Before You Found a New Sorority

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.