Continuous Recruitment

[DeltaBetaBaby]

It sounds like you are already thinking in this direction, but make sure that a COR rushee doesn't have to meet a million guys to get a bid. If you are not holding formal rush events, they may not meet as many people as quickly, and you don't want to drag things out forever because he hasn't met everyone in the chapter.

Obviously, I don't know your MS, but I would make it so that either a small committee can approve a bid or a small committee can recommend to the chapter that they get a bid or something like that.

[33girl]

Originally Posted by DeltaBetaBaby

It sounds like you are already thinking in this direction, but make sure that a COR rushee doesn't have to meet a million guys to get a bid. If you are not holding formal rush events, they may not meet as many people as quickly, and you don't want to drag things out forever because he hasn't met everyone in the chapter.

Obviously, I don't know your MS, but I would make it so that either a small committee can approve a bid or a small committee can recommend to the chapter that they get a bid or something like that.

NO. No no no no no.

There's no quicker way to disenfranchise members than saying "well, you weren't there on Tuesday, but we extended bids to these 5 guys anyway."

If there are guys whose schedules don't permit them being at a lot of the rush events - formal or informal - at the very least, send them a text with the names of the guys you're thinking about. There's no excuse in this day and age not to keep the ENTIRE chapter informed about what you're doing.

Not only that...Brad Brother who couldn't come to the rush events (formal or informal) not because he's a slacker, but because he's on the football team and doesn't have a spare moment right now, may have some very important info about Ron Rushee...like maybe that Ron deals in his spare time.

Rushing (pun intended) to give bids doesn't make for a happy fraternity or well qualified brothers. The 5 steps do not take 5 minutes. Sometimes they do, but sometimes they take 2 years. If you can't realize that, you should just skip doing informal because you'll get immediately frustrated.

[DeltaBetaBaby]

Originally Posted by 33girl

NO. No no no no no.

There's no quicker way to disenfranchise members than saying "well, you weren't there on Tuesday, but we extended bids to these 5 guys anyway."

If there are guys whose schedules don't permit them being at a lot of the rush events - formal or informal - at the very least, send them a text with the names of the guys you're thinking about. There's no excuse in this day and age not to keep the ENTIRE chapter informed about what you're doing.

Not only that...Brad Brother who couldn't come to the rush events (formal or informal) not because he's a slacker, but because he's on the football team and doesn't have a spare moment right now, may have some very important info about Ron Rushee...like maybe that Ron deals in his spare time.

Rushing (pun intended) to give bids doesn't make for a happy fraternity or well qualified brothers. The 5 steps do not take 5 minutes. Sometimes they do, but sometimes they take 2 years. If you can't realize that, you should just skip doing informal because you'll get immediately frustrated.

I'm not saying that members shouldn't have "right of refusal". I absolutely think that any current member should be able to express their concerns, and that the chapter should handle that per its MS guidelines. What I'm saying is that the chapter should get comfortable with the idea that fewer people may meet the guy during COR than would during formal rush, and that's okay.

While it would be nice for every member to meet every PNM, it a) holds up the process timewise, b) can be really awkward as you move from "hanging with the PNM" to "actively rushing the PNM" and c) may not accomplish much, anyway.

(To clarify item "b", say you have a dude who is friends with some guys in the chapter. He's met a few key people like the president and rush chair, but mostly hangs around with his five friends. It may be the time to say "hey, bill, have you ever thought about joining?" If, instead, you have to parade him around and introduce him to everyone first, he may be like "WTF?")

[33girl]

The PNM has to realize at some point that he's actively being rushed. If not, he might be a little bit pissed. Like I said if you're doing it right, it should get to the point where the rushee ASKS for a bid. You shouldn't have to "parade" him because one of the things you invited him to should have been an event that brothers attend en masse (like the theater productions I suggested).

I know of people who were GREAT with me and 3 other friends. The rest of the chapter, however, couldn't stand them.

The timeline is different for every rushee. When you try to force things is when they don't work out. That's when the rushee feels like you had zero interest in him as a person, and that you were just looking at him as a number to add to your chapter.

[excelblue]

Wow, I never thought this thread would ever get so heated. There's definitely a lot of subtle points involved.

The formal process idea is there so that chapter members have an avenue to introduce PNMs to the rest of the chapter. An awkward situation that a few of my brothers and I have run into is one where a PNM (who we're already friends with) asks about my fraternity in the middle of the semester, and there's really no way to follow up for a few months. Even if we continue socializing with that guy, he's feeling that we're stonewalling him.

[itb2a]

Originally Posted by excelblue

Wow, I never thought this thread would ever get so heated. There's definitely a lot of subtle points involved.

The formal process idea is there so that chapter members have an avenue to introduce PNMs to the rest of the chapter. An awkward situation that a few of my brothers and I have run into is one where a PNM (who we're already friends with) asks about my fraternity in the middle of the semester, and there's really no way to follow up for a few months. Even if we continue socializing with that guy, he's feeling that we're stonewalling him.

It comes from folks confusing sorority rushing with fraternity rushing; they are quite different. There are much more rules and regs on the sorority side, and not so much on the fraternity side.

Do you allow a pledge class in the Fall and one in the Spring? If so, your solution is pretty simple. When someone expresses interest mid semester, let them know when you have pledge classes. If he has interest, then continue to rush him with the idea that he will go into the next class. Hopefully, you aren't locked into pledging once a year.

[33girl]

Originally Posted by itb2a

It comes from folks confusing sorority rushing with fraternity rushing; they are quite different at some schools. But at other schools, they really have a lot in common. There are much more rules and regs on the sorority side as far as formal rush is concerned, and not so much on the fraternity side.

Do you allow a pledge class in the Fall and one in the Spring? If so, your solution is pretty simple. When someone expresses interest mid semester, let them know when you have pledge classes. If he has interest, then continue to rush him with the idea that he will go into the next class. Hopefully, you aren't locked into pledging once a year.

Fixed your post. And agreed with second paragraph. (Although I kind of wonder about a dude who can't figure out that fraternities don't want to constantly be starting new pledge classes - i.e. what do they think pledging is?) Keep in touch with him and keep inviting him to events.

[DeltaBetaBaby]

Originally Posted by excelblue

Wow, I never thought this thread would ever get so heated.

Eh, this ain't heated. 33 and I disagree with the utmost respect for each other.