Letters of Rec - Chapter Perspective

[HQWest]

The place to start would be with the girls you have in the chapter now. Start with asking girls to stand up at prerecruitment and "introduce" a girl from their high school or hometown that they know is will be going through recruitment. Later on, explain to them that there is no way to really know everyone coming through recruitment and can be really hard to pick the best pledge class - so ask them to ask the alumnae in the area for help. Go to a local alum meeting or host a collumnae event and ask alums if they know great quality girls that might be going to school there in the next year or couple of years. Then ask the girls that have just graduated or are graduating to recommend someone from their hometown.

[33girl]

Originally Posted by AXOrushadvisor

It seems if you aren't on a competitive campus you don't get recs unless the girls come from a competitive campus part of the country.

That's pretty much how it has always been.

Originally Posted by HQWest

The place to start would be with the girls you have in the chapter now. Start with asking girls to stand up at prerecruitment and "introduce" a girl from their high school or hometown that they know is will be going through recruitment. Later on, explain to them that there is no way to really know everyone coming through recruitment and can be really hard to pick the best pledge class - so ask them to ask the alumnae in the area for help.

Recs don't help you to "know" a girl at all. They are simply an alumna vouching for a rushee's activities (i.e. that she really did them, not that she pulled them out of her hat) and her character. How well did your parents' friends truly "know" you, as far as things like your musical interests, what really made you upset, how you interacted with your friends etc?

If recs were that powerful and prevented any bad decisions and assured that you would always have "the best pledge class" - in other words, if they were 100% guaranteed to be flawless - wouldn't every chapter of every sorority use them?

[AnchorAlumna]

Originally Posted by 33girl

Recs don't help you to "know" a girl at all.

No, but a well-written one will help you get an idea of the kinds of things that interest her, what she excels in, where her values lie.
Of course, all bets are off when the young 'uns head off for freedom and no accounting to mom and dad every night.
I've seen some fabulous recs written vouching for pure young ladies who wound up bedding the football and basketball teams and getting arrested at her drug dealer boyfriend's apartment.
No, it's not perfect.
But it's better than nothing.
I'd give you some examples of train wrecks avoided (or that could have been avoided) with a little background checking by a conscientious alumna, but they'd be too identifiable.

[Mevara]

Originally Posted by HQWest

The place to start would be with the girls you have in the chapter now. Start with asking girls to stand up at prerecruitment and "introduce" a girl from their high school or hometown that they know is will be going through recruitment.

We do this part already but I don't think it is the same as getting a rec for her. Isn't a rec really needed for people you don't already know.

[HQWest]

Originally Posted by Mevara

We do this part already but I don't think it is the same as getting a rec for her. Isn't a rec really needed for people you don't already know.

I was trying to think of how someone would start cold turkey. The idea was start with the girls introducing someone they know, and then use that to introduce rec letters as that same kind of introduction but from an alumna. Or use letters to reinforce the good things - so the chapter doesn't have to go based solely on one or two members opinions.

If they started with letters from ladies recently graduated, they will respond to a recommendation of someone they don't know, but someone else they respect/know does.

[Titchou]

Originally Posted by Mevara

We do this part already but I don't think it is the same as getting a rec for her. Isn't a rec really needed for people you don't already know.

No, every PNM should have a rec.