Full Frills Recruitment

[LionTamer]

I think I've told this story, but we had a "semi-frills" rush in the 80s, meaning that the actual dollars spent were limited, but people were allowed to receive token gifts (a flower, a hand-made booklet, etc) and we were allowed to go nuts with the decorating as long as it was done with very little money.

The thing was, at the last pref party, you could SEE where the girls had been by the "token" gifts they were carrying.

Our sorority was the "safety" sorority for a lot of girls - we lost a lot of our rush crushes to the Chi O's and Thetas, who were considered "top tier". It was the very last preference party of what is one of the longest rushes in the country (at least in the number of parties - we had either 16 or 19 sororities at the time and 4 rounds of parties, no photos and no resumes). I was last-minute co-rush chairman (the elected chair dropped out of school for the term) and also the only calligrapher, so I was beyond exhausted and cranky. The girl sitting across from me was cute as a button, sitting ramrod straight, poised and perfect. (We, on the other hand were known as the more relaxed "fun" girls). She was clutching a book whose cover I couldn't see, and a yellow carnation tied up with Chi O yellow-and-white ribbons.

"I am SO torn about which sorority to choose."

I looked her in the eyes, shook my head, and said, sarcastically "Don't kid yourself. You know exactly where you want to go."

Later, I felt bad for having been so rude to her, but it had been a LONG rush.

On bid day, this same person came running into the suite (each sorority went out and collected it's PNMs, rather than have a big campus get-together like they do now). She ran right up to me, and gave me a big hug.

"I honestly didn't know what I was going to do until you said 'You know exactly where you want to go'!!!!! I wanted to go ASA but my friends were telling me to go ChiO. Thank you so much!!!"

Okay then.

But she did become our President, so there's that.

[33girl]

When I went thru, Alpha Sigma Tau gave out notepads with their name (written out) and mascot on them.

After rush, I crossed out the "Tau" on all the pages and wrote "Alpha."

I promise this wasn't as snarky as it sounds.

[BraveMaroon]

Originally Posted by LionTamer

"I am SO torn about which sorority to choose."

I looked her in the eyes, shook my head, and said, sarcastically "Don't kid yourself. You know exactly where you want to go."

I love this. Glad it worked out!

[Titchou]

Originally Posted by 33girl

When I went thru, Alpha Sigma Tau gave out notepads with their name (written out) and mascot on them.

After rush, I crossed out the "Tau" on all the pages and wrote "Alpha."

I promise this wasn't as snarky as it sounds.

But it's totally weird....

[Loyally Kappa]

Originally Posted by tcsparky

I've been told that now all events take place on campus, no more skits, videos and small craft for philanthropy and minimal decorations. No food at any round but Preference.

Since the girls are now advised (by we here at GC) to carry bottles of water in their recruitment tote bags, they might not even be getting water or ice at their Ice Water Teas ...

[33girl]

Originally Posted by Titchou

But it's totally weird....

Hey, it was a perfectly good notepad that I wasn't about to waste. Plus their mascot was cute :-)

[ladybug12]

I will not miss the skits....for every one that was funny, informational, and well done there were 20 that had no theme but involved lots of singing and boody shaking dancing for no reason...

I am old...

[FSUZeta]

Originally Posted by TSteven

One of my favorite stories you have relayed before are the Sigma Chis across the street and "their" routine.

Oh those boys! They had our yard dances down pat. They also perched themselves on their porch roof with numbered poster board and rated the rushees as they descended to the sidewalk. Great if you are deemed a 7 or up, not so good if they did not appreciate your less obvious attributes.

[nolefan]

I love this thread I only discovered this past year that the 'frills' were gone. Imagine my dismay that girls are no longer melting into puddles on front lawns in Tallahassee during pre rush practice... No more matching pref dresses??? No more ridiculous skit outfits? No more agonizing over which color for your ice water dress: your choice of peach or mint green? Does this mean that no one is singing tunes from the 50's on the lawn anymore? "She wore white shoes with pink shoe laces...."

Can a sisterhood properly bond if they haven't suffered through a couple weeks in early August together ? I'm torn between envy for those who haven't suffered the indignity of making small talk with strangers while wearing a purple and green jester outfit or feeling sorry for those sisters who missed out on the fun of pouring hundreds of glasses of cherry 7up and hoping there would be enough left over so you could have some with dinner. It was exhausting and hot but it was fun

[BadSquirrelBeta]

I echo much of the same shared here when it comes to frills. The first two years or so I was on "the other side" of recruitment we also had "Open Houses" too, which elaborate decorations and separate themes were put up the night before Open House...and we had matching outfits for Open Houses as well. We utilized our back yard and downstairs study as much as possible for Open Houses. One was a casino theme and another was a general college theme. Then to decorate the house and get ready after Open Houses were always a chore.

Dyeable shoes to match the jewel-toned dresses were an absolute and we were 100% matching from head to toe each day.

Ice sculpture and "champagne" (pink punch) fountain for preference and we had a whole theme set around "Coca Cola" and was the only chapter to serve Coke on tour day, which was called "Coke Day" in the house.

Big banners to hang and outside decor to make sure looked just right. Preference was so awesome with each house bathed in some kind of candle light. Tri Delts had a candle ceremony around a wishing well and a balloon to let go with a wish; DGs would set their anchor in front of their house on fire (it was really neat); Pi Phis did kind of a wishing ceremony with burning a piece of paper...it may have been arrow shaped...we did a "fireside" and on the hill right across the house we would spell out our letters in luminaria. Of course it was the bursting with soft songs for each house and tears galore! So hard for the Rho Chis to not cry at their own houses if they happened to have to take a group there for preference

The PKA house was one of our neighbors...I will never forget sophomore rush coming out of the house for our first preference round, in our big preference dresses and candle light ablaze and all of a sudden in their courtyard you could hear the loud whir of their lawnmower. LOL!! Memories.

[violetgeek]

Our first party was tour (we had suites at my school then) and actives wore a "Sunday" dress. We had matching outfits (red Sailor suits!) for the "coke" (yes, everyone served little bottle cokes and we had to be sure no one took the napkin with them) first party. Got to wear cocktail dresses for theme (big elaborate skit and decorations) and matching long dress for Pref. This was the late 70s / early 80s so the Pref fabric was some synthetic material -- hot in the South and there was lots of static electricity involved! The sailor suits were long sleeved and heavy cotton, way too hot for August in a room stuffed with people. I'm so envious when I hear about T-shirts and shorts!