What to tell overconfident PNMs

[Titchou]

You thank them for doing this - via hand written note - and ask if there is anything relse they need from her. Not knowing when you've asked them to have them in the mail, I would time the note for about 1-2 weeks before that date.

[ASTalumna06]

Originally Posted by AnchorAlumna

Overall - we need to be better educating our members about the necessity of recs and how to correctly do them for your organization. I think part of the problem is that are usually processed by a committee or a couple of individuals, and most members don't see or hear about them except as a brief mention when you're going over the PNM list.

But if they're just a check-off item for your org and you don't read or use them, change your policies and procedures to eliminate them.

This!

As I've said before, I didn't know what a rec was until I came to this site, after I had already graduated. If anyone asked me to write a rec back then, I would have given them a funny look and asked them what they were talking about. And let's face it: it's not good when a PNM has to teach an alumna about sorority procedures. It's probably a little awkward on both sides of the fence.

Heck, even if a PNM came to me today and asked me to write a rec, I'd be more than willing to help, but I wouldn't know where to start.

Actually, our org has had numerous webinars recently about all kinds of policies and procedures. Perhaps I'll suggest that this gets put on the list of topics to discuss...

[DubaiSis]

Also, I don't know the other NPC's policies, but in my sorority you have to be a paid member in order for your rec to count. And the recs go through FHQ, so they check them. I haven't learned if legacy forms get forwarded with the paid membership, but it wouldn't surprise me. Pay your dues!

[AOIILisa]

I was just paging through one of my recent alum magazines and there is a real push for alumnae to write and send more recs. The article said that the majority of our chapters do not receive any MIFs (our recs are called MIFs) and this is something they would like to change. They have certainly made it easier, our MIFs are now done online and are electronically forwarded directly to the chapter - you attach the PNM resume, pic, etc, and you're good to go.

I would guess that most of the chapters that do receive MIFs are SEC chapters, but maybe another AOII here can confirm.

[AOII Angel]

Originally Posted by AOIILisa

I was just paging through one of my recent alum magazines and there is a real push for alumnae to write and send more recs. The article said that the majority of our chapters do not receive any MIFs (our recs are called MIFs) and this is something they would like to change. They have certainly made it easier, our MIFs are now done online and are electronically forwarded directly to the chapter - you attach the PNM resume, pic, etc, and you're good to go.

I would guess that most of the chapters that do receive MIFs are SEC chapters, but maybe another AOII here can confirm.

Yeah, SEC and other Southern chapters are more likely to have recs. The chapters I've advised in MD, AZ and CA, while not competitive recruitment schools, have not been chapters that received recs. All of my alum chapters have been confused about the idea of them, as well. I've volunteered to write an recs requested from us by women heading to SEC schools since the local alums are unaware of what is needed.

[honeychile]

I know that I've been quietly reading on this, but let me add this:

My ADPi little sister has three daughters, twins who decided not to go through recruitment, and one who wanted to do so (at VTech). LS hasn't even seen an Adelphean for years, but she decided to let me know HALFWAY THROUGH RECRUITMENT!! I asked if LSD (couldn't resist Little Sister's Daughter) had recs, and LS told me, "she told them that she was a legacy." ACK!!! With her permission, I contacted the Chapter Advisor, and got in touch with other wonderful NPC ladies who immediately did so for LSD, too. LSD is a wonderful young woman, with so many skills, it's amazing, and managed to get all the way until prefs, where she didn't get the invitations to neither of the sororities where she felt comfortable, and dropped out of Recruitment.

This is SO HARD for me, because she had it. She got through all but one round (with ADPi). While I'm not positive (due to membership selection reasons), I am 90% positive that LSD was seriously crippled by not having a FULL legacy rec (yes, ADPi was one of her desired GLOs). Her mother wasn't familiar with the necessity of recs at VTech because our chapter rarely got them. She hadn't been receiving the Adelphean, so she didn't hear it there.

I cannot imagine taking Physics 201 without taking the entry level classes first - don't let a PNM go through Recruitment without Recs! Just because the school says that they are unnecessary doesn't mean that they won't help a PNM immensely!

I can only hope that LSD gives it another try...

[TigerOwl]

'I cannot imagine taking Physics 201 without taking the entry level classes first - don't let a PNM go through Recruitment without Recs! Just because the school says that they are unnecessary doesn't mean that they won't help a PNM immensely!'


Another great way to explain WHY RECS! Thank you Honeychile!

