Retro Recruitment as we wait . . .

[SweetTeaParty]

Hello, All!

I've been quite the lurker since my oldest went off to college in 2009. My oldest never considered Greek life, but my second, has been quite the Greek, serving as social chair, treasurer, IFC rep and IFC president. His senior year, he was chosen as outstanding Greek Man (!) and is now in grad school for Higher Education Management specifically, Student Activities! So, now he's learning to be a Greek Advisor!!

He felt that my own recruitment was a story that this forum would enjoy - - it's got everything. The GOOD, the BAD and the UGLY, about recruitment. So, as we wait for those NEW stories . . . here is a retro-recruitment story using the 90s Girl Group, The Spice Girls, to represent the GLOs on campus.

They are:

Posh – Very well dressed and elegant.
Sporty – VERY competitive and have a real “team” approach to sisterhood.
Baby – Very “Girly-Girl” and Cute. Very friendly
Ginger – The “Non-Sorority” Girl's Sorority; independent and bookish.
Scary – Nice sweet ladies, but definitely SCARY

(Of course, these groups had all kinds of wonderful ladies - but, as a PNM, “street rep” is everything)

My school was not very large (about 1200) and the Greek system compromised a little more than 1/3 of the women. Recruitment was held towards the end of October, after Homecoming. This gave the ladies a few weeks to size each other up – and enough time to pigeonhole (from BOTH sides) the ladies on the rankings and desirability.

The GLOs each had chapter houses, but no living-in. (We were told that old urban myth about brothels.) We would get to see the houses during House Tours.

An important thing to know was that my own sister was an officer in one of these groups and she took “the silence rule” VERY seriously. She was not (and still isn't) much of a gossip queen, so she had never made comments about the GLO personalities and she hadn't shared much about her own recruitment or membership with me. We lived on different sides of the campus and really didn't meet up often prior to recruitment, so I felt free of pre-recruitment bias.

I knew I wanted to join a GLO from the moment I had been accepted at the school. I was one of those ladies smitten with the idea of being in a sisterhood. Plus, this school was 3rd (!) choice on my list when I applied to colleges; I had been rejected by my first choice and wait-listed by my second choice. Those schools didn't have GLOs and I was going to dive into the culture of this school. (This should be a hint that I was well acquainted with rejection – In HS I was cut from football cheer squad my Jr year and the basketball dance squad my Sr year; I ran for SGA each year – never won) I did have a 3.98 GPA and was in the orchestra (clarinet) and choir. I also did community service as a “candy stripe girl” at the local hospital and competed in western seat horseback riding and barrel racing. I thought I was well-rounded and desirable.

EVERYONE will LOOOOOOOOOOOVVVVVEEEEEEE me!! (Right?)

[SweetTeaParty]

Recruitment 'started' the first week of school with a BBQ cookout in the “Sorority Yard”. (All of the houses (except 1) were next-door to each other on pie-shaped lots that backed up to a common backyard. One was directly across on the same street.) I signed up and went with a group of my floormates to check out the groups. I lived in the “sorority dorm” with many sophomores. I had chosen this dorm especially to meet these members. As I remember, we had a nice time and met many nice girls.

I wasn't surprised that my roommate wasn't at the BBQ as she had professed a disinterest in anything Greek (actually, anything extra-curricular). Those groups were exclusionary and haughty she had informed me. She wasn't (IMHO) a good candidate – she was a mediocre student, wasn't interested in ANY clubs or groups and (worst of all) she never took any care with her appearance; she never fixed her hair, wore make-up, shaved her legs or underarms or took daily showers (!). She smoked and REALLY liked guys and pot. What she didn't tell me was that she was a triple legacy to one (mother, sister and grandmother!) and her family was giving her the squeeze.

After the BBQ the next “event” was a “Powder Puff” flag football league that was formed by dorms. Having always loved football (my brothers and dad played in college) I was certainly excited. This wasn't a PanHel event, but as my dorm was 90% greek, it certainly was a way to “rush”. What I learned was that my dorm was mostly Posh, Sporty with a few Babys – but no Gingers or Scarys. I learned those Sportys were SERIOUS about winning. The Poshs seemed always worried about getting dirty and the Babys were the most supportive of everyone.

[ColdInCanada11]

You just made my day

[FSUZeta]

Yippee!!!!

