[KSUViolet06]

Originally Posted by carnation

Do you remember a thread I started years ago because a GCer had pmed me asking for advice on how her chapter could seem less desperate for members and assure PNMs that they wanted then for themselves and not because they obviously needed numbers? A lot of GCers' chapters had been in those shoes and they offered great advice.

Just like some men and women reek of desperation when they're seeking a spouse, some chapters do too. You don't see it as much now because of RFM but it's obvious, and not always by their numbers because they may have brought in out of town sisters to help rush. These might be the chapters who invite back almost everyone every day--until a few years ago, it was obvious because you could cut chapters and you might cut Icky Iota daily but daily, that invitation would show up again.

Tent talk doesn't always cause the problems. It can be a multitude of factors and can be compounded if the national office has warned of sanctions of the chapter doesn't get a lot bigger but doesn't offer much help. I bet that some of the "old rush hands" here can relay a lot of things they've seen but some times the problems are internal and they snowball from there.

Sidenote: are people still doing the "bring out of town chapters to help with recruitment" thing? Do HQs and advisors still suggest that it be done?

That's something our HQ discourages. From a volunteer standpoint, I would NEVER advise a chapter to do that. In my opinion, it's more hurtful than helpful to a chapter and is a red flag of struggle even moreso than the obviously small numbers.

Also, I think the "turnaround" potential of a chapter also has to do with the campus culture. At many schools, chapters can change drastically for the better or worse every year or so depending on the NM classes. Things are more fluid (ex: the perceived top group when I was in undergrad is not considered that now.) At some of the bigger more competitive schools, whether XYZ is at total, winning awards, tc. they're still going to be Icky XYZ just because that's what they've always been known as and it's pretty set in stone.

I do agree about the RFM improving things on some level. For example, a chapter at an SEC school may have been on the brink of closing due to low numbers but was given the opportunity to bounce back by the RFM. Which is good.

Another sidenote: I volunteer with chapters who have traditionally not hit quota, yet think every year that the RFM will magically bring them numbers. They end up disappointed year after year because they don't fully understand that the RFM can calculate and help you get better numbers, but it can't MAKE PNMs want to accept your invite. That part is up to YOU.