There is no how-to guide for high school sororities. Greeks, in the typical sense, are collegiate organizations. Some are community-oriented; that is, it is not a membership requirement that you be a college student.
You should talk to the faculty adviser for the fraternity at your high school. You might be best suited to develop a plan for an all-girls service organization, and develop a name with Greek letters, as well as an induction ceremony. You can model this induction ceremony off of other ceremonies you have participated in as a member of high school honor societies or community organizations.
The name should have some special significance. You might select special colors or symbols that are meaningful to the purpose of the organization and its name. Members can receive a special membership certificate. Perhaps you can have t-shirts made, too. Members might receive a special pin or ribbon at their induction. You can loop a ribbons into your colors onto a safety pin as a symbol of your organization. Maybe you can adopt a special
"mascot" as a representative of your organization. Collegiate sorority mascots include lions, dolphins, elephants, giraffes, pandas and teddy bears. Special flowers include violets, ivy, roses, carnations, etc.
You can advertise the organization (with the school's permission) by emailing students, putting up posters, starting a Facebook group and holding interest meetings after school. (again get the school's permission). Talk to the school newspaper and TV program. They might do a story on you once you have gotten a few activities under your belt. This will be a great way to promote the group further.
Perhaps a key component of your group will be to pair Junior & Senior Mentors with underclassmen girls to help them be successful in acclimating to high school and thinking ahead to college. This could be a very important aspect of your organization, and show a tangible value to the school. High school can be a very fun time, but it can be challenging, as well. Having an older high school girl to rely on might make that transition easier for freshman girls, and reflect in higher grades and test scores. You can develop special Mentor-Mentee events and programs. If your organization's purpose is to provide a support system for other teenaged girls, I think the school would be open to it. This is the time in your life when you are pulling away from parents a little more, but going through some "things" -- it might be a welcome opportunity to bring a club into the school that gives girls a place to be girls and have other girls to turn to.
The first thing you should do is to assemble a group of 10 or more interested girls. Write a plan, including a name for the group, its purpose, suggested activities, any membership requirements (open to all 9-12th grade girls with a 3.0 GPA or higher), and some projects you would like to undertake to help better the school or the community.
Some suggested projects and activities: Maybe you can provide tutoring services, plant a garden at a retirement home, help with after-school care at the local elementary school, etc. Also, maybe you can help facilitate special workshops for the girls at your school, like a fitness and exercise workshop, an open house forum on "what every girl needs to know about boys and dating," Getting Ready for the SAT -- Resources, Applying to Colleges, "What Being a College Freshman is Like" (get some alumnae of your school to come back and talk about their first year of college). etc.
Fun Stuff: You can also do after-school ice cream socials, go to school sporting events together, have "Grey's Anatomy Night" at someone's house, etc. Maybe a trip to a local theme park or museum. Maybe you can even have parents chaperone visits to some area colleges to take a tour. That would be a huge value because not all of the girls in your high school have access to a car or parents who are able to take these visits with them. It might also turn someone onto a college she hasn't considered before.
Make a suggested calendar. Try to limit activities to one per week, keeping in mind that school is everyone's top priority, and that the students have other activities they are involved with.
Next, chat with a faculty member who supervises student organizations. See what they think. There is a lot going on in high school, and you are working toward getting into college. If you start a student organization, it should be one that has the approval of the school. If your school is not into the idea, talk to your church/temple about beginning a Sisterhood for teenaged girls. You can still give it a Greek name, have an induction ceremony, and special social and service programs. Either way, if it is an organization that has support from a school or church administration, your parents will be more supportive, and the organization will have administrative support to stay alive long after you have graduated and moved on to bigger and better things in your own life. It's also a great resume builder for your college applications to demonstrate that you started a new youth organization at your school or church.
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Last edited by adpiucf; 10-15-2007 at 09:16 AM.
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