chaplain ideas?

[ADPiSAI]

So I've been appointed as chaplain for this semester... I made it very clear to everyone that I was going to have a light course load this semester and was willing to take on any position that would get me as involved as possible because I'd have lots of time to devote to ADPi. This is what I get. I can't say that I'm overly thrilled (especially since we're a small chapter where everyone tends to get at least 2 positions), but I'm trying to make the best of it.

That being said, does anyone have any ideas of what I can do to make this a MUCH more active position?
Comments, PMs, emails, IMs, whatever would be greatly appreciated because I really want to be able to do SOMETHING.

[polarpi]

I know that the chaplain my senior year in college did a wonderful job of bringing in uplifting stories and prayers to read at the beginning of meetings for us, and played a really proactive role on starting a prayer chain for the rest of the sisterhood, which helped us a lot.

[ADPiSAI]

Ours last semester did the poems/stories/quotes at the beginning of meetings, but that's all she really did.

Can you tell me anything else about this prayer chain?

[WLFEO]

I think the chaplain office can be whatever you make of it. Being chaplain was the first office I ever held. I loved it!

Here are some ideas. But first keep in mind my chapter is down south in the Bible belt, so things could be different for your chapter. (At my school most GLOs had their chaplain stand up and pray at every formal recruitment party. ha ha- I bet they don't do that at many schools!!!) Just use these ideas to get you thinking about how you could change them to meet the needs of your sisters. OK:

*You could have weekly or monthly Bible studies

*In my chapter we took prayer requests & everyone wrote them down. Or, you could post them on a bulletin board.

*Find out what different faiths you have represented in your chapter & try to include readings from each of their holy texts.

*You could do a neat workshop on the interpretation of the 15th Psalm. Once I saw it done where a person would read the actual text, then another person would read the interpretation of each section. It was very effective.

*Work with the philanthropy chair to do a project for a faith-based organization. You could even make this a COR event.

*Host an all-Greek Bible study or speaker. You could get good PR mileage out of it if you work it right.

*Send letters to different sisters each week to let them know you're praying for them or give them words of encouragment.

*Have sheets of paper with a Bible verse printed on the top (something talking about unity or love, etc. - there's a good one I can't remember right now about How good it is when brothers (sisters) work together in unity. Tape a sheet on everyone's back, then have the chapter go around and write nice things on other people's papers. I still have mine- it's fun and encouraging to look at! You could do this activity at chapter retreat (work with the MEVP) or possibly a chapter meeting.

*Organize everyone to attend a church together once a semester.

*Put Bible verses or encouraging quotes in the bathroom stalls (if you have a house or facilities).

Those are all I can think of right now. I'll post some more later if I think of any to add.

PLAM,
WLFEO

[honeychile]

WLFEO, I am totally and completely impressed by your description of the chaplain's possible duties!!! It was considered somewhat of a "throw away" position when I was in school, and I held it while in a Panhellenic office.

I'm almost embarrassed to say this, but... this was also a term where we did absolutely horrible at recruitment, and all we did was snap at each other for about a month. Finally, at one meeting, when called upon for my reading, I read Jabberwocky, which had everyone in hysterics! I told them that it was the first time I had heard some of them laugh WITH each other in ages, and it broke a lot of tension. One sister said, while wiping tears of laughter out of her eyes, "It wasn't just that you read that poem, but you actually finished it, with a straight face and everything!"

Maybe it was wrong - quite probably it was VERY wrong! - but it did signal a much needed change in our chapter! Sometimes, you just need to mix things up a little...

[polarpi]

Originally posted by ForeverDiamond
Can you tell me anything else about this prayer chain?

Usually at the end of the meetings, before the sisters would leave, we'd have a time for prayer, and anyone's concerns or celebrations were shared at that time...usually the chaplain started it all off.

WLFEO has some amazing ideas for the office....definitely makes me sit up and take notice of this somewhat "smaller" position....but that doesn't mean it's any less necessary than the President or other officers. Best of luck!

[ADPiSAI]

WLFEO, THANK YOU!!!!!!!! You are awesome!!

I'm going to see how many of those I can put into use. I know that most of the girls aren't very religious (which I think is the reason I got it in the first place...), but I'll see what I can do.

Wow, maybe I'm not going to be totally irrelevant after all...

[skerbow]

Incredible Ideas!!!! I personally wanted to be chaplain, but I was also in a chapter inthe bible belt. I had some similar goals for the position. I think you have a lot of opportunity to touch the lives of your sisters through this position. Good luck!

