A "Nu" Story

[misscherrypie]

Wednesday passed, and my worry hit fever pitch. The next day...I woke up to a Facebook message from Sophie.

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Michelle wants into the sorority too :-). Is that possible?

End of the story. Nevada Nu was rising into a new dawn...in a new century. Six months of craziness into calm and accomplishment.

Between classes this morning, I ran upstairs to the University Archives and asked to see the first Nevada Nu scrapbook. When it was placed on the table, I carefully opened the front cover, and smiled.......


*~* All's Well That Ends Well *~*

[Old_Row]

Originally Posted by misscherrypie

Wednesday passed, and my worry hit fever pitch. The next day...I woke up to a Facebook message from Sophie.

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Michelle wants into the sorority too :-). Is that possible?

End of the story. Nevada Nu was rising into a new dawn...in a new century. Six months of craziness into calm and accomplishment.

Between classes this morning, I ran upstairs to the University Archives and asked to see the first Nevada Nu scrapbook. When it was placed on the table, I carefully opened the front cover, and smiled.......


*~* All's Well That Ends Well *~*

??? I'm confused about your number? Is there more to your story? Because you said this in an earlier post?

Originally Posted by misscherrypie

Rush just ended and we have a FV ready to rock and roll with 28 new sisters ! We are busy collecting dues, having our new members fill out the paperwork and getting ready to send out a nice large packet to Lori at the Rushing department.


I'll upload photos from today later....the experience has been beyond describing and we're on cloud nine at the moment. I'll post a new story in the Recruitment Story area soon....so many happy surprises and twists and turns that led to this day!

[misscherrypie]

We had 28 bids go out...which was supplemented by a few bids that were issued after bid day.

In the end, the majority of those women who accepted bids chose to not go through with pledging. So, while we were happily expecting a huge charter pledge class....things didn't turn out as we hoped.

[ree-Xi]

Originally Posted by misscherrypie

Wednesday passed, and my worry hit fever pitch. The next day...I woke up to a Facebook message from Sophie.

Michelle wants into the sorority too :-). Is that possible?

End of the story. Nevada Nu was rising into a new dawn...in a new century. Six months of craziness into calm and accomplishment.

Between classes this morning, I ran upstairs to the University Archives and asked to see the first Nevada Nu scrapbook. When it was placed on the table, I carefully opened the front cover, and smiled.......


All's Well That Ends Well

I am confused, too. I thought you said that there was a deadline to accept the bid(s)?

You also keep speaking of the "end". . Do bids = initiation, and if so, then what? I don't know much about the organization, but is membership as easy as "anyone" who will sign up?

As a member of Gamma Sigma Sigma - a national service sorority - I understand small chapters and a non-exclusionary rush policy, but that didn't mean that everyone who "signed up" for rush was offered a bid, and not everyone who received a bid ended up being initiated. I know that "numbers" are important, but it's also important to make sure that people are committed, and that it wasn't just a matter of signing the dotted line and BAM! you're in. So I was just wondering.

[misscherrypie]

We did have a deadline. It was last Friday.
The bid extended to Michelle was the equivalent of a snap bid. We had a minimum number of sisters that we needed to start a chapter, and in BSPhi persons can express interest in the org....the chapter chooses whether to extend a bid to that person, based on private membership criteria. All of those being initiated were known to us beforehand, with the exception of one member, who went through the entire rush process and was offered a bid.

We received over 80 applications and extended 33 bids total. There were women who applied to be considered for a bid who were NOT selected.

BSPhi chapters are pretty autonomous and in starting a chapter....when you know women who might be interested in the org....we discuss whether to invite them.
Sophie and I both have known Michelle for years....and after she met the rest of our sisters....we decided to extend a bid to her.

My ipad is about to die, so I will charge it and finish answering your questions once I am able to do so.

[AngelPhiSig]

I am so proud of you!!

Good/True/Beautiful!

[Old_Row]

Originally Posted by misscherrypie

We did have a deadline. It was last Friday.
The bid extended to Michelle was the equivalent of a snap bid. We had a minimum number of sisters that we needed to start a chapter, and in BSPhi persons can express interest in the org....the chapter chooses whether to extend a bid to that person, based on private membership criteria. All of those being initiated were known to us beforehand, with the exception of one member, who went through the entire rush process and was offered a bid.

