Rush Help

Steven1616 · #1 05-01-2002, 04:25 AM

Ok here is the deal. my chatper Gammi Psi is about to lose half of the chapter to alumi. our chapter is used to running on about 40-50 men and we'll drop down to 23 after this year. next year we have to have an awsome rush. if you have had luck with rush please help.

phi phi,

Steven

AOIIBrandi · #2 05-01-2002, 09:54 AM

Steven,

My husband was a member of your chapter in the early 90s. I will ask if he has any advice. I only got to visit your chapter once, and had a great time. You are a great bunch of guys. I wish you luck

PiKA1911 · #3 05-01-2002, 02:40 PM

All you can do is go all out. UAH doesn't have a formal fraternity rush so we have to just go out and hunt guys down. Most UAH students don't even know there are fraternities on campus. So this may not help if your system is more formal.

But here are some things that are really helpful that people sometimes forget. Schedule a lot of rush events and make them mandatory. Start collecting names of rushees now and follow up on them all summer. Bring guys around during the summer and spend time hanging out with them. That way those guys will be bringing guys around from their classes. They will be as much a part of your rush as some brothers. I know its small things, but I was a part of a twenty eight man chapter and we rushed an eighteen man pledge class. It can be done, your chapter just has to want it bad enough.

And one other thing. The rush chairman has to be the kind of guy that is willing to make twenty or thirty phone calls a day every day to invite rushees out and to keep them coming out.

I wish you the best of luck because I know the feeling of being a small chapter trying to get as many pledges as you've got brothers.

-Mark
Theta Pi chapter 12/18/00

bolingbaker · #4 05-07-2002, 12:30 AM

You have a great chapter with a distinguished history. The way you replenish your numbers without compromising quality is by being AGGRESSIVE! Go on campus and seek out those great athletes and studs that have always characterized your chapter. Ask sorority girls for names. Ask coaches for names. Ask alumni for legacy names. Like PiKA1911 says, your rush chairman needs to make 30+ phonecalls a day, and needs to motivate the Brothers to identify and bring in prospects. Parties are not the key. Legwork is the key. ID the best guys and ask them to join.

KEPike · #5 05-22-2002, 02:00 AM

Steven,

Two years ago Kappa Epsilon Chapter (Rockhurst Univ.) had a 32 man chapter with 18 seniors. After two years of Spring Pledge Classes of 6 and 9 (we have deferred rush), we DECIDED that we would not leave the chapter with 14 guys. So a large number of seniors, along with several sophs and a few juniors that had no idea about rush, went out and got 32 guys (7 fall and 25 spring) over the year thus doubling the size of the chapter.

Of course, after graduation, the chapter was again 40 men and was going to lose another 10 seniors. So the chapter followed up the previous success with 25 men (3 fall and 22 spring).

Two years later, the chapter is 65 guys strong, with 12 varsity athletes, all of the dominant figures on campus, a 3.24 cumulative GPA, and it's first Smythe Award under its belt. Without a doubt, it was the sacrifice and dedication that we committed to 2 years earlier that was the driving force behind our current successes.

Take heed of PiKA1911 and bolingbaker's comments on dedication and legwork...they are the main reasons why KE not only exists, but thrives.

The best of luck to Gamma Psi and to your members on this very difficult, yet rewarding task. If I can be of assistance regarding specific strategies or ideas, please e-mail at aaxsom@hotmail.com.

ppka
Andy Axsom
Kappa Epsilon '98

bolingbaker · #6 05-26-2002, 01:00 AM

Good story with a great ending. Congrats on the success of our Rockhurst chapter.

UF_Pike · #7 06-03-2002, 01:51 PM

Here's my view on the whole rush deal. Dont settle for just group of guys to have a large chapter. We are PIKES!!!!! This means we are only to have studs in our chapters!!!!! Set guidelines for the guys rushing, tell them they have both personal and monetary obligations to becoming a pike. Make your pledges be very close to one another.After lunch and dinner, make them all go and work out at the gym. Make them all have something like a woodser. But above all, uphold our rep. as PIKES.

Remember, other frat guys may hate us, but their girlfriends always end up in the pike house with us somehow!

umchief · #8 06-11-2002, 07:05 PM

The key to a good rush is making it personal. Make every brother find a new guy, and have the brother call him every night. It is so difficult for the rush chair to call 30-40 people a day, and the chances of not getting voice mail are even smaller. The underlying goal in rush is to make friends, it is not that difficult.

You can also start a "scholarship" and make it available to all new men entering the university. Not to much money, a couple hundred dollars. However, make them fill out an application with their name, address, phone, email, all that stuff. Also make them send a resume. This way you can use this information to actually pick and choose the studs....

I am in charge of rush for my university IFC, and I have tons of ideas for Pike chapters. If you need any help, give me a holler.