Before You Found a New Sorority

Originally Posted by preciousjeni

Ahem. If I may interject... I'm in a small, national sorority whose chapters range from around 2-10 members each. If you don't want to be a member of your organization anymore, don't be. But, don't "blame" your organization's non-NPC status for your lack of interest.

If a woman wants to join an NPC organization, then she probably shouldn't look into your sorority and end up disappointed. If you aren't finding interested women, it's because you're not looking hard enough, representing your organization proudly enough, and/or personally connecting with women who might be interested.

Based on your attitude, I wouldn't want to be your sister.

Should I cry that you don't want to be my sister. Trust me, the feeling is mutual. I'm tired of people asking me that if I wanted to be NPC then why did I colonize with KBG. I. AM. NOT. A. FOUNDING. SISTER. And you have some nerve saying that we're not looking hard enough. You don't know what goes on on my campus that prohibits from getting the results that we would like. My sister wear our letters everyday even though we're blatantly outnumbered. I don't think you know what it's like to have people say to your face that they're pledging Delta or Alpha before they're even eligible to apply to greek life. Excuse me if I've been sounding like a total monster on GC, but it's painful to hear people say that they won't join us strictly because we're not NPC. We're in the middle of a catch 22. They say we're too small but then people won't join us. As of right now I have 13 and as of next year there will be 5 of us left. The other sororities are just begging that we get kicked off campus because so that they can satisfy their quota. The shallow reasons that people DO give for joining an NPC is hysterical. If I join I get a free Tiffany's necklace. If I join I get to wear their letters. If I join I get a free credit card (I kid you not) But nope...nobody wants any sisterhood...just a new pair of diamond earrings. So come on. Let me have it. Shame on me for reaching out for a little help from the Greek community.

[AOEforme]

Originally Posted by Kaorin_Kanoe

Should I cry that you don't want to be my sister. Trust me, the feeling is mutual. I'm tired of people asking me that if I wanted to be NPC then why did I colonize with KBG. I. AM. NOT. A. FOUNDING. SISTER. And you have some nerve saying that we're not looking hard enough. You don't know what goes on on my campus that prohibits from getting the results that we would like. My sister wear our letters everyday even though we're blatantly outnumbered. I don't think you know what it's like to have people say to your face that they're pledging Delta or Alpha before they're even eligible to apply to greek life. Excuse me if I've been sounding like a total monster on GC, but it's painful to hear people say that they won't join us strictly because we're not NPC. We're in the middle of a catch 22. They say we're too small but then people won't join us. As of right now I have 13 and as of next year there will be 5 of us left. The other sororities are just begging that we get kicked off campus because so that they can satisfy their quota. The shallow reasons that people DO give for joining an NPC is hysterical. If I join I get a free Tiffany's necklace. If I join I get to wear their letters. If I join I get a free credit card (I kid you not) But nope...nobody wants any sisterhood...just a new pair of diamond earrings. So come on. Let me have it. Shame on me for reaching out for a little help from the Greek community.

I, for the record, am also in a national non-NPC.

1. We understand you are not a founding sister. Why I don't get is why you joined KBG when you could have joined a NPC, if you wanted that. Why did you join if NPC is what you want?

2. Yes, NPC women DO know what it's like to have someone tell them that "Oh, I'm not joining your sorority. I'm going to be in Delta or Alpha, not in yours". It happens constantly.

3. Seriously? A free credit card? Maybe I'm missing something, but I seriously doubt that has a shred of truth to it.


I really think that your chapter is recruiting wrong. My national, non-NPC chapter does two phases of recruitment: (1) a modified formal, with PHA and (2) informal.

The girls we bring in through formal recruitment join because we fit their ideal chapter, either via sisterhood or the programming. The girls who join through informal join because we are not a traditional NPC organization. We are smaller, with professional programing based in the sciences and engineering.

If you are marketing yourself as a "knock-off" NPC, it is no shock you are having membership problems. You need to demonstrate what you have in common with your Panhellenic Sisters, but also what makes you different.

