Legacy Event

[ladybug <3]

Hi all,
I was wondering if any of you in a sorority do an event (luncheon, tes, etc) where you invite your sisters to bring their legacies? My chapter was thinking about doing something to have legacies be exposed to what we are about before they get here for recruitment. If you guys have any ideas that you have done or think that would work I would love to hear about them!

[carnation]

I never heard of these but boy, would I be hesitant to hold one in light of what has happened to most of the big-school legacies I know. (Okay, all of them since 2000.) Say you invite your younger sister to this fabulous tea and she gets all excited about being an Alpha Beta, dreams of it for 2 years, rushes, and gets cut.

[perfectinpurple]

I think this is a bad idea. If you want to expose your legacies (younger sisters mostly, I'm assuming) to greek life, perhaps you could arrange to have a panhellenic delegate come and speak to any legacies who are interested, or send a panhellenic packet to them in the mail. That way they can be exposed to all that greek life has to offer, rather than getting their hearts set on one chapter only.

[Zillini]

Maybe instead of purposely making this a pre-Recruitment sort of event only for legacies, you should consider making it an alumnae event where they can bring their families. If it's labeled as a "Tea" Hubbies and/or sons probably won't be interested in attending, but daughters might.

Then keep the focus on the alumnae bonds that continue after graduation and not of rushing the daughters, then hopefully no future PNM would get her feelings hurt should things not go her way. But it could still get the daughters interested in going Greek as well as provide the actives an opportunity to get to know some of those future PNMs.

[KSUViolet06]

Originally Posted by carnation

I never heard of these but boy, would I be hesitant to hold one in light of what has happened to most of the big-school legacies I know. (Okay, all of them since 2000.) Say you invite your younger sister to this fabulous tea and she gets all excited about being an Alpha Beta, dreams of it for 2 years, rushes, and gets cut.

YES.

This happened to a friend of mine's little sister.

This chapter had an event like this during Little Sibs weekend. Big Sister had always invited Little Sister to come up and stay at the house that weekend. She met everyone and everyone loved her and thought she was great. Big Sister always said things like "When you move in, you can live in the yellow room like I did." or "When you get initiated _____."

So basically for 3 whole years, Little Sister KNEW she was going to be an XY. Every year at the event, it is reinforced that she is perfect for XY,that XY loves her, and it is going to be super fun being in the sorority with my sister.

Fast forward to recruitment. Little Sister is a freshman, and Big Sister is a senior (and officer). Little Sister gets cut from XY after 3rd Party (day before Pref).

She was devastated, but actually continued with recruitment and joined another chapter. She ended up dropping out prior to initiation and transfering schools.

Big Sister was furious. She resigned from her officer prosition and took early alumna status. To the best of my knowledge, she hasn't returned for any XY alumna events since.

[ladybug <3]

I understand the hesitation. Recruitment is hard enough to go through and a potentially devestating heartbreak as a result of something like this would be unecessary.
Zillini- I think taking in the direction you suggested would be best if we deciede to pursue this idea.

We have had a hard time keeping our legacies throughout recruitment (many times we have to try to COB them after formal recruitment), so we are attempting to find solutions.
Thanks for your input

[annabella]

I know of some chapters that do a "siblings weekend" kind of like a Mom's or Dad's Weekend. It's kind of like a legacy thing, but less pressure, because some girls invite their brothers or older (alumna) siblings.

I can see where it would be hard if you had the big-school (ANY school, really) in-house-legacies being cut issue. But if you're COB'ing/having trouble with legacy retention in the first place, I think it could be a good solution. Just make sure you don't put the "hard sell" on Phi Mu. Sell them on the school, Greek Life in general, etc.

[FSUZeta]

you could host a tea where your alumnae members invited not only their legacies, but sisters, mothers and/or close friends. that way the emphasis is not just on the legacies, but they get to visit with all the alumnae and hear all the fun stories, as they chat.

[TSteven]

Originally Posted by Zillini

Maybe instead of purposely making this a pre-Recruitment sort of event only for legacies, you should consider making it an alumnae event where they can bring their families. If it's labeled as a "Tea" Hubbies and/or sons probably won't be interested in attending, but daughters might.

Then keep the focus on the alumnae bonds that continue after graduation and not of rushing the daughters, then hopefully no future PNM would get her feelings hurt should things not go her way. But it could still get the daughters interested in going Greek as well as provide the actives an opportunity to get to know some of those future PNMs.

During the summer, my Mother's chapter held an alumnae tea as described above. Often at our home since we lived in the college town where my Mother's chapter was located.

While members were encouraged to bring their families, as I recall no husbands attended. (Some may have, but I just don't remember any doing so.) However, it was not unusual for a son to attend with his Mother. Since my Mother had three sons of various ages - and all future Sigma Chis I might add - the alumnae's sons were always entertained.

For what it is worth, there is a picture of me (I am maybe six or seven) along with my two brothers that was taken before one of the teas. We are all wearing jackets and bow-ties. The two oldest brothers are wearing long pants while I am in dress shorts. And if I do say so myself, we looked down right adorable.

[Kansas City]

Originally Posted by ladybug <3

I understand the hesitation. Recruitment is hard enough to go through and a potentially devestating heartbreak as a result of something like this would be unecessary.
Zillini- I think taking in the direction you suggested would be best if we deciede to pursue this idea.

We have had a hard time keeping our legacies throughout recruitment (many times we have to try to COB them after formal recruitment), so we are attempting to find solutions.
Thanks for your input

If you are having trouble keeping your legacies coming back to recruitment events to the point that you are consistantly under total and having to COB (anyone, not just legacies I assume) then perhaps you should look at (1) your recruitment technique in general to retain more returns and (2) opening up such an event to all eligible PNMs during a campus family weekend so that you might not fall below total in the first place.

[FSUZeta]

Originally Posted by TSteven

During the summer, my Mother's chapter held an alumnae tea as described above. Often at our home since we lived in the college town where my Mother's chapter was located.

While members were encouraged to bring their families, as I recall no husbands attended. (Some may have, but I just don't remember any doing so.) However, it was not unusual for a son to attend with his Mother. Since my Mother had three sons of various ages - and all future Sigma Chis I might add - the alumnae's sons were always entertained.

For what it is worth, there is a picture of me (I am maybe six or seven) along with my two brothers that was taken before one of the teas. We are all wearing jackets and bow-ties. The two oldest brothers are wearing long pants while I am in dress shorts. And if I do say so myself, we looked down right adorable.

how cute.