We received over 80 applications and extended 33 bids total. There were women who applied to be considered for a bid who were NOT selected.

BSPhi chapters are pretty autonomous and in starting a chapter....when you know women who might be interested in the org....we discuss whether to invite them.
Sophie and I both have known Michelle for years....and after she met the rest of our sisters....we decided to extend a bid to her.

My ipad is about to die, so I will charge it and finish answering your questions once I am able to do so.

So you rejected about 50 applications, then none of the 33 you offered bids to showed up and then you were scrambling and praying to have seven so you could be a chapter? Is that what you are saying?

[misscherrypie]

Yes. That's what happened.


Thanks AngelPhiSig!

So, to continue. The two big concerns were:

A. Have enough members to charter our chapter. (Where the story ended...when we reached that goal.)
B. Become recognized as a Greek Org by our school. Which may, or may not happen.

I'm open to questions on how Nevada Nu went about recruitment, but much of the details are Private member selection information. We are selective (as certain Beta Sigma Phi members on this board have seen) and intend to remain so.

Some orgs are suited for some....others are suited for others. All of our sisters have shown their commitment to the organization, exemplify our ideals and are fiercely proud of being a Beta Sigma Phi, and forever loyal to our sisters. If we simply welcomed any and all women who desired to go Greek, then...what would our sisterhood mean?

So, our chapter process goes as such.

Bid day is synonymous with pledging (for our chapter, at least)
Pledging is synonymous with initiation (which hasn't happened yet....)

While we do have a pledge process, we are focusing on gelling together through various means as a chapter and as sisters during the lead up to initiation. I will say that we've learned a tremendous amount about one another, and sometimes....I wonder how it is that we hadn't met all that long ago but are so intensely close to each other through common shared experiences and the rituals of our soon to be chartered chapter.

It's to the point where a sister can start saying something on a Facebook wall in code...and without knowing the exact code, another sister responds and a conversation ensues....how in tune we've become in such a short period of time.

Like, yesterday was a very hard day for me. This morning, one of my littles waltzed into the room I was in with my favorite dumplings and chocolate to cheer me up.

Friendships are one thing....but my sisters astound me daily and I treasure them more and more as time goes on.

[sigmadiva]

You can add me to the confused group.

misscherrypie - are you working with an adviser, or chapter coordinator to help you all get started? It sounds like you all are taking this on without any clear guidance from BSP.

[misscherrypie]

We have the assistance of advice and encouragement from my big and one other Beta Sigma Phi....otherwise, it's just us. Most of the time, it feels like we're flying blind and playing everything by ear....which is no way to charter a chapter, I'll admit.

The fact that Beta Sigma Phi International offers almost no guidance to those charting new chapters, other than sending the needed documents to fill out and send back to international is something that I know annoys the snot out of Beta Sigma Phi members in general. It's a major gripe among us Beta Sigma Phis across the planet and one that I personally think that International ignores.

The major reason why there are so few collegiate Beta Sigma Phi chapters is spelled out in this thread: No guidance, no set process to recruit younger members (International suggests that we invite women with which we are already familiar to a two event and things go in from there.) and while international is helpful in some ways....in many ways, they need to make changes....and while I've read thread after thread of my fellow sisters contacting International and offering their assistance in different ways....they are always rebuffed.

(End of vent)

So, basically....I can understand the confusion. It's a wonder that we aren't all confused ourselves here in Nevada Nu....because there have been more than enough instances of "What are we supposed to do now???" In the last two weeks. We've found ways to deal...but the utter lack of supportive guidance from our International has been a detriment.

[adpiucf]

Might I suggest befriending a faculty member and inviting her to become an adviser? Someone older and wiser to run things by? Even if there is no firm national guidance, sometimes it helps to have someone in such a role.

[misscherrypie]

We do have a faculty advisor. She is not a Beta Sigma Phi....but has been supportive in the ways in which she is able to be. I'd personally appreciate her taking more of an advisory role....but since she's only been on board for less than a week, and has been observing how things have run....we believe that she will gradually come into her own.

[sigmadiva]

WOW!! Thanks for letting us know.

Well, keep at it. You are very determined to make this work, and it seems like it will.

[misscherrypie]

Thanks SigmaDiva. Really.

We meet with ASUN tomorrow morning for a discussion in relation to becoming recognized by the University. All thoughts and prayers would be most welcome for a positive outcome.