Once our chapter started operating in that way, we haven't had an issue with numbers. We are at a lower total than the NPCs on campus, but it's one we have set and we maintain every year. We cut women regularly, rather than allowing anyone to join (which is another HUGE mistake some small groups make. Quantity is NEVER equal to quality). We have made well above our desired quota every year.

It's not that being in an NPC gives you a magical house with Tiffany's bracelets and free credit cards. It's that they have many things to offer and they are marketing it as such. Your chapter is currently not.

Originally Posted by AOEforme

I, for the record, am also in a national non-NPC.

1. We understand you are not a founding sister. Why I don't get is why you joined KBG when you could have joined a NPC, if you wanted that. Why did you join if NPC is what you want?

2. Yes, NPC women DO know what it's like to have someone tell them that "Oh, I'm not joining your sorority. I'm going to be in Delta or Alpha, not in yours". It happens constantly.

3. Seriously? A free credit card? Maybe I'm missing something, but I seriously doubt that has a shred of truth to it.


I really think that your chapter is recruiting wrong. My national, non-NPC chapter does two phases of recruitment: (1) a modified formal, with PHA and (2) informal.

The girls we bring in through formal recruitment join because we fit their ideal chapter, either via sisterhood or the programming. The girls who join through informal join because we are not a traditional NPC organization. We are smaller, with professional programing based in the sciences and engineering.

If you are marketing yourself as a "knock-off" NPC, it is no shock you are having membership problems. You need to demonstrate what you have in common with your Panhellenic Sisters, but also what makes you different.

Once our chapter started operating in that way, we haven't had an issue with numbers. We are at a lower total than the NPCs on campus, but it's one we have set and we maintain every year. We cut women regularly, rather than allowing anyone to join (which is another HUGE mistake some small groups make. Quantity is NEVER equal to quality). We have made well above our desired quota every year.

It's not that being in an NPC gives you a magical house with Tiffany's bracelets and free credit cards. It's that they have many things to offer and they are marketing it as such. Your chapter is currently not.

I have seen the credit card in person as the person was ever so eager to thrust in my face. We're not trying to appear as a knock off. There are just a lot of things that my sisters can't control. Like if 5 of us show up to an event there are 30 other girls in a sorority to counter us. Sometimes we can only do so much. Someone can't show because they're at work, class, or won't be in town. It's not their fault, but we do our best with what little we have. Unfortunately the little we have just isn't good enough sometimes.

[33girl]

Originally Posted by Kaorin_Kanoe

We're in the middle of a catch 22. They say we're too small but then people won't join us. As of right now I have 13 and as of next year there will be 5 of us left. The other sororities are just begging that we get kicked off campus because so that they can satisfy their quota.

This isn't how rush works. Quota = number of women rushing divided by number of sororities. Total = maximum number of women that can be in a chapter. If groups can't fill quota, the number is probably being set too soon during formal rush. If groups can't get to total and are constantly open bidding, then total is too high.

You are an associate member of your school's CPC so I'm guessing you don't have to worry about any of that crap.

Unless you fall under a minimum amount for student organizations IN GENERAL, you can't get "kicked off" for numbers alone - at least I have never heard of such a thing. When sorority chapters get pulled for numbers, it's their national headquarters that does it, NOT the school. The most I've ever heard of a school doing is removing a group from on campus housing because they don't have enough members to fill it. And as you know, not having a house does not equal not having a chapter.

Originally Posted by 33girl

This isn't how rush works. Quota = number of women rushing divided by number of sororities. Total = maximum number of women that can be in a chapter. If groups can't fill quota, the number is probably being set too soon during formal rush. If groups can't get to total and are constantly open bidding, then total is too high.

You are an associate member of your school's CPC so I'm guessing you don't have to worry about any of that crap.

Unless you fall under a minimum amount for student organizations IN GENERAL, you can't get "kicked off" for numbers alone - at least I have never heard of such a thing. When sorority chapters get pulled for numbers, it's their national headquarters that does it, NOT the school. The most I've ever heard of a school doing is removing a group from on campus housing because they don't have enough members to fill it. And as you know, not having a house does not equal not having a chapter.

Yeah, I know. None of the GLO have houses. The city prohibits it. But yeah, you're right, what meant to say was total.