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Welcome to our newest member, DemetraMau |
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07-10-2009, 01:28 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by AnchorAlumna
No matter how many times it's written here or discussed girl-to-girl, it's STILL the CHAPTER'S RESPONSIBILITY to get a rec.
Yes, I still believe that. A chapter has years to build up a network of alumnae contacts. If the sponsorship officer is doing her job, and her committee is helping her, there's no reason they can't find an alum sponsor 70 to 85% of the time. The PNM should not have to feel like it's all on her!
So....you do the best you can, and leave the rest to the chapter to judge.
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I know that all of the SEC school's Panhellenic websites say "it is the CHAPTER'S RESPONSIBILITY TO GET RECS."
However, I find that in most cases (and this has been confirmed by several SEC GCers), the chapter IS NOT going to do it.
Sure, they'll do it for some of the girls, but think about how many PNMs there are. They just can't find one for everyone.
That's where finding them yourself comes in.
Also, I find that MOST of the girls who rush at the bigger SEC schools know the "inside scoop" in terms of the chapter securing recs. So they already know to try and get them.
Unforunately, the girls who are not "in the know" (1st generation college students, small town girls, etc) tend to actually believe the official word from Panhellenic and think that every chapter is going to take care of it and they don't need to worry about it.
I'd imagine that these are the girls who get cut the heaviest. This is part of the reason why I WISH that some of the school's Panhellenics would start just being honest with PNMs and saying something like "Chapter can't secure recs for every girl, so try your best to secure them on your own."
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Last edited by KSUViolet06; 07-10-2009 at 01:36 AM.
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07-10-2009, 08:44 AM
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while it is stated that it ultimately is the chapters responsibility to find a recommendation for a pnm, i see that happening for girls who are offered bids and who did not have a rec. prior to recruitment starting.
pnms without recs. in a competitive recruitment at a popular(with the pnms)house, often do not fair so well.
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07-10-2009, 08:50 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by FSUZeta
pnms without recs. in a competitive recruitment at a popular(with the pnms)house, often do not fair so well.
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Very true, but PNMs WITH recs often don't fare well, either.
As we all know, having a rec, like being a legacy, is a guarantee of nothing.
Last edited by AnchorAlumna; 07-10-2009 at 03:19 PM.
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07-10-2009, 09:10 AM
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So this may be totally irrelevant on this thread by now, but the title totally intrigued me (in fact, I finally got an account just to contribute on here after several months of reading the posts), and so did the discussion I've read so far.
As someone who was reading posts on here about recruitment last summer, I can say that all the old threads and posts and whatevers are extremely helpful. They gave me a really great idea as to what the heck recruitment would be like! I also didn't think anyone was particularly mean either.
Anyways, that's my opinion.
(and good luck to all pnms!)
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07-10-2009, 09:13 AM
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welcome, perfectinpurple.
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07-10-2009, 09:58 AM
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Everyone here brings super comments/advice based on countless years of experience and I enjoy reading everything. What I would like to share is something that I know from my experience.
The pnms that standout, are heavily recuited by top chapters, and wanted by numerous groups will have people on the inside getting that rec for them no matter how hard they have to work. If it is required by the org to have that rec for that pnm, they will find it! They will not do this for every pnm coming through as they don't want every pnm and it is too much work, but the pnm's they want -- they will do it!
I do agree in part with AnchorAlumna. If the sponsorship chair and her group are doing their jobs properly they have the alum connections and they will find that rec. They are not going to let that pnm they want slip by because of it. I have seen it happen and they work like crazy to secure one. That is their job. When you are competing with other houses to get that pnm, you will get that rec. It is almost like having bragging rights in the end. I have seen it time and time again. They will not lose the chance to pledge her to "XYZ" over her not securing a rec.
Competition is fierce at some top schools to pledge certain girls and that is what the org works hard for over the entire year. Looking back, it is serious business and a lot of hussle. You won't do this for 1500 prospects, but you will hussle for those amazing 50 you want. I have seen it happen and it is worth that final outcome in the end. You just feel so amazing on bid day when you see your work pay off.
I am getting excited thinking about it. LOL
Last edited by baci; 07-10-2009 at 10:23 AM.
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07-10-2009, 11:32 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by baci
The pnms that standout, are heavily recuited by top chapters, and wanted by numerous groups will have people on the inside getting that rec for them no matter how hard they have to work. If it is required by the org to have that rec for that pnm, they will find it! They will not do this for every pnm coming through as they don't want every pnm and it is too much work, but the pnm's they want -- they will do it!
