how it works.

[silverpearls]

This week we have had a few events to get to know freshman women interested in rushing. So far, they have gone really well! We've had a ton of interest and we've met a few legacy girls we didn't know about yet. A lot of freshmen have friends who have already rushed at other schools, so they're very excited to rush this spring. A few told me that their friends just joined Venus elsewhere, which makes us more appealing to them!

I'm a little skeptical of all this initial interest because it always seems to happen this way - PNMs come out to the events and get excited, then a few weeks in they start hearing tent talk from fraternity guys and upperclassmen and their interest drops off pretty quickly. BUT I'm hoping we can combat that this year and keep that enthusiasm going! This weekend the Greek Life Office put on an event where all the fraternities and sororities had booths and freshmen could meet everyone, and we got a lot of really good interest. Our booth was right next to Minervas, but we had a lot more sisters and ended up talking to a lot more PNMs. One sister whose roommate/best friend is a Minerva told me that the Minerva sisters were really annoyed that we were "monopolizing" the PNMs. Um, sorry?

In terms of COB, we're getting close! Our "unofficial" COB/sisterhood event is this Thursday, and I can't wait to see who comes out! This first event is invite-only, but we'll be putting out flyers to get more girls interested for the upcoming events. I think there may be more girls waiting in the wings - three sophomores came up to our booth this weekend to tell us they wanted to COB! They didn't really know any sisters, so we didn't know about them.

One of them I'm not sure about, since she has kind of a rough history with sorority life. She went through the first two days of FR last winter, then dropped. We invited her to COB, but she said no because she didn't want to join an NPC group. She then pledged a local, got a big sister and lasted over a month, but dropped before Initiation. At the booth she told us that she de-pledged because she realized she really wanted to be in an NPC (specifically, Venus). I didn't get a chance to meet her, but I'm curious to. I don't know how things ended with the local, but she de-tagged herself in every single picture that had to do with them... which could be a red flag? Anyway, since I'm going to name a few PNMs I know will be coming through, I'll call her Greta.

Vicky will in fact be COBing (contrary to what I posted earlier)! I'm not sure how things are looking on the financial front for her (this was her main concern), but she's going to give it a shot. Fingers crossed that it will work out this time! I know this is something she really wants.

Robin is the best friend of one of our sisters. She's a very pretty, accomplished young woman (she has actually done some modeling for a very well-known magazine) who is friends with a lot of girls in one of the top groups - I really wouldn't expect her to go Venus. However, she's pretty set on joining, which is exciting!

Kerry is very good friends with a lot of our new sisters. She's come to almost every date party and formal we've had since her friends joined, and everyone kept joking that she should just "make it official" and join - so she is!

Frances COBed last semester and received a bid, but could not accept because her parents (who are foreign) wouldn't allow her to. They didn't understand about or approve of sororities. She's going to try it again, and hopefully she's worked things out with parents this time...

That's all for now! I'll let you all know how things go on Thursday!

[Buttonz]

[QUOTE=silverpearls;1844113]One of them I'm not sure about, since she has kind of a rough history with sorority life. She went through the first two days of FR last winter, then dropped. We invited her to COB, but she said no because she didn't want to join an NPC group. She then pledged a local, got a big sister and lasted over a month, but dropped before Initiation. At the booth she told us that she de-pledged because she realized she really wanted to be in an NPC (specifically, Venus). I didn't get a chance to meet her, but I'm curious to. I don't know how things ended with the local, but she de-tagged herself in every single picture that had to do with them... which could be a red flag? Anyway, since I'm going to name a few PNMs I know will be coming through, I'll call her Greta.

While I can't speak for everyone, I can tell you that this does happen. I didn't go through FR to start, but I pledged a local, got a big (the give you a big the night you get pinned as a pledge) and lasted 6 weeks. We knew when we were getting in (none of us were stupid and there were way to many hints), 3 weeks later...and I dropped. I dropped for different reasons (no one is going to tell me I have to miss my sister's surprise sweet 16 or drop) but just because she pledged and dropped a local doesn't automatically make her a bad choice.

Keep an eye on her but give her a fair shot!

[silverpearls]

Last night was the unofficial start of COB! We had a previously scheduled sisterhood event to which sisters could bring friends interested in COBing. It was hard to tell who was there as a friend just tagging along and who was truly interested in COBing, but altogether we probably had around 15-20 non-sisters there. Among the PNMs in attendance were Vicky, Kerry and Frances. They all seemed like they were having a great time and mingling with the sisters. Vicky brought a friend who was on the fence about going Greek, but after last night is apparently pretty interested. *fist pump*

I was pretty impressed by the girls I met - I just hope all of them actually want to COB! There was only one girl we had an issue with. Without going into detail (because I don't really know exactly what happened) she violated the rules of the establishment the event was at several times and was asked to leave by the management. The really bad part was that the management didn't tell us that they removed her - she just disappeared, and since we were off-campus, it was kind of a big deal. Our advisor really chewed them out over it because obviously that's a BIG risk management problem. The sisters who brought her were pretty upset with the establishment because the PNM didn't have a good experience, and may not be interested in COBing now. But to be honest, if she's going to create problems, it's better that we know now.

