How to Get People Interested
 

Hello,
We are Eta Phi Theta Sorority and we just started yesterday, we want to know how we can get people interested in becoming a member of our organization. If anyone has any comments or suggestions please contact us here or either email us @ etaphitheta@yahoo.com:)

We're by no means a local.. But I'm a chapter founder so I can maybe offer you some help here..

The two most successful activities for recruitment when we were still building our chapter were information booths/tables and a few ads in the school paper.

Both are great ways to let people know who you are and what you're all about. Networking is also a great way. Recruit people in class, etc.

There are a TON of great ways to get members. Just make sure you have effective chapter programming to keep them around!

I agree that tables are the best way to get noticed. See if you can get some over the summer when your school does orientation. Also, see if you can sign up to have a display case. Our school has sign ups for display cases all over campus. You can decorate it however you want for like a week.

What we do...
 

People do one of two things when they see something new, ask questions or ignore it.

When looking for new people we wear our letters, send out invitations to visit our site, work with us on projects, have a picnic, participate in every organizational fair everywhere. We just become extra VISIBLE!!!

Yeah I'm wondering the same. Our school has an Acivities Fair that lasts a week. I think for us the best time to start recruitment would be after Stablization. Get the word out there, have a few mixers, have an event where potential Sisters can meet the current sisters...

I think for a local sorority that is just starting out, I think it would be important to really get the name out there. Try and plan activities with the student activities group at your school. Perhaps you and your sorority can team up together and plan an event.

And.. how many Sisters is a good starting off point? I don't want myself and the current Sisters to be picky when choosing new Sisters. Since it would be our first year, I think we shouldn't be so picky, but at the same time we wouldn't just want to pick anyone to fill the spots in Sigma Kappa Epsilon Pi.

Check to see how many is the minimum required by your school to have a recognized organization. Your local Panhellenic or Greek Council may also have requirements as to a minimum size.

We had a local start here with 12, and they're having a bit of a hard time. The minimum for an organization here is 10. Make sure you have more than the bare minimum and I'd even say somewhere from 15-20. Because I hate to say it, but you will lose some girls along the way because some people have no idea how much work it takes to do something like this.

Yeah, I was thinking that some girls are going to drop out along the way. I would say start with five Sisters- myself, my friend, and three others. Having 15 to 20 is a good number. We have a student activities fair in September, and it'd be great to have sign-ups, etc. From there, recruitment, rush and all that. My friend was in a sorority at SNHU but she transferred. I forget what it was called.. Kappa Lambada?

Sooo true!!! It is alot of work, and as the work gets harder, alot of girls will leave because they think that its going to be easy. But the girls that stay will be the girls you want to have in your house anyways, so everything will work out for the best!! :)

Oh, we don't have a house.

BY "house," what I mean is your sorority not the actual physical structure :)

A house isn't neccessary :) Sometimes people refer to fraternities or sororities as a "house" but that doesn't neccessarily mean you have to have a house :)

I just wanted to wish etaphitheta & christinasmile the best of luck forming your greek organizations! It is a very exciting thing you are doing!

When it's time for recruitment, I'm sure the SKEPi Sisters are going to have certain characteristics and qualities they want in a Sister. Someone who can represent what SKEPi stands for, etc. I'd love to have 30 Sisters. The number is probably going to drop as time goes on, just because of the work that is involved.

My school used to be all girls. But even now, there's more girls than guys. I'm sure the guys are going to want to start their own fraternity, once they see how cool the girls of SKEPi are.

I want to plan activities for the Mount Ida campus, for the community of Newton, Mass. and for ourselves.

A BIG weekend for us is Homecoming Weekend. There are athletic competitions, parents come in.. a lot of activities and things to do for the students-

Maybe if you look at your academic calendar and see which dates have been planned where you KNOW there's going to be a lot of people. Fundraise!

As far as dues go, I don't know how that's going to work. I'm sure the student activities department would give the organization X amount of dollars. I don't know what's a bare minimum of money to get an organization started.

But those are my ideas..

THANK YOU SO MUCH Sistah!

SKEPi has not been formally approved by my campus yet. I am still in the planning stages. I visited the localsororities site on Geocities, and took some notes. My friend who I am starting this with was in a sorority at SNHU and she knows about Greek Life. I don't, but I am SO SUPER excitied to start Sigma Kappa Epsilon Pi at Mount Ida College. This will be a great addition (if the school approves of the organization/and or the proposal to start it) to our school.