So here I was back in formal recruitment, but feeling much more secure this time around. I had peace of mind that there was no way it could be worse than last time around. For some reason I can't remember the order of the houses I went in but the format and typical responses from the fraternity were much the same.

Billy Ray Cyrus once again presented a monologue from the drunk crippled guy and nothing beyond that.

Randy Travis ignored everyone that walked in the room as usual.

Blake Shelton decided this time to lecture us about STD's and how to contract them, even passing out fliers about herpes.

Toby Keith jumped around shouting showing us wild and crazy slideshows. One guy even said to the guy next to me, "Dude...two girls, same time!"

The others were much the same as last year, but one thing confused me. The George Straits, who had not contacted me all year, suddenly acted like they were so happy to see me and how they didn't know I was going through recruitment again. I smiled and carried on the conversation, but inside I couldn't believe they were telling me this. I had figured they just lost interest me and were pursuing other guys in rush, it wasn't that I held any bad feelings but I thought I deserved to get some more time to hang out with them during the summer. I still liked the George Straits and thought in some ways I was a lot like them, but in my mind it would be sort of senseless to go way out on a limb and try to receive a bid from them during formal rush after having no contact all summer.

The other houses gave much the same presentations last year whether it be pretty effortful such as Brad Paisley or Garth Brooks, whose president and vice president both came to talk to me at the same (I could tell they were really wanting me at this point), or not much at all as Alan Jackson or Tim McGraw.

I left formal rush pretty exhausted as this year was even hotter than last. I signed my card quickly and left. I thought I had everything in order for the next day, even though I had a Monday night class and would only be able to attend the second half of Day 2 of formal rush.

So I rushed over to the Greek housing after my night class had ended (thankfully my professor hadn't kept us long at all).

I had to hunt down my Rho Gam who was in the Alan Jackson house. I knew there was no way I was invited back to their house, nor did I really have any interest in staying longer. I had to go in there while their guys looked at me like they were thinking, "Who the hell is he?". Finally, I tracked down the Rho Gam who handed me my slips which notified me that I had been asked back to:

Trace Adkins
George Strait
Garth Brooks


I knew I'd pass on hanging out with Trace Adkins. I had never hung out with them and din't really click with any of the guys I knew. My roommate had ended up dropping during their pledgeship and said he just didn't like the guys and thought the organization lacked unity. Another one of my best friends had also dropped Trace Adkins and was rushing again and was becoming a Garth Brooks.

I still didn't know what was going on with George Strait. They had been playing with my mind since the spring, and after acting like they had no interest in me suddenly seemed really adament in seeing more of me.

I sort of stood outside the Alan Jackson house for a few minutes to think. I didn't want to rush anything. So I went into the Garth Brooks house and talked to the guys some more. They asked me how the process was going, where I was invited back to, and what I was thinking. It was all very natural and never in the history of the time I had spent with them felt like I couldn't belong. I knew Garth Brooks was my home. They had put a lot of effort into getting to know me for a long time. I liked how we could talk about all different parts of being in a fraternity. While other fraternities told me all about partying and hooking up, these guys would also tell me about their academics, scholarships, alumni connections and stuff that would really matter, especially later on down the road. I knew they could party too and had thoroughly enjoyed myself at those events as well. I figured why would I pursue George Strait when they haven't seemed genuinely interested in me for all except five minutes or so. I wouldn't even know if I'd click with their guys. My other friend that was told by the Brad Paisleys that they were only taking freshman was also becoming a Garth Brooks. The pledge class I could see starting to form was already full of my friends and I knew I could grow there.


So I left their house, walked to the Greek office, signed my card, and became a new member of.....


ΔΤΔ
Delta Tau Delta



Best decision I ever made!

The friend that dropped Trace Adkins ended up becoming probably my best friend in the fraternity, roommate in the house, and now we are living in an off-campus house together. The friendships I've made through DTD have been amazing and I can't imagine my college experience without it.



My best advice....SUMMER RUSH! Get to any events you can and when you get there don't make a fool of yourself by drinking too much, bad things happen. Just try to find the fraternity you get along best with, and try to have meaningful conversations about what the fraternity can offer you and what you in turn can offer them as a new member.

wonderful advice and so timely! congratulations.

Good story. Thanks for sharing.

Does your school even offer summer recruitment anymore? i looked on the website and it said it didn't...

many fraternities have organized events during the summer in the town where the school is located as well as in locations in the surrounding area. this is not thru the school, except that they might get the names of incoming freshman from the greek life office.

I loved your story, ebdelt!

My brother left college forty years ago. He still gets together with his Delt friends to sail, travel together, etc. I think you chose a great org! :)

Yay! I'm glad it had a happy ending :)

great experience!!! thanks for sharing!

Bingo!

Thanks everyone, I greatly enjoyed giving my story and hope it can maybe provide insight and advice to future guys going through rush, so they don't make some of the mistakes I made.

Have a great summer everyone, I won't be around much. I'm now working as a camp counselor at a big sailing camp in North Carolina for the entire summer!

Seagull/Seafarer?

Yep! ;)

Seagull.

Great camp! Enjoy!

Way cool -- you're going to have a blast! :cool: