Automatic Total readjustment

[DGTess]

Originally Posted by ASTalumna06

I had a dinner with my alumnae chapter a couple weeks ago. We started talking about the different types of recruitment systems we each went through at our respective schools, and we discussed why we decided to go Greek. At one point I said, "If I went to one of these huge schools with intense/competitive recruitments, I probably never would have joined any sorority," and a few others piped up (our national president included) and agreed, saying they never would have either.

Even at schools with huge recruitment systems, there are girls on campus who don't even know they want to be in a sorority. Or perhaps they do, but they don't thrive in the type of environment that formal recruitment creates, so they shy away from Greek life altogether. Those are the women that COB was built for. There are great potential members walking all over campuses across the country, but they never attempt to join because the chants, hair-flipping, and skits freak them out. And hey, let's be honest: sometimes those things even freak out the girls going through formal who have been prepping for it their whole lives.

I'm with you. I can think of nothing that says "stay away" more than a door completely packed with women looking out, but that's me. I was not in the least upset when daughter chose not to rush at Texas; though I had no clue what Texas rush was like, the rush booklet turned me off.

Perhaps that is why this column speaks to me so strongly. To me, it's the perfect COB technique, though I'm nearly certain it wouldn't bring in 20 or 30 a semester.

[sigmadiva]

Originally Posted by DGTess

I'm with you. I can think of nothing that says "stay away" more than a door completely packed with women looking out, but that's me. I was not in the least upset when daughter chose not to rush at Texas; though I had no clue what Texas rush was like, the rush booklet turned me off.

Perhaps that is why this column speaks to me so strongly. To me, it's the perfect COB technique, though I'm nearly certain it wouldn't bring in 20 or 30 a semester.

If I may chime in....

You have to realize that most girls who go to Texas and rush have been prepared for it since birth, and they come from strong GLO families, so they know what to expect.

FYI - there is a lot of grooming that goes on in the South. You get groomed to join the "right" sorority, join the "right" social group like Junior League, find the "right" husband, live in the "right" neighborhood, and the list goes on.....

[ASTalumna06]

Originally Posted by sigmadiva

If I may chime in....

You have to realize that most girls who go to Texas and rush have been prepared for it since birth, and they come from strong GLO families, so they know what to expect.

FYI - there is a lot of grooming that goes on in the South. You get groomed to join the "right" sorority, join the "right" social group like Junior League, find the "right" husband, live in the "right" neighborhood, and the list goes on.....

Yes, but what about the girls who go to Texas and don't rush? That's the point we're trying to make: there is a huge amount of untapped potential walking around on college campuses, but with girls lined up at the door to join, the thousands and thousands of others are overlooked.

ETA: and the crazy door chants don't help

Of course every campus is different, but having to COB is not the worst thing that could happen (as long as total is readjusted properly, all chapters stay strong, and COB is done the "right" way).

[ASTalumna06]

Originally Posted by DGTess

I'm with you. I can think of nothing that says "stay away" more than a door completely packed with women looking out, but that's me. I was not in the least upset when daughter chose not to rush at Texas; though I had no clue what Texas rush was like, the rush booklet turned me off.

Perhaps that is why this column speaks to me so strongly. To me, it's the perfect COB technique, though I'm nearly certain it wouldn't bring in 20 or 30 a semester.

By the way, love this idea. So simple!

[sigmadiva]

I understand your point.

The same is true for the NPHC. Before the current MIP (membership intake process), there were aspects to joining that were just strange, some might even say a bit inhumane. But, if you were already aware then some of that pledging process was just part of becoming a member.

I think where the argument may fall apart today is there is so much information available online that it is best to do your research before going.

[irishpipes]

Originally Posted by ASTalumna06

I had a dinner with my alumnae chapter a couple weeks ago. We started talking about the different types of recruitment systems we each went through at our respective schools, and we discussed why we decided to go Greek. At one point I said, "If I went to one of these huge schools with intense/competitive recruitments, I probably never would have joined any sorority," and a few others piped up (our national president included) and agreed, saying they never would have either.

