Retro Recruitment.....with a different ending

[Ocalagirl]

Originally Posted by Leslie Anne

I'm anxious to hear the rest of your story though.

yeah me too!!

[Denise_DPhiE]

Originally Posted by FSUZeta

you are bleeding us with paper cuts!! come on , spill the beans!! please.

Seriously - tell us MORE....

Thank you for being so candid. I was also rejected in my first pursuit of Greek Letter affiliation (there were only locals on my campus at the time and I wanted to be a member of one in particular). Within a month of not getting a bid, I met a wonderful woman who told me about the sorority she was involved in forming and would I like to come to a meeting? That NPC did not come to fruition but we saw presentations a couple of months later from 2 NPC groups who did wnt to come to my campus, AOII and DPhiE. We were colonized by DPhiE in September 1987, almost 20 years ago. The rejection of that local is still a very clear memory but what was meant to be, was meant to be!

[AlwaysSAI]

Like I said, I came back to school in the fall as an active sister of my SAI chapter. I was more than thrilled, but was having a hard time feeling a close connection with all the girls.

I wanted to become a leader and with SAI having such a small focus, only doing music related service and recruiting girls within the music building--it wasn't fulfilling my desire. (to become a member of SAI you do not have to be a music major, you just have to take one music course and be able to display musical competancy.)

I began researching other organizations that catered to exactly what I was looking for. A friend of mine from work is a member of Phi Sigma Pi and they were advertising recruitment events all over campus. I talked to him about it and he encouraged me to go. I feel in love with this organization the second I walked in the door. I felt right at home. Everyone was so nice and friendly.

But, if you know anything about Phi Sigma Pi, it is not like pledging your typical greek organization. At the end of rush, there was "Interview Night" which gives the brothers a chance to meet with the prospectives on a more serious note. Then, whoever is invited to continue on in the initiation process is called and invited to attend pinning. I recieved the call and was soo thrilled. Sarah, our initiated advisor that semester, said to me, "Yeah, we love you." I immediately called my sister and what I said to her is something I hope to portray to all the PNMs out there.

"This being greek thing isn't so hard once you find the right organizations." She agreed with me, of course.

I began the loooong process into the brotherhood of Phi Sigma Pi. That which includes interviewing all active brothers, planning and carrying out a social, service, and fundraising event. And, then, at the end of it all each initiate class has to throw a Philosophy of Life Social (affectionately called POL) for the brothers. We also had to make an 80 on the National exam that covered the history of the fraternity.

I was voted President of my initiate class-the Alpha Deltas, when our first president was "voted off the island" as we jokingly called it. Because on top of everything else, the brothers voted on us once every two weeks and if there was someone that they felt was not up to par, that person was asked to leave. We started as a class of 25 and only 12 of us made it to initiation.

That process was tough and grueling, but looking back, it was one of the most meaningful periods of my life. My pledge class really bonded and even to this day, all of us are really close. Phi Sigma Pi has offered me the fellowship and acceptance I have always searched. I love each and every one of them because they accept me for who I am-crazy, cooky, off the wall, screaming with joy AlwaysSAI. I love being a brother because I have so many friends in so many places and I love running into my brothers on campus. The love that has come to me through Phi Sigma Pi is indescribable.

As PinkBabyGirl said, not getting a bid from an NPC org. was one of the hardest, but also one of the best things that happened in my life. Had it not been for that, I never would have found my true home, the place where I belong in Phi Sigma Pi. *As one of my favorite bros put it, "ΦΣΠ Brothers, Friends.....Forever."

So, yes, I sit in meetings for 4 hours every Sunday with Phi Sig starting at 5p and SAI starting at 8p, but I love both of these organizations so much and the vows I took in each of them are so important to me that I would never dream of going inactive. Although, some Sundays, it's a lot to handle.

An update for both of my chapters: SAI-KG chapter made huge feats during the 2006-07 school year! Though we were chartered at the School of Music since 1999 we were not fully affiliated with the university. This year, we achieved that goal and are now reaping the benefits of this affiliation. I am also a newly elected officer in the position of Corresponding Secretary & Editor!!!
Since I pledge Phi Sigma Pi, we have gained quite the reputation on campus for an organization that creates leaders. SOMETHING WE ARE VERY PROUD OF! We worked really hard with our local cause of supporting the brain anuersym foundation and raised a total of almost $2,000 throughout the spring semester through a variety of fundraisers and a quite successful benefit concert. And, most importantly, due to all of our hard work with the BAF, because of a letter I wrote, we were awarded the Human Relations Award through the office of Multicultural Affairs for the 2007 year. It is a very prestigous award which awarded us a glass plaque, a plaque on the "Wall of Honor" in the Student Center and $100.

I couldn't be happier since I found my home!

[Leslie Anne]

Originally Posted by AlwaysSAI

I couldn't be happier since I found my home!

Now THAT'S what I was hoping for! Congratulations on finding your home. It's sometimes is a tough road, but I'm so glad you ended up happy.

[FSUZeta]

what a happy, happy ending, and one so timely,as there may be a gc pnm for whom, unfortunately, formal recruitment does not work out. thank you for sharing your story.

[KSUViolet06]

This is a really good thread. Some PNM this fall might be able to benefit from reading this. Thanks for sharing.

[Leslie Anne]

Originally Posted by KSUViolet06

This is a really good thread. Some PNM this fall might be able to benefit from reading this.

