An Inside Look At Kappa Delta's Recruitment Weekend

This piece was originally published at The Odyssey, and The Collegian received permission to republish it. 

Informal recruitment for the founding chapter of Kappa Delta was held this past weekend, and the Richmond community is excited to welcome the sorority as the newest addition to the five established here. The pledge class consists of 41 girls, including members from each class year.

Here's a recap of recruitment this past weekend, as told by someone who went through it herself!

Recruitment weekend consisted of the following events, as listed on the sorority's website:

Friday, September 25

Open House: "A 45-minute party where interested women will meet Kappa Deltas from our local chapters and learn more about KD."

Potential new members were welcomed by sisters from William and Mary and the University of Virginia, and were able to converse with Kappa Deltas about what membership in the sorority entails academically, socially, philanthropically and otherwise. They also watched a presentation outlining the qualities the national representatives were looking for in founding members.

Saturday, September 26

Information Session: "A 30-minute group interview with a member of Kappa Delta's National Recruitment Team and 3-5 potential members. Women will learn more about the founding member experience as well as expectations of membership i.e. finances, academics, leadership, community service, etc. This is also a great time to ask more specific questions about joining the new sorority."

Potential new members were given the opportunity to talk to members of the national recruitment team more intimately about themselves and the positive additions they would contribute to the sorority. Rushes were also encouraged to invite friends to accompany them to the interview with the opportunity to inquire more about the sorority. Potential members received emails in the late evening regarding their invitation status to preference.

Sunday, September 27

Preference: "Women will speak with Kappa Deltas from our local chapters and get a little more serious about membership in Kappa Delta. The KDs will perform a special white rose ceremony."

During this invitation-only event, potential new members were able to talk one-on-one with sisters from William and Mary and Longwood University about the Kappa Delta experience and the unique opportunities becoming a sister entails. The local KDs highlighted why they chose Kappa Delta, what it means to be a sister, and how it has affected them thus far.

Potential members received invitations to bids via email that evening.

Bid Night: Members receive their bids from Kappa Delta.

The celebration comprised an hour-long open house for friends and the rest of the Greek community to meet the Alpha members and see the KD cottage open for the first time! The turnout and support from the rest of the campus was truly astounding, making it a very special night for everyone involved.

The recruitment process was meticulously planned with constant communication between the national recruitment team and Richmond's office of Greek organizations. Although it may seem as though the chapter was created in one short weekend, recruitment was a thorough and extensive process.

The new members are now beginning a six-week process towards full membership and will later begin preparing for recruitment of the Beta class in the spring!

Contact Kristen Romillo at kristen.romillo@richmond.edu