Fill in the blank to ring in 2014 with Delta Zeta

As you think back upon your 2013, what made it special? Are there thing that you'd do differently in 2014? What are you looking forward to in the new year? And, if we challenged you today, how would you fill in the blank on this statement: "I will do more _________ to enrich our Delta Zeta sisterhood." Leave a comment below and tell us! Have a happy and healthy New Years!

What is your #DZHoliday tradition?

As 2013 winds down, Delta Zeta would like to wish you a very happy holiday season. We would also like to know - how do you celebrate the holidays? What is your holiday tradition?  Does your family have an annual funny gift exchange? Did you attend a Delta Zeta holiday event locally? Do you pull out your worst holiday garb to wear to the office ugly sweater party? Do you connect with high school friends when you are home on break? Is there a special pink and green ornament or decoration somewhere in your home? Tell us by leaving a comment below or tweeting it to #DZHoliday.

#DZAlumnae: Walk Truly in the Light of the Flame…

When a woman joins Delta Zeta, most typically as a collegiate member, she is looking for a group of friends, a home away from home, a leadership experience and perhaps just a place to have fun. Many of us don’t anticipate that Delta Zeta will live beyond our collegiate chapter. And even after our new member period, where we learn everything from the Creed to our national service projects, the lifetime commitment of membership might not be in focus.

Membership in Delta Zeta begins during college, but has the opportunity to extend well beyond. Many members are preparing to graduate in December and begin the next part of their Delta Zeta experience. As they embark on life’s next adventures, the last section of the Creed can help guide us as we look towards a lifetime commitment to Delta Zeta. What does it mean to “walk truly in the light of the flame?”

Life will change as members prepare to leave campus and the chapter. Which means their Delta Zeta experience will also change. But, that does not mean it will not be as fulfilling as what she just experienced! Alumnae connections in Delta Zeta can be some of the most meaningful sisterhood experiences a member has. Make sure as members transition to alumnae that we help them “walk truly” and use Delta Zeta as a guide in their lives. Make it easy for members to stay in touch with the chapter, update their contact information as they move to new communities and provide support as they begin new experiences.

How does your chapter assist members as they transition to alumnae? Share your thoughts with Delta Zeta using the comments section below or tweet them to #DZAlumnae.

My Delta Zeta Big Sis

I joined Delta Zeta because of a woman I knew in my freshman honors class, Kathleen. She was initiated her first semester freshman year and I remember hearing all about her experiences every time we went to class. It was a small seminar class with fewer than 20 people and so we all got to know each other really well. Kathleen always just seemed to have it together. Into the spring she was still having a great time with her sorority experience, and I was still trying to “find myself” at college. I liked my dorm, enjoyed classes, but felt that I was missing something. My friendship with Kathleen was an increasingly valuable part of my experience my freshman year even when I doubted if college was really for me. Fast forward to the summer and I kept in touch with Kathleen and became even closer even though we both moved back home which meant we were more than a few hours driving distance away. When we came back to campus in the fall, Kathleen and I were like twins, we tended to dress alike without realizing it and had so many of the same interests and likes. She really was like an older sister to me when I was in actuality the oldest in my family so never had that relationship.

It was only natural the next fall, as recruitment began, for Kathleen to ask me to attend some Delta Zeta events. At first it was lunch with some friends, then ice cream after a football game, then finally she popped the big question- did I want to come up to the chapter room for a craft event? Whoa! Wait a minute – this was taking our relationship to the next level. I considered Kathleen my best friend, someone I looked up to and had learned from in the past year. But could I be her sister? I guess the answer was yes! That fall I took the chance and joined Delta Zeta because of Kathleen. She was someone who I admired and tried to emulate before we were even sorority sisters. It was her influence that helped me fit in my first year at school and then find a home in Delta Zeta. Not only was Kathleen my friend and mentor, she was now my Delta Zeta Big Sister.

Who is your Delta Zeta Big Sis? Is it someone who recruited you? Did you make a connection after you joined the sorority? Or is it someone you’ve known forever and now being sisters completes that circle? Tell us about your story by leaving a comment below!

