Capitalist vs. Socialistic

[33girl]

Originally Posted by thetygerlily

I disagree with the crappy members statement. I almost didn't go through because there was a large "you don't need that" mentality, and I hope I've not been a crappy member. Many women who do go through do so because one or two people talked them into it (myself included; if I hadn't met one particular person I might not have gone through).

But you DID go through. That's my point. I honestly believe that people who let themselves be talked out of things want to be talked out of them (and vice versa)...yes even at age 18.

I didn't mean that upperclassmen had a disadvantage, I meant that worrying how many "out of 350 freshmen" went through rush or signed a bid card isn't getting you anywhere. Just keep reaching out to all students.

[violetpretty]

Originally Posted by jwright25

Regarding deferred recruitment. I think it works well on some campuses, but there are others where it would become a breeding ground for dirty rushing, I'm afraid. The tent talk would be spread out over a whole semester, and PNMs would be influenced by men as well. I don't see how it would help the struggling chapter when PNMs have a whole semester to "fall in love" with the stronger groups. One of the goals of RFM is to manage PNM expectations and let them explore realistic options rather than spending extra time with chapters that they have no chance of joining. With deferred, they just get their hopes up over a longer period of time.

Ah, but remember, my suggestion allows for plenty of interaction between members and PNMs first semester, especially in a Panhellenic environment. First semester is an opportunity for struggling/lower tier/weaker/smaller/whatever to go out and meet PNMs in their classes, activities, dorms, etc. Person to person interaction is what gets women to join. So, while some PNMs may fall in love with top groups, there will be PNMs that will love smaller chapters for the women in them.

[Psi U MC Vito]

Hmm, that's hard to say. My school doesn't have a formal sorority recruitment process, but I think both systems work well. I have heard the I WAS an XYZ from both NIC and NPC members so it's really hard to say.

[Gusteau]

That's an interesting question. I think I would say both, or neither.

I think it depends on the individual's experiences and the chapter's focus on alumni involvement. For example, with NPHC (from what I've inferred from some friends and GC, so correct me if I'm wrong) you have an "informed consumer" pursuing membership and this person should already understand the lifetime obligation they are about to accept. With NIC/NPC your new member is likely rather clueless to the majority of the greek experience, and it's up to the chapter and its membership education program to enstill these values. So I would say that it is less about recruitment and more about education.

[Psi U MC Vito]

^^^ It depends, and I wouldn't say fraternity recruitment is essentially a drinking party, at least not for everybody. It's really common to have events when you can spend time talking to the rushes as well as whatever else you may being.

[DrPhil]

I don't think fraternities, in general, are drinking parties. That was just the example that I used.

[BrandNewAdvisor]

Originally Posted by naraht

The Fraternities rush capitalistically, the Sororities rush socialistically.

I wouldn't say that sorority recruitment is socialist.
XYZ is small and works really hard at preparing for recruitment, but they have a bad reputation and take only a few members.
ABC is huge and doesn't really prepare and coasts along on a good reputation and take quota plus.
Even though XYZ works hard and needs more members it's not going to get them.
Granted over time XYZ's work would eventually pay off but that would require them to survive until that happens.
ABC's lack of work would eventually have a negative effect but if they are popular and consistently attract the popular types it would be easy to just coast.
Sororities have a say on who to take and pnms have a say on who they want to join (if at all).

It's been said before somewhere on here that women think that sorority makes them and men think that they make their fraternity. The systems have to be different to work with this.

A strong sorority has the Walmart effect. Some small business will make it, lots will fail and it's much harder for them to start and grow. For the pnms, even if you don't love Walmart it can end up being the only place to shop and even if it's not, it's just easier to go there since it's where everyone else goes. There's always going to be a higher price at the smaller/less popular sorority.

A strong fraternity is like a large boutique. If you don't like the stuff you are going to shop elsewhere. Some boutiques are larger than others but there isn't a change in cost. There isn't the criticism and rejection from the peer group. It isn't that big of a deal to prefer a less popular chapter.

I was in the least popular sorority and my fiance was in the least popular fraternity. My sisters and I were constantly working on how to fix ourselves, improve our social calendar etc to be on par with the other sororities. The guys didn't do anything or have anything less than the largest fraternity.

/moderately disappointed in my gender/

[33girl]

The CONCEPT of rush is textbook socialist, but of course the results are not (much like real socialism).

As far as the guys not having "anything less" than the largest fraternity, I'm guessing the guys who got absolutely no play from the most popular sorority girls because of the fraternity they were were in would disagree.

And as far as the popular sorority coasting, it depends on where you are, but in line with the culture's increasingly short term memory and instant nostalgia, you can't do this as much as you used to.

