Icebreakers before each alpha session are a great way for everyone to get to know one another and have fun.
www.residentassistant.com is full of these.
Assign each pride a lesson to present. Provide them with the resources and let them have fun with it, but make sure you aren't left stranded with no one there and they are presenting the right material.
Have exec members rotate through sessions, introduce themselves and explain what they do, and encourage the new members to consider leadership in ADPi. Also invite advisers.
Have scholarship chair present the chapter scholarship plan.
Have your leadership chair present the sorority's outlook on leadership and give the new members the resources to get involved in campus. Pair them up with other sisters involved in other clubs. Also have the leadership chair give tips and suggestions for time management between sorority and school life.
Have standards and the chapter adviser come in to talk about respect for ADPi and one another. Role play different situations with one another to convey the message. The social chair should be included to help explain what is Risk Management.
Make sure the new members really understand the policies they have signed and are educated on the zero tolerance hazing policy. The Friendly Fire video should be available through Panhellenic or your District Director, and it is a very good educational tool to use in teaching members about hazing and the consequences.
Host an ice cream dessert or special dinner, with your alphas and your seniors as the guests of honor.
Host an event with your alumnae association, like a tea or a brunch, so the alumnae can meet the alphas, share stories, have a show and tell of memorabilia, and convey that ADPi is a Lifetime Experience. Include graduating seniors, too.
Have the deltas serenade the alphas with a special song.
Use fun mnemonics to help remember things-- IE-- MEG is Mary Evans Glass, OAR is Octavia Andrews Rush (the joke in my day was the EPT was Ella Pierce Turner the Error Proof Test!), etc.
Meet regularly with the delta diamond sisters about their relationships with their alpha diamonds. Also, make sure your alphas are happy and feel wanted-- allot in your budget for little "happies"-- small gifts, encouraging notes, call each alpha at least once a week, and make sure prides are planning actvities.
Hold Diamond Nights at the chapter gathering place for watching TV, studying together, ice cream, crafts, etc. Put each pride in charge of a Diamond Night. Make fun name tags for everyone-- this will help the alphs feel a part of the chapter.
A fun craft to make the alphas feel wanted and welcome: mailboxes! Take a photo of each alpha, and give her a manila envelope, glitter, markers, scrapbook stuff, etc to decorate the envelope with her name and interests, and her photo. Hang these in the chapter room, and have the chapter write little inspirational notes to the new sisters -- stick a couple "generic" notes in each box each week from the NMC so everyone always has mail.
Make sure that any plans involving Alpha Ed are in your Alpha Education Planning Outline, approved by Exec Board and your District TME Adviser. By making sure everything is approved, you are covering yourself, and be safe knowing everything is approved. The biggest concern in approving new member plans is "overprogramming"-- just remember they are overwhelmed and in a new place, and very happy, but they really need assistance in managing their time and prioritizing schoolwork.
)
Linear Mode