Our Top 30 #DZGrateful Thoughts

If you are anywhere near social media this month, then you have probably seen friends and followers posting their 30 things they are grateful for in the month of November. Named a variety of things, from the 30 Day Gratitude Challenge to 30 Days of Thanks (where you tweet with the #30DOT hashtag), there are Facebook pages, Twitter accounts, Pinterest boards and everything else in between devoted to giving thanks.

We wanted to know what Delta Zeta members are grateful for and took to our social media channels this past week to ask “What are you #DZGrateful for?” Many responses might not surprise you, but there were many more that spoke to the enriching power of our sisterhood. We’ve recapped what stood out as the top 30 things that we are #DZGrateful for below. Thank you for sharing!

Want to see more #DZGrateful posts? Search the hashtag on Twitter or view the comments on our Facebook page. 

30 - I am grateful for the growth and opportunity that Delta Zeta provides me to strengthen myself as a woman and the commitment Delta Zeta has to each sister to provide her with resources and guidance to be her best self, always.

29 - The friendships!! Having a lovely place to live while in college.

28 - The bonds that are forged overcome distance, time and age. A DZ is never truly alone. Sisterhood is an absolute blessing!

27 - I'm grateful to Delta Zeta for giving me the confidence to reach for my dreams and the tools I need to achieve them.

26 - #DZgrateful for having such an amazing big!

25 - Grateful that I have sisters all around who are thoughtful, loving and encouraging. I do not have biological sisters but feel like they are.

24 - #DZgrateful that my sisters are so loving and active on social media 😘 makes my day!

23 - Change is one thing that will always occur throughout life and Delta Zeta has been there and supported me every step of the way

22 - So excited to be this year’s sisterhood chair!! Fun fun fun! Yay!! 🎉❤️ #DZgrateful

21 – I'm am grateful for the hours of conversation and the overwhelming support of my incredible sisters.

20 - I am grateful for so many things but today i am grateful my chapter is celebrating it's50th anniversary!

19 - I’m grateful for sisters who love me unconditionally and live true to understanding and appreciation in their everyday lives! #DZGrateful

18 - I am thankful for the influence Delta Zeta has had on my past and current career path. #DZGrateful

17 - @DeltaZetaNatl thankful for a support system, a place to grow, a group of true sisters, an opportunity unlike any other #DZGrateful

16 - While I am a DG my daughter is a DZ. Before recruitment I made sure there was no pressure to be a legacy. I wanted her to find her sisters out of wanting to be with that group and not just because. Proud to be a DG but proud to be a DZ mom.

15 - I am grateful that I met my amazing husband and have such great memories.

14 - I am thankful that my big sis introduced me to Delta Zeta. Friendships come and go, sisters are forever. No matter how long it's been since the last time our paths crossed we are always able to pick up where we left off.

13 - I am grateful for the wonderful memories, friends, and mentors that I have made and found through my Delta Zeta journey.

12 - I am grateful for my sisters from Epsilon Delta, Surfing Sisters and sisters I meet from social media!

11 - I started my daughter as a DZ early ... When it was time to choose what sorority she wanted to join it was DZ ... So not only she is my daughter... she is a sister.

10 – This only child is grateful for all the sisters I've gained over my 14 years of DZ membership. From college chapter days through alumnae volunteering, I've gained friends that became family.

9 - Believe it or not I am grateful for all the things in my life that haven't gone just perfect. It is from those experiences that I was able to grow as a woman.

8 - Grateful for family, friends, and the love and friendship of my Delta Zeta sisters!

7 - I am grateful for my three children all under the age of thee. I am often greeted with "wow, you have your hands full." I say that it is my heart that is full.

6 - I am grateful for all of the wonderful lifelong friends that I made during my college years as a Delta Zeta.

5 - DZ helping with a memorial event for a sorority sister. Thank you DZ

4 - I'm grateful for my one month old DZ legacy. She's my whole world.

3 - Almost forty years out of college, I am grateful for my DZ sisters who have been there for me during my darkest times and sharing in my joys.

2- I'm grateful for all of the amazing things Delta Zeta has brought my way in my short few months of being a part of it so far. My sisters and the memories I have made so far are something I know will be cherished forever.

1 - #DZgrateful for the ability to give graciously of what is mine.

