being "chosen"

[Smile_Awhile]

Originally Posted by angels&angles

I will preface with the fact that I'm 2 glasses of wine in.

But, southernwhateverwhatever has a point. I was also in "lower" "bad" "whatever" sorority, and there was definitely some "lesser of two evils" going on. Plus, I don't know if my group had the nicest girls around, or the most naive girls around, but there was also some "benefit of the doubt" going around as well. "Okay, yes, this girl is awkward and a little annoying, but SOMEDAY she MIGHT make a great sister. Also she's not overtly rude to us, and that has to count for something, right girls???" (I was always Negative Nancy to counteract these Bright Brendas. Because, you know, someone has to, and I enjoy being mean and judgmental).

I will, however, add that probably 90% of any pledge class was honestly wanted and/or fought for by a majority of the group. And another 5% became beloved and successful members of the chapter after we did, in fact, give them some benefit of the doubt. But there was that 5 (sometimes as little as 3 or 1% as we grew more successful at recruitment) percent. Because sometimes Nationals and/or the school is crawling up your butt about your numbers, and you haven't made quota in years, and you have to decide where the cuts are gonna go. And it's sort of silly to pretend otherwise.

[[Two disclaimers: 1. even the girls in that 10% were always welcomed and loved and not shunned. And as noted, many of them became awesome once they stopped being moronic freshmen. 2. that 5 or 3 or 1 percent I was talking about could be only my own judgmental perception as, like previously mentioned, many of my sisters are much nicer and less judgmental than I am. And that 5 or 3 or 1 percent generally had people to share rooms with, or sit with, or have an apartment with, so maybe I'm just a bitch.]]

THE END.

Agreed. On every count.

Because there is a lot of pressure to not cut as many because of RFM, chapters who have had much weaker return rates won't cut as many girls. Yes, girls are still cut, but that number is probably smaller than we sometimes would like. Especially if a chapter got burned recently by cutting too many girls, and ended up not making quota.

I've seen it happen, and my school is definitely not SEC, nor is is super competitive.

[VandalSquirrel]

Originally Posted by Smile_Awhile

Agreed. On every count.

Because there is a lot of pressure to not cut as many because of RFM, chapters who have had much weaker return rates won't cut as many girls. Yes, girls are still cut, but that number is probably smaller than we sometimes would like. Especially if a chapter got burned recently by cutting too many girls, and ended up not making quota.

I've seen it happen, and my school is definitely not SEC, nor is is super competitive.

But in the not making quota scenario, there is the possibility of snap bidding women (which I know I read happened this fall) or doing COR or COB if not making quota fell into smaller numbers and members can bring women in they already know. For large chapters where paying the bills isn't a problem since not all women can live in not making quota may not be the worst thing if there aren't other factors at play like a large graduating senior class and a group of women studying abroad or doing internships. This may be an opportune time to pick up women members know or even transfer students, the kind of women a colony would select who are around but for whatever reason never joined.

[DeltaBetaBaby]

Originally Posted by Smile_Awhile

Agreed. On every count.

Because there is a lot of pressure to not cut as many because of RFM, chapters who have had much weaker return rates won't cut as many girls. Yes, girls are still cut, but that number is probably smaller than we sometimes would like. Especially if a chapter got burned recently by cutting too many girls, and ended up not making quota.

I've seen it happen, and my school is definitely not SEC, nor is is super competitive.

This is true, but I have to ask how many PNM's REALLY don't fit the standards for membership in our organizations? I was in a smaller chapter, and of course we got rid of women with horrible grades, and the woman who keyed a member's car in high school, and things like that, but let's be honest, here, much of what causes a woman to succeed in formal recruitment has little to do with what makes her a great member.

So what if your chapter gets the women who are not as pretty or socially gracious or well-dressed or whatever else? Does that mean they are going to make bad sisters? If you are the small chapter, and you cut them, that could mean it's the end of rush for them. It's not good for them, it's not good for your chapter, and it's not good for the system as a whole.