[SweetTeaParty]

Plenty happened those first few months of college - - some was probably not the best decisions I'd ever made (like flirting up that cute frat guy - - who turned out to be the boyfriend of a Sporty). But, college IS a learning experience - and I learned a lot!

On to the House Tours!

The GLOs had shined up their houses for inspection – and there was to be no food or handouts or videos or tape recorded songs. Only their “Leaders Council” and the members of their House Committee could be in the house. We went to each of the houses for 20 minutes and then on to the next. We were not given 'tours', but the actives were stationed around the house to answer questions ABOUT THE HOUSE.

Each house consisted of a chapter room for meetings (large enough for at least 60 seated women – that was house limit.) a TV / study room, a kitchen, a patio overlooking “Sorority Yard”, bathrooms and, perhaps, a committee meeting room. The houses were not huge, but nice.

Here is what I remember:

Posh: Stunning house filled with antiques and Asian rugs. Highest quality tables, chairs, sofas, lamps dominated the lofted Chapter room. In short, it looked like a showroom. They had a 2-story house. Their upstairs TV room was open to the chapter room below and their upstairs study room had a deck where you could sunbathe facing the yard.

Sporty: Large meeting room with TONS of chairs, small fireplace. Large TV room with new TV. Many HUGE filled-up trophy cases. Large framed composite photos dominated every wall dating back decades. Beautiful outside patio area.

Baby: Another large meeting room with a few couches and TONS of pillows. They said they often sat on the floor or on floor cushions. Inspirational posters covered their walls. Upstairs were study/committee meeting room. They had the cutest bathrooms – somewhere, they found wall paper with their adorable mascot - it was to-die-for!!

Ginger: Their exceptionally large meeting room had a lofted ceiling. It was filled with sectional couches that could be rearranged to seat 1, 2, 3, or 4 at one time. One long wall had a large stone fireplace and huge window seats flanking each side. The small TV room had an old TV and a couch and club chair. The small entry hall was covered in black flocked silver wallpaper.

Scary: OUTSTANDING house! Double front doors that swung out on a sitting porch and opened into a sunken chapter room with a cathedral ceiling. A floor-to-ceiling rock fireplace with a hearth stretching 10 feet in both direction dominated one corner. Spiral staircases that led upstairs to their TV and study rooms. Beautiful furniture.

After talking among ourselves, we decided that Scary had the best house, Posh had a house like our grandmother's, Sporty house was OK and Baby and Ginger needed the most work. But, were we joining a group for their HOUSE?

[SweetTeaParty]

The week after Homecoming, Recruitment started in earnest. The parties were as follows:

Friday: Chapter Night. Cookies/Punch only.
Saturday: Skit Night. More Elaborate Food.
Sunday: Preference Parties: VERY Elaborate Food.

There would be only one round of releases – after the skits. PNM could only attend 2 Sunday parties.

Monday: Bids given out and House Parties.

It was going to be an exciting week! We were divided into our groups by dorm floors with our RA s (Resident Advisers) and Pan delegates serving as Rho Chi's. About 150 ladies signed up for recruitment including about 20 sophomores. Among the ladies in my group were Tish and Deb ( they were roommates), Kathy (a HS friend of mine), Sandy (a new friend) and . . . . MY ROOMMATE????? Wait. She was anti-GLO - - Huh?

Yes, my hippie holdout, anti-establishment, pot-smoking roommate was going through recruitment. “It's all my family,” she admitted. “They want me to at least try it out.” All I can remember thinking was, “This won't be pretty.” And it wasn't, in more ways than one.

[IndianaSigKap]

Originally Posted by SweetTeaParty

and . . . . MY ROOMMATE????? Wait. She was anti-GLO - - Huh?

Yes, my hippie holdout, anti-establishment, pot-smoking roommate was going through recruitment. “It's all my family,” she admitted. “They want me to at least try it out.” All I can remember thinking was, “This won't be pretty.” And it wasn't, in more ways than one.

I am thinking roomie is a Posh legacy and ends up being all about Posh. Wouldn't that's be ironic?

[FSUZeta]

Oooooo.

[SweetTeaParty]

The 30 minute Chapter Party was to introduce the philanthropy, chapter history, accomplishments and meet some members.