[texas*princess]

wow there were some awesome ideas !!!!

our chaplain has done a few things that have been mentioned :

*At the end of our meeting, she will give us an inspirational quote from the bible, and it's also on our meeting agenda, so we can have it with us to remember

*she held a weekly bible study for those sisters who were interested in participating

[WLFEO]

Thanks! I'm glad you liked the ideas. I just thought of another this morning.

The chaplain before me started this adoption program. The chapter "adopted" a child in a foreign country. Every month at meeting she'd pass around a can for us to put money in. I think it was about $25 a month but it's probably gone up. Then the kid would send us letters and the chaplain would write back. One good Christian agency that does this program is World Vision. I know there are others but I can't think of their names right now.

Not to sound tacky or anything, but be sure to display her picture during recruitment- it would be a good conversation starter. (Not that we want to help people only to look good- we just need to use every PR/Recruitment tool we can to show the PNMs what we're really about.)


Honey, I have no idea what Jabberwocky is!!! Please- more detail!

[honeychile]

Oh, we adopted a child, too! I think that's really wonderful that others do that!

This is where I get a call from EO, asking me to send back my pin:

Jabberwocky
by Lewis Carroll

'Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe:
All mimsy were the borogoves,
And the mome raths outgrabe.

"Beware the Jabberwock, my son!
The jaws that bite, the claws that catch!
Beware the Jubjub bird, and shun
The frumious Bandersnatch!"

He took his vorpal sword in hand:
Long time the manxome foe he sought -
So rested he by the Tumtum tree,
And stood awhile in thought.

And, as in uffish thought he stood,
The Jabberwock, with eyes of flame,
Came whiffling through the tulgey wood,
And burbled as it came!

One, two! One, two! And through and through
The vorpal blade went snicker-snack!
He left it dead, and with its head
He went galumphing back.

"And hast thou slain the Jabberwock?
Come to my arms, my beamish boy!
O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!"
He chortled in his joy.

'Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe:
All mimsy were the borogoves,
And the mome raths outgrabe.


Remember, I did this to get the sisters to relax and laugh together!!

[WLFEO]

I bet that was hilarious! Now I'd like to know if you typed that from memory.

[honeychile]

Originally posted by WLFEO
I bet that was hilarious! Now I'd like to know if you typed that from memory.

Just the first line!! And they will never let me forget it!

[WLFEO]

OK, ForeverDiamond, you are going to show them you are the BEST darn chaplain they've ever seen!!! (It reminds me of that Friends episode where Monica assigns Phoebe to bring the cups and ice to the party, so Pheobe goes all out & makes the cups & ice the best part of the party!)

Here's another idea- do you have a chaplain's notebook? I am assuming not because most chapters do not have one. You could start one! The 1st page could have a list where each chaplain signs it when it's passed on to them- then everyone can see YOU started it!

Things you could include in the notebook are:

*List of ideas

*List of campus resources (Univ chaplain, Baptist Student Ministries, Lutheran Student Services, etc.- you get the idea).

* List of outside resources (local pastors or alumnae who would be willing to come talk)

*List of encouraging Bible verses or quotes or selections from other religious texts.

*List of internet resources

That way the next chaplain is not left high & dry like you were.

Also in my chapter the president always got this necklace with a gavel handed down from the previous president. I thought that was so cool. Maybe you could get something special like that to start a chaplain tradition- I was thinking a dove might be inter-deminational but still spiritual.

Another thing you could do is contact the other ADPi chaplains in your district to exchange ideas. You'd just have to write a letter & mail it to the chapter addresss to the attention of the chaplain & see what type of response you get.

OK- I can't believe how little work I got done while thinking about this!

Good luck and PLEEEAAASSSSEEEEE let us know how it's going!

PLAM<>
WLFEO

[HBADPi]

WFLEO you have some amazing ideas. Our chapter wasn't as religious as yours and we had a lot of non-affliated girls but our chaplain was still a pretty important position.

Some of the things we've adopted for the position have been:

* Creating the save our sister program (aka SOS) where we had a shoe box decorated that had a slot big enough to slip an index card in it and there was an index card box with empty index cards next to the shoebox. Any sister who was worried about another sister or knew a sister that needed a little help emotionally would fill out an index card (she could sign her name or have it be anonymous) and explain why she felt sister X needed a pick me up. The chaplain would empty out the box once a week and would send the sisters that needed some support little gifts through the school mail system.

* I've heard MEVP sometimes does this but our chaplain would get sisters together to make care packages for sisters who were abroad so they knew we were thinking about them.

* I like the 15th psalm interpretation workshop that WLFEO mentioned. I think thats a great idea because you dont have to be religious to appreciate the 15th psalm and what it means for the sorority.

Sorry I dont have more! But hope these help.