I'm really excited for the start of official COB on Monday! We have a lot more names now, and I can't wait to see who actually shows up. I'll post again on Monday night to let you know how it went.

In just 6 days, we're going to have some brand new Venuses running around campus in their brand new Bid Day shirts!

[silverpearls]

Originally Posted by Buttonz

While I can't speak for everyone, I can tell you that this does happen. I didn't go through FR to start, but I pledged a local, got a big (the give you a big the night you get pinned as a pledge) and lasted 6 weeks. We knew when we were getting in (none of us were stupid and there were way to many hints), 3 weeks later...and I dropped. I dropped for different reasons (no one is going to tell me I have to miss my sister's surprise sweet 16 or drop) but just because she pledged and dropped a local doesn't automatically make her a bad choice.

Keep an eye on her but give her a fair shot!

Don't worry, she'll definitely get a fair shot! I understand that it can be a long process and it's normal to change your mind. We have a few sisters who previously pledged other NPC chapters and dropped for various reasons, and they've done just fine. We've never had one that dropped a local, though - it's a very different kind of group, at least on my campus.

[gee_ess]

Just read this entire thread - where in the world was I last winter for this?? - and loved it. Thank you for posting it! Good luck with fall COB!

I want to pass on something my daughter told me a few years ago about a newer, smaller chapter on her campus. She said that group showed up at everything on campus in their letters and as one big group. They were a real presence wherever they went and it made a huge, positive impression on everyone, including potential PNMs. You may already do this, but just thought I would pass it along.

[silverpearls]

I just got back from the first night of COR! I was pretty happy with how it went. The sisters were great - they were all very welcoming, enthusiastic and helpful. Unfortunately our Recruitment Chair tested positive for HINI/Swine Flu today and is in quarantine through the school. She's actually going home tonight - we all feel so bad for her. There are a few other sisters (all officers) who probably have it, too. Because of that, things were a little stressful, but the actual event went just fine! We did the "wave, don't shake" to avoid spreading germs, so hopefully we won't have everyone bedridden within the week. This is such bad timing for everyone to get sick - everyone who had to stay home was really frustrated to not be out there meeting the PNMs.

We had 11 PNMs come out, which wasn't a bad turnout. I was expecting a few more, to be honest - but a few more are coming on Wednesday. Last year we had 12 come out over 3 events, and we took 6.

We had lots of familiar faces, including Vicky, Greta, Robin and Kerry. Frances didn't show, which was disappointing - it turns out she wants to wait and do Formal Recruitment this spring. She's interested in Venus, but wants to check out all her options.

Anyway, the girls who were there all seemed VERY interested, which was great! In the past there have been a lot of girls who just come for the experience, or get dragged there by their friends. This year I think any of the eleven who attended would have accepted a bid! As they left they got little info sheets which talked about the semester's events as well as the time and financial commitments. Last year two girls joined without realizing how much dues actually cost and had to drop because of that. Other sisters stayed on, but have had a lot of trouble coming up the with the money. Because of that, we wanted to make things very clear before bids were extended! I hope it doesn't scare anyone off, but with the economy the way it is, girls should know up front whether or not they can afford membership. Vicky is not sure about joining because of this - she thought her financial situation would be better, but now is thinking she may need to wait until spring.

I finally got to meet Greta tonight, though it was only for a minute. She seemed to get along well with the sisters she was talking to, though she was a little quiet.

Robin had to come in late because of another meeting, but she seemed to have a good time. Tons of sisters got up to go talk to her. It seems like there's always one PNM that everybody loves - and this time, it was her!

Kerry could only come for half the event, but she met a lot more sisters and made a very good impression. One of the older members who's up for a Little really wants her!

And here are a few new ones...

Sandy was at one point a new member of what most girls consider the "top" group on campus, but never initiated. The group is known for being the "party girls" and she didn't strike me as being like that at all. It turns out she was a big legacy to that group - it must have been awkward for her family when she didn't initiate. She's a close friend of one of our members and seems really interested.

Lee is one of my favorites! She came to our unofficial event last week, but I wasn't sure if she was actually interested. It look like she is! She reminds me a LOT of one of our '08 alums, who I loved. They have the same name, same ethnicity, same personality... every time I see her I think of the "old Lee". She's very cute and bubbly.

There were a few more girls who came who I didn't get to talk to very much, but the seemed to have fun. One of them was a new transfer student, which was exciting! Of the 11 who came, I could see us bidding 7 or 8.

