Little Chapter, Big Recruitment: Spring 2009

[AlphaXi_Husky]

Originally Posted by silverpearls

Tonight was the second night of COB! We had 14 PNMs come out, including some repeats and a lot of new faces... between the two nights, we've had 21 PNMs at COB! It's so exciting that we're meeting so many. We've meet a lot of really high-quality girls, and they seem pretty interested. So far there a lot of girls everybody loves, a few most don't like and only one on which sisters are divided. Luckily there are only 21, so voting on Friday shouldn't take too long.

I'll update again on Friday night to let you know how things go. We'll extend bids by phone late Friday night, so I may know at that point who our final spring pledge class will be... so exciting!! Remember, all we need is 14 to make quota - for the first time ever!!

So exciting! I can't wait for Friday to hear how things go for you guys! All the best to you and your chapter!

[Cruise4fun]

Don't forget. If Quota still brings you under Total, you can bid up to total.

[agzg]

I don't think I can wait another day!

[CougarGrad]

Originally Posted by alphagamzetagam

I don't think I can wait another day!

We're excited.

Or addicted.

Or both. Yes, I think... both.

Go silverpearls! Best of luck to you and the chapter!!

[agzg]

Originally Posted by CougarGrad

We're excited.

Or addicted.

Or both. Yes, I think... both.

Go silverpearls! Best of luck to you and the chapter!!

Pretty soon here I'm going to get the shakes. Only one more day, only one more day!

[silverpearls]

I'm sorry to keep you all in suspense!! I want to know as much as you do!!

Things have been going pretty well with the New Members we have. It's crazy this year trying to keep track of them all... we've never had so many and we're about to get a lot more, so we're struggling with trying to have everybody get to know each other. This has never been a problem for our chapter before since we've always been so teeny!

Our chapter right now is the biggest we've ever been. We're having a lot of sister/NM socials to try to get everybody to get to know each other, but obviously there are still a lot of New Members (and some sisters!) who don't know everybody's names. I know we'll get there as the semester progresses, but right now it feels really weird.

One of my fears for our chapter is that we'll someday end up too big - I know that's the least of our worries right now, but there are some chapters on my campus with nearly 200 girls, and none of them know each other! PNMs want to get in because 1) the chapter has a huge presence and they see the sisters around a lot, and 2) because they want the prestige of wearing the letters. But after they join a lot of times they're unhappy with how impersonal it is. In fact, several girls in our new pledge class pledged one of the big top chapters last year and dropped out because they didn't like it. I really don't want Venus to go that route. We've always been known as the small chapter with friendly, approachable girls who are all friends with each other. Granted, we've been called a lot of bad things, too (ugly, fat, awkward, loser-ish, etc.). But we've always been a close-knit chapter and now that our growth is starting to take off, I worry that we'll lose that sense of community as sisters form groups.

Bottom line, I guess, is that I don't want us to lose our identity and our sisterhood in the quest for numbers, or the pressure to make quota and chapter total. It never seemed like a possibility before, but if we get 14 girls tomorrow and make quota, we'll be very close to making chapter total. How crazy is that?? To the other chapters it isn't a huge deal - they've all been wayyy over chapter total (by like 50ish people) for years. But we've never even gotten close.

Ok, well, I'll be back tomorrow to let you know how things go! Fingers crossed for a great batch of baby Venuses!

[AGDee]

I wish your chapter all the luck in the world. It's very exciting to see a chapter grow like this. My own chapter did this shortly after I joined. We actually doubled our chapter size in one semester so some people had to double up on sister-daughters (myself included) because a few couldn't/didn't want to do it. There *are* growing pains when you bring a large group, but they are good growing pains. It primarily deals with the newest members having new ideas about how things could be done and older members wanting to do it just the way they always did. Down the road though, everything becomes less work because you have more people to do it all!

[preciousjeni]

Originally Posted by silverpearls

To the other chapters it isn't a huge deal - they've all been wayyy over chapter total (by like 50ish people) for years. But we've never even gotten close.

Ok, well, I'll be back tomorrow to let you know how things go! Fingers crossed for a great batch of baby Venuses!

Out of curiosity and to anyone who might be willing to answer, how can a chapter be 50 members above total? I thought total was a cap? It seems unethical for a campus panhellenic (or whoever decides) to allow that.

