Expansion - evening things out?

[33girl]

Oh man, don't even darken this site with the name of PAR!! I have to deal with them in real life. Unless it's another PAR.

[Firehouse]

I sense your fear & revulsion. Has to be the same crowd. They were the same ones in Salem who laughed as the witches burned.

[RUASTgrrl]

what is PAR?

[adpiucf]

Expansion is a healthy way for sororities to grow. S/he with the best presenting materials and presentation that best suits the university where expansion is being considered will win, period. I have seen campuses where the traditional "large" NPC sororities have chapters that are failing, and "smaller" ones have the most members and success; and vice versa. A lot of the chapters' success depends on the ability of the collegians to successfully recruit and retain a healthy and harmonious chapter. Field Consultants and all the funding in the world won't do much if the collegians are burned out, unmotivated and unable to get along within their chapter.

I know that as when I was freshman and a non-Greek, I couldn't tell the difference between a Tri-Delta and a Tri-Sigma. It was all Greek to me. I feel that NPC is fairly homogenous-- we share similiar values, missions and methods-- so it is only natural that the presentation the university officials felt was the best-- is going to be the sorority chosen during expansion.

I take issue with sororities who continue to dump time, energy and money into chapters that are operating at severe losses-- and refuse to close them despite 5, 10, 0r 20+ years of an inability to retain members competitively with the other chapters on campus. It isn't fair to the women in the chapter to keep it open-- they are constantly COB'ing and the same 5-10 are running the chapter and wearing multiple leadership "hats" while the rest of a dissenting group whine and moan about what Group "A" has compared to them, and refuse to cooperate with the national officers who come in to assist and "rescue."

[RUASTgrrl]

I don't really think that it is up to the campus panhells to "even the field" I think it is the responsibility of the chapter and the national. I was upset when I saw a nationally strong GLO get "recolonized" by their national, and they got to have their own little mini rush by themselves after Formal recruitment in the spring. They had national reps going to each Rush Group at Formal Recruitment basically telling the girls that if they didn't get their first choice, to drop out of Rush, and come to their Rush later. Lots of girls who went in blindly wanting letters dropped out of Rush, denying themselves from learning more about other GLOs on campus that may have been the place for them. And to think we were all about helping them out, adn wore buttons around campus advertising their "mini-recruitment", I always said it would bite us in the ass. And then we had the opposite problem, Our chapter was large (55-60girls) compared to our other national chapters, but we were small on our campus. Our nationals couldn't quite help us out, b/c they were geared to helping small chapters. Eh we figured it out I suppose.

[greencat]

So you're saying that in a colonization, a new chapter should not be given a fair chance to recruit its charter members outside of formal recruitment and have an opportunity to establish itself? Instead, unorganized, it should wander into the fray of formal recruitment with no charter members, and just national officers to interview the PNMs, while those same PNM's are treated to skits and bonding with their potential new sisters at the other chapters?

I can hardly see adult women actively encouraging the PNM groups "Drop out of recruitment and join us" as you are saying. I find it much more likely they went group to group explaining that there were options post-recruitment if they didn't find what they were looking for in the formal recruitment process. It's not a crime to tell someone not to sign a bid card-- think of the number of women who would be tied to a bid they rejected (for a calendar year) while other GLOs had to COB and the new colony could have benefitted from those members in its charter group.

[Diamond Delta]

I think we should just do away with the NPC. It is old fashioned and I feel we'd do better on our own. It's good to have an intersorority council or something-there must be communication. But I do not believe it is good to have this particular governing body making our rules. I think the NPC is what is perpetuating the small being small and the big getting bigger. Groups hsould be allowed to charter on campuses as they see fit and not be "invited". No other campus group has to wait to be invited-if there is enough interest-they get a charter, that simple.

[aopirose]

Originally posted by greencat
So you're saying that in a colonization, a new chapter should not be given a fair chance to recruit its charter members outside of formal recruitment and have an opportunity to establish itself? Instead, unorganized, it should wander into the fray of formal recruitment with no charter members, and just national officers to interview the PNMs, while those same PNM's are treated to skits and bonding with their potential new sisters at the other chapters?

