Pledge Education Course

[Royal_Blue_True]

So we set the pledge class project, it is going to take place during NOEL NIGHT!
The pc president is talking to the Detroit Public Library, Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History, and Barnes and Noble, all venues that host Noel Night events.
The pledges are doing Cards for smiles, which is where we give cards to the terminally ill at Childrens hospital. They have a lot of rules, and the cards have to be laminated once we finish drawing them all, but I am confident in the pledges!
Noel Night is a big thing in Midtown Detroit, and we hope that a lot of community members will stop by and help make the cards.
As an incentive, everyone who does a card gets a blueberry candy cane and a thank you note!
This will be fun!

[naraht]

Originally Posted by Royal_Blue_True

So we set the pledge class project, it is going to take place during NOEL NIGHT!
The pc president is talking to the Detroit Public Library, Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History, and Barnes and Noble, all venues that host Noel Night events.
The pledges are doing Cards for smiles, which is where we give cards to the terminally ill at Childrens hospital. They have a lot of rules, and the cards have to be laminated once we finish drawing them all, but I am confident in the pledges!
Noel Night is a big thing in Midtown Detroit, and we hope that a lot of community members will stop by and help make the cards.
As an incentive, everyone who does a card gets a blueberry candy cane and a thank you note!
This will be fun!

When is Noel night? Initiation will be before Xmas, right?

[Royal_Blue_True]

Originally Posted by naraht

When is Noel night? Initiation will be before Xmas, right?

Noel Night is December 1st, the deadline for their service project to be completed is December 2nd, and they will initiate on December 9th, the 6th anniversay of Zeta Pi's rechartering!

Its a tight schedule, I will admit, but good ol' Wayne State and late final exams makes it almost nessecary. We like to have everyone intiated before finals start; one less thing to worry about.

[naraht]

Originally Posted by Royal_Blue_True

Noel Night is December 1st, the deadline for their service project to be completed is December 2nd, and they will initiate on December 9th, the 6th anniversay of Zeta Pi's rechartering!

Its a tight schedule, I will admit, but good ol' Wayne State and late final exams makes it almost nessecary. We like to have everyone intiated before finals start; one less thing to worry about.

Cool. I hope there is no problem with the Noel Night...

I definitely agree with initiations before finals. Fall semester tends to be particularly tight...

I know of only one chapter that pledges in the Fall Semester and initiates in the Spring, Theta chapter at UVA. I've never gotten a straight answer as to whether time not in school should count toward the time in the 6-10 weeks, but given as far as I can tell Theta has been doing this longer than the current Region III Director has been a brother, I doubt that they are going to get in trouble for that. I definitely wouldn't recommend a chapter changing to that...

[Royal_Blue_True]

Apparently, the pledge class president just notified me that Childrens Hospital does not accept donated cards, even if laminated.
But the pledge class vp of service works there, and she said they said it was okay.
We have to get to the bottom of this, or pick another project... FAST.

[naraht]

Originally Posted by Royal_Blue_True

Apparently, the pledge class president just notified me that Childrens Hospital does not accept donated cards, even if laminated.
But the pledge class vp of service works there, and she said they said it was okay.
We have to get to the bottom of this, or pick another project... FAST.

Hate to get derivative, but just in case, what is UDM's pledge class doing?

[Royal_Blue_True]

Originally Posted by naraht

Hate to get derivative, but just in case, what is UDM's pledge class doing?

GAHHH!!! I have totally been slacking on the inter-chapter events.
There meetings are WAAAAY later than ours on Sundays. Since no one in the chapter has a car (my husbands car died) and trying to go anywhere on the bus on a sunday ensures you will be waiting for at least two hours, I dont know.

I am going to be giving them a call, should have done it WAAAAYYYY sooner.

[naraht]

Originally Posted by Royal_Blue_True

GAHHH!!! I have totally been slacking on the inter-chapter events.
There meetings are WAAAAY later than ours on Sundays. Since no one in the chapter has a car (my husbands car died) and trying to go anywhere on the bus on a sunday ensures you will be waiting for at least two hours, I dont know.

I am going to be giving them a call, should have done it WAAAAYYYY sooner.

Maybe they can come visit?

[Royal_Blue_True]

So, I have been totally negligent on posting Sorry!

My chapter initiated the 3 pledges on December 9th. All of them totaled at least 45 service hours each, way more than the required 20.
They attended almost EVERY General Body meeting, as well as Committee Meetings, and planned and completed a wonderful Christmas themed service project!
I am so proud of them.
I held an exit interview of sorts, where I asked them what they felt we could do to improve the pledge program.
One said the program was awesome, and that no changed were needed. One said that we needed to have more fellowship activities just for the pledges, and a third said the same. She didn't feel connected to her pledge brothers as well as she would have liked to.

I would like to include more fellowships, but as pledge educator, I don't feel that it is my total responsibility to plan fellowships for them. I planned one or two, and told them that if they wanted to have more, or do something completely different, then it would be up to them to plan it. I reiterated that during the exit interviews as well.
Since they have been active, they have been more than productive Brothers.
They coordinated the gift wrapping party for our Adopt a Family Project, helped paint the Spirit Rock, completed our showcase for the Fraternities anniversary, and expressed interest in assisting members of the Executive Board.

I am pleased at the direction my chapter is taking; I was really concerned that we were going to lose an entire pledge class (like we did Spring 2012; all of the Brothers from that pledge class initiated, but were never heard from again, although you will see them on campus in letters all the time )


A few things I WILL make sure to include: More Intra-chapter things. The pledges have met Brothers from Eta Pi, but haven't hung out with them much since Section Conference.
More fun activities like APO Jeopardy or APO Bingo. We didn't get to play much because we kept falling behind
More emphasis on service: I want them to begin thinking about how to plan a project from day one, so that we don't have them doing a project the day before the deadline.

I loved this experience of cultivating and guiding our new members; can't wait for next semester's class!

[naraht]

Congrats on the three new brothers?

Brothers wearing letters who have gone completely inactive is a completely different issue.

Hope that the two chapters can stay in good contact!

[Royal_Blue_True]

Thanks much, I have never before felt so involved in my chapter.

[naraht]

Originally Posted by Royal_Blue_True

Thanks much, I have never before felt so involved in my chapter.

That's great, are you pledgemaster again next semester?

[PADFSUGirl2K2]

Congrats on the new brothers!

I agree with Randy in wishing for the two chapters to be in contact with each other! :-)