If anyone has any suggestions!!

[lazydazya]

Originally Posted by 33girl

Yes, yes, YES!!! You have the best resource ever in your PNMs. If they feel uncomfortable attaching their names to bold faced honesty, tell them they can make them anonymous, and provide a box they can put them in rather than just handing them to the pledgemistress or whomever.

You don't have a numbers issue, and fall COB shouldn't be for girls who are coming to you cold. It should be for friends of members who would be GREAT members, but don't want to go through formal rush. Don't discount juniors or even seniors.

Are you stuck hanging out with the same fraternity all the time? Stop this ASAP. Not saying completely blow them off, but begin going to other fraternities' parties. Even if they are perfectly nice guys, you could be losing girls if there's a perception on campus that "yoursorority only hangs out with XYZ fraternity." No one wants to narrow their social options by joining a sorority.

Don't have mixers/exchanges/whatever you call them unless you know that the majority of women are going to show up, and WANT to attend. Better to not have the mixer than to have it with only half the sisterhood present and half of those girls disinterested in being there. Again, the perception trickles from the guys at that mixer, to other fraternities, to other sororities, to women rushing that yoursorority is a big dud.

thank all of you so much for all your advice! I really like the idea of talking to the new pledge class and getting their input.

In terms of our relationships with the fraternities, it is pretty much non-existent at the moment. We haven't had a mixer in the last two years, and our pledge mixers last spring were pretty much a fail, as a lot of the guys didn't show up, making the ratios about 1 to 5. We just don't have a strong and established reputation that makes the fraternities approach us. I am hoping this will change this year as we have a great public relations chair.

Please keep the advice coming, they're all really helpful!

[KSUViolet06]

Good threads to read:

Small chapters: how do you make PNMs feel "chosen?"

Little Chapter, Big Recruitment (Recruitment story about a smaller chapter trying to increase in size and build a better reputation.)

[BabyPiNK_FL]

Also, don't feel that NO ONE wants your chapter. SOMEONE does put you first in recruitment. Work hard to improve b/c there is always room for improvement, but don't feel like you aren't wanted. Surely like other chapters on campus you fill a much-needed niche. There are a lot of chapters at other schools who can't get girls to join/stay and would love to be that close to total!

[33girl]

Originally Posted by lazydazya

In terms of our relationships with the fraternities, it is pretty much non-existent at the moment. We haven't had a mixer in the last two years, and our pledge mixers last spring were pretty much a fail, as a lot of the guys didn't show up, making the ratios about 1 to 5. We just don't have a strong and established reputation that makes the fraternities approach us. I am hoping this will change this year as we have a great public relations chair.

I don't know if it's a thing on your campus but I hate the concept of "pledge mixers." It puts the pledges on display in a way that may make them uncomfortable. Mixers should be everyone meeting everyone, not just the people showing up who are too young to go to the bar and not a "look at the fresh meat we got."

--end of lecture--

If you are friendly with any other sororities, try seeing if they will do a double mixer with you guys and two (or however many it takes to get parity numbers wise) fraternities. Hopefully, the PR/social chair will make a difference. Don't wait for the fraternities to call you - call them.