My Live Spring Rush Story

[AOEforme]

That's exciting!

Good luck this semester!

[OHNOITSJESS]

first chapter on tuesday [tomm]. woot.

i'll post back on how it goes.

[FSUZeta]

i like your motto. congratulations jess.

[OHNOITSJESS]

well. so we had our first meeting today. and while 7 girls said they would attend, 3 people [incl. myself and my roommate] showed up. some called me before hand and told me they were called into work under emgergency circumstances or that they always work on tuesdays [ the girl told me a week before].

i guess since they weren't there they don't get to vote[other than those that contacted me], and they have to go through recruitment [since they haven't been inititated since our ritual is what 3 months old?]. i am really really ticked off.

i've pretty much formed this group single handedly [literally] and to see people not taking it seriously makes me wonder why the heck i even bother. but then i know i can't, and that i'm not just doing this for me, but potientially females engineers after me, at my institution.

... off my soapbox ...

[KSUViolet06]

i'm sorry your first meeting didn't go as well. As I have seen in other stories of people founding new local sororities, you'll have these types of frustrations from time to time. Hang in there.

[RaggedyAnn]

Keep your chin up. You've come so far already.

Perhaps there is a better meeting time available to the group? We used to have chapter on Sunday nights. Almost everything was closed then, so hardly anyone had to work.

Good luck!

[peaceloveclass]

So I sat down and read this thread in one sitting (when I'm SUPPOSED to be writing a paper...eek!) and I'm so impressed by you for turning your recruitment situation around and doing your own thing! I think you're the same age as me, and I just can't imagine taking on all of the stuff that you are. Keep your head up and don't give up-- you've come way too far for that! What's meant to be will always find it's way. (Sorry, I know that's horribly cheesy, but I couldn't help myself )

[OHNOITSJESS]

woot. in my upsettedness i forgot to tell you what we decided.

we chose dates for recruitment [but not a theme, that happens next week.]
we have 4 officers Pres, VP, Sec., Tres., but we still need a membership educator.

and.....
the crowning moment............


we decided to petition a national org for affiliation.

WOOT!
which org will be revealed at a later date. [just in case stuff changes]

[OPhiAGinger]

I'm so excited for you, Jess! In my GLO, I've been lucky enough to help out interest groups turn into colonies (and eventually into chapters), and I'm impressed with what you've accomplished in such a short amount of time.

The critical thing to do now is to let go of a little bit of the leadership. The other girls in the core group have to feel a strong sense of ownership in this fledgling group. If all of the decisions and activity center around you, it's way too easy for them to walk away if they get bored or frustrated or distracted with something else in their life.

So, question about the national you are seeking affiliation with: is it the same one you were in touch with last spring?

[OHNOITSJESS]

just an update.

after reading all the crazy drama on the recruitment stories board, here is whats been going on with us:

We chose Cinderella, to petition for national affliation, after other engineering org Pocahontas just kinda stopped talking to us. Like fell off the face of the earth stopped talking to us [and i've sent emails to their nationals] {the reason i am using code names is bc i don't feel totally comfortable revealing the org just in case what happened with Pocahontas happens with Cindy... but i think this ones a keeper ].

Anyways as most of you know hurricane Ike hit the Gulf coast [and tech got a 'flood' day on a perfectly sunny day], anyways, i got an email today from Cinderella Exec, wondering if our sisters and families were ok. I was so happy that this org acually cared even tho i've never even talked to this person over the phone! i told my VP and she shared the same excitement [even tho she is a bit under the weather and it sounded more like 'oh wow thats so cool'.... i hope its not contagious]

Formal chapter is tommorrow, where we will [or I will] offically announce officers and what NEEDS to get done for recruitment week... WOOT! then i'll step back and let my minions do their work...

on a total side note: The chrome ring for my trackball on my Blackberry fell out. and it sucks... hopefully i can convince [yes i have to convince] my dad to spring the like $8 it will take to replace it.
GAH.

[AOEforme]

Oh, good! I was worried about you!

I hope everything with Cinderella works out OK! Let us know how formal chapter goes!

[AlwaysSAI]

I am so thrilled for you and your sisters Jess!!

How amazing it must be to walk into a formal chapter meeting knowing that you wrote the whole thing. I know formal meetings are my favorite ones. I love ritual!

[OHNOITSJESS]

woot. the second meeting was today [and seeing as i only gave like a 24 hour notice prior due to the weather situation, the meeting was supposed to be on friday, when campus was closed] i say i had a faily decent turnout of 4 people. i've been too upset about my dad [instead of spending like $8 to buy me a new trackball he's going to ship me my old POS phone] to be upset about the meeting numbers. I am currently looking for an on campus job and it is stressing me out, and hopefully when i get my job i can fix my phone.
ANYWAYS. our recruitment week is finalized. It kinda hard to run formal meetings as formal [since the flow of people at meetings isn't consistant, and well this was our first...], and the ritual is still settling down.
But i am so excited about our recruitment theme.... we got a lot done today and i am happy to be settling down into the groove of things, along with allocating jobs.... its hard for me to realize that i CAN actually let other people do things, [the last few times i did that, i ended up doing everything by myself.] but now that i am starting to i feel some of the pressure lifted... an di need that now that i have homework due everyday, and some crazy hard classes [along with some not so crazy ones ].

ok well i guess i'm tired because i think i'm rambling.

[rcnjinterest]

Jess I know exactly what you mean about letting go and letting others do things! It's so hard!

But the great thing about it is, when it works, you know that you have solid women behind you. I'm learning that the slow [and hard!] way.

[RaggedyAnn]

Are you writing out an agenda? This can help when running a meeting that can have different people attending. It can also help you keep focused so the meeting doesn't take as long. For example, you could start out with introductions (because you constantly have new people), move to old business and then to new business. At the end, choose your next meeting time. Email the agenda ahead of time so people can make notes and be prepared to participate. Have extra copies at the meeting, because people will forget their copy. Then adjust the agenda to add your minutes and send them out to the missing PNMs. This will also help with accountability, because it will have whoever is responsible for getting something done listed. It will also serve as a reminder.