I am so impressed with Sigma Delta Tau's commitment to their chapters, even when it means thinking outside the box.

I fixed it for ya. :)

Whoops - can you tell I'm a member of Sigma Tau Delta, the English honor society???

Purdue
 

Someone mentioned Purdue earlier, but Sigma Delta Tau there does not participate in formal recruitment. Again, props to the national organization for working with their chapters on these types of competitive campuses. From what I understand, the chapter at Purdue has low numbers compared to the other NPC groups on campus and also does not have a house. They hold their recruitment after the grueling 2 week process at Purdue along with the 5 local organizations on campus.

Having seen Purdue's recruitment, I can understand why their chapter of about 35 women would have difficulty handling first round parties of 70+ women with no house. Purdue Panhellenic also does a WONDERFUL job of helping SDT and the 5 locals with their recruitment style. These chapters also hold full membership in the PHA.

I'm glad that in some cases, the system is able to step away from the "one size fits all" formal recruitment approach and allow chapters to do what they need to do to attract new members. If formal recruitment doesn't work for a chapter for various reasons, why not give them the chance to recruit outside the normal pathway? If at some point they rectify the issues that make formal recruitment impossible, they can join the other NPCs to keep things fair.

Do you (anyone) mean "fair" to the chapter that withdraws from formal? As in the chapter would now rejoin in formal recruitment and have a crack at all the women rushing *at the same time* as the other chapters.

I think she means, as in if the chapter all of a sudden gets tons of women and is the same size or larger as the other NPC chapters, they should probably rush in the same way and not do a "special" recruitment.

Now I get it. Sort of like "all things being equal" the chapter should rejoin the rest of the chapters for formal recruitment.

Well then. What factors - other than numbers - might precipitate a chapter from not participating in formal recruitment?

This is what SDT is doing at Texas as well.

In the South, spending $14,000 on a rush/recruitment is very definitely not an exaggeration.

And the reason it's "only" $14,000 is because Panhellenic has put a limit on spending.

damn them!!

Of course, having a budget makes you creative. I think it was the Delta Zetas who got the brilliant idea of driving to Tyler to buy $1 bouquets of pink roses to give their pnms on pref night. (Back when you gave 'em presents).

Oh, Tyler Roses!

I remember being able to stop at an unmanned stand on the side of the road, leave $1, and walk away with a dozen roses!

What smart Delta Zetas!

Now it would cost you a lot more in gas to make the 3 1/2 hour drive!