Rush Activities
 

I am member of a fairly new fraternity on campus. I am in charge of Rush and want to make sure its our biggest pledge class yet. I was wondering if anyone could tell me what events they have had real success with when it comes to Rushing.

Thanks

Since you guys are very new on campus, and not knowing the size of either the greek life and campus, it will be very hard to help.

Do the other GLOs ahve houses or no? That many times is a factor. I take it you are in a national fraternity? If so, a selling point is being part of something new for men to join and help build.

As to waht to do for a big recruitment, make it casual, give invitations and get rsvps so you know how many will be there. You could do pool playing, bowling, as my chapter did poker playing. Any of these would let you have a chance to talk with each person.

You could do a cattle call by putting fliers up on campus. I would not make it just a party situation as that is what many want to do and then just leave. I also do not recommend this!

You need to have a presentation of why you would like them to join instead of any other GLOs.

PM me if you would like.

Good luck.

1. Ask a different sorority chapter to help you with each night of rush. In return, your chapter will host them for a mixer or barbeque later in the semester. Or y'all might offer to help them with their philanthropy or guarantee X number of members will attend etc. Or come over and do a day's work at their house. The point is that if you ask a sorority (not just the individuals, but the chapter as a whole) to help, and they accept, then you need to repay the favor. If the chapters are hesitant or unable to do so "as a chapter", then ask girlfriends and female friends to help/attend.

2. Invite alumni to attend so that they may let the rushees know what being an XYZ has meant to them etc. As a "fairly new fraternity on campus", you may not have a lot of alumni in the area that could attend every night. As such, you may want to designate a specific night as *Alumni Night* and advertise it as such. "Tuesday is Alumni night. Come watch the ball game, enjoy some hotwings, and meet some of our alumni and hear what being an XYZ means to them." (Yeah I know I'm not that good at the tag lines but I hope you get the point.) And remember the alumni do not necessarily need to have attended your college. Having alumni from other chapters come to support you - Especially since you are new to the campus - can be quite powerful.

Note: These suggestions are not specific events, but recommendations to help with rush in general. And while both are ok within NIC guidelines, be sure to check with your campus IFC to see if there are any campus regulations regarding women and/or alumni attending rush events. As a new chapter, y'all can not afford to receive a rush infraction.

our best events are usually going out somewhere- pool, bowling, disc golf.

bbq's, trips to various places (ranches, Colorado, New Orleans, etc.), golf tournaments, crawfish boils.......

You could do simple stuff like pizza and a football game or something like that. It doesn't have to be a complex event, as long as you get the word out there and get to know the guys.

By the way, use Facebook ads! I put one up for our winter recruitment.

you should start with not asking people from all over the country and look at what works at your own school.

I disagree about the advertising thing. It sends a bad message when you advertise your rush.

Why on earth would that send a bad message? I think it says, "Hey! We're here! Check us out!" My chapter is new on campus, and Greek life isn't so big here, so we need all the PR we can get.

there's advertising that's classy, and advertising that's trashy, I think:
flyers = trashy
nice ad in the school paper = classy
facebook is more on the classy side, i think, if it looks nice.

At some schools where Greek life is big, it can make it look like you're desperate. Especially if you're rushing in the "off" semester (i.e. the semester that formal rush isn't held).

No matter where you are, don't flyer, and don't chalk. Too often it attracts the wrong element - and those people KNOW you are looking for members, so when you tell them they aren't get a bid they come back with "but I know you need numbers."

Ok, well at my school where Greek life is tiny, flyering is perfectly acceptable. I may get more naysayers (on here) from that, but I just wanted to put it out there. All of the Greek orgs on campus flyer, even the ones who have been around the longest. If that's not how it's done at your school, then you shouldn't flyer. I'm just sharing my experiences.

We did paintballing this year. Definitely attracted a lot of guys. Its fun and involves team work. A lot of the pledges said that that was the deciding point for them.

I also hope you can also give them a true reason to join and stay!

Then when they are initiated to stay active in programs!

The very best in the workings and retention!:)