A Tough Fall Ahead

[Firehouse]

With respect, I believe this is an excellent idea or I would not have suggested it. It's been done before, and successfully.
Certainly, if a man's parents are paying the bills and they object to him taking the job then he is not a candidate. Neither is any man a candidate who feels that this would "put his education on hold" as you say. On the other hand, it's not unusual for a man to take a semester off and work, or to take a lighter load and have a part time job.
As far as being considered "active" is concerned, this is a job taken by a fraternity Brother as a recruiter. Whether the chapter counts him as "active" at the moment is beside the point. He is in fact there, doing his job. It could be an alumnus just as easily as it could be an undergraduate.
On some campuses, a man is given the job of full-time summer rush chairman, with a car, a clothing allowance and a budget. This is his paid job for those months. He leads the chapter in rushing and assembling a pledge class, often moving them directly into the house before fall term begins. This is common fraternity practice at some big schools in Mississippi, Arkansas, Texas, Iowa, Missouri - I'm sure there are others.

In this case - Linfield - the individual has reached out for help with ideas. If they don't re-build their numbers the chapter will die. It sounds as if fraternity sizes are small, so they can become competitive again quickly.

The three responders are all sorority women, and I understand this solution may sound odd to you because sororities tend to have lots of rules and restrictions on rush, including fall formal rush, and a limitation on summer contact. I believe this idea will also work with a weak sorority chapter that wnats to improve, and I have suggested it before.

Yes, we're here to get an education, and a first class education offers many advantages. What also offers considerable advantages are the lifelong relationships with quality men we forge in college. Pike at Linfield is an old and distinguished chapter. I'd like to see them survive and prosper.

I'm surprised at your reactions to a creative and effective solution with an entrepreneurial flair. The right man, who sees advantages for himself in this endeavor, will make a success.