Brian, I'm with you - I've heard of chapters with 200+ sisters, and I just don't get how you can know all of their names. I joined a local sorority that had 7 sisters at the time (newly founded), and before I even received a bid, I knew not only all their names, their interests, etc. but also those of my pledge sisters. How many folks in big chapters can say that?
As for the "numbers snowball" my chapter has always been on the downside of that - being relatively new and small on a campus where total is 80. It doesn't matter. We take quality over quantity, and so what if we don't make quota or reach total. Rushees, I think, come into our rush room and see fewer bodies in the room and think "hmmm, they're weak", and some of them cut us early on - but those who come back to later parties get to see our strong sisterhood, and a lot of them end up listing us first on their pref cards. And, of course, we do informal rush - being the only chapter not at total can be an advantage
stargirl, can you invite alums or women from other chapters to help you with rush? That may help you get your "body count" up... Even if they're not allowed to actually rush, they can do things like serve refreshments, freeing the actives up to do the actual rushing. Just an idea