Every Member Count - COB Success

Chances are your chapter finished formal recruitment this fall and you are just initiating your new members. That is definitely reason for celebration, but a good Vice President of Membership’s work is never done! Now is the perfect time to evaluate your chapter’s membership and plan for the future. Once the chapter’s recruitment leadership team has answered the following questions, the planning can begin.

• Is your chapter currently at campus Panhellenic total?
• How many members will your chapter lose at the end of the current term/ semester?
• How many members will your chapter need to COB (continuous open bid) in order to reach or remain at campus Panhellenic total next term/semester?

Now that you know where the chapter stands, you need to get organized. How will you keep track of the Potential New Members (PNMs) that your chapter meets? We hope that you’ve already started using the Recruitment Toolkit which you can find over on the Delta Zeta Members page on www.deltazeta.org. It is a complete system that your team can use keep track of all the tasks related to recruitment and of the PNMs so that none gets lost in the shuffle. Being as organized as possible helps ensure that your recruitment efforts are successful.

The next step is to think of what kind of events will be most effective for the number of women that you need to recruit. If your chapter only needs 3 women, then you would not need to plan a big event. If your chapter needs to recruit 15 women, then a big kick off event may develop interest in Delta Zeta with PNMs. Some of the most effective recruitment happens through normal, sisterly activities. If several of your sisters eat lunch on campus, then invite PNMs to join you. Maybe there is a coffee shop on campus that would provide an excellent place to meet in a small group setting for coffee. Assess the needs of your chapter and decide how you should plan in order to meet those needs.

Remember is that every member matters. If you are not at total, you are missing out on new members who will bring their time, talents and treasures to your chapter. Work hard, plan ahead, and do your best to keep your chapter at or above total every term.

Congratulations on Your Election – Now work on your transition

Whether your chapter is just starting the nomination and election process, are somewhere in the middle of it, or have elected your officers, the election is just a small part of passing the officer reigns to the next generation of Delta Zeta leaders. No matter how well (or maybe not so well) your elections went, the real work lies in effectively transitioning from the old officer to the new. Your chapter’s CCD has most likely scheduled the chapter’s officer retreat for the near future and rather than come in unprepared, here are some tips for both old and new officers to make sure they are ready to hit the ground running.

1. It is helpful for a new officer to have received her manuals and files from the outgoing officer prior to the training. This gives her time to work one on one with the outgoing officer to ask questions and be basically familiar with her job. The outgoing officer should first clean out her binders, boxes, jump drives etc. for out of date materials before handing them over to the new officer.

2. Outgoing officers should meet with the new incoming officers BEFORE the transition retreat. This will allow time for officers to ask questions, review materials, and begin the retreat ready to plan for the next year.

3. Before officers meet to pass files along or transition, the outgoing officer should do some reflection on her time in the position. This should include those elements such as planning, working with others, budgeting, reporting requirements, and anything special to the position which the outgoing officer felt was important to know before getting started.

4. The incoming officer should read and review her manuals, files and notebook that the outgoing officer has passed down to be ready for the transition retreat. She should come ready to start her role as a leader in Delta Zeta right away!

Delta Zeta provides Chapter Officer Training Resources on the Members page of our national website. Log in to www.deltazeta.org/member and go to the Resources section to view the Collegiate Chapter Officer Training Toolkit folder. There you will find officer job descriptions, examples of teambuilders and icebreakers to do during your retreat, and the Chapter Officer Transition manual.

Did you know that November is National Philanthropy Month?

In honor of National Philanthropy Month, please take time to celebrate Delta Zeta’s accomplishments and strive to do more to help the communities in which we live, attend school, and work. The entire month of November celebrates philanthropy, with National Philanthropy Day occurring on November 15.

Within your chapter, acknowledge the goals you have reached – maybe your chapter hosted a new event, raised more money than ever before, or partnered with an organization to highlight a cause near and dear to the hearts of your campus or community. Please take time to acknowledge and thank sisters who have given extra effort and reward those sisters who have reached their community service goals.