We were waiting outside the Posh house as we heard them singing a soft low song about their GLO. Then we realized that a group had walked up behind us to serenade us from behind. I thought it was clever the way they startled us like that. One of the singers stepped forward to call out a girl's name and they proceeded to call-out their “pick-ups”. We entered the house to another song and were served snacks as they talked to us individually about their philanthropy work and chapter traditions. I didn't know my “pick-ups” but thought they were just the type of woman I wanted to be, traditional, ladylike and serene. Another song started and we were escorted out.

“Wow!” I told Kathy (remember, I had known her in HS!). “They're so elegant, I could really see myself there.” “Really?” she answered. “Because elegant is not exactly how I'd describe you,” she continued. “You're outgoing and funny. You enjoy dancing and outdoorsy things. You're a great friend. But, not stuffy and old fashioned like they are.”

Hmmmm. Did I see those things in myself? Or, was I trying too hard to fit myself into their cookie-cutter "image" because of the gossip that they were the most selective (ie, better)?

Trish and Deb thought they were archetypical 50s sorority-types, complete with pearls, but also could see themselves as members. Sandy remained unimpressed.

[SweetTeaParty]

I remember as we were lining up outside the Sporty house, Trish leaned over and squeezed my hand. “I'm so in love with this group,” she whispered. She had been trying since the first day to impress Sporty. She had joined the football league – but wasn't athletic so didn't get much playing time. She always waved and greeted the members she knew. She was really infatuated with them. It was a bit of overkill and painfully obvious. She was also socially awkward and rather opinionated – this was going to be brutal for her.

We were taken inside Sporty to loud clapping and singing. That was a novel experience for me. I found myself picked-up with the girl who'd been the coach of our football team. After a few pleasantries about her great coaching and my athletic abilities she pointed out the trophy cases. “We win everything,” she stated. And it certainly looked like it! Their display was filled with trophies from Greek Week, Intramural sports, All Sing and Campus Skit Night. WOW! I don't remember their philanthropy, but I'm sure they had a trophy for that too. I was passed off to another girl I knew from my dorm, had a snack and then out the door. As we walked out and headed to the next house Trish was ecstatic and Deb was impressed, and I was really liking them. Even Sandy and Kathy were impressed.

[jolene]

Can't wait for more!

[SweetTeaParty]

On to the Baby House! They were so much fun!

They opened the door and spilled out onto their porch singing a pop song with the words changed to their Greek Letters. The laughing and giggling never stopped with my pick-up. She lived on my floor and I fell a little in love. (OK, a LOT in love) After seating me with my snacks they had a large presentation to all about “What it meant to be a Baby”. I lapped it up.

I love, love, loved their philanthropy. I had even raised money for this group in High School. Oh, my! Yes!! NOW, I understood what Kathy meant about the Posh house. THIS was my new crush! They sang, they chanted, they clapped - - and they were so ADORABLE doing it!

Kathy also had a great party - - We left singing along to their exit tune (another well known pop tune) and I squeeeeeeled, "They're FAAAAAN-TAAAAS-TIC!!"

Sandy, Deb and Trish remained reserved. How could they NOT just be CRAAAZY about them????

“Too Baby-fied” was their answer. OK, I'll take that. I want to be “Baby-fied”!

[FSUZeta]

What a fun read!

[SweetTeaParty]

(Thank you FSUZeta, my English major son helped me edit)

The Gingers were up next.

The Un-Sorority girls didn't wear matching letter-tees like the Sportys, or pearls and twin-sets like the Poshes, OR cute same color dresses like the Babys; no, they had on . . . everyday jeans and tops. Not even in their GLO jerseys. (I doubted they even owned them.)

Whaaat?

We just filed in (no pick-ups!) and were seated while they introduced themselves as “the sorority for non-sorority women”. We were told all about their high-as-the-sky campus GPA, highest grad school admission rate, most leadership position in SGA and clubs, most PhiBetaKappa, Mortar Board and ODK memberships, bla, bla, BLAAA! Then, they took us to look at displays for their philanthropy and Chapter History. Then we were sung out the door.

“No, no, no!” I was emphatic. “I want to wear letters and sing cute songs!” But Sandy liked them. “I'm here for an education,” she stated. “And they are too; their focus is grades and leadership.” Kathy put her arm around me, hugged me and softly whispered that her feelings were the same as mine. Trish and Deb rolled their eyes. “Who wants to be a member of a group that isn't a group?”

[OldOleMiss]

I. AM. ADDICTED!!!!!