[lovespink88]

Can't wait to hear how it goes! Good luck!

[APhiAnna]

I think you'll be surprised about growing in size. Unless your chapter is under 5 or 6 women, there will be cliques and girls that don't get along amazingly. Simply by growing you are adding girls with more talents that will make everything (Greek Week, recruitment, socials, philanthropy) so much easier. And the names thing is not as bad as people feel it might be...I know women in GIGANTIC chapters that know who everybody is. I think it really depends on the culture of the specific chapter.

[FSUZeta]

my daughters chapter had each member design her own info. page. they used regular 8 x 11 paper, had photos of themselves-their sorority family, their real family,room number(or if they lived off campus) family pets, boyfriends, etc. and added their hometown, major, favorite books, likes/dislikes, other extracurriculars they participate in, etc. the pledge trainer made copies of each page and made notebooks for each new member.

my daughter found it invaluable and she now has fun designing her own page each year.

maybe your chapter could do something like this.

[AOII Angel]

Originally Posted by FSUZeta

my daughters chapter had each member design her own info. page. they used regular 8 x 11 paper, had photos of themselves-their sorority family, their real family,room number(or if they lived off campus) family pets, boyfriends, etc. and added their hometown, major, favorite books, likes/dislikes, other extracurriculars they participate in, etc. the pledge trainer made copies of each page and made notebooks for each new member.

my daughter found it invaluable and she now has fun designing her own page each year.

maybe your chapter could do something like this.

I second this! I loved making my sheet every year, though we did half a page. A lot of us got really intricate with our pages. They were called "Panda Pages."

[KSUViolet06]

Originally Posted by APhiAnna

I think you'll be surprised about growing in size. Unless your chapter is under 5 or 6 women, there will be cliques and girls that don't get along amazingly. Simply by growing you are adding girls with more talents that will make everything (Greek Week, recruitment, socials, philanthropy) so much easier. And the names thing is not as bad as people feel it might be...I know women in GIGANTIC chapters that know who everybody is. I think it really depends on the culture of the specific chapter.

Very true. Alot of times you THINK you won't be able to familairize yourself with everyone, but you will. Chapters at my school average 60-80ish girls and we all knew each other very well.

The chapters at some larger schools aveerage close to 200 girls and they all manage to get to know each other as well.

Alot of chapters use the "we want to REALLY know each other" excuse as a excuse not to grow.

You can still have the community, but it just will take some time/work.

[APhiAnna]

Originally Posted by KSUViolet06

Alot of chapters use the "we want to REALLY know each other" excuse as a excuse not to grow.

GREAT point. I know the struggling chapters (both fraternities and sororities) at our school will often use the argument that since they are smaller they know each other better. I think, in some cases, it's used as kind of a defensive reason for why they aren't larger. Which is fine, but when they actually get a chance (like your chapter seems to be getting) to grow rapidly, they hold on to that excuse because they have internalized it so much. I would just focus on growing as much as possible and I think you will see that if you are truly pulling for quality and quantity, your sisterhood should stay the same.

[KSUViolet06]

Originally Posted by APhiAnna

GREAT point. I know the struggling chapters (both fraternities and sororities) at our school will often use the argument that since they are smaller they know each other better. I think, in some cases, it's used as kind of a defensive reason for why they aren't larger. Which is fine, but when they actually get a chance (like your chapter seems to be getting) to grow rapidly, they hold on to that excuse because they have internalized it so much. I would just focus on growing as much as possible and I think you will see that if you are truly pulling for quality and quantity, your sisterhood should stay the same.

EXACTLY.

silverpearls:

The types of things you're feeling/experiencing (feeling like you'll never get to know all the NMs) are very normal and they just come with sudden growth.

Sisterhood/closeness is not related to how big/small your chapter is. You can have a close knit community of sisters and be at total. Alot of smaller chapters tend to buy into a "smaller = more sisterhood and closer bond" thing and that is not the truth. I've interacted with small chapters who didn't care to know each other and weren't friendly to each other, so small doesn't always = more personal.

As long as you're making an effort to get to know them, you can still maintain the closeness that you feel your chapter is known for. It just takes a little more effort.