Absolutely! NPCs are great but they aren't the only way nor the best way for everyone when it comes to being Greek. Finding your home is the important thing and, as we have now seen, that particular home might be in a local, a service org, a professional, or even an a cappella group!

[Faith4Keep]

Congratulations on finding what you were looking for!!! I'm so happy that you have found your place.

I have a question for everyone else though. I was reading this:

Originally Posted by AlwaysSAI

I began the loooong process into the brotherhood of Phi Sigma Pi. That which includes interviewing all active brothers, planning and carrying out a social, service, and fundraising event. And, then, at the end of it all each initiate class has to throw a Philosophy of Life Social (affectionately called POL) for the brothers. We also had to make an 80 on the National exam that covered the history of the fraternity.

At my university, these activities (interviewing with every member, must plan an event prior to initiation, having to take a knowledge based exam) would be considered hazing, because the new member is forced to do the activity or else they are threatened with not being initiated. Not to say that anyone here was threatened, but if they are saying "You have to interview with all the brothers before you can be initiated" to my university this is hazing. Comments?

[FSUZeta]

i agree faith-nowadays with the strict hazing rules, these activities would be considered hazing.

when i was a pledge, we had wooden crowns that we had to get signed by every initiated sister. some sisters just signed them when asked, others asked us a few zta related questions, some wanted us to visit with them before they would sign their name. it was a way to get the pledges to get to know every girl in the chapter-no harm was done by requiring us to get those signatures. we also had to learn everyones name, hometown and major and were tested on that. those activities would be considered hazing if todays hazing rules are applied.

oh, there was a deadline to get all the signatures and then our big sisters took the crowns, decorated it, had sisters we were close to write a brief message on on of the 5 tips and we got it back as an initiation gift. i think that zta new members are really missing out on a good experience.

[adrie435]

Sadly, I think it has to do with the idea of the group and how much it's scrutinized.. Greeks are under more scrutiny for hazing violations than a professional/honorary group is.

I'm a member of a professional organization and we were required to interview brothers prior to initiation and take a test on our knowledge of the fraternity (both local and national) and the professional subject matter (in this case, chemistry). Everything we did earned us points and if you didnt have enough points, you couldn't be initiated. I found it surprising that our 'rituals' contained pieces that I've been taught are considered hazing in the social Greek world-- blindfolds, special attire, and having to stand in front of people to recite information. But it's not seen in the same light... Unfortunately since some social Greek organizations have done enough stupid or dangerous things at some point or another we will always have extra attention on things that could be construed as hazing.

ETA: There's a thread going on right now in fact in Chapter operations about the new member process and the effect that strict hazing definitions have had on it

[Faith4Keep]

When I found out that an organization at was "hazing" and other GLOs had heard about it, and I asked one of the my good friends (and ritual officer) about it. They said the 'worst' thing they make them do is meet up with all of the active members.

I was shocked, because I thought this was a great idea! When I was a NM, I would have loved to do that and met every one of my soon-to-be sisters. Plus, what a good way for sisters to seek out little sisters!

I loooove the crown idea for ZTA! That sounds like such a beneficial, memorable activity!

[AlwaysSAI]

The initiation period in Phi Sigma Pi is what bonds us together so closely as brothers. It is not necessarily true that if you don't achieve all those things you are not initiated. At the end of the process each initiate turns in a folder and the class turns in a scrapbook. The brothers vote on an initiate's admission into the fraternity. We had people this past semester not complete their folders who got iniatated. It's a very different process and I think that it is to the beterment of the fraternity. As I said, my pledge class started out at 25 people. Only 3 people were asked to leave-all the rest dropped out. We had one guy drop out a week before initiation! It's a process that weeds out undedicated people and therefore, only proven members are initiated. It's not really about the folder or the events, it's about becoming a part of the brotherhood. We are a very large chapter-over 60 brothers (only 2 of us in other greek orgs) and had it not been for that process I am sure that I would still be searching for my home. I would not have been able to navigate such a large fraternity and find my niche had it not been for that process.

It's also a process that prepares each initiate for the brotherhood. Each semester, every active member is judged on a point system. You have to attend 2 social, 2 service, 2 fundraising, and 2 initiate events each semester to remain an active brother. If we just took in initiates without attempting to prepare them for what we are about we would be doing the initiates and the fraternity and grave injustice. We have very few mandatory events because of our points system. You pick and choose what you go to. It works especially well for me and my busy schedule.

Without this process, the Fraternity would not be able to stand firmly on our tripod of scholarship, leadership, and fellowship.

[Senusret I]

^^^ Bottom line.... if YOUR organization AND your school says that it isn't hazing, then it isn't hazing.

btw, one of my friends is an alumnus of your Phi Sig chapter.

[SWTXBelle]

Back when dinosaurs roamed the earth, my pledge class had wooden crescents, which we had the actives sign the back of - it was a lot of fun. I understand the need for strict anti-hazing rules - but do think that sometimes we've thrown out the baby with the bath water.

And I think ZTA and G Phi B should start having Crescent and Crown events - just cause I like saying "Crescent and Crown!"

[AlwaysSAI]

Originally Posted by Senusret I

^^^ Bottom line.... if YOUR organization AND your school says that it isn't hazing, then it isn't hazing.

btw, one of my friends is an alumnus of your Phi Sig chapter.

Very cool! I <3 my bros. I read your recruitment story-very well written!