Improving Sorority Reputation?

[DeltaZeta09]

I'm going to bump this thread because I think there are probably even more ideas out there, plus I had a question as well. We aren't having problems with numbers so much as we're almost "too diverse". We have some girls who are so sweet but shy and not too involved and other girls who only want to go to socials. Our recruitment is coming up, after reviewing some of the other threads about how to recruit good PNM's my question is how do you get your chapter as a whole to appeal to girls who fit your desired image?

[knight_shadow]

Originally Posted by DeltaZeta09

I'm going to bump this thread because I think there are probably even more ideas out there, plus I had a question as well. We aren't having problems with numbers so much as we're almost "too diverse". We have some girls who are so sweet but shy and not too involved and other girls who only want to go to socials. Our recruitment is coming up, after reviewing some of the other threads about how to recruit good PNM's my question is how do you get your chapter as a whole to appeal to girls who fit your desired image?

QFP

Are you sure you're not trying to get girls to fit YOUR desired image? I would think the active members fit your chapter's image just fine. If they didn't, why were they offered bids?

[33girl]

Originally Posted by DeltaZeta09

I'm going to bump this thread because I think there are probably even more ideas out there, plus I had a question as well. We aren't having problems with numbers so much as we're almost "too diverse". We have some girls who are so sweet but shy and not too involved and other girls who only want to go to socials. Our recruitment is coming up, after reviewing some of the other threads about how to recruit good PNM's my question is how do you get your chapter as a whole to appeal to girls who fit your desired image?

I don't see a problem here, other than your adolescent compulsion to put everyone into a tidy box.

If girls are constantly blowing off events and not being involved, bring them before standards. If they don't change their ways, terminate them. If there are girls who only show up for social stuff and blow off meetings and rituals and philanthropies, bring them in front of standards. If they don't change their ways, terminate them. It's really pretty simple.

[DeltaZeta09]

Originally Posted by knight_shadow

QFP

Are you sure you're not trying to get girls to fit YOUR desired image? I would think the active members fit your chapter's image just fine. If they didn't, why were they offered bids?

My post refers to future members, not current ones and it is not MY image, it's the chapters image of girls who have fun but are still involved in good activities like service. I'm not trying to put people into a "tidy box" also to what 33girl said. Our chapter just is soooo diverse in some aspects that it can create some tensions, and I guess I was just trying to find out how you guys have conversations with PNMs where you really figure out what they want out of a sorority without creeping them out.

I didn't mean to offend either of you, it just seems there are a lot of women with good experience and I am talking about FUTURE members being recruited, not forcing current ones to go out every night or keep in girls who like to go out.

[Drolefille]

Originally Posted by DeltaZeta09

My post refers to future members, not current ones and it is not MY image, it's the chapters image of girls who have fun but are still involved in good activities like service. I'm not trying to put people into a "tidy box" also to what 33girl said. Our chapter just is soooo diverse in some aspects that it can create some tensions, and I guess I was just trying to find out how you guys have conversations with PNMs where you really figure out what they want out of a sorority without creeping them out.

I didn't mean to offend either of you, it just seems there are a lot of women with good experience and I am talking about FUTURE members being recruited, not forcing current ones to go out every night or keep in girls who like to go out.

Being the diverse chapter, is, in itself, a selling point if you're a functional group and not just accepting everyone to boost numbers.
You said you're wanting to get your chapter in line to recruit girls who fit your image. Get your chapter to agree on what that image is. If you can't, then you're back to "diversity" being your image.

I dislike the idea of recruiting toward some specific "image" beyond the ideals that your sorority upholds, but unless you're all on the same page, it's a chapter problem, not a PNM problem. If the chapter is actually in agreement, then those qualities you're looking for is what you'll base MS on.

I have no idea how you're creeping PNMs out by asking them, directly "why do you want to be in a sorority?" "What could you bring to a chapter?" and telling them what XYZ offers them.

Unless you're creepy people.

