Recolonizing - How does it work?

[CaffeinatedPNM]

Minor update - It appears the chapter only closed a few years back (less than five). If this is true, will it be different than a normal colonization?

[33girl]

Originally Posted by CaffeinatedPNM

Minor update - It appears the chapter only closed a few years back (less than five). If this is true, will it be different than a normal colonization?

The new chapter might have to fight an old, undesirable reputation more than a group that's coming back after a longer hiatus would. They also might have to deal with members who are early alumnae, and depending on how the sorority and the members tend to deal with it, it can sometimes end badly.

However, the sorority has obviously deemed this a risk they're willing to take or they wouldn't be recolonizing.

[Senusret I]

Gotcha -- makes sense.

[KSUViolet06]

^^^How would they be (assuming that most of the seniors would graduate before the next FR anyway?)

[OneHeartOneWay]

Originally Posted by KSUViolet06

^^^How would they be (assuming that most of the seniors would graduate before the next FR anyway?)

They were allowed to recurit to total of 94. If they could take 94 freshman/sophomore/juniors (and seniors were free) then technically there was a chance ZTA could have 100% retention and enter fall FR with 94 members. This isn't a campus where total is 94 but most chapters are at 130 or something, most of the chapters are around 94, so when the Panhellenic polled the number of women graduating from each chapter, for some it was going to be 15-20 women. So, they would be returning to FR with say 80 women to ZTA's 94. That was their logic, anyway...

ETA: So, the other chapters were betting that ZTA would take some seniors in their colony of 94, to help make it more even. I haven't actually seen the class breakdown of the colony to see if that came true or not.

[CaffeinatedPNM]

Question.

If campus total is 200 (as in, each sorority is allowed to have two hundred girls), would the re/colonizing chapter take 200ish (or 3/4 that, as with what y'all have said above)? Or would they take less than the 3/4 or..? I know this is going to be different per sorority and each case, but would they try to colonize a "full" chapter or just do partial?

One would assume full, but I just wanted to make sure I am understanding. :]

[DubaiSis]

Originally Posted by CaffeinatedPNM

Question.

If campus total is 200 (as in, each sorority is allowed to have two hundred girls), would the re/colonizing chapter take 200ish (or 3/4 that, as with what y'all have said above)? Or would they take less than the 3/4 or..? I know this is going to be different per sorority and each case, but would they try to colonize a "full" chapter or just do partial?

One would assume full, but I just wanted to make sure I am understanding. :]

The issue here is stated versus actual total. Some schools go into rush with every chapter being at/above total already. Obviously if they only let a chapter colonize to total they'd be in a world of hurt. But typically (I think) a colony will pledge around the stated total. However, as I stated earlier, they they seem to be taking 10-15% fewer than that lately.

[Titchou]

Some campuses have allowed a colony to go to average cahpter size - such as Delta Gamma at Alabama. Total or average chapter size are the norm.

[OneHeartOneWay]

I have no idea if the is common practice, or becoming common practice, but I know when ZTA recolonized at Louisville this year, they asked to have seniors be "free," meaning they could recruit as many seniors as they wanted without them applying to their total membership numbers. The motion was defeated by the college panhellenic.

[DeltaBetaBaby]

Originally Posted by OneHeartOneWay

I have no idea if the is common practice, or becoming common practice, but I know when ZTA recolonized at Louisville this year, they asked to have seniors be "free," meaning they could recruit as many seniors as they wanted without them applying to their total membership numbers. The motion was defeated by the college panhellenic.

That's really short-sighted, IMO. How could that possibly hurt the other chapters? All it does is make sure they have an instant alumnae base, and to deny them that seems a bit petty.

[OneHeartOneWay]

Originally Posted by DeltaBetaBaby

That's really short-sighted, IMO. How could that possibly hurt the other chapters? All it does is make sure they have an instant alumnae base, and to deny them that seems a bit petty.

The reasoning I heard was that then they would not have any graduating members, making them larger than the other groups entering FR next year. ZTA presented a compelling argument, I thought, about their attrition numbers over the first two semesters of their colonies, which (if they held true) would have basically equaled the average number of seniors graduating from the other chapters. However, I think the impossibility of knowing for sure there would be attrition scared some of the chapters into thinking ZTA would be significantly larger entering FR next year.

[33girl]

Originally Posted by OneHeartOneWay

However, I think the impossibility of knowing for sure there would be attrition scared some of the chapters into thinking ZTA would be significantly larger entering FR next year.

Yeah, I would have DEFINITELY voted thumbs down on this.

You don't know what people know, and wouldn't it have just been a giant "coincidence" when all the seniors turned out to be double majors who were staying for another year.

CaffeinatedPNM: Typically a chapter will try to recruit up to total. If they don't, there's a reasoning behind it.