How do you prepare for deferred recruitment?

[kiteflyerzl]

I am a Recruitment Advisor for my chapter. Our school has historically held Recruitment during the first week of the fall semester. Next year they are delaying recruitment by a few months and the year after that they will start having Recruitment in January before classes start.

We typically have our members come back a week early in the fall to prepare for Recruitment. This includes practicing songs, skills, etc. as well as making decorations and all that stuff. So my question is this - if you go to a school with deferred recruitment, when do you have time to prepare? It seems to me that it will be a nightmare for the women to accomplish all they need to do when they'll be knee deep in classes. Even with doing Recruitment in January before classes start for Spring, we won't have time to come back a week early.

I appreciate any help!!

[GtownGirl98]

Deferred Rush has its advantages. Georgetown College has deferred recruitment, it starts next week.

The ladies prepare all of fall semester. They have a weekend that is totally devoted to recruitment prep in the fall (about Thanksgiving time). And then they report back for prep before Spring semester starts. Recruitment starts next Wednesday.

A lot of the prep falls on the recruitment committee.

Hope this helps!

[AChiOhSnap]

Originally posted by kiteflyerzl
I am a Recruitment Advisor for my chapter. Our school has historically held Recruitment during the first week of the fall semester. Next year they are delaying recruitment by a few months and the year after that they will start having Recruitment in January before classes start.

We typically have our members come back a week early in the fall to prepare for Recruitment. This includes practicing songs, skills, etc. as well as making decorations and all that stuff. So my question is this - if you go to a school with deferred recruitment, when do you have time to prepare? It seems to me that it will be a nightmare for the women to accomplish all they need to do when they'll be knee deep in classes. Even with doing Recruitment in January before classes start for Spring, we won't have time to come back a week early.

I appreciate any help!!

Do as much as you can BEFORE winter break begins. Some girls who will be done early with finals can stay later to help decorate the house so you all come back without having to worry about decorating. Practice the songs and skits early, early on... have them written by the beginning of November and get them memorized before break and you'll only need a few refresher rehearsals after break. Granted, my school never does recruitment before break -- we always start the day after classes start -- but the sororities have been preparing since November. Make sure to get any shirts/party supplies/food ordered well in advance, with delivery guaranteed on appropriate dates. When you get back, all you'll really have to worry about is setting up the food and a few brush-ups on skits and songs. You're going to have to be super on top of things but it can be done!

I have to say, I feel your pain about recruitment starting a WEEK before classes... it seems like number of girls registering for recruitment would drop if they had to come back in the middle of their winter break. Yikes. I know some other schools do this, but if my school suddenly switched to a recruitment period BEFORE classes started in January, the PNMs would revolt. I guess it would take a few years for everyone to get used to that schedule.

[FSUZeta]

the chapter i advise began with deferred recruitment in the winter, and now has deferred recruitment in the fall. that transition year was rough with two formal recruitments in one year!!

the recruitment vp divides the chapter into committees based on their interests and the chapters needs. each recruitment party has one or two party chairsisters, who coordinate and run their individual committees and the planning meetings. the chairsisters report to the recruitment vp. party one committee is responsible for suggesting the theme for that party, coming up with the entertainment(if it is allowed at that party), the decorations, the clothing, the food. the party chairsisters report on a weekly basis to the vp. the vp sets guidelines and timelimes for each committee to follow. meanwhile, after approval, each committee is ordering supplies, making decorations,practicing skits,etc.

usually before thanksgiving, recruitment workshops would be held on either a saturday or sunday afternoon, where the members would perfect their recruitment skills(singing, greeting, chatting, escorting their (pretend) guest to the door. they would practice one party per weekend.

they also hold a fashion show during chapter to show members what TO wear and what NOT TO wear. they practice songs during chapter and may brush up on their recruitment etiquette during chapter too. we also require that each member bring their outfits and try them on for us-we tell them if these are new items, they need to hold onto their receipts and not cut the tags off, until their outfit is approved.

when recruitment actually happens, each committee is responsible for setting up the room for their party AND disassembling the room for the next party(they do not have a house).

[kiteflyerzl]

We know how to prepare. We do pretty much everything FSUZeta mentioned. I'm just trying to figure out how we move from doing it when classes are not in session to having to do it when everyone is up to their ears in class assignments.

Thanks!

**edited to correct a typo

[GtownGirl98]

Sorry miss understood...
GC does parties after classes are over for the day. This does cause issue with girls who have night classes. But those who don't have night classes or late classes will arrive early to help set up and those who have later classes the next day will stay late.

GC starts rounds on Wednesday night with OH, Thursday is Phil, and Friday is Skit with Pref starting on Saturday about 5, giving the girls all day on Saturday to set up. With only 4 chapters it isn't hard. Now if we had 5 or more, it would have to be split more.

I think in the past everyone has returned from OP then first round of cuts are made on the second night. Each night the parties get longer also. With one and two being the same length. Also parties go from 4, 4 to 3 to 2 by pref night. Sunday is Chapel Day (Bid Day) That also is in the late afternoon.

Hope this helps.

[polarpi]

Originally posted by Alpha Chi Emily
I have to say, I feel your pain about recruitment starting a WEEK before classes... it seems like number of girls registering for recruitment would drop if they had to come back in the middle of their winter break. Yikes. I know some other schools do this, but if my school suddenly switched to a recruitment period BEFORE classes started in January, the PNMs would revolt. I guess it would take a few years for everyone to get used to that schedule.

I'm working with the chapter I'm advising this year right now - their recruitment is right before classes begin, and their numbers have actually INCREASED even over the period from last year to this year (granted, they've been doing recruitment "prior" to spring term for a while, but they also have intercession classes going on right now, as well (so some ARE in school while doing recruitment!)

My chapter of initiation was also a deferred recruitment school, and we did the bulk of our preparation prior to Christmas (also with a "recruitment weekend", and then we had to be back by the Sunday prior to classes starting (which was a Wednesday). That Monday would be a all-day work day/recruitment kick-off speaker, and then Tuesday was the first day of parties. Having the songs/music/dances all scripted out and rehearsed prior to Christmas is great, and then have the girls practice over break is good, too.

Best of luck to your chapter you advise (when the changes come)!