You want your new members to grow and learn through affiliation with your organization and at the same time, you want them to feel like they worked hard to achieve something great—the privilege of representing the organization you value. You want to challenge them AND you want to do that in a way that isn’t hazing. Below are a few ideas for activities that challenge new members to work together, test their personal courage, and teach them new skills.

Step 1: Think about what you want new members to know about your organization and how activities can achieve those goals while reflecting your organization’s values.

Possible Goals of a New Member Program

• Encourage individual leadership development
• Promote adjustment to college life
• Build respect for each individual
• Stimulate intellectual growth
• Promote an understanding of the CIO/club’s history and goals
• Promote social skills
• Provide an environment where all members can express their opinions safely
• Promote friendship among all members

Step 2: What activities and events can safely accomplish the goal(s)?

Step 3: Evaluate the options and select an activity.

• Talk with other members to determine interest level. Don’t assume what your club will or won’t be interested in doing. You may be surprised!

Step 4: Make it clear to participants that all activities are “challenge by choice,” meaning that each person feels comfortable not participating should the activity be too challenging for them. Anything that is excessively challenging does not help people learn. It actually results in the opposite—they shut down. If new members are afraid to say ‘no’ they can’t really consent to an activity.

Step 5: Lead a discussion following the activity to talk about what everyone learned. Help make connections with your organization’s values. This is the most important part of the activity! Sample questions include:

• What was challenging about this activity?
• What did you learn about yourself?
• What would you do differently if you could do it over?
• What did you learn about the group?
• How does this relate to being a new member in this organization?
• How can you take what you learned and apply it to the club?

Please note: Do not do any advanced physical activities without a trained guide or facilitator with you.

Adapted from materials developed at Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Goal: Leadership Development

• The Student Engagement office offers leadership development programs and online resources. Invite staff to attend a meeting to give an overview of programs and/or provide a leadership program.
• Ask new members to identify someone in the club they think is a leader. Interview the person to learn more about their background and goals. Present a five-minute summary at a club meeting.
• Work with Student Engagement to develop a plan for improving your events.
• Have a competition for new members to see who can develop the best recruitment plan (or scholarship plan).
• Schedule a UVA Career Center program to talk with the club about how to market skills gained from club participation when applying for a job or graduate school.

Goal: Self-Knowledge

• Ask new members to set aside an hour with a current member to talk about what the group means to them, how they will become better because of it, and how they will positively contribute with their membership.
• Ask parents of all the new members to send a letter of support to their son/daughter as a surprise. Read them or give them to new members during the final day of the new member program.
• Schedule a program with the Contemplative Sciences Center on mindfulness, building resilience, or other topics relevant to student well-being and flourishing at a new member or general membership meeting.
• Ask new members to write a paragraph about the values they think the group represents based on their experience prior to initiation—see how close they get to your actual goals/stated purpose.
• Attend a program in the Division for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion’s Learning Series or request a custom program for your group.

Goal: Relationship Building

• Schedule with RecSports’ Slaughter climbing center for a climbing training class or for their outdoor challenge course. On the challenge course, mental and physical team-builders are conducted by a trained facilitator. These activities develop team building, leadership, and conflict management. Note: Do not do physical activities without a trained guide or facilitator with you.
• Sign up with RecSports to learn a new sport (water polo, squash, pickleball, etc.) or to learn correct use of equipment. New members can then teach the sport to the entire group.
• Take a hike together as a new member class or for the entire group.
• Ask new members to create a game show to teach the organization's history. Have them present the show with current members as participants. By teaching the history, new members are much more likely to retain the information and it’s also a great refresher for members. This activity also teaches presentation skills, self-confidence, and organization.
• Divide the organization into two groups. Give each group a box full of miscellaneous materials, including paper, markers, tape, scissors, etc. Give them one hour to devise a competitive game using all of the items (only rules: everyone must play, no alcohol, and no one can get hurt). Have each group play the other team’s game.

Goal: Accountability

• Work with Madison House to find local community service needs. Ask new members to do an hour of community service as a class each week during the new member period along with their big sister/brother.
• Schedule a Hoos Got Your Back bystander intervention training for the group. People who understand the bystander effect are more likely to act.
• Ensure that event set up and clean-up duties are for all members, not just new members.

Information provided by the Gordie Center