Our next event is on Wednesday! I'll update more then. We'll be doing voting and extending bids that night, and Bid Night will be on Thursday. I know a few PNMs from tonight can't make it on Wednesday, but some sisters said they know of a few who couldn't make it tonight and will be there on Wednesday. I can't wait to see who shows up!

[silverpearls]

I'm off to our final COB event! After it ends we'll go directly into voting, then they'll start calling girls to offer bids. We just got an email from Sandy reiterating how interested she is and apologizing for not being about to come tonight, so that made me smile. I also heard today that Vicky definitely will not be joining this fall - I feel so awful for her. Apparently she's very upset about it. I'm disappointed, too... but there are lots of other great girls to focus on, and hopefully she'll be able to join in the spring.

I'll be back later with updates! Fingers crossed for a great party and easy voting!

[UGAalum94]

I hope it goes well!

[silverpearls]

I just got back from the final COB night! The event was really classy and all the sisters looked adorable all dressed up. Unfortunately we're still missing a lot of girls (like, 15ish) because of illness, and others had class or work.

We had 3 new PNMs there, in addition to a bunch from the previous night. That brings the total number of interested women to 14 - and we can only take 13 due to chapter total. So exciting!! My guesstimation is that we'll take 10 or 11.

Voting was incredibly positive. It was a great experience because this is the first recruitment I've been at where all of the PNMs were really quality women that we would be happy to have. There were 2 or 3 that some sisters didn't care for as much, but nobody was universally disliked or had somebody railing against them. I wouldn't be surprised if we extended the maximum number of bids. However, I know for a fact that Vicky cannot accept, and I know two other PNMs are on the fence - one of them only came tonight, so I'm not sure if she is prepared to make a decision. There may be others I don't know about who aren't sure, but everyone seemed very interested and positive. In fact, one PNM had both a professor and her Dad call on her behalf to tell us how great she is. It would have been a little weird if we didn't already like her so much!

I'll let you know if I hear any news numbers-wise, but you may have to wait until Bid Night tomorrow to find out how many we got. I'm still on a recruitment high, though - we've never, ever, ever been this close to chapter total!

[LucyKKG]

Oooh that's so exciting! Good luck!

[silverpearls]

I just got numbers for our new pledge class! However... I can't post them quite yet. Sorry! There are two girls who are still deciding, so the numbers aren't final (but I think it's going to be fairly close to my original estimate). Also, I know a few sisters in my chapter have discovered this thread, and we're not supposed to find out anything until tonight. You know who you are!

I'm REALLY happy with the girls who have accepted thus far. We got some of my favorites! I think the pledge class we have now really shows the unity of our chapter, and how respectful we all were of each other's opinions - all the girls we have are girls we all loved. There were a few surprises... some girls who accepted who I wasn't sure would, and some girls who didn't accept (or maybe are still deciding) when I thought they were a sure thing. I think one girl in particular may have been telling her friends in the chapter that she was interested just to keep them off her back, when in fact she had no intention of joining. It's too bad... we all really got along well with her. But we wouldn't want a sister to join just because she was pressured into it or wanted to make her friends happy.

Bid Day preparations are just about finished, Bid Day shirts are here (and adorable!) and now we just have to wait until 8pm! This is going to be the longest day ever...

[Cruise4fun]

That's wonderful news. Best wishes.

[VandalSquirrel]

Originally Posted by silverpearls

I just got numbers for our new pledge class! However... I can't post them quite yet. Sorry! There are two girls who are still deciding, so the numbers aren't final (but I think it's going to be fairly close to my original estimate). Also, I know a few sisters in my chapter have discovered this thread, and we're not supposed to find out anything until tonight. You know who you are!

I'm REALLY happy with the girls who have accepted thus far. We got some of my favorites! I think the pledge class we have now really shows the unity of our chapter, and how respectful we all were of each other's opinions - all the girls we have are girls we all loved. There were a few surprises... some girls who accepted who I wasn't sure would, and some girls who didn't accept (or maybe are still deciding) when I thought they were a sure thing. I think one girl in particular may have been telling her friends in the chapter that she was interested just to keep them off her back, when in fact she had no intention of joining. It's too bad... we all really got along well with her. But we wouldn't want a sister to join just because she was pressured into it or wanted to make her friends happy.

Bid Day preparations are just about finished, Bid Day shirts are here (and adorable!) and now we just have to wait until 8pm! This is going to be the longest day ever...

With the women still deciding/not accepting, if your chapter feels this way, I'd continue to invite them to appropriate events as it may just be an awkward time (finances, family, academics) and they would still make excellent members in the future. Still being friendly with women who are acceptable candidates for membership but things just aren't working out right now is a good way to increase PR and visibility, and they may turn around and join later.

I'm especially thinking of the last woman you mentioned about being pressured by friends. A little time and seeing that people still like her and all the awesomeness of your chapter may be what sways her.