While we celebrate what has been accomplished, please use this time to look forward and consider how you can strive to do more in your community. If your chapter has not done so, please set a goal for raising dollars or volunteering of your time to support one of our national partners or a local organization. Take time to discuss as a chapter what our philanthropy means to you. From there, change the discussion to what you are doing to support your campus or community. Is there a new event to host? Can you do something different to increase participation in your event? What can you do to raise additional funds for your charity? What motivates your chapter members to volunteer their time? How will you measure success? The possibilities are endless!

For National Philanthropy Month, please challenge yourself and your chapter to do more for your campus and community. While there are many ways to raise funds, we can give of our time and talents in a variety of ways as well. During 2012-2013, our collegiate sisters completed over 650,000 service hours. According to the Independent Sector, one hour of volunteer time has a value of $22.14. Delta Zeta’s volunteer service is worth over $14 million.

Chapters can volunteer with a local organizations, raise awareness of a particular cause on campus, or host an event supporting one of our national partners. Each and every dollar raised and hour volunteered is a treasure!

During 2012-2013, our sisters raised over $1,000,000 to support philanthropic causes on their campuses and within their communities. In this season of Thanksgiving, Delta Zeta's National Philanthropy Committee is grateful for your efforts in helping to support so many worthwhile causes!

Please continue to uphold one of our values – giving graciously – and celebrate National Philanthropy Month.

Celebrating 111 Years of Sisterhood

It is always inspiring to think about how six different women came together in friendship to begin what we know today as Delta Zeta. They weren’t much different from our newest members who joined our sisterhood this fall. Delta Zeta’s Founders, Alfa Lloyd, Mary Collins, Anna Keen, Mabelle Minton, Anne Simmons and Julia Bishop, went off to college in the fall of 1902. They were all from Ohio, all had an interest in furthering their education and all in a day when women were hardly encouraged to attend university. They became part of the first class at Miami University to enroll women as full time students. What firsts are today’s newest Delta Zeta members going to be a part of?

Today Delta Zeta inspires women to live out the vision born that fall in 1902. Though Delta Zeta was incorporated in the State of Ohio on October 24, 1902, which also happened to be Alfa Lloyd’s birthday, our story did not stop there. Since that time more than 250,000 women have experienced sisterhood and friendship much like our Founders did that first Fall. Delta Zeta members today are roommates, classmates, big sisters, study buddies, lunch partners, travel partners, you name it. So very much like Alfa, Mary, Anna, Mabelle, Anne and Julia were for each other.  

This Founders Day, 111 years later, take a moment to think about those special sisters in your life today. And join us in thanking our Founders for creating the opportunity for us to be connected because of Delta Zeta.

Please share your stories, photos and celebrations of your Founders Day this year with us by posting to our Facebook page, tweeting us your event or emailing us at webmaster@dzshq.com.

Delta Zeta Officer Elections: Do you have what it takes to hold office?

The election of officers is one of the most important decisions a chapter makes each year. Officers set the tone and establish the direction of a chapter as short term actions may have long term, lasting effects. All chapter officers and committee chairmen shall be elected no later than March 1 unless the campus or chapter situation requires an exception to be made with approval of the College Chapter Director or the Regional Collegiate Director. (Constitution, Article XII, Section 5) But, we know that many of your chapters are nearing the end of your officer terms and elections start to occur as early as this month in some cases.

There are several factors which help a chapter successfully through to the time of officer elections. A chapter must be educated yearly in the nomination and election process. It takes time to effectively conduct elections. Dates should be scheduled early on the calendar for the selection of a Nominating Committee Chairman and her committee, officer interviews, election of officers and their installation. Two chapter meetings need to be held in order to effectively conduct officer elections. For a detailed instructions on Delta Zeta’s Nominations and Elections process, please review the manual on our website.

Members should consider the qualifications required of each office. Elections are not a popularity contest but a means of selecting the most qualified person for the office. You can find officer job descriptions in the Resources section on www.deltazeta.org.member in the Collegiate Chapter Officer Training folder

Do you think you have what it takes to lead your chapter? We want to know! Tell us by leaving a comment below and let us know if you will be the next Chapter President or perhaps the VP of Membership. Delta Zeta continues to grow and thrive because of the contributions of our members!

