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33Girl
I put your name at the top of this post as a sort of totem to protect myself. They asked for a solution, and I know what WILL work. But I also know that it will cause a reaction and I don't want to be thought of as a flammer. I'm serious about the answer.
If you really want to help a small chapter get big, here's the answer: First, understand that by the time formal rush happens, there's only so much you can do. Almost always, small chapters don't do well in formal rush because they lack confidence, and because they lack a 'product' that's demonstrably superior to the competition. The answer is to put them in a better position before formal rush so they can compete, and be an attractive draw to new members.
The alumni or the chapter or the national offcie should hire a rush chairman to work full time, all year, to bring in the maximum possible number of new members outside the formal rush timeframe. the chapter should take in two, maybe three pledges classes every semester, put them through the process quickly and initiate them. Yes, fast growth can cause problems, but the truth you can take to the bank is that numbers will solve most all chapters problems and do it quickly. You go in at the beginning, tell the women what you are going to do and tell them what the result will be: they will have a chapter they can be proud of, and one which will build their confidence and enrich their experience.
Pay the rush chairman. She is an employee. Her full time job is to rush individuals and pledge them into the sorority. She can rush groups too. For example, she might be able to get the women's volleyball team to pledge as a group. It's not a stretch. The larger and stronger they get, the better they can compete in formal rush. The REASON this works is because the results are so dramatic and so immediate that they quickly lift the spirits and strengthen the confidence of the existing members. Everyone wants to be "better", and better is what they can see in tangible results. yes, some of the other sororities may make snide remarks, but you can pass that off as evidence that the small house is getting attention, gaining strength, and will be in a position to compete.
I've seen this done with men. I even saw it done once with women. It wasn't done correctly and didn't have perfect results
but the results were still very good.
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