NPC chapter not participating in formal recruitment

[AGDee]

Originally Posted by SthrnZeta

EEK! Sounds to me that if a chapter were small enough to feel that they couldn't compete in FR was on their way to being closed by their HQ for low numbers My chapter was small when I was in college but we never considered NOT doing FR. We would just double up on girls and make sure to do COB events.

You can double up on girls if you have 30 members and there are 60 women per party. But, if you have 15 members and there are 60 PNMs per party and 15 parties, and you never end up getting more than 5 new members out of formal recruitment after you spend $14,000 on it every year, what's the point?

You've got to have a Return on Investment. Sometimes, this happens when one chapter on a campus doesn't have a house but all the others do. They can chug along fine with 20 members and have a quality experience for a lesser cost and have a niche on the campus. It doesn't make sense to close them if they're doing alright and are financially viable but it doesn't make sense for them to spend thousands of dollars on formal recruitment either.

[luv n tpa]

Originally Posted by AGDee

... after you spend $14,000 on it every year ...

Please tell me this is an exaggeration.

[33girl]

Originally Posted by luv n tpa

Please tell me this is an exaggeration.

Nope.

[barbino]

Originally Posted by luv n tpa

Please tell me this is an exaggeration.

In the South, spending $14,000 on a rush/recruitment is very definitely not an exaggeration.

[SWTXBelle]

And the reason it's "only" $14,000 is because Panhellenic has put a limit on spending.

[FSUZeta]

Originally Posted by SWTXBelle

And the reason it's "only" $14,000 is because Panhellenic has put a limit on spending.

damn them!!

[SWTXBelle]

Of course, having a budget makes you creative. I think it was the Delta Zetas who got the brilliant idea of driving to Tyler to buy $1 bouquets of pink roses to give their pnms on pref night. (Back when you gave 'em presents).

[ComradesTrue]

Originally Posted by SWTXBelle

Of course, having a budget makes you creative. I think it was the Delta Zetas who got the brilliant idea of driving to Tyler to buy $1 bouquets of pink roses to give their pnms on pref night. (Back when you gave 'em presents).

Oh, Tyler Roses!

I remember being able to stop at an unmanned stand on the side of the road, leave $1, and walk away with a dozen roses!

What smart Delta Zetas!

[TSteven]

Originally Posted by AGDee

You can double up on girls if you have 30 members and there are 60 women per party. But, if you have 15 members and there are 60 PNMs per party and 15 parties, and you never end up getting more than 5 new members out of formal recruitment after you spend $14,000 on it every year, what's the point?

You've got to have a Return on Investment. Sometimes, this happens when one chapter on a campus doesn't have a house but all the others do. They can chug along fine with 20 members and have a quality experience for a lesser cost and have a niche on the campus. It doesn't make sense to close them if they're doing alright and are financially viable but it doesn't make sense for them to spend thousands of dollars on formal recruitment either.

I believe this is the case with Alpha Delta Pi at Nebraska. NU sets quota based on the number of "open" beds in each chapter's physical house. (I believe "locals" - i.e. Lincoln girls - are considered "free" if they live at home or in the dorms.) In any case, Alpha Delta Pi does not have a house. As I understand it, they participate in the open rounds, but then "drop out" until after formal. They then have their rush events.

And to be clear, this chapter is doing quite well and is not viewed as a negative thing at all. I don't know how their total is set, but I do know that in many years, they may take more new members than other chapters.

[SthrnZeta]

Originally Posted by TSteven

I believe this is the case with Alpha Delta Pi at Nebraska. NU sets quota based on the number of "open" beds in each chapter's physical house. (I believe "locals" - i.e. Lincoln girls - are considered "free" if they live at home or in the dorms.) In any case, Alpha Delta Pi does not have a house. As I understand it, they participate in the open rounds, but then "drop out" until after formal. They then have their rush events.

And to be clear, this chapter is doing quite well and is not viewed as a negative thing at all. I don't know how their total is set, but I do know that in many years, they may take more new members than other chapters.

I guess if you play your cards right, like ADPi at NU it seems, not participating completely in FR could be to your advantage - you could seem more exclusive than the other chapters...

[KSUViolet06]

This hasn't happened at my school, but I know that it is common at larger schools with more competitive recruitments. The chapter is usually significantly smaller than all the others and and doesn't have the numbers, finances, or other means to do formal recruitment successfully. For example, if total is something like 150, and a chapter has 40 women and the school averages 800 PNMs in rush per year, that small chapter might choose to forego formal recruitment in favor of just doing their own recruitment afterward.