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I don't know how this translates in ADPi but in FIJI our new member program is based on four things pride, friendship, involvement, and individuality.
Individuality, We go through an exercise in which the new members go through and establish their expectations for the program and what makes them unique from everyone else in their class. This is to establish early on that one's uniquesness and individuality are not lost when joining and that the group is bettered for their addition.
Invovlement, ,our team structure(analogous to comittees) facilitates new members to be in the thick of things so to speak making decisions, and being part of a smaller group still associated with the fraternity. They do not have a vote at chapter meetings but at team meetings it is a rule that everyone is on the same level.
Friendship,, brotherhood events are planned about every three weeks that is just brothers and new members. These facilitate a connection that must be established in the new member program. This connection has to more than the big brother or in your case the big sister. The connection has to extend to the chapter and they have to see they are part of something larger. 4 or 5 friends hanging out is quite different than a chapter going to do something together.
Pride, ,I will not lie to you FIJI is a pride based organization. Brothers are shown what it is to be a Phi Gam they are instilled with a pride for their organization and their association there of. In our new member program it is stressed the levels of their lifelong committment. Capstoned by this quote..."the purpose of pledgeing is to produce good brothers not good pledges..." the idea that Phi Gamma Delta is not for college days alone is stressed in action with alumni comeing to speak and events. This pride is sometimes palatable in the room when some of our graduates in the area, who are not from this chapter but are FIJIs none the less, some 20 to 50 years beyond their college days; talk to the new members and express the Pride they have for their fraternity. Having graduate support involved with a new member program adds validity from parents to the process and adds genuineness to the experience. Graduates I have seen speak from the heart and their is no denying at that point that the new member has joined something special, that is for life, and they will have the opportunity to share with a future generation.
New member retention is a multifaceted issue that requires a plan instead of a solution. This plan has to facilitated from the top down. The plan has to revolve around the vision of 100% retention because if you plan around anything less you have taken your first step away. I know some will comment that that is absurd to even put down but I ask you is it absurd to epect nothing less than excellence from all we do. Hope this helps. I am a fiji chapter advisor and if any of what i wrote doesn't make sense (my profession is engineering not english) just hit me a pm.
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