Sorority Recruitment Workshop Spring 2014

1. Sorority Recruitment Workshop Spring 2014

2. Agenda 6:00-6:10 Introduction 6:10-6:45 Presentation 6:45-7:00 Questions

3. REASONS TO JOIN A SORORITY • Meet many new people on your campus through the recruitment experience • Immediately find a place you belong on your new campus • Develop strong friendships and life-long ties • Develop leadership skills • Participate in social activities • Scholarship is a priority • Involvement in community service • Learn to work and live with a variety of people • Membership exists for life • As an adult, membership allows networking with other members to develop leads for jobs, contacts in a new community, etc. • Local Panhellenic organizations and sorority alumni associations exist all over the country and overseas. Participation allows an easier introduction into a new community.

4. SCHOLARSHIP Scholarship is an important benefit of the Greek community. Chapters expect excellent scholarship achievement from their members and require that certain GPAs be maintained throughout college. Therefore, during Recruitment, chapters seek women with high academic standards and records. Individual chapters have established their own grade requirements for prospective members. Many chapters follow the guidelines set by their inter/national organizations when determining grade cut-offs. If your high school GPA is below a 3.0 or your college GPA is below a 2.9 you may receive fewer party invitations than your peers with higher GPAs. Chapters usually release women who do not meet their academic requirements early in the Recruitment process. Outstanding women with borderline grades may continue to receive invitations throughout the recruitment process. However, they may be released at the end in favor of other PNMs with stronger grades. Grades from summer school classes cannot be figured into your grades for Recruitment because of time restrictions. Your GPA at the conclusion of the previous semester (high school or college) will be used for Formal Recruitment.

5. RECRUITMENT TERMS • RUSH/NEW MEMBER RECRUITMENT- a mutual selection process between • sororities and prospective new members (PNMs). • Recruitment is generally broken into a series of parties: • OPEN PARTY- all PNMS attend a party at each sorority house on campus. • INVITATIONAL- for each round of additional parties, girls list in order those houses to which they wish to return, while sororities list in order girls they choose to return. These lists are computer matched and PNMs will receive a list of parties to attend the morning of each round. PNMs are required to attend parties at all sororities on their invitation list during each round. • PREFERENCE PARTIES- the invitational parties on the last day of Formal Recruitment, after which the PNMs list in preference order those chapters she wishes to join. • BID- an invitation to join a sorority. • RECOMMENDATION- Every chapter requires one formal recommendation from an alum before a PNM may be offered a bid. (Does not guarantee a bid.) • COURTESY LETTER/SUPPORT LETTER- letter from an alum (other than the person who writes the official recommendation) to a chapter on your behalf. • LEGACY- the daughter or sister of a sorority member.

6. RECRUITMENT RULES • During Formal Recruitment, PNMs may not have any contact, beyond causal contact and interaction, with an undergraduate or alumna sorority member or fraternity member outside of panhellenic association recruitment parties. • Sorority members shall not make promissory comments or indicate in any way to a PNM that she will be given an invitation to a recruitment party or for membership. Additionally, a PNM should not make a promise, written or verbal, to return to a sorority. • No PNM, sorority member or recruitment counselor shall speak unfavorably of a chapter, chapter member or PNM. • PNMs must attend all scheduled meetings and parties. • In signing a preference card, a PNM is making a binding agreement that she will accept a bid from those sororities listed in order of preference on her card. • Furthermore, should a woman refuse to pledge a sorority she has preferenced, she will be unable to join another NPC sorority for one calendar year.

7. FINANCIAL INFORMATION Based on costs of chapter maintenance, membership programming and social events, financial responsibility is extremely important to individual chapters. Cost of new membership is often the most expensive. Each chapter owning a house provides the opportunity for women to live in the chapter house at some point. Live-in costs are a compilation of all costs incurred by a member living in the chapter house such as room, board and other mandatory fees. When a member lives outside the house, she is required to pay a live-out fee. Live-out costs include such things as maintenance fees, social dues and occasional meals. Live-in and live-out fees are usually paid in monthly installments, but many chapters offer alternative payment plans. A woman living outside the chapter house during her first year of membership pays the new member fee. Many chapters require each new member to pay a one-time corporation fee and initiation fee. A sorority pin is also purchased on or before initiation. Although a new member’s first year includes some one-time fees, sorority living expenses are comparable to other living options.

8. WHY WOULD I HAVE AN UNSUCCESSFUL RECRUITMENT? • Your grades or ACT/SAT scores are at the bottom range of the PNM pool. • You make known your sorority preferences. • You are known to abuse alcohol and/or drugs. • You are known as difficult to get along with. • You are known as being promiscuous. • You have inappropriate pictures on social media. “Clean up” your social media! • You are known as being irresponsible or as a person who fails to accept responsibility or to follow-through with such responsibilities. • You have a closed mind going into the Recruitment process and only want to go Greek if you can be a member of certain sororities. • Unfortunately, the PNM pool far exceeds the number of open sorority memberships (quota).

