Am I Approaching This the Right Way?

[DeltNick]

I'm overseeing recruitment for my Chapter this year. Our numbers are currently in the teens, with a handful of seniors leaving this year. We have to meet our recruitment goals this year or we are in danger of dissolving.

Past recruitment heads have approached the situation with an attitude of, "this is our fault and we need to fix it, but even if we try our best, the outcome may still be unfavorable." I feel like this sort of motivation, in our situation, is ineffective. There are already some of my brothers who are stricken with a sense of apathy and defeat with regards to the situation we are in, so approaching the topic in that manner doesn't really have an effect on them.

I am trying to get my brothers to see this in a different way -- to view this as an opportunity to recolonize ourselves. The brothers in our chapter are all great -- they're funny, intelligent, helpful, genuine, and they really believe in and live the core values of our Fraternity. However, the problem is that most of our brothers are quite introverted and shy when it comes to meeting new people. Almost everyone in the Chapter now was a direct friend of someone who was already in it when they pledged. As a result, nobody on our campus really even knows we exist. It's not like we have a negative perception; we literally have no public perception. I would bet anything that if people understood who we are and what we are about, there would be interest.

So, my approach when it comes to motivating everyone has been, "This is our chance to literally build something from the ground up, since nobody ever really attempted to build on our foundation. It's a way for us to choose our own destiny and determine how we want people to view us." I've already enacted some strategies for getting our name out around campus. I've ordered rush shirts so that every brother has something to wear with our letters on it, I've signed up for a table on the campus walk so that we can hand out flyers, information, and free stuff to any potential new members, and I'm encouraging brothers to travel together and meet new people wherever they go, whether it's the gym, the dining hall, the library, etc.

In the past, parties have been our biggest means of getting our name out. However, my opinion is that parties aren't a very good way to meet new members. Parties should be the things to which you invite people that you have already met, but I feel like it's more difficult to meet new people at a party than it is in the sober light of day. We are in a big city, and there are plenty of things we can do around here as both brotherhood and rush events. I'm encouraging everyone to explore these opportunities and come up with ideas besides the standard parties for events.

So, our recruitment strategy revolves around a central database of names that we are keeping. In this spreadsheet, we jot down the names of any potential new members, as well as their contact information and at least one of their interests. This way, when brothers contact the potential member, they know what his interests are and can center the initial discussion on them. I ask my brothers to set personal goals for themselves each week (i.e. This week I will meet 3 new members, and I will invite each one of them to do something with my brothers and I around campus). It's not a bad system in theory, but like I said, a lot of the brothers are introverted. How can I persuade them to overcome their shyness and meet people?

Another thing; there are a few of my brothers who can be a bit lazy when it comes to stuff like this. Other people see their laziness and it tends to spread through the group. It's like a thought process of, "Well, why should I do it if nobody else is going to?" What is a good way to hold people accountable for their goals and get everyone to pitch in to the effort?

One more thing. At our school, fall rush is for upperclassmen only. The administration doesn't want freshmen considering Greek Life until the spring. Of course, we can still befriend freshmen and invite them to do things with us, we just can't formally invite them to official rush events or officially bid them before spring semester. As such, our primary target for fall semester has to be upperclassmen. Are there any good ways to target this specific demographic that might be more effective?

I'm really new to all of this. A year ago today, I didn't think I would be in a Fraternity. However, I've come to love our group and I don't want us to die out. I'm willing to do anything and everything to keep us around. There are a lot of people on this board who are more knowledgable than I, which is why I humbly come to you all for help and answers.

Sincerely,
DN