Quote:
Originally Posted by BeeVee
ree-Xi: I think something that's really popular among the big clubs is having the group lunches, like was mentioned by ADPiTigergirl. I would love to try that, but it never seems to work out. We do have a lunch anyone is free to go to on Fridays where we usually try to invite freshmen to go to, but I never go because I have a lame boyfriend who's not in club and I am broke ALL. THE. TIME. I have heard a lot about that book on this site and may have to look into purchasing it for our formal Fall rushes, but since these are so soon I don't really have much time to get it and put it into practice for these rushes. Thanks though!  What do you mean by celebrating the alumnae? I don't exactly know what to do with that idea, any advice would be great! :] About wearing letters/colors/etc., our club is so small that we can't really afford to buy t-shirts and such because to get them at a good price you have to buy in bulk and we can't do that, so I only have like 4 t-shirts I'm allowed to wear every day with my club's letters/colors on them... The shirt that is our jersey, that looks really nice and is really cute, we can only wear every once in a while and if we wear it any other time we get fined... We're getting new intramural shirts this week though, so maybe that'll help. :] Can I get some tips on how to promote the club without being able to have a bunch of shirts/jackets/etc? Thanks!
ADPiTigergirl: We have been trying out the lunch thing, but I'm not sure how it's going so far. Read my comment back to ree-Xi for more info. :] Also, our entire campus knows we're small. It's nothing new and it's something that has all the other clubs starting rumors and stupid stuff like that. So while we could in a way conceal that we have a very low member count, it's highly unlikely that someone interested in pledging next semester doesn't already know about it. The rumors being spread by the other clubs are a WHOLE other story on its own, but it is something that is making people turn away from us... Once rushes start up, these rumors will fall apart, but until then the only thing we can do is defend ourselves, which can be hard when there's so few of us.
goldsilverbronz: I would really love to do this, but I'm really shy when I first meet people. How do I go about talking to someone without being that awkward shy girl at first? It's really hard for me to tell who's a freshman and to tell who's interested in pledging, so I never seem to do well with the personalized, one-on-one conversations with girls. I completely agree with you though and that's why I ended up falling in love with my club, the girls remembered who I was after the rush and I knew they would genuinely miss me if I didn't end up ranking them first and got a bid from another club, none of the other clubs were that way with me. Anymore tips you may have are wholeheartedly accepted. Thanks! |
If there are alumnae working on campus, bring them a flower in your color or some cupcakes. Make a small sign for their office door.
As for wearing colors, your color is red, right? Designate a day each week for you all to wear red to class. It can be a shirt, an accessory, or even a headband. Maybe wear something red every day during rush. People might notice and ask why.
You can get screenprinted shirts or totebags in small orders from a local t-shirt shop. There are web sites that will makes shirts for orders on as few as 10. Put your logo or write out your club's name. Ask alumnae if they'd like to order shirts and you get get a bigger order and save money.
Why can't you get together to eat lunch at the school cafeteria? What about going to school events together?
As for being shy, once you stop worrying about what people think of you (that is, show interest in others; ask questions), you will be more approachable. If most of the girls in your group are shy (and I am wondering if this might be part of why you are smaller right now), you might want to do some icebreakers before rush events to loosen up. Dance the hokey pokey, do some cheers, play music, get psyched. Energy is contagious. If you all are self-conscious and scared to talk to people, they aren't going to want to talk to you. It's about confidence. You don't have to be big to be confident.
As for having to "defend" yourself against what people might be saying - you are feeding into whatever "rumors" there are. Don't be defensive. Defense is a reaction. Be proactive. I know it sounds easy, but in a way, it is. It's a change in your mindset.
I don't know if there is anything else we can tell you. If you don't believe in yourself, no one else will. Good luck.