Failures at Rushing!
 

My sorority has no nationals and we are the Alpha chapter.
Since we have no nationals we don't do bids or the formal rushes on campus.

We used to do quite well getting new girls but for the last few years we have only been getting 3-4 girls every semester.

I don't know what we are doing wrong. We currently only have 9 members, but we are activating 4 new girls in a couple of days but then we are on to our Spring Rush.

We do themes every semester and we get T-Shirts. But I was just wondering if anyone had ideas on how to more pledges.

Usually we get 10-13 girls to our first informal rush but they all seem to drop before they get pinned in.

What are ways on how to get girls to become interested and how do we get them to stay interested?

It HIGHLY depends on how rush works at your college. Do you have deferred rush? Is the process informal, or do you recruit? You're not entirely clear about it.

For instance, my college does deferred rush. We have a few events during the fall and we advertise them on campus, but for the most part, we just have to go out and make new friends with the freshmen. Then those people typically want to join come spring, and they complete new member education and are initiated.

And what do you mean, they drop before they get pinned in? This sounds like you have a problem with your new member education plans, not a recruitment problem. And I honestly don't understand how you don't give bids. Bids are simply an invitation to join, and even my local sorority has to give them before someone can join.

Don't market your sorority as an alternative or substitute to NPC groups...or as a consolation for girls who don't get bids. Don't compete with NPC groups in any way (i.e. on your website, don't say "we do more service than any other sorority") - don't feel you have to be as big as they are. You aren't an NPC. You need to be proud of that difference, and appeal to girls who want sisterhood but who want service first.

What reasons are women giving when they drop pledging? Do you have a nonselective bidding policy? (If so, you should probably be glad some girls are dropping.)

You can visit the Alpha Phi Omega, Omega Phi Alpha and Gamma Sigma Sigma forums for ideas...they might have suggestions on how to combat this.

ETA to Graphola and anyone else answering the question: her group is a service sorority, not a straight social sorority.