[DeltaZeta09]

Originally Posted by Drolefille

Being the diverse chapter, is, in itself, a selling point if you're a functional group and not just accepting everyone to boost numbers.
You said you're wanting to get your chapter in line to recruit girls who fit your image. Get your chapter to agree on what that image is. If you can't, then you're back to "diversity" being your image.

I dislike the idea of recruiting toward some specific "image" beyond the ideals that your sorority upholds, but unless you're all on the same page, it's a chapter problem, not a PNM problem. If the chapter is actually in agreement, then those qualities you're looking for is what you'll base MS on.

I have no idea how you're creeping PNMs out by asking them, directly "why do you want to be in a sorority?" "What could you bring to a chapter?" and telling them what XYZ offers them.

Unless you're creepy people.

I would say we aren't diverse in a selling way only because we have tensions of some girls wanting to be more involved and some that i think want to but are just very shy. I know asking "so why do you want to be in a sorority" isn't a creepy question, my only fear is that every chapter asks that so it's going to be a preprogrammed response. We basically just want this years recruitment to fulfill the image that does correspond to our sororities values: service, sisterhood, and campus involvement. We're not even looking for a PHYSICAL image (however, we want girls to know how to present themselves well) as much as an ideal 'image' that our chapter is a group of fun girls that like to get involved with all aspects of greek life. I just am looking for suggestions of how to sit down as a chapter and discuss what our "ideal pnm" is so that we have a more common foundation if that makes sense?

[Drolefille]

Originally Posted by DeltaZeta09

I just am looking for suggestions of how to sit down as a chapter and discuss what our "ideal pnm" is so that we have a more common foundation if that makes sense?

During your recruitment workshop... sit down as a chapter and discuss your ideal PNM. Seriously. Put up characteristics on a white board. Make those traits what you're looking for during recruitment. And don't talk about it outside of your chapter.

I think you're trying to make this harder than it is and your posts are running around in circles talking about diversity and being creepy and not wanting preprogrammed responses when your question was something different.


And if you don't want pre-programmed responses, don't ask pre-programmed questions. Or don't assume that the PNMs are trying to... deceive you or something.

[AOII Angel]

Check out your inter/national recruitment/membership selection materials. If you are not the recruitment chairman, you may not know that your organization actually has a way for your chapter to go through this type of discussion. Organizations aren't as willy-nilly about membership selection as you seem to think. Use the resources that your organization has provided you.

[33girl]

Doesn't DZ have a policy that every member must be involved in at least one other activity on campus? If this isn't being enforced, start doing so ASAP - and make sure that women know working at McDonald's off campus DOESN'T count.

I agree w/ Drolefille...you're making this a lot more difficult than it is. Do I think it's ridiculous when women pay tons of $$ to be in a sorority and then don't go to anything other than chapter meetings and rituals? Yes. But that doesn't mean they aren't making connections, aren't a great big sister to their little (who may be a one woman party and appreciates her big's calmness) and don't have areas in which they could shine IF someone looked further than "oh, Erica who never goes to mixers."

The "ideal PNM" concept can be good, but it can also be a gateway for cliquiness and backbiting so I'd tread really lightly and use it as a guideline rather than a hard and fast rule. So many reasons of why you choose one woman over another are intangible - and there can be girls who look great on paper but will be horrible members.

[DeltaZeta09]

Originally Posted by 33girl

Doesn't DZ have a policy that every member must be involved in at least one other activity on campus? If this isn't being enforced, start doing so ASAP - and make sure that women know working at McDonald's off campus DOESN'T count.

I agree w/ Drolefille...you're making this a lot more difficult than it is. Do I think it's ridiculous when women pay tons of $$ to be in a sorority and then don't go to anything other than chapter meetings and rituals? Yes. But that doesn't mean they aren't making connections, aren't a great big sister to their little (who may be a one woman party and appreciates her big's calmness) and don't have areas in which they could shine IF someone looked further than "oh, Erica who never goes to mixers."

The "ideal PNM" concept can be good, but it can also be a gateway for cliquiness and backbiting so I'd tread really lightly and use it as a guideline rather than a hard and fast rule. So many reasons of why you choose one woman over another are intangible - and there can be girls who look great on paper but will be horrible members.