Even at schools with huge recruitment systems, there are girls on campus who don't even know they want to be in a sorority. Or perhaps they do, but they don't thrive in the type of environment that formal recruitment creates, so they shy away from Greek life altogether. Those are the women that COB was built for. There are great potential members walking all over campuses across the country, but they never attempt to join because the chants, hair-flipping, and skits freak them out. And hey, let's be honest: sometimes those things even freak out the girls going through formal who have been prepping for it their whole lives.

However, the big competitive recruitments can be seen as a rite of passage. So, members who join by just hanging out informally may deal with resentment from members who had to endure the ups and downs of FR. The FR experience is sort of a common bond.

[DubaiSis]

Hazing before the fact, you might say.

[Xidelt]

Can a campus Panhellenic ever decide they do not want to adjust total and vote for expansion instead? Or is adjusting total an automatic?

[33girl]

Originally Posted by irishpipes

However, the big competitive recruitments can be seen as a rite of passage. So, members who join by just hanging out informally may deal with resentment from members who had to endure the ups and downs of FR. The FR experience is sort of a common bond.

I would hope that as long as they show that they're going to be an active member ESPECIALLY during rush that there wouldn't be any long-term ostracism or anything. I do agree that even if you joined outside of formal rush, you still need to learn how to do it well. I'm betting there are lots of girls who are terrified of FR when it's the first thing they see on campus - but after a year and membership in a group, it's not so scary and something they might even excel at.

[Titchou]

Originally Posted by Xidelt

Can a campus Panhellenic ever decide they do not want to adjust total and vote for expansion instead? Or is adjusting total an automatic?

That would be something they would have to discuss with their NPC Area Adviser and the individual NPC Delegates for the chapters on their campus.

[DubaiSis]

But I would imagine the subject would come up at the time of total adjustment. There seems to be some schools that are really trying to hold total down by doing just this thing, while others either can't (Alabama, because lack of takers on the offer of expansion) or won't for other reasons and total just keeps going up up up. And I'm sure at the schools where they have spent a bazillion dollars on expansion/updates to the already expensive chapter houses, dropping total probably seems terrifying so adding a sorority would seem like a bad investment in their chapter's financial future.

[DGTess]

Originally Posted by ASTalumna06

Yes, but what about the girls who go to Texas and don't rush? That's the point we're trying to make: there is a huge amount of untapped potential walking around on college campuses, but with girls lined up at the door to join, the thousands and thousands of others are overlooked.

Last time I asked that question, I was essentially told "Don't worry about them; we don't need them because we have enough women interested already."

[FSUZeta]

Originally Posted by DGTess

Last time I asked that question, I was essentially told "Don't worry about them; we don't need them because we have enough women interested already."

That is what I was going to say, only in a more diplomatic way. There are enough girls who are willing to go thru rush at Bama, Auburn, Georgia, Texas, etc., and the enrollment is open to all women on campus. It is up to them to enroll.

If some feel intimidated and decide not to enroll in recruitment it is unfortunate for them, but as statistics prove the chapters are not wanting for new members.

And I would say that those women who did not enroll in recruitment at "huge recruitment" universities are the ones who missed out, because they never even gave it a try.

[Titchou]

Keep in mind, ladies, that there is a bubble here that someday will burst...and all the national organizations are well aware of that. It can't continue on like this with these numbers ad infinitum. So caution with regard to raising total, adding on to houses, expansion, etc is well-advised.

[33girl]

Originally Posted by Titchou

Keep in mind, ladies, that there is a bubble here that someday will burst...and all the national organizations are well aware of that. It can't continue on like this with these numbers ad infinitum. So caution with regard to raising total, adding on to houses, expansion, etc is well-advised.

Yep. 80s boom turned into mid-late 90s bust. I would hope there are people at the upper levels of all the NPC and NIC groups old enough to remember that. It would be one thing if you could base it strictly on birth rates, but there are these little things called society and the economy that figure in as well. And those never quite go as planned.