9. WHAT TO WEAR FOR RECRUITMENT • PNMs will be issued a t-shirt to be worn to all parties with the exception of preference parties. Cocktail dresses are the proper attire for pref night. Even though all PNMs will wear the same top, you are free to express your individuality by the “bottoms” you choose to wear with your t-shirt. Be sure what you choose is cool and comfortable. Choose comfortable shoes and “break-in” new shoes before Recruitment. • Don’t try a radically different hairstyle right before Recruitment. (If your hairstyle or other appearance has changed drastically from the time you had Senior pictures taken and those are what you plan to use for Recruitment pictures, consider having new pictures made.) • Begin dressing for Recruitment parties earlier than you normally would. That will give you time to adjust and fix any unexpected problems. Events for Recruitment start on time and no one waits for someone who will be there in a “second”. If you’re ready on time and happy with your appearance you will enter Recruitment parties much more relaxed. • Bring an umbrella in case of rain – sometimes you never know what the weather will be like. • You will usually be provided a small plastic bag for which to carry your personal items such as makeup and toiletries. No cell phones are permitted during the recruitment parties.

10. TIPS FOR DAUGHTERS AND PARENTS • Smile and carry your end of conversations. The active members are as nervous as you are. Be friendly. Show interest in everyone you meet. Don’t be afraid to ask questions. That shows you are interested in finding a good sorority-fit and that you also have some intelligence! • If you drop, break or spill something or otherwise commit some embarrassing breach of conduct, know that it should not be a concern. That happens often. • Speaking unfavorably of a chapter, chapter member or another PNM could result in influencing someone’s Recruitment experience. Parents or PNMs who spread rumors or gossip could cause the PNM to be looked upon unfavorably during the Recruitment process. A PNM and her parents’ concern should be in learning about those chapters in which the PNM is most interested. • Behave with discretion during the end of your senior year and prior to Formal Recruitment. You may have occasion to interact with sorority members at social gatherings. Make those an opportunity to leave a positive impression about you. • Parents: Let your daughter’s decision be her own. She is the one who will have these women as her sorority sisters for a lifetime.

11. YOUR RESPONSIBILITIES • Register for Recruitment with your College Panhellenic. Most universities now allow online enrollment at their website <uagreeks.uark.edu> Keep all confirmations. • Register on gogreekrogers.wordpress.com. This is not required for formal Recruitment but it will help us help you prepare for Recruitment. • Fill out a Rogers Sorority Alumnae Recruitment Information Sheet as instructed. Provide one copy for each sorority on the campus you will attend. Attach (do not scan) a wallet-sized photo to each copy. It is not necessary to type the form if you clearly print it. (TIP: Make a copy of the form before you fill it out so that you can practice on one. That way your submitted copies will look much neater.) • Prepare a resume for each house on campus and submit that to the Sorority Alumnae with your completed Recruitment Information Form. Photos should be scanned or paper clipped to each copy. • Suggested headings are: Personal Information, Family, Education, School Honors and Activities, Community, Involvement, Work Experience, Family Participation in Community, Talents and Hobbies, Greek Affiliations • Meet all designated deadlines. If you fail to enroll for Recruitment with your college Panhellenic by their deadline there is nothing we can do to help you. If you fail to meet the Rogers Sorority Alumnae deadline you show yourself as irresponsible to alums writing recommendations.

13. DEADLINE TO RETURN COMPLETED RUSH INFORMATION TO Sydney Ross: June 9 • No later than 4:00 p.m. June 9, return the following things to Sydney Ross: • Completed Recruitment Information Forms (one for each house on the campus you will attend) with picture paper-clipped to each copy. • Resumes (one for each house on the campus you will attend) with picture attached or scanned to each. • These may be mailed or hand-delivered to: • Sydney Ross- address will be provided during the meeting • IF YOU MISS THE DEADLINE IT WILL BE YOUR RESPONSIBILITY TO DISTRIBUTE YOUR RUSH INFORMATION TO THE ALUMNAE WHO WRITE FORMAL RECOMMENDATIONS. • QUESTIONS OR PROBLEMS???? • Don’t hesitate to email gogreekrogers@gmail.com. Sydney, Blair, and Katelyn are all able to respond to this email address.

14. Fall 2014 Schedule of Events • (Tentative and subject to change) • August 16th Move into dorms/OrientationAugust 17th Open Party DayAugust 18th Open Party Day         August 19th Philanthropy Day         August 20th Philanthropy Day    August 21st House Tour Day             August 22nd House Tour Day            August 23rd Preference DayAugust 24th Bid Day