New local sorority, any advice?

Emeril12 · #1 08-29-2005, 11:09 PM

Hey everyone! I'm new here at greekchat.com, and I just wanted to see if you guys had some advice for our sorority. A friend of mine and I started a new local sorority at the University of Michigan called Phi Rho Alpha (http://phirhoalpha.org). We currently have six active members with about 20-25girls interested in rushing so far (our rush starts in September). We are planning to stay local for the next two years, and then apply to our universities Panhellenic Association in a couple of years.

Basically, do you guys have any advice for us? Do's and don'ts? What do you think the chances of us being accepted into Panhel are? Just really, any input that you guys have regarding this issue would be great!

Thanks so much!

Luis · #2 08-30-2005, 01:05 PM

Since you are brand new, I would suggest looking into affiliating with one of the many non-NPC sororities. There is probably a group out there with similar values and goals as your own, you just have to research.

Going with a non-NPC sorority would enable you to be national and have the support and sisterhood with many others across the nation. For example, Kappa Beta Gamma or a multi-cultural sorority like Theta Nu Xi may be happy to talk with you since they do not have a chapter at Michigan.

As to the chances of being accepted into Panhel at Michigan or seeing the Panhel open to expansion -- those chances depend on how the other Panhel sororities are doing in terms of size and rush. You need to talk to the Greek Life office to find out what your options are. Good luck!

AXiDTrish · #3 08-30-2005, 01:25 PM

I agree with Luis. If you choose to affilitate with a national group in approx. two years, then you should keep your options completely open. Look at multi-cultural groups, regional, national, NPC, etc (I would not count out NPC affiliation without researching as they have many resources available to them as well).

Truly take the time to educate yourself in all possible membership avenues. Talk to your Greek Life office and see what they say. They may or may not want another Greek org on campus (I'm referring to national...I'm sure you have already discussed your current venture with them).

Good luck!

Alpha Sig Scott · #4 08-30-2005, 01:38 PM

Great web site

Good luck with rush.

rocketgirl · #5 08-30-2005, 05:03 PM

Hello and welcome to the Michigan greek scene. If you are looking at going national, I would suggest looking now at organizations you are thinking about affiliating with. I just say that because you really want to make sure that the organization affiliates with an org that goes along with your principles and has similar philanthropies/bylaws, ect. Michigan has a LOT of sororities already, multicultural, NPC, national, ect., so be sure you are discounting affililating with them in the future if you are going to have a large local now. It may be harder for you to join a national organization if you started a local organization on a campus where that national already exists because members there will see that you didn't want to be in their organization before. Keep your options open. I'm sure before you started your local, you looked at all of the sororities at Michigan, but just make sure that you don't shoot yourself in the foot, persay.

On joining panhel - Michigan panhel has a LOT of requirements, including the fact you have to have a house, doing their rush, and following their social policy. I believe you have to be a member of the NPC to be a member of the Michigan panhel, but i'm not sure. In order to join NPC, you have to have 13 chapters, so you could not be a local and join NPC. Being a somewhat recent grad of Michigan, I'll tell you your best bet is to become a member of the Multicultural Greek Council because there is no national requirements and there is another local group in the council. I was on this council when I was in undergrad, so feel free to PM me if you have any questions.

Side note...the Phi Sigma Rho's at Michigan call themselves Phi Rhos as well. That might get confusing some day.

Anyway good luck. If you have 25 girls interested already, you must be doing something right. Why affiliate with NPC if you are doing bad by yourself?

Other than

KSUViolet06 · #6 08-30-2005, 06:33 PM

That's a cute website. Also, good job NOT ripping off/copying stuff from existing nationals. Sometimes people who start locals are completely unoriginal in their thinking and model themselves after existing groups. Goo job being YOU.
Good luck!

I'm not in a local, but:

A word of advice: Interact with the other sororities and fraternities on your campus. Sometimes local groups separate themselves intentionally from other groups. PARTICIPATE in campus events! Support other chapter's philanthropies! Have socials with fraternities. Girls do not want to be associated with a sorority that acts as if the other groups on campus have the plague. Also, if you participate in everything the other chapters do, you won't gain a reputation as "that sorority" that does nothing on campus and has no purpose. The more you interact and participate, the more open the local Panhellenic association will be of making you an associate member.

Emeril12 · #7 08-31-2005, 03:07 PM

Thanks guys! Great advice

Quote:

In order to join NPC, you have to have 13 chapters, so you could not be a local and join NPC.

Are you sure that's correct? Because I got in touch with a Panhel representative and she directed me towards a document on their website containing all the requirements to join/apply to Panhel, and I don't think that was one of them...

OrigamiTulip · #8 08-31-2005, 03:17 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Emeril12
Thanks guys! Great advice

Are you sure that's correct? Because I got in touch with a Panhel representative and she directed me towards a document on their website containing all the requirements to join/apply to Panhel, and I don't think that was one of them...

To join your campus panhellenic, you only have to follow the regulations laid out by your school, and panhellenic.

To join the NPC, you would need to follow the 13 chapter rule mentioned above.

33girl · #9 08-31-2005, 03:18 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Emeril12
Are you sure that's correct? Because I got in touch with a Panhel representative and she directed me towards a document on their website containing all the requirements to join/apply to Panhel, and I don't think that was one of them...

To join NPC NATIONALLY you have to have 13 chapters.

To join your college's Panhellenic you might be able to do so as a local...however, what rocketgirl was saying was that she thought you have to be a member of NPC nationally to be a member of Michigan's panhellenic.

Emeril12 · #10 08-31-2005, 03:21 PM

Okay, thank you. I will reread all of their information, perhaps I missed it? Thanks!

PenguinTrax · #11 08-31-2005, 03:58 PM

Also, there is a difference between becoming an affiliate member of your campus Panhellenic and affiliating (aka becoming a colony or chapter of) an NPC fraternity.

Emeril12 · #12 09-01-2005, 04:05 PM

So I checked U of M's Panhellenic Association bylaws, and I'm pretty sure that we're okay. There's a bunch of requirements, like minimum number of members, etc. but nothing about having to be national. I think that's just for the NATIONAL panhel. Does that make sense?

AOX81 · #13 09-13-2005, 07:42 PM

Hello!

I'm an alumnae member of a local sorority from the University of Michigan-Flint.

Are you guys doing any tailgating for the OSU/UM game in November? A bunch of us will all be down there!

Good luck with Phi Rho Alpha!

Emeril12 · #14 09-13-2005, 09:15 PM

Yes, we definitely will be! Probably at Triangle fraternity. Let me know when the date get's closer, my e-mail is sedaniel[at]umich.edu, if you're interested.

Thanks!

rocketgirl · #15 09-26-2005, 05:34 PM

Just wondering...how is rush going?