[violetpretty]

Originally Posted by BrandNewAdvisor

I wouldn't say that sorority recruitment is socialist.
XYZ is small and works really hard at preparing for recruitment, but they have a bad reputation and take only a few members.
ABC is huge and doesn't really prepare and coasts along on a good reputation and take quota plus.
Even though XYZ works hard and needs more members it's not going to get them.
Granted over time XYZ's work would eventually pay off but that would require them to survive until that happens.
ABC's lack of work would eventually have a negative effect but if they are popular and consistently attract the popular types it would be easy to just coast.
Sororities have a say on who to take and pnms have a say on who they want to join (if at all).

It's been said before somewhere on here that women think that sorority makes them and men think that they make their fraternity. The systems have to be different to work with this.

A strong sorority has the Walmart effect. Some small business will make it, lots will fail and it's much harder for them to start and grow. For the pnms, even if you don't love Walmart it can end up being the only place to shop and even if it's not, it's just easier to go there since it's where everyone else goes. There's always going to be a higher price at the smaller/less popular sorority.

Does your campus use RFM?

[BrandNewAdvisor]

Originally Posted by violetpretty

Does your campus use RFM?

On my campus of initiation they switched to it my junior year. When I joined my chapter they were at their lowest point and if girls were only invited to our pref they dropped and if they had two, suicided 99% of the time.

The campus I just started advising at does use it and has been for a while.

[DGTess]

NPC recruitment encourages superficiality. Therefore, long-term commitments are built after pledging. I doubt that's much different from fraternity experiences; long-term commitments are built in the years after pledging.

[33girl]

Originally Posted by DGTess

NPC recruitment encourages superficiality.

Disagree. Formal rush encourages it (and even that's debatable, depending on the school). Many chapters of NPC groups recruit in manners other than formal rush.

The system is what the women make it. If the chapters have more than a hint of the superficial, that will be magnified during rush. But if the women as a whole are down to earth and could care less about fashion or status, a week of formal rush with scheduled parties and bid matching is not going to turn them or the rushees into Paris Hilton clones.

[violetpretty]

Originally Posted by DGTess

NPC recruitment encourages superficiality.

Originally Posted by 33girl

Disagree. Formal rush encourages it (and even that's debatable, depending on the school). Many chapters of NPC groups recruit in manners other than formal rush.

I think this is why the NPC is encouraging schools to move toward "no-frills" so the focus is the conversation. It's stupid really, because who actually chooses a chapter based on their decorations, skit, theme, or bulk-ordered matching outfits?

33girl and I are the biggest deferred recruitment cheerleaders on this board for many reasons, but among others, it allows for AUTHENTIC interaction between PNMs and actives.

You can argue that Superpopular Sigma is "forced" to be superficial because they are forced to make so many cuts after round 1 per RFM requirements. I disagree. If they want to take only the prettiest PNMs, that is their prerogative. If they want the PNMs they connect with the best, their challenge is to ask the right kinds of questions to get the right information from PNMs.

[thetygerlily]

Originally Posted by 33girl

Disagree. Formal rush encourages it (and even that's debatable, depending on the school). Many chapters of NPC groups recruit in manners other than formal rush. The system is what the women make it.

Agreed. The formal recruitment round robin approach makes sense for getting to know a lot of chapters in a short amount of time. Do you get to know their hopes and desires, what makes them tick? Maybe, maybe not. But often you don't do that for several weeks, months, or even years anyway. My school only had three sororities and it was plenty of time to for the mutual selection process to take place; larger systems may make that more difficult (more options, sometimes shorter rounds) but all things considered, it's a fairly practical way to do it. Otherwise recruitment could last all four years and we'd get nothing done!

Informal recruitment makes sense for getting to know the chapters on a more "typical" basis- doing things they normally would do together, outside of the formalities and chants and structure. I like that both are options, both appeal to certain audiences, both enable you to get to know aspects of sorority life. I'd be curious if anyone has any other ideas for a system that would be more efficient and productive?

[violetpretty]

Originally Posted by thetygerlily

Agreed. The formal recruitment round robin approach makes sense for getting to know a lot of chapters in a short amount of time. Do you get to know their hopes and desires, what makes them tick? Maybe, maybe not. But often you don't do that for several weeks, months, or even years anyway. My school only had three sororities and it was plenty of time to for the mutual selection process to take place; larger systems may make that more difficult (more options, sometimes shorter rounds) but all things considered, it's a fairly practical way to do it. Otherwise recruitment could last all four years and we'd get nothing done!

Informal recruitment makes sense for getting to know the chapters on a more "typical" basis- doing things they normally would do together, outside of the formalities and chants and structure. I like that both are options, both appeal to certain audiences, both enable you to get to know aspects of sorority life. I'd be curious if anyone has any other ideas for a system that would be more efficient and productive?

Defer recruitment until spring. PNMs begin to sign up for recruitment the first day of fall semester. Allow chapters/Panhellenic to invite registered PNMs to philanthropy events, to watch Greek Week/Homecoming events, Panhellenic speakers/programs, etc. basically anything that wouldn't be weird to have non-members attend. Registered PNMs bring friends, friends register, they bring their friends. A semester of authentic interaction (and a semester to prove yourself academically on the college level) and then formal recruitment for efficiency.