Smaller Groups-how can you make PNMs feel chosen?

[UGAalum94]

Although it's much harder to do since they probably don't feel like they have the same about of control over who is coming back (they are likely inviting back more people than accept), if they could try to spend more time sharing the accepted party lists with the chapter far enough in advance and in a context where members can perhaps review their notes about who they met in the previous rounds, I think it would help.

You may already be doing this, and I apologize if I'm promoting something that has long been a staple of more computer based recruitments.

If every member knew which party the guests she had previous met (particularly the ones they had "picked up" and principally hosted) were going to attend, as a group you could really try to give the impression that your members were specifically looking for the return of the PNMs who are there. You could try to systematically build it in to the rush groups that as much as you could, you'd loop PNMs back for a few minutes to see the members who had meet them already to build on a sense of personal relationship and a sense that it's wasn't an accident that they in particular had been invited back.*

These next comments will seem sketchy in light of recent conversations in other threads, and I sincerely apologize for for the pettiness/sketchiness, but when we perpetuate the idea "quality over quantity is just an excuse for lazy recruitment" and "good groups always pick members who stick around for four years," we also affirm the tent talk that at least partially contributes to these groups staying smaller because we've basically openly said small equals bad. We don't even give the group members themselves much room to be proud of who they are.

*I think it's also going to help your PR on campus generally because even the PNMs who don't pledge your group are going to feel that they had a strong personal connection at your chapter, and if they have any self-confidence at all they can appreciate that people who liked and wanted specifically them to join might as a group have some good taste.