colonizing..

[smiley21]

kappa delta is colonizing on my campus this fall. i wanted to know what goes into colonizing? i think it would be a great experience and i am defintely committed to doing the work, but just how hard is it?

[AUDeltaGam]

This is so my topic! I am a member of the colonizing pledge class of Delta Gamma at Auburn.

What will happen (for us) is that representatives from KD nationals will come to your school and do a presentation. Then they will most likely have interview times. After interviews, girls will be invited back to a Preference Party, and after Pref is BID DAY!!!

GOOD luck! Let me know if you have any questions!

[Kevin]

All I can say is that it's a great experience! Go for it but don't expect it to be easy! Good luck!

[sherbertlemons]

I was also a colonizing member of my chapter, Eta Eta at the University of Central Florida.

What PSPGirl says is great, but I wanted to add that you don't always have a Pref for recruitment for a colony. We didn't. It just depends on the national involved.

It's great because everyone makes a fuss over you. You get to meet girls from chapters at other schools, Fraternity officers, and tons of alumni. The existing chapters at your school will probably pay a lot of attention to you.

In fact, should you ever see Curlygirly posting, she's actully my key sister from UF. After I got my bid, I introduced myself on the Kappa forum and she PM'd me. The week before initiation, I got another PM asking for my real name, and when we met our key sisters that weekend, she walks up and says "Hi, I'm Curlygirly, from GreekChat."

It is definitely a lot of work, though. My colony was giant. We initiated 120 sisters that weekend and so sisterhood has taken a lot of work. We've improved in that respect a lot over our first semester as a chapter, but it just takes work and time. There are times when nobody seems to have any idea what they're doing. Our advisors say we've made incredible progress, but there are weeks where we all feel we make more mistakes than anything else.

It's defintely worth it, though. I have my weeks when I wonder why on earth I ever decided I wanted to do this, but then they're so quickly followed by moments where I realize I wouldn't trade it for the world. We're up in a hotel room at a sisterhood event at four in the morning laughing so hard we're sick. We have in jokes galore already. Doing Dance Marathon with them was amazing...my fellow dancers were wonderful, and when we told our first set of visitors from our chapter we were hungry, word got out and we had so many sisters showing up with food we literally couldn't eat it all. (One sister even bought all 16 of us Slurpees.)

Sometimes I really can't live without my Kappa gals.

The best thing, though, is that you have an opportunity so few women ever get. What my chapter does right now will affect how it does in the future greatly. I'd personally say go for it.

[lilkel244]

Yay for colonys!! I am in the DZ colony at the Universtiy of Hartford. We are getting istalled on this upcoming Saturday after almost an entire year as a colony. Its alot of really hard work, but it is so worth it in the end, I thought Greek life wasn't for me until I joined the colony. Don't forget, the traditions start with you, its an amazing experience to know that in 10 years I can come back and see a girl wearing the family letters me and my twin picked out, and getting the stuff we passed down to them!

Love of Love,
Kel

[texas*princess]

Hi smiley!!!

I have never been part of a colony, but some of my most valued friends are currently in a colony at another school.

I think it would definately take a lot of work because you are basically building the foundation for the future chapter!

But that is not to discourage you ! I definately think you would be so proud of all the rewards the colony recieves from all that hard work! (sisterhood, true friendships, and your chapter charter!!! and a lot more!)

[MoxieGrrl]

There was a terrific article in The Angelos , our magazine, about what goes into colonization. I believe The Angelos is online at our website if you want to check it out!

[aephi alum]

It's the toughest job you'll ever love (to coin a phrase )

It is a lot of hard work - in addition to fulfilling the sorority's new member requirements, founders have to set up the infrastructure for the new chapter - things like chapter traditions, chapter governance, philanthropy and academic programs, maybe chapter rituals and songs, etc. But national offices generally offer tons of help and ideas - they want to see the new colony succeed, after all!

Good luck!

[WhiteDaisy128]

Okie, dokie, I can help out here too. I am a founding sister of the Eta Kappa Chapter of Delta Gamma at North Carolina State University. Here is how our chapter was colonized:

After formal rush, DG held an info session for interested PNM's. At the info session, representatives from Executive Offices presented all sorts of facts and information about Delta Gamma.

The next day there were one on one interviews. Everyone had an interview.

The next day, we picked up invitations to a Preference Night. At pref, the women of the Beta Theta chapter of DG (from Duke) did the ceremony.

The next day bids were extended.

Now, this process will of course be different for each national chapter.

Okay, so now we know who all is the first new member class of the colony, what next?

New member meetings of course. Extra long meetings are the mark of a colony. Not only do you have to go over new member stuff (history, etc), but you have to cover things that might be covered in a real chapter meeting (social events, etc.). In the second or third week of being a new member, your colony should elect officers. It's hard since you hardly know each other! We gave short speeches to determine who to vote for (boy, those officers don't know what they are getting into!).

Officers have to work especially hard. Each chapter is built around it's Bylaws and Standing rules...the offices must construct these, turn in all kinds of forms to Executive Offices (EO), attend officer retreats, some even have to head up to EO for training!!

Also, as a colony you most likely will have to immediately think about recruiting. It is important to be around the all campus average as soon as possible.

As much work as it is, being a colony member is fun! You will be the founding sisters! There will never be any other founding sisters of the chapter (unless you are recolonizing, of course). Your face will be on that composit for as long as the chapter is active! All the fraternities want to do things with your chapter because it's new! You get to make all the traditions in your chapter. You will be the first members of families in your chapter - family tree's will date all the way back to you! There are just so many good things about colony life!

But the best is that day when you get your badge. There is nothing like it...

I'd highly encourage you to check it out to see if you think it might work for you.

Just a tip...try to get a KD rec before the who process starts...imagine how it looks seeing a rec for a girl when you have 300+ people wanting to be a part of the new colony...it just helps you stick out (in a good way!).

[DeltaBetaBaby]

Originally posted by aephi alum
It's the toughest job you'll ever love

Funny, I thought that was the peace corps.