[ladybug12]

As someone who has volunteered for over 2 decades as a national officer in the membership department for my GLO, I agree that closing a chapter due to membership numbers is a very difficult situation.

I have worked with chapters that struggled for years with membership. Some have made it, some did not.

The negative factors I have seen:
Toxic/negative campus environment. Fraternities who refuse to have mixers with the chapter. Chapter reputation as the "fat girls" have members told not to be seen eating in public. Never having a chance to be paired with a strong organization for Homecoming or big campus events. Only having half the women who match with you on bid day actually show up year after year. Being told constantly to COB or else.

Chapter members who accept their reputation/situation. "we like being small because we are so close". "We suck! We are losers" (actually said during a workshop I was conducting and no one challenged her besides me).

Successful reconstructions:
Other NPC sororities networking with our chapter and supporting our philanthropic efforts and doing "Super-Swaps" with frats that normally would not have a social event with us.
Chapter embracing/changing their internal identity. Rather than being the awkward sorority, recognizing that they have top grades and embracing/promoting the new reputation as the "smart girls on campus."
Being willing to go beyond their comfort zone and try something different during recruitment...whether that is party structure or content, changing "what has always been done".
Changing how they prepare for formal recruitment. I was astonished to visit a chapter on a large campus where my chapter did not have any PNM review sessions or matching chapter members with PNMs who had similar interests. They had just not ever done it or been told to do it because "we are laid back". The first year this was implemented, recruitment stats improved. The second year, the chapter met quota and got quota additions...and everyone showed up on bid day.

These are just a few examples in my experience. Closing any chapter for any reason is painful to many people beyond the chapter women and their alumnae. We have all been through this with our own organizations and I hate that Theta will close 2 chapters with long histories on their campuses.