Sorority Retreats

[GammaDelt]

Any ideas for a sorority retreat? What kinds of things should I include?

[DSTCHAOS]

Hazing.

Nah, seriously, there are a few threads on sorority retreats that may be helpful.

[KDShannon]

Is there a theme for the retreat or a purpose? That might help us give you some ideas.

I found this online when trying to plan my sorority's retreat. Last summer was the first time we had a retreat in probably a long time, if ever. We let our alumnae plan it and that was a horrible idea. So this year we're doing it ourselves and only asking specific alumnae that we know are reliable and care about our well being if they want to be involved.
Anyways here is the link: http://ofsa.rutgers.edu/chapter_serv...l/retreats.htm

The part I found most helpful was this:
"What are the basic objectives of a chapter retreat?
There are five distinct areas of emphasis:

1. To review the past--where you have been; what you have accomplished and what your past programs, policies, activities, and attitudes have been. The things that have worked well in the past should be continued. Less successful ones should be revised or eliminated.
2. To observe the present--where you are now; what your present programs, policies, activities and attitudes are and your degree of satisfaction with them. If you’re not satisfied, consider improvements, changes, or additions that can help.
3. To project the future--where do you want to go? After you’ve assessed the past and present, you can create a vision for your chapter’s future and develop programs that will bridge the gaps between where you are now and where you want to be.
4. To renew enthusiasm and dedication--By bringing together members to discuss problems and find solutions, you help them become more involved in chapter life. When members can openly discuss, criticize, and “vent” as well as having fun together they become more effective and satisfied team players.
5. To enjoy!--without any outside interference. You’ll be surprised how much fun it is when the whole chapter is relaxing together."

This was a good resource too: http://uoleadership.uoregon.edu/file...ze_retreat.pdf

[LucyKKG]

As jessicaelaine pointed out, I think having goals for the retreat is a good idea. Do you want to plan for the future? Do you want to get to know your sisters/new members/officers better? When you figure out answers to those questions, you can plan activities and discussions around them.

[Silmanarmo]

Me and the girls are having a scavenger hunt at my cabin they'll have to find stuff like - a pine cone, but also "picture of you and an animal" etc

[ausoror]

for my retreat last fall, my sorority rented out a mansion/hotel pretty close to campus for the night and the entire pledge class and new member educators went and stayed the night. That night we played bonding games like a scavenger hunt where we had to take different pictures around the property and told ghost stories. We had it catered by olive garden for dinner which was nice bc there was food out all night long. the next morning we had breakfast and laid out at the pool all day. It was one or two weekends after bid day and really helped all of us get to know each other better. I know another sorority on campus rented out a camp with a bunch of cabins for the weekend and did bonding games ect. Also if you don't want to go far away a sleepover in the chapter room/house is an idea. hope that all helped!