Losing members

AchtungBaby80 · #1 02-27-2002, 01:51 PM

I don't know if this is the right forum to post this message in, but here goes...

I just found out at the beginning of this week that my chapter has lost 20 members

just here in the last little bit...that's not counting the ones who didn't come back after summer vacation and the ones who dropped at the end of last semester. It's getting pretty scary now, and it just makes me want to cry! I'm afraid we're below house total now (I know we are), and what's that going to do to us when it comes time to do fall recruitment? I can't believe it...I don't know what we're doing wrong! I almost lost my big sis, one of our founding members, more than once because she (like a lot of other old members) just weren't happy anymore. And I just can't figure out why this is going on! We're such a new chapter, only a few years old, and we don't have any negative reputations around campus...we're back to doing COB again and our recruitment chair is really gung-ho, so we hope to have built our membership back up by the end of this semester. But it isn't just the old girls who are quitting now, either; a lot of our newer ones have been leaving. Even though I'm not an officer, I'm really determined to help fix this...but how?? Has anyone ever had this happen before who can give me advice?

Oh, one other thing--I'm on a fairly large campus with about 14 sororities. Some of the others (which are really well-established) seem to be having membership issues, too, from what I've heard. However, there are three or four houses who are just HUGE...so how are they keeping their members???

madmax · #2 02-27-2002, 01:58 PM

How did you lose 20 members?

Did they drop out, graduate, ect?

dzrose93 · #3 02-27-2002, 03:19 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by AchtungBaby80
Even though I'm not an officer, I'm really determined to help fix this...

That is the perfect attitude to have, Achtung!

I would have to say that the girls who are dropping out don't have the determination that you do and probably aren't as committed to the chapter as you are, either. Otherwise, they wouldn't have quit.

If you love something, then you stay to help -- not bail out at a weak moment -- that's the easy route to take and I hate to hear that so many girls chose it. On the other hand, I'm very proud to hear that you are sticking with your chapter and are looking for ways to improve it.

Please PM me when you get a chance. I'll try to help you if possible.

DZLAM

Kevin · #4 02-27-2002, 03:38 PM

Welp if they quit because they don't care aren't you better off without them? Isn't it quality and not quantity that you care about? Would their negative attitudes have had a negative effect on your recruitment efforts?

Who knows, it could have been a positive thing and could actually spell a rebirth for your house. Keep that great attitude and your love of your house and come time for recruitment you'll get back the same number of members plus interest!

LHT,
Kevin

AchtungBaby80 · #5 02-27-2002, 03:40 PM

A few members have been lost because of graduation, obviously, but the 20 I'm talking about have just dropped. Many of them were newer members. I was talking to a sister a few minutes ago who I've recently become sort of close with, and she said that some of the girls she talked to that pledged with her and dropped (she was in this past fall's class) said that the reason was they just didn't feel welcome. They felt that they would pay all this money but were never told exactly where their money was going, and every week there was another bill for something else; also, they went to the required events and said they felt like everyone was "looking at them funny." If I understand her correctly, I think she means that the new members felt sort of cut-off from the rest of the chapter, like they weren't really a part of it. I understand both sides of this, because it's really hard to absorb a new group of 50 pledges all of a sudden, but there's a lot of them that I never, ever saw. It's an effort that needs to be made on both sides to get to know one another, but...well, I thought we were on the right track by encouraging participation, but maybe we need some more ideas.

AchtungBaby80 · #6 02-27-2002, 03:41 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by ktsnake
Welp if they quit because they don't care aren't you better off without them? Isn't it quality and not quantity that you care about? Would their negative attitudes have had a negative effect on your recruitment efforts?

Who knows, it could have been a positive thing and could actually spell a rebirth for your house. Keep that great attitude and your love of your house and come time for recruitment you'll get back the same number of members plus interest!

LHT,
Kevin

I'm with you there, but on this campus you have got to have the numbers if you want to compete with the big groups.

Eirene_DGP · #7 02-27-2002, 03:46 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by ktsnake
Welp if they quit because they don't care aren't you better off without them? Isn't it quality and not quantity that you care about? Would their negative attitudes have had a negative effect on your recruitment efforts?

Who knows, it could have been a positive thing and could actually spell a rebirth for your house. Keep that great attitude and your love of your house and come time for recruitment you'll get back the same number of members plus interest!

LHT,
Kevin

I totally agree with you. I had a situation similar to that last semester. It is so much better to have a few good people who are dedicated and willing to work than a lot of people who don't have time.

Tom Earp · #8 02-27-2002, 05:24 PM

I think the answer is to look into your own Organization! Why did tney not feel welcome, why were they looked down on!

If they were good enuff to recruit, they must be good enuf to work with and try to understand their fears of something totally new and strange to them!

To many Chapters across the country have put buttons on to many people to have large classes only to lose them! This word spreads like a hot fire in dry grass.
You then become known for that and soon you are no longer there!

I am the worst at remember names so as you know I am blunt, I just say I am terrible at remembering names and introduce myself again!

Everyone wants to feel wanted with a group that they were asked to become a member of!

Kevin · #9 02-27-2002, 07:10 PM

One thing that may play into it (and I just thought about this) my colony when we first started used to rush people and tell them that they wouldn''t have to do all that much. Then once they signed we gave them a million things they had to do. Of course as you can imagine our retention rate was pathetic.

We started to rush high committment saying "We'll expect your very best and a very high committment level, if you don't think you can offer it, go somewhere else". Guess what? Our retention rate has been awesome.