Be a Delta Zeta Hero Against Hazing

Often, we hear about bullying as something that happens among school-aged children and adolescents. Many of you can probably think of a person you’d consider a bully now. Whether it is in your chapter or your workplace, think of that person who pushes a little too much, makes you feel like you don’t measure up, and is generally a hassle to deal with. When does bullying cross the line and become hazing? When is the mean girl in your chapter actually breaking the law and hazing another member?

According to HazingPrevention.org, nine out of ten students who have experienced hazing in college don’t feel that they were hazed. If those who are affected by hazing have a hard time identifying it, how do we, as Delta Zetas, educate our members on how to respond to this type of behavior? The line between bullying and hazing can be found in our Purpose.

"The purpose of this sorority shall be to unite its members in the bonds of sincere and lasting friendship, to stimulate one another in the pursuit of knowledge, to promote the moral and social culture of its members, and to develop plans for guidance and unity in action; objects worthy of the highest aim and purpose of associated effort."
Constitution of the Delta Zeta Sorority, Article II, Section 1

If we are truly united by sincere and lasting friendship, then the bullies or mean girls, or any of the other words you’d use which describe a hazer, wouldn’t last long in our chapters. Delta Zeta chapters which are upholding our Purpose do not have room for those members. But, we know, it is hard to confront that bully, mean girl or hazer. She is a roommate, friend, big sister or even an alumna reliving her glory days of what the chapter was like “when she was in school.” What do you say in the moment when you see behavior unfitting our Delta Zeta Purpose, breaks our National Risk Management Policies and is against the law (44 states have hazing laws)?

Delta Zeta urges you to take a lesson from the Response Ability Project and become an Every|Day Hero. One of the original supporters of the Response Ability Project, Delta Zeta continues to support  the Every|Day Hero Campaign. At this summer's Norma Minch Andrisek Leadership Conference, Mike Dilbeck, the RA Project founder, delivered his message of how each Delta Zeta can become a hero. A hero is as an individual or a network of people that take action on behalf of others in need, or in defense of integrity or a moral cause (from the RA Project Website). Simply go to http://raproject.org/pages/everyday-hero-campaign and sign up on the right hand side of the page in the Take the Pledge box. Once you enter your email and name, make sure to note that you are taking the Pledge as a part of the campaign for Delta Zeta on the next page.

Bully, mean girl, hazer – whatever you call it – we want you to be a hero who helps stop it.

Delta Zeta Technology: Using Enriching U

The second in our series on using Delta Zeta technology is an overview of our Enriching U site. All Delta Zeta members have access to Enriching U with the link on their profile on the Members page of deltazeta.org. If you've never seen the site, log in today and use the tools found in the JobBound program, which is open to all alumnae and collegiate members of the sorority.

Delta Zeta Technology: Using Chapter Inc.

Welcome back to campus! Delta Zeta collegiate chapter officers have a wealth of information at their fingertips with the new technology that the sorority uses. Sometimes that information, and how to access it, can get a bit overwhelming. Join the DZ Blog this month as we provide you some quick information on how to use our different technology sites. Up first - a general overview of how to use Chapter Inc.

Please direct any questions on how to use Chapter Inc. to our support team at ChapterInc@dzshq.com.

Using Our Values During Recruitment

If you've been around fraternity/sorority life long enough, you've probably heard about values-based recruitment. Maybe your chapter also did a workshop this summer on making sure your recruitment was values-based. It is certainly a hot topic on blogs about recruitment. But what does it really mean?

Values-based recruitment, at its most basic, is sharing Delta Zeta's values with potential new members. Simple, right? But, this is where many of our members get lost. Just where do we find what Delta Zeta values? Our chapters need to constantly remind members of Delta Zeta's values, which are found in our Purpose.

“The purpose of this Sorority shall be to unite its members in the bonds of sincere and lasting friendship, to stimulate one another in the pursuit of knowledge, to promote the moral and social culture of its members and to develop plans for guidance and unity in action; objects worthy of the highest aim and purpose of associated effort. The purpose of this Sorority shall be advanced through the National Convention, the National Council and the college and alumnae chapters.” Constitution of the Delta Zeta Sorority, Article II, Sections 1. and 2.

