As we enter back-to-school season for universities across the country, new and returning students alike are thinking about joining Greek life. Now is the time to welcome these new members with open arms and spread the word about your sorority. If you’re part of the organization or leadership for any of your campus’s sororities, you might be looking for ways to make sure new sorority members feel welcome. Here are some activities and ideas for bringing in new members and making them feel like part of the family.
Plan Group Activities
Many sororities plan trips, volunteer activities, and retreats after the initiation period, but it’s never too early to start. Take trips or plan local activities with your new members so that they can get to know each other while enjoying travel, volunteering, or a fun activity. Consider taking a weekend to travel to a local attraction or plan bonding activities. You could even plan sorority events on campus, such as visiting a football game together, going bowling, or starting your own sorority sports teams.
Initiation Gifts
Once initiation arrives, another way to make your new members feel welcome is to provide them with initiation gifts. Whether your sorority provides gifts, or you leave it up to the new members’ Big sisters, make sure that all new members have a little something to help them remember their initiation. Many sorority members create initiation gift baskets for their incoming Little sisters. Some common items to include in initiation gift baskets include custom merchandise, sorority letters, accessories, and more.
Educate New Members
All sororities and fraternities have traditions and practices that are specific to each organization. Don’t keep new members in the dark—make sure to include explanations of all your sorority’s traditions during the initiation process. These might include secret sayings, handshakes, non-verbal communication methods, and more. Some sororities have fun and unique rituals for their class of incoming freshmen and new members. Spread the word and keep new members informed.
As a sorority leader or member, you’ll remember the process of joining your sorority. You don’t want new members to feel left out or alone, so try these methods to make new sorority members feel welcome in your organization.
