I feel like I have some decent input on this issue, as our chapter was in danger of losing its charter for a majority of the school year this year. The number one reason we were scheduled to close was because of low numbers. It took the threat of losing our charter to really get the women in my sorority motivated, and although it wasn't the best way to start off the year everything turned out great; we got our charter reinstated last week. Here's what we did:
* We started our rebuilding by getting the women motivated to find potential sisters. We knew there were women out there who wanted to be sisters, it was just a matter of tracking them down.
* As Barb stated, getting other chapters on campus involved can be SO helpful. In our case, a sorority on campus made t-shirts in support of our sorority. In addition to the women in the house wearing letters, members of 6 other sororities and 14 fraternities wore t-shirts in support of us. Each house also made a banner signifying their support for our chapter, which was absolutely awesome. That helped a lot.
* We knew getting our numbers up was only the start of our plan. Once women joined, we had to find a way to keep them there. We had several retreats so all of us could come up with a five year plan together. We decided where we wanted to be and how to get there. These retreats won't stop now that we are getting closer to our goal-- every retreat gets us closer as sisters and closer to our goals.
* We placed great value on new members. In such a hard time, we knew it was important to show the new members that they weren't just numbers, but sisters. As a new member, I felt that was the best part of joining this sorority-- that I wasn't a number.
* We continually were looking for women to join. We invited friends over for dinner or a house tour, we got other women involved in our house so they could see what it was truly about. Sometimes rush turns women off of Greek life (it did for me), and a more personal visit to the house can put a whole new view on joining a Greek organization.
* As stated before, alumnae support was KEY. Our alums were absolutely awesome in showing their support for our chapter. Alumnae can give great wisdom from their time in the house, as well as give names of potential new members. Even as a new member, I realize the value of an alum is endless.
* As BSUPhiSig stated, meeting with Greek advisors can help. We had an advisor come over for dinner one night and then speak to us about our situation. Let me tell you, it was motivating, especially in the middle of a semester when you're starting to burn out.
Hope these ideas helped. Remember, these are just the things my chapter did. Each chapter has to adapt to the environment of their University, and each chapter may have a different vision of the future. If you have any other questions PLEASE feel free to e-mail me. I feel I have a unique insight into this situation having been through it in just the last semester.
Liz
Delta Delta Delta
Theta Sigma
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