So this time around (if you didn't already) recruit high committment. You'll get exactly the kind of folks you want.

LHT,
Kevin

ansturge · #10 02-27-2002, 07:44 PM

i totally understand how you feel
my chapter is going to hell in a handbasket and its basically 2 people's fault. They were on a HUGE powertrip as eboard members and now they wont cut the damn cord!!

Everyone pretty much hates them -- cuz they've screwed so many people over. I just want to scream It's your fault no one wants to go to events, everyone hates you so just go away!! Thank God they graduate in May!!!!!!!! But i would never say that cuz i just cant be that openly mean. I'm very passive agressive cant you tell?

Our other problem is all of these anal retentive rules. The philosophy is well theres no bylaw for this issue so lets make a "standing rule" i mean what the hell is up with that. A rule that seems good now might be totally ruinous later. No one seems to realize the implications of the new rules they come up with.

no one wants to come to anything anymore. our last 4 MC classes were grossly missled. They were like what have i gotten myself into? I might lose one of my little sisters. And she turned down a bid to accept ours.

There is more political maneuvering in my sorority than there is in Washington DC!!

And i dont have a clue what to do about it. Ive tried for 2 years to fix things. But i couldnt do it alone. We talk about the problems but no one seems to really want to take the initiative to fix them.

aephi alum · #11 02-27-2002, 08:19 PM

Achtung, you say the new members "didn't feel welcome" ... Maybe the sisters didn't make the NMs feel particularly welcome? You have to do that. We assigned a buddy to each of our NMs - she would invite her NM out for coffee, lunch, etc. The buddies changed every week until big and little sisters were matched up. It made the NMs feel welcome and gave them a chance to meet several different sisters that they might not have already met through rush.

As far as where the money goes, how about circulating the chapter budget to the members? It can just be a top-level thing - you don't want to give an itemized budget for initiation to NMs after all

- but if members (NMs and sisters, both) know how their money is being spent, maybe they'll be more willing to pay their dues rather than balk at them.

You have the right attitude, wanting to fix things. Lots of luck!

33girl · #12 02-27-2002, 08:26 PM

ansturge - ugh, the power tripping exec board members. Once their butts graduate, have a retreat (if you aren't doing that for fall rush anyway) and make it a cleansing experience. Let everyone know it is a new day and the same shit is not going to continue. Don't let these people destroy your chapter, because believe me, if there is ever serious trouble, they'll desert like rats on a sinking ship. If they are seniors, by now they should be off exec anyway and their successors taken over. Their successors need to take the initiative and tell them "I need you to train me, can we please do it before you graduate?"

Achtung - these sound like issues that you need national assistance on, especially with the chapter being fairly new. Do bills keep popping up because you underbudgeted for the year? The amount you are given at the beginning of the year should be all you pay, unless there is a dire emergency situation (like damage or theft). I don't blame people for being mad about that. You need someone with more experience to help you make a budget that will cover everything and not have a lot of surprises popping up. Absorbing a large pledge class can be tough too...again, seeing as you are so new, your national org should be familiar with this type of situation and be helping you to make the transition more smoothly. They are working for you. Ask them to do their jobs and help you out.

AchtungBaby80 · #13 02-27-2002, 08:31 PM

We did the "buddy" thing on Bid Day and for each week after up until bigs & littles were assigned. Each week after meeting, the NM got a present from that week's buddy and a little note with the buddy's phone number and a little message like, "I'm so glad you joined!" But then after initiation, the new members don't get as much attention. I have to admit that there are some cliques, and most tend to include members of the same pledge class, though. It's sort of weird--how do you get the new members and old ones to "mesh"?

And as far as telling potential members that a lot is expected of them, I think that's a great idea. How come no one ever thought of that?!?

If members join thinking they will be expected to do stuff, I guess it stands to reason that they will. The rush techniques taught to us have always been sort of along the lines of fudging when it comes to "required" things (in other words, we're supposed to imply that we don't require stuff--members do it 'cause they want to) and finances (we're supposed to emphasize that we're among the least-expensive groups on campus). That can be a little misleading, and to tell the truth I was upset after I joined and found out what the real deal was, but we've been sort of led to think that people won't want to join if we talk about the "negative" stuff. But hey, I think it's worth a shot!

Kevin · #14 02-27-2002, 11:44 PM

Quote:

but we've been sort of led to think that people won't want to join if we talk about the "negative" stuff.

Naaah! First of all, the negative stuff as you call it is the best part! You get to get to know a diverse group of folks and have a very special bond with them. Sure, that takes time and work (lots) but it's worth it!

One of the reasons I looked into the greek system in the first place was for stuff to do. A house that promises lots of that and gets people that WANT that -- and the house delivers welp I see no reason (besides nuclear war, plague of locusts or somesuch) that you shouldn't have a near 100% retention.

Best of luck on your upcoming recruitment!

LHT,
Kevin

dzrose93 · #15 03-01-2002, 04:13 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by AchtungBaby80
We did the "buddy" thing on Bid Day and for each week after up until bigs & littles were assigned. Each week after meeting, the NM got a present from that week's buddy and a little note with the buddy's phone number and a little message like, "I'm so glad you joined!" But then after initiation, the new members don't get as much attention. I have to admit that there are some cliques, and most tend to include members of the same pledge class, though. It's sort of weird--how do you get the new members and old ones to "mesh"?

Does your chapter follow the Triad system, Achtung? If you don't know what this is, please PM me and I'll explain it to you. A Triad might help your chapter considerably.

Turtle Hugs to you!