Planning a Great Chapter Retreat

One of the things that convinced me to join Delta Zeta was a chapter retreat. A few of my friends who lived down the hall from me my freshman year in college went away for a weekend with the new sorority they had joined and came back full of energy and having had so much fun. I didn’t join until a year later, but always thought back to their smiling faces upon their return from that weekend and couldn’t wait until I, too, got to be a part of that experience.

Obviously my chapter must have had a good plan in place for their retreat if it made such an impression on a non-member, likely joiner. There are a few things to consider when planning a great retreat for your chapter.

1. Location – even though it might be easier to host a retreat in the chapter room or at the chapter house, not every chapter has a facility and it’s more fun to “get away” from it all and the distractions which could interrupt your sisterhood time. Make sure to plan accordingly and in line with Delta Zeta’s Risk Management policies (found in Metro’s Chapter Officer Resources Container). Even if you cannot physically leave campus, try to have members disconnect and truly have a sister’s only weekend. Consider having a cell phone basket, asking all members to leave their phones and be present during the retreat. 
2. Fun – though you might be tempted to work through your chapter’s goal setting plans for the next year, and that is important to do, plan for some fun! You can do some really cool sisterhood activities, which also help set you up for that goal setting plan, but engage your members while you are at it. For some new ideas, visit the Collegiate Chapter Officer Training Toolkit.
3. Food – For many of us, this is the first thing you like to plan! But, did you know that some food choices are better than others? Check out this link for 10 High Energy Food Choices.

What other things do you remember from a chapter retreat that you’d like to share with your sisters? We’d love to hear them here by leaving a comment or by emailing us at webmaster@dzshq.com.