Our members, collegiate and alumnae, must continually live Delta Zeta’s Purpose so that potential new members can see that our organization fits with what they value. During recruitment are you focusing on what type of cupcakes to serve, or what your Bid Day shirts will look like? Or are you using our Purpose to find women who are looking for sincere and lasting friendship, value knowledge, and promote moral and social culture? Values-based recruitment is an opportunity for our chapters to approach recruitment in a different way and ensure that we are adding women to our sisterhood who value the same thing we do as Delta Zetas.




Do you need more help with understanding how to implement a values-based approach to your recruitment process? Find out more in the Recruitment Toolkit on the new DeltaZeta.org/member page.

Starting the Year Off Right

 Who doesn't love shopping for school supplies? The feel of new pens, fresh notebooks, maybe a new app for that iPad, the end of summer can be marked by the back to school ads toting the necessities any student needs to get off on the right foot in class. Even if your back to school supplies now trend more towards the electronic rather than the traditional, current Delta Zeta collegiate members can learn a little bit about starting their year off right from our alumnae. We asked alumnae members to provide a little advice via social media to our collegians who are excitedly starting their school years. Here is a little sampling of what they had to say:

Try everything, get involved with everything, and love every moment with you sisters! These are the best four years of your life- but these relationships are forever! - Erika Reardon, Pi Theta 2011, Rollins College

Don't be afraid to try new things and take on new responsibilities. You may surprise yourself. - Miriam Starr, Beta Theta 1973, Bucknell University 

Talk to your professors and TAs during office hours! As a professor, I wish my students would ask Q's before an assignment is due rather than wait until after they receive a bad grade on it. - Heather Dichter, Alpha Eta 1998, University of Michigan

Invest in a planner! Having important deadlines/dates on a schedule will help with your time management. Lilly Pulitzer has some SUPER cute agendas. Leslie Stoehr, Beta Delta 2001, University of South Carolina

Every minute of your college education is an opportunity, from classes, clubs, speakers,and just hanging out with the sisters. Each moment represents a step forward towards who you are becoming. Try one new thing once a week, hug a sister you don't know well everyday, and never ever miss a class! Finally learn to take good care of you, learn to balance mind, body and spirit, eat right, get some exercise and take time to stop and smell the "pink" roses! Jamy Brice Hyde, Gamma Alpha 1986, Baldwin-Wallace College

Join in the conversation yourself on our website at http://deltazeta.org/leadership/academics.

Enriching Who? Enriching U!

Delta Zeta’s newest members should be the most familiar with Enriching U, the online education site where part of the New Member Program lives. But, Enriching U, which we lovingly call “Delta Zeta University”, is now being used for many more training opportunities for Delta Zeta members.

Enriching U is the place for personal, leadership and membership development for Delta Zeta members. Our members take part in sessions tailored to their Delta Zeta experience to enhance their knowledge of both the sorority and themselves. Enriching U lives on Delta Zeta’s website on the Members page. All active collegiate and alumnae members can now experience Enriching U with the JobBound program.

Some features of Enriching U:

Tailored Learning Styles: Adults of different ages learn in different ways. What sounds/voice over sections/music/ graphics/animations (and video) we use vary depending on the type of session you are taking. Sessions are organized into modules. Each module takes a very short time to complete.

Flexible Enriching U Courses: Enriching U offers us no limits! College Chapter Director training, new member programming, Delta Zeta Volunteer Leader Training – you name it we can do it – because Enriching U has the technological flexibilities to allow us to do so. What courses would you like to see developed?

Personally Driven Timing: Enriching U is amazingly easy because you can do all the modules at one sitting or if you want to do one or two and then sign off and log in again, it’s all up to you to decide. The site bookmarks your spot to come back and pick up later where you left off.

Session completion: Some Enriching U sessions need to be finished before moving on to others. Completion methods in Enriching U vary, some sessions have quizzes, others ask you to complete a short survey at the end.

After you complete a session, you can come back at any time and access the information on the site.

Enriching U uses many different types of learning styles, you might find that the journal questions during the new member program just the thing you needed to make sense of the material you just went over with your new member educator during your weekly meeting. Or, your chapter advisor may feel that the review quizzes in the volunteer training sessions help her identify areas that she needs more education on. Maybe you need a little help goal setting- with Enriching U you can use the built in goal setting tools to help track your personal progress.

