Live, Learn, Lead It’s easy to imagine our Founders Sarah and Eleanor meeting with friends and classmates after class, in the library or over a meal to share their plans for Tri Delta and why they should join. It’s how our Founders recruited early Alpha Chapter members—and how many chapters today grow our sisterhood! Informal recruitment (also known as continuous open bidding or COB) allows our collegiate members to reach out to unaffiliated women who have qualities of an ideal member and invite them to learn more about the lifetime experience Tri Delta has to offer. Last year, 70 percent of Tri Delta’s chapters were eligible to participate in continuous open bidding following formal recruitment.
Benefits of COB Executive Board Director Lenora Oeters, Cincinnati, found her home in Tri Delta through COB. No one in Lenora’s family had ever joined a sorority, so she was unfamiliar with the requirements and timing of formal recruitment. “I essentially missed out on formal recruitment before I even realized what I was missing out on,” she says. And, because she had just transitioned from a small private high school to a big public university, she needed time to settle in, get to know the campus and all its organizations, and learn how she could get involved. After hearing about sororities and seeing their leadership in action, Lenora decided to explore COB in the spring of her first year. “I remember the first time I went to the Tri Delta house, we just hung out and watched a movie and I got a tour of the house. I felt instantly at home and admired the women that I got to hear from and related to them so easily. It was that natural environment and authentic connection that I feel like is so easily facilitated in a COB experience.”
Growing Our Sisterhood
How COB Can Benefit Your Chapter (and Tri Delta)
More and more chapters are embracing informal recruitment as a way to build our sisterhood with exceptional women who are committed to Tri Delta. Here are a few reasons why COB can be a great option for your chapter:
1. Show off your personality Some chapters simply aren’t energized by or comfortable with formal recruitment! COB can be a way for you to show off your chapter’s personality and share what makes you unique—in a more casual, authentic way. Photo, left: Members of Nu Chapter at Ohio State: Chloe McDonald, Haley Adkins and Rachel Rza.
