Dear Pi,
In regards to recruitment, what sort of notes of encouragement, tips, or memories relating to it do you have that will lift our spirits and help us stay focused on our end goal (especially in the craziness of bump groups, small talk, and fighting for PNMs you get attached to 🙂)?
Loyally,
Ida Knough
Dear Ida,
Recruitment is a busy time juggling high expectations, making memories, growing your chapter, and keeping up with your studies! Fortunately, Alpha Delta Pi has a wonderful training program designed to hone your recruitment skills. We've all been there and can attest that the positives we gained from the recruitment experience extend well into our personal and professional lives. The stress you feel is a wonderful motivator to help you organize and prioritize a lengthy to-do list.
It always helps to keep your perspective. Focus on the goal of recruitment and don't get pulled into that rabbit hole that fixates on how stressful everything feels. Instead, prioritize the genuine excitement centered around meeting new folks you may someday call sister.
Recruitment preparation followed by each recruitment event strengthens your chapter and has a lovely way of making you closer as sisters. Remember how in an earlier post I said the most beautiful thing a woman can wear is confidence? The same is true of your chapter. All those rehearsals help you develop confidence as a team and make your beauty as a chapter stand out. Learn each other's strengths and areas where they can use your help. I love that saying about how you should be the woman who straighten another person's crown without telling the world it was crooked. We've all put our foot in our mouth during recruitment. That's the benefit of your bump groups. Each potential new member gets to meet more than one sister. So little missteps are just a hiccup. Your sisters will help straighten your tiara for you.
Recruitment is an optimal time where active listening is a useful tool. Because you are focused on what is said and ask questions based on what you heard, you are able to jot down objective, meaningful notes. This helps you remember the salient points. The notes are useful when you are particularly attached to someone you met. Make sure she is introduced to as many sisters as your rotation system will allow. Do this without seeming to give preferential treatment which makes another PNM feel less important. The more objectively you can describe her qualities to the chapter, you can develop a coherent and persuasive argument. Your presentation should focus on how she is a potential asset to the chapter and how the chapter can help her develop her full potential.
We've all had those moments when we really felt a connection to a PNM only to find that the matching system placed them in a different house. I feel for you and it's okay to feel disappointed. But definitely don't replay every conversation in your head wondering what you may have done differently. Kindness is something you offer to others and yourself. Be gentle to yourself during recruitment.
The entire group of Alpha Xi Chapter Alumnae are rooting for you. We're all in your corner wishing you a fun and successful recruitment. Wear your ADPi confidence with the grace of a formidable champion. Hear that applause? That's us clapping for you!
Loyally,
Pi
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