Building Your Sigma House

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Building Your Sigma House

• Recruitment and Retention Workshop
• For Members of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc.
• Presented by Linette Y. Caroselli,
• NER Undergraduate Chapter Coordinator

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Purpose

• A strategic plan of recruiting and retaining
  membership is essential to the expansion and
  success of Sigma Gamma Rho. If we look at our
  history, we span from seven young courageous
  educators whose mission was to help
  African-American women help themselves while
  uplifting others. Today, over 90,000 women of all
  backgrounds and professions have made it their
  goal to provide Greater Service, Greater
  Progress to the world at large.

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The Power of Vision
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Recruitment

• Recruitment is the primary focus of this
  workshop. In order to successfully meet the
  requirements of our mission statement, we must
  first find women who meet our standards. When
  recruiting, we should be seeking collegiate women
  who believe in the vision of our Founders.

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What is Recruitment?

• Recruitment refers to the process of screening,
  and selecting qualified people for a job at an
  organization or firm, or for a vacancy in a
  volunteer-based organization or community group.
• In our case, we are looking for collegiate women
  who will maintain and uphold the organizations
  ideals and purpose.

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The Foundation
Every house has a foundation. Therefore your
chapters foundation is its membership. The
people that make up your chapter speaks volumes.
Birds of a feather, flock together.

• Who to Recruit
• School club presidents
• Resident Advisors
• Students who show an interest in community
  service
• Campus leaders
• Go-getters

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Who to Recruit continued..

• Women who
• Have a good reputation
• Service Oriented
• March to the beat of a different drum
• High Principals/Standards
• High G.P.A.
• A leader not a follower
• High Self-Esteem
• Love of Community
• Good Organizer
• Possess great organization skills
• A good Role Model
• Legacies
• See The Chosen slide for elaboration

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Hazing

• Anyone who shows any interest in hazing is not a
  good candidate for membership. These types of
  individuals will put your chapter at risk! Let
  interests know up front, we are a non-hazing
  organization.

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How to Plant the Sigma Seed

• Now that you have found your quality candidates,
  recruit them.
• TALK TO PEOPLE! SPREAD THE JOY OF SIGMA!
• Wear paraphernalia on campus
• Sponsor activities where you can meet and greet
  women on campus
• Advertise Sigma whenever possible
• Plan creative programming on campus (National
  Projects)

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The Chosen

• The ladies of Sigma Gamma Rho have several things
  that make us stand out. We see ourselves as an
  elite organization. By "elite", we don't mean
  "fanciest," or "richest". We only accept the
  cream of the crop, so to speak, because we seek
  out women who are not afraid of work. Women who
  are not afraid to stand out, stand up, and be
  heard. We seek women of class, character, and
  dedication to the community. We seek women who
  are already secure enough in their womanhood not
  to be daunted by what others may say, think, or
  feel. We seek women of vision, women of the
  future, TODAY. We seek women who will NOT settle
  for being the same as everyone else in the
  organization, who will NOT settle for being a
  t-shirt wearer, who will NOT accept the
  conditions of the community as they are. We seek
  women who, in addition to excellence in their
  personal and work lives, seek excellence in their
  academic lives. This is why we say we are an
  "elite" organization. When you get women of such
  caliber together in a room, you can imagine the
  results progress and achievement, the marks of
  an organization on the move!

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Clean Your House First!

• You wouldnt invite company over to your home if
  your house was a not clean. Its the same with
  your chapter. Clean your house before you let
  anyone in. If there are rifts, resolve them
  first. Interests can pick up on dissention
  amongst sorors. The following should be in order
  before proceeding with T.O.R.C.H.
• Local By-laws should be updated. They should be
  clear to the members
• Personal differences should be resolved.
  Remember, Sigma is not only a Sisterhood but a
  business as well.
• The membership chairs should have updated TORCH
  manuals
• Everyone should be secure and clear about their
  chapter duties and roles

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Recruiting

• Remember It takes a special kind of woman to be
  a S.G. Rho. Our letters shouldnt be worn by just
  anyone because they said theyre interested. Our
  letters are special and valuable. Recruit only
  those you feel will add to the legacy.

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Discretion

• It is your chapters discretion whether to
  accept/pursue individuals. It is up to the
  membership committee to bring forth information
  to the chapter. It is also the duty of both
  interests and sorors to get acquainted with one
  another.

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Legacies

• A legacy is a member whose mother, daughter,
  aunt, grandmother, sister, niece, etc. is also a
  member. While these relationships are treasured,
  legacies do not have automatic entry into Sigma
  Gamma Rho. They too have to meet the requirements
  for membership.

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Retention

• Retention is the process of maintaining members
  once they have been inducted. Too often for
  various reasons, sorors become inactive. We as an
  organization must preserve our numbers in order
  to be successful. Without financial sorors, the
  organization cannot prosper. The more financial
  sorors we have, the more we can accomplish.

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How to Retain Members

• Graduate chapters can participate in the Graduate
  Chapter Dues Program. This program enables
  undergraduates to smoothly transfer into a
  graduate chapter by offering discounted chapter
  dues. Grads can also sponsor an undergraduate
  during her first year as an graduate member.

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Retention

• Undergraduates should visit all of the Graduate
  chapters in their home area to determine where
  they feel comfortable
• Chapters should reach out to inactive sorors by
  phone or by paying a personal visit
• Invite inactive sorors to chapter events and
  present gift bags as a token of appreciation for
  their presence
• Start a positive conversation about the progress
  Sigma has had since theyve been away
• If money is a factor, wave the chapter dues (if
  this is feasible for the chapter)

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All Aboard the Sigma Line!

• Activities to Bring Sorors Home
• Dinner a Movie
• Girls Night Out
• Game Night
• Wine Tasting Soirée (Grad Chapters)
• Play Date (sorors children)

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Synopsis

• Recruiting is essential to the growth and
  productivity of Sigma Gamma Rho
• We value Quality not Quantity
• Retention is vital to the survival of Sigma.
  Active and financial members maintain the
  integrity and productivity of the organization
• Clean your house first!
• TEAM Together Everyone Achieves More!

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Questions Concerns

• If you have any questions or concerns, please
  forward them to
• neregionucc_at_sgrho1922.org

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Good Luck!
EEE-YIP!!