Thank you!

[erica812]

Originally Posted by misscherrypie

We have the assistance of advice and encouragement from my big and one other Beta Sigma Phi....otherwise, it's just us. Most of the time, it feels like we're flying blind and playing everything by ear....which is no way to charter a chapter, I'll admit.

The fact that Beta Sigma Phi International offers almost no guidance to those charting new chapters, other than sending the needed documents to fill out and send back to international is something that I know annoys the snot out of Beta Sigma Phi members in general. It's a major gripe among us Beta Sigma Phis across the planet and one that I personally think that International ignores.

The major reason why there are so few collegiate Beta Sigma Phi chapters is spelled out in this thread: No guidance, no set process to recruit younger members (International suggests that we invite women with which we are already familiar to a two event and things go in from there.) and while international is helpful in some ways....in many ways, they need to make changes....and while I've read thread after thread of my fellow sisters contacting International and offering their assistance in different ways....they are always rebuffed.

(End of vent)

So, basically....I can understand the confusion. It's a wonder that we aren't all confused ourselves here in Nevada Nu....because there have been more than enough instances of "What are we supposed to do now???" In the last two weeks. We've found ways to deal...but the utter lack of supportive guidance from our International has been a detriment.

I have to jump in here to clarify for non-members and maybe to help misscherrypie just a bit. I have participated in two Friendly Ventures, and International is actually quite supportive. They are "experts" in the kind of BSP chapters that USUALLY exist. Typical BSP chapters are 10-20 women meeting in a member's home or at a restaurant over coffee. They meet one or two times per month (depending if they are following the traditional or career format). They are NOT collegiate chapters. They do not operate like NPC chapters at all. Misscherrypie is right in saying that chapters are fairly autonomous. This has positives and negatives, but simply put, misscherrypie and other collegiate BSP chapters are basically molding their chapters as they wish. BSP allows for this as long as you are upholding tyour financial obligations, maintaining the values set forth in our rituals, and holding the required number of educational programs each year. You must also submit your meeting minutes to International. Otherwise, Nevada Nu and any other BSP chapter can operate as they choose. If misscherrypie feels like she is flying by the seat of her pants a bit, it's because she is treading new ground. There are very few collegiate BSP chapters, so it is completely expected for her to have to do new things. From what I've seen, I believe she is enjoying that aspect of the process!

International has designed a very simple, clearly-presented system for chartering new chapters--a process that we call Friendly Venturing. A Friendly Venture was designed to be a project organized by an existing chapter or a member-at-large who has moved to a new community. In the case where an existing chapter is nearby the Extension Officer and usually an extension committee would walk along side the new chapter until it is on its feet, usually about 6 months which is the length of Beta SIgma Phi's pledge period. The new chapter can select an Advisor from the chapter that is began the Friendly Venture. If a member-at-large Friendly Ventures, she is already experienced in the workings of the sorority, so she knows how to set up and operate a chapter.

Only recently has International allowed non-members to Friendly Venture. That was me 10 years ago!! It was a very exciting ride for me. A few months into the process, I joined an online chapter of BSP, and I learned a lot from the women in that chapter as I helped my new chapter thrive. Some of them had been members for over 40 years! I also connected with two chapters in my area, and they conducted our Ritual of Jewels after the 6 month pledge period. AngelPhiSig and I have made ourselves available to misscherrypie to help her have a successful experience.


As the founder of a new Friendly Venture, misscherrypie will receive everything she needs to complete the chartering process. Our two texts, The Book of Beta Sigma Phi and The Invitation to Life outline every aspect of chapter operation. But if misscherrypie just submitted her paperwork, she hasn't received those books yet. They include the rituals, all aspects of running a meeting and conducting pledge training.

Misscherrypie, I know what you mean about International's reaction to the suggestions of members, but I'm not sure "rebuffed" is quite the right word. As one of the sisters who has approached International on these issues, I have always found them to be amazingly friendly and passionate about the sorority. They are actually extremely prompt with e-mail and phone calls. They aren't always in touch with the needs of younger women, but I do believe that there is a true desire to expand in that way.

I, for one, am extremely proud of the progress you are making! Just remind yourself, this is not a collegiate sorority FOR A REASON. It was never meant to be. BSP can operate on a college campus, but it is not meant to be the same as your fellow Greeks on campus.

Hope this helps!