That's great advice. I apologize for going in circles, I just didn't want to sound blunt but concise probably would have been better.

I agree that some of girls that do not go to mixers are great members. We have some members who don't get into socials but love helping out with academics. My only problem is when girls aren't going to service projects other greeks host. I think we're gonna try to emphasize that service projects are part of the greek community and our chapter has to be involved in those. Otherwise, perhaps make them mandatory. And I agree that we don't want to stick so much to an ideal that we have a "if you don't fit it, you're out" attitude. I basically just want our sisters to have a basic idea of characteristics we need/want from PNMs (that we agree on as a chapter) so that while every girl in our chapter doesn't meet each girl, we're all finding girls that we've agreed we would enjoy in our chapter

[AOII Angel]

Originally Posted by DeltaZeta09

That's great advice. I apologize for going in circles, I just didn't want to sound blunt but concise probably would have been better.

I agree that some of girls that do not go to mixers are great members. We have some members who don't get into socials but love helping out with academics. My only problem is when girls aren't going to service projects other greeks host. I think we're gonna try to emphasize that service projects are part of the greek community and our chapter has to be involved in those. Otherwise, perhaps make them mandatory. And I agree that we don't want to stick so much to an ideal that we have a "if you don't fit it, you're out" attitude. I basically just want our sisters to have a basic idea of characteristics we need/want from PNMs (that we agree on as a chapter) so that while every girl in our chapter doesn't meet each girl, we're all finding girls that we've agreed we would enjoy in our chapter

Those kind of specifics are impossible to ferret out during recruitment. Those are the kind of things you address during the new member education program so that members know what is expected of them before they get initiated.

[33girl]

Originally Posted by DeltaZeta09

My only problem is when girls aren't going to service projects other greeks host. I think we're gonna try to emphasize that service projects are part of the greek community and our chapter has to be involved in those. Otherwise, perhaps make them mandatory.

I totally understand this. It makes you look so bad when you don't show up at these things. We actually didn't do Greek Olympics one year because so many of the senior (and other) sisters were on a band trip and the rest of the seniors were just "over all that." We didn't have enough women for all the events so we just didn't participate. It was so embarassing.

[pibetaphi2013]

re: other greeks philanthropy events.

Several groups on my campus operate on a point system, and that seems to be really effective. Depending on your bylaws, etc. you could assign a point value for attending and or participating in each type of event. Assign a monthly or semesterly minimum and have either a reward for achievement or a punishment for members who don't meet the minimum (social probation, cannot attend formal, etc.)
Point systems are nice because members still have some choice in which events they attend, and it prevents making everything mandatory, but still encourages participation.

[Pearlgirl987]

If you want to improve your rep, tell your girls to get involved. I know you are only Social chair, but see about teaming up with a Fartenity to go tail-gating. Fallows the rules that you soroity/ school have for events like that and HAVE FUN!!.

I think the bigest part of geting you name out there is wining. My chaper has been doing really well with Greek Week the past few years and homecoming. Its help us as far as geting our name out there and during recrument alot of girls had told us that people had said we were really nice and won ...like everything Its a really awsome thing.

Try to stay away from trying to be the party soroity. People may want to party with you but they may not want to help you with fundrasing or anything like that. The most important thing is to go out and have fun and build a really close sisterhood. Others will want to be around something like that!

[Psi U MC Vito]

Originally Posted by Pearlgirl987

If you want to improve your rep, tell your girls to get involved. I know you are only Social chair, but see about teaming up with a Fartenity to go tail-gating. Fallows the rules that you soroity/ school have for events like that and HAVE FUN!!.

I think the bigest part of geting you name out there is wining. My chaper has been doing really well with Greek Week the past few years and homecoming. Its help us as far as geting our name out there and during recrument alot of girls had told us that people had said we were really nice and won ...like everything Its a really awsome thing.

Try to stay away from trying to be the party soroity. People may want to party with you but they may not want to help you with fundrasing or anything like that. The most important thing is to go out and have fun and build a really close sisterhood. Others will want to be around something like that!

TEITY?