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Yeah, that's a no brainer. If Scarlett Johansson crossed with Einstein crossed with Maria Callas comes through rush, you're going to be on the phone 24/7 till you get someone to write a rec for her. But I don't think most PNMs are like that - or that any group, no matter how top of the tiers they are has a whole pledge class like that. I mean, someone has to be average. It's that "average" girl who gets really screwed if she doesn't have her recs in order - it's not that the chapter DOESN'T want her, but if someone else has already done that work, they'll be more likely to take them. If you see 2 houses for the same price, one immaculate and one a fixer-upper, which one will you buy?
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07-10-2009, 12:18 PM
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Or even an outstanding girl who they just don't know yet may not get the attention she might deserve.
And I'll be honest, not all our chapters are at the competitive level that Baci is rightly mentioning. (I think what she's saying is 100% correct for really strong chapters) There's another big group in the middle who will be a making decisions on a significant part of their pledge class based on girls they meet during recruitment or learn of solely because of recruitment because of recs. These chapters and girls need the recs, even at the info. only level, so they can spot some of the great girls who aren't already on the radar of the one's Baci is describing.
It's possible that these chapters are also going to be the ones without the super-effective alumnae committees because the there's probably a relationship between the overall strength of your chapter and your strength in recruitment and alumnae support. Super chapters have it all. Medium chapters have it some. Struggling chapters may struggle.
I'd like to think that at the alumnae level, all chapters would get the same assistance, but I'm not sure they do because I think most of us are most emotionally invested with our own chapters of initiation, even 20 years later.
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07-10-2009, 06:30 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by AnchorAlumna
I've had an interest in doing recs since I was in college - don't know why, it's some obsessive desire to fill out forms!
Recruitment is a crazy time, especially if it's a very competitive school. You have chapters pledge girls they had no original intention of pledging...cut girls that nobody can remember...drop girls that nobody voted against...no matter how many times it's written here or discussed girl-to-girl, it's STILL the CHAPTER'S RESPONSIBILITY to get a rec.
Yes, I still believe that. A chapter has years to build up a network of alumnae contacts. If the sponsorship officer is doing her job, and her committee is helping her, there's no reason they can't find an alum sponsor 70 to 85% of the time. The PNM should not have to feel like it's all on her!
The other 30 to 15% of the time? That would be the gals from small towns with no nearby alum...from faraway states...military families who move a lot...100% is idea, but it's never going to happen.
So....you do the best you can, and leave the rest to the chapter to judge.
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While I agree with you in theory, reality can be quite different -- at least for a large SEC campus. Let's look at some real life #'s from 2008 at Bama. There were roughly 1600 PNMs. My chapter received Recs on about 1000 of these women, leaving 600 without. For the chapter to find 75% of the missing Recs, that's still 450 Recs we would need to track down.
Also keep in mind that the majority of PNMs didn't start signing up for Recruitment until the about mid June, plus they have right up until the night before Recruitment starts to sign up. What's known as the "Rec flood" starts in July. So if a chapter were responsible for finding Recs, there's no point in even starting until at least mid to late July. That would leave only a very few weeks to track down those 450 Recs
Considering that most of PNMs from Alabama and the surrounding states know the importance of Recs on this campus, it's pretty fair to say the majority of those PNMs without are from a few states away. Yes we have built up a network of known alumnae who we can call for help out of the blue, but I'm sorry to say our network doesn't extend that far.
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07-10-2009, 06:50 PM
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I have never understood it to be the chapter's responsibility to find recs. Sure, if you fall in love with a pnm, and she doesn't have a rec, then the chapter is going to be responsible for finding her a rec before extending a bid. But, and I agree with Zillini, in the big competitive systems, there is simply no time before recruitment to start beating the bushes for recs.
In my experience and understanding of the rec process, it is actually the alums responsibility to find and recommend women for our sorority. The alum is fulfilling a responsibility. Without the rec, there is no new member.
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07-10-2009, 06:56 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Tippiechick
I completely agree. I get tired of people on here saying, "Go ask your alumnae panhellenic," or "ask your teachers." In my small little town, ONE, yes, ONE teacher/person went to a sorority. We currently have a total of 3 people either in a sorority or who have just left college. But, since the other girl and I live in in other towns, it's back to the same ONE person in the entire county... So,
Sometimes, there just ISN'T anyone to write a rec. And, people don't seem to understand what it is like to go down every single avenue only to find NO ONE who is in a sorority. Rural areas don't have a ton of alumnae.
