Brand New Advisor

[BrandNewAdvisor]

Thank you all for the feedback
skylark: I did #1. Very effective.

Has anyone had any success with requiring sisters to be members of other groups? No other group on campus (from what I've heard) has any such requirement but it's done willingly.

[KSUViolet06]

Originally Posted by BrandNewAdvisor

Has anyone had any success with requiring sisters to be members of other groups? No other group on campus (from what I've heard) has any such requirement but it's done willingly.

All chapters on my campus did (as part of our school's award program for sororities, you got more points for having girls involved in other stuff), and it worked out well. Most girls were already involved in at least one other thing anyway.

[skylark]

Originally Posted by BrandNewAdvisor

Thank you all for the feedback
skylark: I did #1. Very effective.

Has anyone had any success with requiring sisters to be members of other groups? No other group on campus (from what I've heard) has any such requirement but it's done willingly.

Sorry for the late response! I have been inactive on here for the last couple of months...

So glad to hear it worked! It is definitely effective and I learned it from one of my advisers when I was an active. One thing to remember, though, is that (IMO) you can really only effectively pull it off every 3 to 4 years because you need the impact to feel fresh.

On requiring membership in other groups... I'm a big believer that a carrot is a lot more effective as a stick with things like this. Requiring membership could have a negative effect of a PR problem by putting a downer sister negatively presenting herself and she might even say to people "I'm only a member in [X] because Theta says I have to" or something similarly griping. If instead you as an adviser make a big deal over members taking leadership roles in other organizations and make an effort to talk to women about the other things that they do, members catch on naturally that being involved in other things is (1) valued, (2) encouraged, and (3) rewarded with praise and leadership roles within the sorority as well.

[33girl]

Originally Posted by BrandNewAdvisor

Thank you all for the feedback
skylark: I did #1. Very effective.

Has anyone had any success with requiring sisters to be members of other groups? No other group on campus (from what I've heard) has any such requirement but it's done willingly.

Like skylark said, make it a positive thing not a "I'm in this because I have to" thing. If sisters are in theater productions, make attending the production a sisterhood event. Ditto athletics. If a sister is in a group sponsoring the bloodmobile, at the next meeting give little prizes (like a notepad or something) to the sisters who show up to donate.

[VandalSquirrel]

Originally Posted by 33girl

Like skylark said, make it a positive thing not a "I'm in this because I have to" thing. If sisters are in theater productions, make attending the production a sisterhood event. Ditto athletics. If a sister is in a group sponsoring the bloodmobile, at the next meeting give little prizes (like a notepad or something) to the sisters who show up to donate.

RE: blood donation, not everyone can donate, so encourage members to volunteer with the blood drive in other ways, and try and get credit for that. I can't donate for health reasons, and a personal reason I have chosen not to, so I have helped people make appointment or brought cups of juice in the past.

[33girl]

Originally Posted by VandalSquirrel

RE: blood donation, not everyone can donate, so encourage members to volunteer with the blood drive in other ways, and try and get credit for that. I can't donate for health reasons, and a personal reason I have chosen not to, so I have helped people make appointment or brought cups of juice in the past.

I'm talking about getting a credit if you show up, even if you know (i.e. you're under the weight limit) you can't donate. This is how it works when it's a competition on campus. If another group is running the bloodmobile, they will have the appointments, refreshments etc taken care of themselves. You want to show support but you don't want to step on toes.

If you have personal/religious reasons you can't donate, no biggie. Honestly bloodmobile was just the first thing I thought of.

[VandalSquirrel]

Originally Posted by 33girl

I'm talking about getting a credit if you show up, even if you know (i.e. you're under the weight limit) you can't donate. This is how it works when it's a competition on campus. If another group is running the bloodmobile, they will have the appointments, refreshments etc taken care of themselves. You want to show support but you don't want to step on toes.

If you have personal/religious reasons you can't donate, no biggie. Honestly bloodmobile was just the first thing I thought of.

I think we're on the same page. I just don't want there to be credit for only those who participate, and if for whatever reason you can't or don't want to, you're screwed. We have blood donation, I swear every week, so groups can sign up for their times to help run it which could be the time credit is given for helping or donating. I am hoping that members are involved in other activities so their sisters can support them (music, theatre, sports, what have you) so it can be a sisterhood as well as a cultural event or something. One way to cut down on over programming.