Recruitment 2020

2020 was a uniquely challenging year for Active Chapters. With the COVID-19 pandemic keeping Members from meeting in person, Chapters had to get creative to keep the bonds of Sisterhood alive. The National Organization created the status of Interim Active so new Members could still be brought into the Organization at a time when in-person ceremonies are off the table.

But before there are new Active Sisters, there is recruitment. Even with the new pandemic challenges, some chapters continued to thrive and grow. One such group was the Kappa Chapter, which brought on 26 new Members through the Interim Active process. To get insight into what recruitment looked like in 2020, The Lioness Loop caught up with Celine Khashram, their Vice President who was in charge of recruitment for Fall 2020.

Loop: Did recruitment change compared to years prior?

CK: Yes, very much so. We switched to have recruitment fully online.

Loop: Was it more difficult or easier than in years past?

CK: It was easier in the sense of getting potential new members (PNMs) to show up to events this year, but more difficult in terms of participation. It was harder than I thought to keep everyone engaged even for the short periods of time of recruitment events.

Loop: You had events on Instagram, Zoom, Microsoft Teams, GroupMe and Netflix Party. Did you have a favorite platform or did it depend on the kind of event?

CK: It did depend on the event, but over all we found Zoom to be the best way to go. There were some advantages to other platforms though. We used GroupMe to make a chat with all the PNMs, which came in very handy when we wanted to better communicate with them and send links, letting them know events were coming up, etc.

Loop: What did Big-Little pairings look like?

CK: Big-Little pairings happened over Zoom! We did breakout rooms with families and even had Alum from some families join us to help welcome the new Littles with their Bigs. It was super exciting to see their faces as well as passing baskets out a few days before with hints in them about their Bigs.

Loop: Did your Chapter do anything to compensate for there not being a ceremony?

CK: We didn't do anything this past semester but plan to this coming spring.

Loop: How have the Interim Actives become involved with the Chapter so far?

CK: They have come to chapter and participated in our online social events! They have joined committees and helped on bylaws, planning philanthropy and spring recruitment.