I can hardly see adult women actively encouraging the PNM groups "Drop out of recruitment and join us" as you are saying. I find it much more likely they went group to group explaining that there were options post-recruitment if they didn't find what they were looking for in the formal recruitment process. It's not a crime to tell someone not to sign a bid card-- think of the number of women who would be tied to a bid they rejected (for a calendar year) while other GLOs had to COB and the new colony could have benefitted from those members in its charter group.

co-sign

[kappaloo]

Originally posted by Diamond Delta
I think we should just do away with the NPC. It is old fashioned and I feel we'd do better on our own. It's good to have an intersorority council or something-there must be communication. But I do not believe it is good to have this particular governing body making our rules. I think the NPC is what is perpetuating the small being small and the big getting bigger. Groups hsould be allowed to charter on campuses as they see fit and not be "invited". No other campus group has to wait to be invited-if there is enough interest-they get a charter, that simple.

NPC is not a governing organization - it is the united unanimous agreements that all 26 sororities have agreed to follow.

[pinkyphimu]

Originally posted by adpiucf

I take issue with sororities who continue to dump time, energy and money into chapters that are operating at severe losses-- and refuse to close them despite 5, 10, 0r 20+ years of an inability to retain members competitively with the other chapters on campus. It isn't fair to the women in the chapter to keep it open-- they are constantly COB'ing and the same 5-10 are running the chapter and wearing multiple leadership "hats" while the rest of a dissenting group whine and moan about what Group "A" has compared to them, and refuse to cooperate with the national officers who come in to assist and "rescue."

good point. it is too bad that so many women in these chapters refuse to cooperate when rescue attempts are made. sometimes i think it might just be better to just end it rather than try to fight an uphill battle. on the other hand, sometimes it is ok to let a chapter be below total as long as they have many other positive things going for them.

[James]

Maybe they are used to being small and don't feel the need to be rescued? And honestly, they probably feel defensive when people bring it up, because to them, they are having a good time.

IF they have never really been larger, they won't necessarily see the need. If you never had a TV you might not miss one.

Not attacking your post, Pinkyphimu, just adding to the second part of it

Keep in mind that small is relative, 70 girls in the south might be small, but thats larger than a lot of groups at total in NE.

Originally posted by pinkyphimu
good point. it is too bad that so many women in these chapters refuse to cooperate when rescue attempts are made. sometimes i think it might just be better to just end it rather than try to fight an uphill battle. on the other hand, sometimes it is ok to let a chapter be below total as long as they have many other positive things going for them.

[squirrely girl]

I take issue with sororities who continue to dump time, energy and money into chapters that are operating at severe losses-- and refuse to close them despite 5, 10, 0r 20+ years of an inability to retain members competitively with the other chapters on campus.

just a thought, but i guess we should all 'take issue' -

no member of an NPC sorority should think for three seconds that their organization doesn't have at least one (and possibly a handful) of "those chapters"

whether it be significant alum base, the desire to have a chapter at a big-name school, or just lack of desire to close chapters in general - who cares? to each their own.

a consistantly small chapter does NOT equal no sisterhood. kudos to james for recognizing that too

marissa

[BSUPhiSig'92]

I just wish NPC orgs didn't have so much pressure on chapters to make quota and be at total. It isn't an issue so much with the fraternities, it works having large groups and small groups. Not everyone wants to join a big chapter, and I think the same is true with women as it is with men. At my alma mater, they have closed three NPC chapters who were considerably below total, and didn't make quota but who still had 30-40 members! These were chapters that were active and functioning, not causing problems, but just were smaller than the others. It makes no sense to me.