The site is tied to all of our other Delta Zeta communications and database tools. We can also track individual member’s progress through the different educational experiences and provide a sort of Delta Zeta transcript of a member’s education in the sorority. You can also connect with others in the Enriching U community by sharing an idea, or asking a question. The possibilities are endless with Enriching U.

Enriching U is a site that brings Delta Zeta to life. It equips members via online training, supplies leadership resources, enable collaboration, and provides inspiration toward you goals and our promise of a life enriching membership experience in Delta Zeta.

For more information on Enriching U, please contact our support team at EnrichingU@dzshq.com. Or, review the Enriching U training information on the Delta Zeta Members page under resources.

Prepare for Recruitment with the Recruitment Toolkit

All across the country, parents and guardians are helping move their students back to campus. Excited students are reuniting with friends, attending football games, starting their new classes, and of course, gearing up for sorority recruitment.

Delta Zeta encourages chapter officers to take advantage of the Recruitment Toolkit, launched last spring, to help support recruitment efforts. The Recruitment Toolkit can assist in recruitment planning, marketing, budgeting and more. 

Access to the Recruitment Toolkit is found on the Members Page, via a link in the lower right corner of the chapter officer’s dashboard. 

Please direct any questions about the Recruitment Toolkit to the National Recruitment Chairman or your Regional Collegiate Director. For technical assistance, please contact the DZ Webmaster.

Summer Retreat Ideas to Spark Your Chapter's Creativity

As many of our collegiate chapters gear up to return to campus, we know that many of you have your sisterhood retreats planned. Whether you are conducting fall formal recruitment, or holding your retreat to reconnect with sisters, here are 5 ideas for sparking creativity during your Delta Zeta retreat.

1.       Get outside. Not only does playing outside produce more creative and playful children—it works especially well with adults. Get your members out of the chapter house and see the effect a change in physical environment has on mental output.

2.       Stimulate All of Their Senses. We’ve all heard it – people learn and relate in different ways. Make sure your retreat agenda includes a good balance of presentation and learning methods. Use videos and music, pair sisters up to discuss a topic, build something out of blocks, the point is to do something outside the normal presentation method.

3.       Show Them the Castle. When Walt Disney was building Disneyland, he instructed the construction team to build the castle first so the team could share in the vision of the project, even amidst the muck and chaos of construction. Likewise, be sure to kick off your retreat by sharing your mission and vision.

4.       Bring in An Outside Facilitator. Your exec board might know exactly what your chapter needs to do to achieve your goals, but your members will most likely listen and internalize the information more coming from an outside source. This is the best time to ask a campus advisor, professor, residence hall director, or the like to come be a guest speaker and deliver the message you want your chapter to hear.

5.       TISP. Finally, make each member feel Trusted, Important, Special, and Pleased. "When you're hosting a party, make sure everyone at the party feels like they were the most important guest."

Do More, Care More, Be More: The Norma Minch Andrisek Leadership Conference

We asked our Facebook and Twitter followers to share some of their best advice to those attending the Norma Minch Andrisek Leadership Conference this week. We should not have been surprised that they would take to social media and share such insightful advice for those traveling to Oxford, Ohio this week! Find out what our followers had to say over on Storify. 

More than 400 participants and faculty will arrive on campus at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio on Thursday, July 18 for the Norma Minch Andrisek Leadership Conference. This year’s conference features two keynote speakers. Mike Dilbeck, from RESPONSE ABILITY, will kick off the weekend on Thursday night. Pete Smithhisler, the President and CEO of the North-American Interfraternity Conference, will present the Leadership Keynote on Saturday afternoon. In between, participants will be introduced to their personal assessments with Delta Zeta’s partners at Plaid, participate in smaller Homeroom Groups, attend breakout sessions led by our conference faculty and take the Legacy Tour. We end on Sunday morning with our alumnae panel of Delta Zetas who have changed the world. 

To follow along, make sure to use the hashtag #NMALC13 on both Twitter and Facebook. See you in Ohio!