Formal RUSH Help!

Didacticsss · #1 08-10-2008, 03:17 PM

Hello all! This my first time posting although I've been lurking around here for a while

So, this upcoming semester my school is participating in Panhell/Formal Recruitment. Alright here's my problem...

I go to a small school where 3 sororities make up NPC! We have not participated in formal recruitment for the past few semesters because one of the other organizations was not able to. I did informal RUSH before pledging so I've never seen/experienced formal recruitment. I am on Panhellenic council and I am also recruitment chair for my organization. I know that during formal recruitment we bring PNM's into different rooms with each org...that's about all I got for now haha
What I want is ideas on how to make things interesting for PNM's. I've done general interest meetings because I was recruitment chair last semester as well so I know what I have to talk about etc.
Do you guys generally decorate or have themes? What kind of things do you do to get PNMs invloved? How do discuss history. philanthropies etc and make them interesting? I know that whatever I do is going to be something cheesy but I'd prefer to make it not TOO cheesy. Keep in mind I go to a small school where greek life isn't toooooo popular.

I need help

Thanks so much!

Benzgirl · #2 08-10-2008, 03:22 PM

Dear First-Time poster,

Please increase the size of your font. We may not be deaf and dumb, but some of us are border-line blind.

I would recommend contacting your HQ for assistance on formal recruitment, or head to your chapter's forum on the board. Are the last three letter of your screen name a clue? If so, there are sisters on GC who would be willing to help.

Also, the Search Function is your friend on GC.

Didacticsss · #3 08-10-2008, 04:23 PM

Thanks for the reply...

Well, I used the Search function but I haven't found anything too helpful. I mostly found outdated things...but thanks for the suggestion.

I will take your advice and contact the head of my chapter's forum on the board. And no, the last three letter have nothing to do with my particular org. But good observation, I would never have caught that.
THANKS!

33girl · #4 08-10-2008, 05:24 PM

Do you mean the campus as a whole hasn't had formal recruitment? (If you just mean your group hasn't done FR, my next question is how you got your position, no offense - just the lack of experience thing)

If you can, try contacting some of your group's chapters at similar schools (with a similar Greek life) to see what they do. Also, look at similar schools' Greek websites to see how they set recruitment up. I agree with you trying to avoid the cheese factor.

Didacticsss · #5 08-17-2008, 12:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 33girl

Do you mean the campus as a whole hasn't had formal recruitment? (If you just mean your group hasn't done FR, my next question is how you got your position, no offense - just the lack of experience thing)

If you can, try contacting some of your group's chapters at similar schools (with a similar Greek life) to see what they do. Also, look at similar schools' Greek websites to see how they set recruitment up. I agree with you trying to avoid the cheese factor.

My campus as a whole has not had formal recruitment for the past few years. None of the active sisters in my chapter or ANY of the other sororities have participated in FR.
As far as being inexperienced I'm not sure if you're referring to me being our recruitment chair or me being on panhellenic council.

As rush chair goes- I successfully ran informal RUSH last semester so I have absolutely no problem with that.

As Panhellenic council goes- EVERY single officer has the same amount of experience I do. We are a very small school where Greek life is not too popular and because we, and when I say 'we' I mean ALL sororities, have not been able to hold FR for the past couple of years we focus on doing community service etc. I was obviously elected and I have been a very active member in NPC from the start- organizing every single event. Just because I do not fully understand FR doesn't mean that I am not qualified and or capable of doing my job. I am just as confused as everyone else participating in FR on my campus.

Didacticsss · #6 08-17-2008, 12:24 PM

Also, thank you for the suggestions!

Kansas City · #7 08-17-2008, 02:32 PM

Woulld it be possible for you to attend another area chapter's formal recruitment to get ideas and advise on what to do or not to do? The chapter that I advise does formal, no frills recruitment about a week after another area chapter has their frilly formal recruitment. We are going to try and send members of our sophomore class to this chapter's recruitment (1) to assist a low membership chapter with their numbers and (2) so that our members can learn about recruitment before they have to do it themselves. The timing might not work out as well if your formal recruitment is this semester but it could be something you consider for the future.

33girl · #8 08-18-2008, 11:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Didacticsss

I am just as confused as everyone else participating in FR on my campus.

I didn't mean to offend you, I just wanted to make sure this was the case (that the different sororities are all equally confused). At a school where formal rush IS done, it would be very out of the ordinary for someone who had never gone through FR to be running it. But in your circumstances it makes sense.

My advice is START SMALL. Don't go overboard w/ decorations, songs, skits etc - the only "formal" thing you need to concentrate on is giving the rushees the maximum amount of time possible w/ each sorority so they can make an informed choice.