[adpiucf]

Please, think of it this way: when every other sorority on campus has upwards of 100 members and the smaller chapter has less than 20, that is a serious problem. You have women who are doing double duty in the officer circle, who get burned out very early and are more likely to drop by junior/senior year, the nationals are underfoot constantly urging the chapter to COB to the total that the other chapters on the campus have been able to achieve, and the all the chapter is ever doing is new member recruitment-- there is resentment, burnout, etc. And we all know these chapters suffer socially, and as they are under greater national scrutiny, they are the first to be punished at the slightest offense-- any minor scuffle could get them scraped off campus.


I am not disputing a smaller chapter can be successful.

But when the SMALLEST chapter on campus is operating at a financial loss and has an uneven distribution of leadership, that is very unhealthy to that chapter. And in such a case, if repeated national intervention during COB and formal recruitment fails to yield a significant increase in membership retention, then the chapter members are not benefitting from the sorority experience and it is taking away from their primary reason for being at the university-- to focus on their education.

I have also witnessed failing chapters of various groups treating their national officers with major disrespect and holding the recruitment process with disinterest-- so that on pref night the Field Consultant is the one racing around putting up decorations, running errands and matching bid lists.

Small chapters can be successful where small chapters are the norm. NOT when the norm is large and your chapter is 2/3's smaller than the rest, and must compete to keep a chapter house open, pay its bills, keep up appearances and appeal to the fraternities' social calendars.

ETA: I am NOT saying a Greek System must maintain 10+ chapters of 180+ members each. A Greek System with 3 sororities consisting of 20 members each can be very successful, as can the campus with 20 sororities averaging 60 members. Even the campus with 7 sororities averaging 200 members can be successful. But the chapter that suffers the most is the one with the disproportionately smaller membership. It is the way of the world and the natural "pecking" order that rumors will spread about the smaller chapter (Why don't they have as many members as "ABC" AND members of the smaller chapter will also be making comparisons of why they aren't doing what "XYZ" is doing) and they may not be able to be as selective in the recruitment process as the larger chapters, who are more readily able to accept more grade risks and various other chances. The total and quota ceilings exist to help EVEN the playing field. If the majority of the chapters can't hit total, the campus needs to adjust its total. If quota is unrealistic because there are not enough PNM's coming out to recruitment, the campus needs to reassess the way it is conducting recruitment, market Panhellenic more strongly, hold off on expansion and lower quotas/total, etc. When the majority are able to meet these expectations, the playing field IS fair. The struggling groups require National and Campus support, but those two can only do so much-- the chapter has to REALLY want it and has to go for the long haul.

[33girl]

As far as when should the national throw in the towel - I think that whether you are housed or unhoused (I'm talking 50+ person houses) is a HUGE HUGE HUGE part of it. If you're on a small campus where no one has housing, if your national has no problem with you having 20 when everyone else has 60, your sisterhood is strong, and you won't stop another chapter from coming in if it's decided expansion is needed - I don't see any reason that chapter should close at all.

Or heck, even if they are on a huge house campus, if the alums or the national office want to dump every single dime they have into that chapter so 3 girls can live in the 50 person house, IF THEY DON'T HOLD UP EXPANSION, that's their prerogative. But if everyone else wants expansion and this group is holding it up, then that's when they lose my support.

A lot of times, the incessant pressure from the national to increase numbers is counterproductive - if you worry about numbers 24/7 it's hard to have any sort of fun. And sometimes groups get accused of being "resistant" to national help - well I am here to tell you, what works for your chapter that has been around since Socrates and has always been on the top of the heap at your campus will not work for the chapter that's 5 years old and has always been somewhere in the middle of the pack. You don't realize how much you've coasted on your reputation that the 8000 sisters before you have built up till you get somewhere where your letters mean the exact opposite of what you're used to them meaning as far as campus reputation and image. volunteers and alum have to ask questions and learn about the culture of the campus before they can help the chapter w/ recruiting methods.

RUAST, I'm sorry your campus had a bad experience with a recolonization, but that is NOT how it is supposed to work. If the recolonizing group was overstepping the bounds that had been set for them prior to rush, their headquarters should have been contacted and told what was happening.