Let’s face it–not all sorority girls are cut out to be executive board members. Even if they were, most chapters only have 10 to 12 exec officer roles and many more members, meaning even if everyone wanted to be on exec, there simply just wouldn’t be enough room. Sometimes girls have other commitments that don’t leave them with the time to serve their chapter in one of these important roles, either. A lot of times, we measure a sister’s involvement by the list of positions she’s held in the chapter. It’s totally possible to be fully involved in your chapter–and be a chapter leader–without having an official title. Even if an exec position isn’t in the cards for you, here are some ways to still be a committed member of your chapter.
Go to stuff. Listen, we all have shit to do, and a calendar full of sorority stuff doesn’t help the situation. However, to be viewed as a devoted member, people actually have to be able to see you. They can’t do that if the only time they see your face is when they look at the composite. Make an effort to actually attend things–not just the required meetings and social events, but the non-required, alcohol-free events, too. Not only does it help raise your profile in the chapter, but we’ve found that some of the best sisterhood moments–the ones you’ll remember much later on–happen at these smaller events. Take a little and be a great big the whole time you’re in your chapter. Nothing is as amazing as leaving a legacy, and what better legacy to leave than your littles? While most people are awesome bigs during the new member process and the semester after, some people have a tendency to fall off the radar during junior and senior year as the real world starts to creep in. Be sure to give your littles the attention they deserve consistently, and they will represent you well, even when you aren’t there. Be the go-to person. One of us was never on exec, but won her chapter’s Unsung Hero award for three straight years. Why? Because she was always the first to throw her hand in the air when someone asked for help. A banner needs to be painted? No problem. Someone needs a ride to the craft store? Sure! We need people to represent the chapter at the activities fair? On it! Being the person who always offers to help is a surefire way to become involved in your chapter. Get involved on campus. One of the reasons some sisters don’t have time to serve on exec is that they are involved in other organizations on campus, and that’s awesome. It’s even better if you make it a two-way street: you provide other organizations with an awesome representation of your chapter and you are able to bring information from other organizations back to your chapter. Be an active committee member. The committees within a chapter are a great way to be involved in an area that you are interested in without having to take on the responsibility of the committee chair. Pick a committee that interests you (please don’t pick recruitment–everyone picks recruitment) and be an active participant. By “active,” we mean sharing your ideas and being a part of the process, not sitting staring at your phone (unless you’re reading TSM, of course). Have an opinion, but don’t be an ass about it. It can be a giant headache to have a chapter full of girls with a million different opinions. What’s worse, though, are the sisters who don’t have any opinions at all–it’s clear they just don’t care. So have an opinion and vocalize it, but don’t force it on everyone else.
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Jenna Crowley
Jenna used to be known as 2NOTBrokeGirls, but then one of the girls actually went broke, so she's struck out on her own. Jenna spends her free time saving the world, one sorority girl at a time (usually while wearing yoga pants), questioning why she decided to get a doctorate, and documenting her love of all things cheese related. You can ask her anything you want about football, using your boobs to get what you want, and pizza at @JennaLCrowley on Twitter or via email at JennaLCrowley@gmail.com.
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