So, I am not as hard on girls who come here looking for info on recs. I have even written a rec for a girl in the same situation I faced when rushing.
Back then, I called the headquarters of the groups to get more info on trying to find alumnae in my area. Some were nice. Some actually told me, "If Ole Miss wants you, they will find a rec FOR you. But, we will not help you find an alumna. Bye." (I still remember that bit of unkindness today.)
Point is, there are girls who just have very few options when it comes to recs. I think it almost amounts to a bit of an unfair advantage for girls in more urban areas with PA to help them out.
I just see no need to be totally against people seeking help to secure a rec. They just need to be nice, discreet, and not stupid about it. I can always point them in the direction of someone in their area. And, honestly, I don't see why more people can't do the same! It takes two or three minutes to look up a key woman for the area...
ETA: The girl I wrote a rec for??? Not only joined, but has become a distinguished member and officer. See? Not every PNM is stupid and evil... Now, if the PNM is from, say, Dallas or Nashville proper, then I have issues with her finding a rec. But, chick from Podunk, TN? That is a situation I would consider helping...
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Tippiechick, carnation, and others: I agree with carnation's post and what several others have said. I do fear that a lot of people are misled by their metro area experiences and have no idea at all what very small town rural life is like. Plenty of young women from tiny towns would indeed make great members. . . .
ETA: <originally posted by carnation: You know who I feel sorry for? The girls who are from non-Greek families or small towns who've been to Orientation at their universities and gotten their Go Greek materials and desperately want to be Greek and don't even know where to start. Some of these girls would make fabulous members. They've asked dozens of women if they're alums but so far, no luck. . . . >
Last edited by exlurker; 07-10-2009 at 09:27 PM.
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07-10-2009, 07:05 PM
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This is completely irrelevant I think, but if you're a PNM going through recruitment at a small non-competitive school find out if recs are something that happens there.
At my undergrad you'd be looked at like you were trying too hard if you have people sending in recs. My organization's legacy introduction form was the only form I saw as a collegian. This is particularly true of non-competitive, northern deferred recruitment, because if the school is small enough chances are sorority members already know a fair amount about you before you go through recruitment (including any salacious details, true or not, about who you slept with that's a member of what fraternity/campus organization).
I have heard of PNMs using recs as damage control, but as I never saw a rec as an active I don't know how true that is, and if it is true, how effective (although I would guess not very).
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07-10-2009, 11:25 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by agzg
This is completely irrelevant I think, but if you're a PNM going through recruitment at a small non-competitive school find out if recs are something that happens there.
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This is true. I can count on one hand the number of recs I saw as a collegian. I'd imagine that the same is true for other chapters on my campus as well. We really only got legacy forms.
__________________
"Remember that apathy has no place in our Sorority." - Kelly Jo Karnes, Pi
Lakers Nation.
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07-11-2009, 12:10 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by gee_ess
In my experience and understanding of the rec process, it is actually the alums responsibility to find and recommend women for our sorority. The alum is fulfilling a responsibility. Without the rec, there is no new member.
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I have to disagree.
The only time I knew who was going to college was when my daughter was a senior in high school.
It's much more helpful to get lists from the chapters of who has signed up, plus whatever info they have via their Panhellenic. I don't live in a tiny town, but it's big enough that I don't know everybody.
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07-11-2009, 02:25 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by agzg
This is completely irrelevant I think, but if you're a PNM going through recruitment at a small non-competitive school find out if recs are something that happens there.
At my undergrad you'd be looked at like you were trying too hard if you have people sending in recs. My organization's legacy introduction form was the only form I saw as a collegian. This is particularly true of non-competitive, northern deferred recruitment, because if the school is small enough chances are sorority members already know a fair amount about you before you go through recruitment (including any salacious details, true or not, about who you slept with that's a member of what fraternity/campus organization).
I have heard of PNMs using recs as damage control, but as I never saw a rec as an active I don't know how true that is, and if it is true, how effective (although I would guess not very).
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Quote:
Originally Posted by KSUViolet06
This is true. I can count on one hand the number of recs I saw as a collegian. I'd imagine that the same is true for other chapters on my campus as well. We really only got legacy forms.
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I never even knew what a rec was until I started posting on this site a year ago. If someone told me to call my alumnae panhellenic, I would have looked at them as if they were speaking another language.
I'm not saying that chapters should do the work for the PNMs, but I can completely understand how it might be more difficult for certain girls to find recs (especially when some of them might not even know what it is they're looking for and how to go about getting it).
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