[irishpipes]

Originally Posted by AOIILisa

I was just paging through one of my recent alum magazines and there is a real push for alumnae to write and send more recs. The article said that the majority of our chapters do not receive any MIFs (our recs are called MIFs) and this is something they would like to change. They have certainly made it easier, our MIFs are now done online and are electronically forwarded directly to the chapter - you attach the PNM resume, pic, etc, and you're good to go.

I would guess that most of the chapters that do receive MIFs are SEC chapters, but maybe another AOII here can confirm.

My chapter (U of Illinois - Big 10) received recs, but certainly not for all or even a majority of PNMs. Oklahoma and Oklahoma State (Big 12) are schools where every single PNM will have at least 1 rec to be considered. Many Big 12 schools have very competitive recruitments.

[kchaptergphib]

I know I'm not technically treading on membership selection info here, so don't flame me, but I wanted to say that a couple of years ago, everyone in our new member class had a recommendation letter. Every. Single. One. At Wisconsin.
Now, that was unusual, and certainly some recs were more moving, more helpful, etc., than others. In the past few years, I'd say our chapter gets 70-130 recs each fall. That's not a large percentage of the total number of women coming through recruitment, but it is way more than a typical quota. When we can fill a a couple of pledge classes with women on whom we have previous knowledge, it can make it harder to stand out if you *don't* have a rec. And if you're a legacy and don't have a recommendation- that ends up looking odd, because in the best case scenario, your legacy-maker is unaware of current rec/legacy policies or practice.

[AnchorAlumna]

Originally Posted by irishpipes

My chapter (U of Illinois - Big 10) received recs, but certainly not for all or even a majority of PNMs.

Irishpipes, I'm curious - do you know for sure that your chapter received few recs? Were you on a recruitment committee where you'd be privy to that info? I ask because I've listened to women swear their chapter didn't get recs, but they weren't on any kind of committee that processed them and they really didn't know. They only knew that occasionally it was mentioned that a PNM had a rec.

[Sciencewoman]

I think Irishpipes is probably accurate...the situation at Wisconsin is typical, I think. Big 10 schools just aren't as into this as the SEC schools are. I've been approached for 3 recs during the past 10 years I've been an alumnae chapter president...one for Alabama, one for TCU, and one for Miami-Ohio. The chapter I help advise gets a handful each year...and they really stand out (positively) because they're so unusual.

[DeltaBetaBaby]

Originally Posted by AnchorAlumna

Irishpipes, I'm curious - do you know for sure that your chapter received few recs? Were you on a recruitment committee where you'd be privy to that info? I ask because I've listened to women swear their chapter didn't get recs, but they weren't on any kind of committee that processed them and they really didn't know. They only knew that occasionally it was mentioned that a PNM had a rec.

I was at the same school, and I am certain we only got about a handful, having been chapter president and privy to that info.

[Maman]

I think this is one of those things where changes in recruitment may have occurred very rapidly over time. What happened last year may be very different from what was the norm only five years ago.
In 2012, my daughter attended an Alumnae Panhellenic Recruitment Information Night in the Midwest during her senior year. I am sure some of the PNMs would be attending SEC schools or Indiana, but certainly not the majority. There were 200+ attendees. So logically, Big Ten sororities must receive some recs.
NOTE: I am not asking anyone to divulge their age or year of graduation.

[Sciencewoman]

Our APH rep has had zip, zero luck in getting our APH to show any interest in having an event for seniors or doing anything about rec writing. There are a few alumnae around here who are "with it" but not many. When my daughter was getting recs 2 years ago, only a couple women who wrote them had done so previously.

[irishpipes]

Originally Posted by AnchorAlumna

Irishpipes, I'm curious - do you know for sure that your chapter received few recs? Were you on a recruitment committee where you'd be privy to that info? I ask because I've listened to women swear their chapter didn't get recs, but they weren't on any kind of committee that processed them and they really didn't know. They only knew that occasionally it was mentioned that a PNM had a rec.

Yes, I was privy to it. We had a ton of legacies come through, and most of them had legacy forms, but not too many others had recs. But, that was a long time ago and I think recs in general were not as widely used. I am quite certain that recs are much more common at my chapter now. The chapter very actively solicits them.

I don't know if you were directing part of your comment at me or not, but I have never said that my chapter didn't get recs. I know we did, but I also strongly suspect most PNMs did not have them - I know they didn't for my GLO. I know many of the women we pledged did not have them. I am sure that certain chapters on campus used them more than we did, and some chapters used them less.

The whole rec business is a lot easier now with electronic media, and I think that has aided the increase in rec usage at schools that didn't consider them heavily before.