The Best Strategy for a "Weak Recruiting" Chapter

[LAblondeGPhi]

Originally Posted by OneHeartOneWay

I realize this isn't the topic of the thread per say, but I've often thought that this is a the crux of the problem for WRCs. In my experiences with WRCs, it's the double and yes, sometimes triple, rushing that really hurts them. It's near impossible to do matching so that you get two (three) PNMs who may actually be interested in your chapter together with a strong recruiting sister. More often than not, you get an interested PNM, a bored/rude/mean PNM, and a sister who is frantically trying to hold the three of them together in some semblance of normal conversation, thus losing that connection with the interested PNM. I think the best thing a Panhellenic could do to aid a WRC (or WRCs) is to add additional parties for them- I realize this is a logistical nightmare, especially at larger schools, but I think this combined with RFM is what could REALLY help the WRCs get back on their feet.

YES! I think the single most inhibiting factor for WRCs is the double/triple rushing. There's just no way that you can have the same quality of conversation with a PNM compared to what stronger chapters are doing. Even if the PNM doesn't equate double rushing with "this must be the smaller chapter", it's still a much less positive experience.

One of the additional challenges with RFM is that the strong chapters will often have fewer total PNMs attending their invitational rounds, and the WRC will have even more PNMs attending than they would have under the old system. This particular issue exacerbates the problem, and stronger chapters can chose to use only their best recruiters on the floor.

I'm a huge HUGE fan of these buffer parties, and I think a Panhellenic that doesn't utilize them is doing everyone a disservice. There are ways to work out a system that is helpful to the WRCs without being overly demanding to the larger chapters, it just requires some creativity and planning.

[OPhiAGinger]

Originally Posted by DeltaBetaBaby

Back in my day at Illinois, the first round had 23 parties. You visited 19 NPC groups and 4H, then spent the other three parties in rooms in the union where the associate CPH members told you about their groups.

4H? As in 'head/heart/hands/health"? Is the Indiana 4H club a single-sex org on a par with the NPC sororities? Did 4H continue with later rounds of recruitment or drop after round 1. As you can tell, I'm having trouble reconciling the 4H I experienced in middle school with an NPC recruitment group.

[KDCat]

Originally Posted by OPhiAGinger

4H? As in 'head/heart/hands/health"? Is the Indiana 4H club a single-sex org on a par with the NPC sororities? Did 4H continue with later rounds of recruitment or drop after round 1. As you can tell, I'm having trouble reconciling the 4H I experienced in middle school with an NPC recruitment group.

4H is a member of the Illinois Panhellenic Council. They have a house. I don't think they participate in the later rounds of formal recruitment, though. I think they have two "interview weekends" per year where they meet PNMs and do membership selection.

http://www.4hhouse.com/about-4-h-house

http://www.illinoisphc.com/#_p.Chapt...er%20Directory

[DeltaBetaBaby]

Originally Posted by KDCat

4H is a member of the Illinois Panhellenic Council. They have a house. I don't think they participate in the later rounds of formal recruitment, though. I think they have two "interview weekends" per year where they meet PNMs and do membership selection.

http://www.4hhouse.com/about-4-h-house

http://www.illinoisphc.com/#_p.Chapt...er%20Directory

Correct, on all counts. They are a full voting member of the CPH, which is obviously a privilege that is almost unheard of for groups not in the NPC, on any campus. PNM's visit the house as a sort of informational visit in the first round, but their membership selection takes place when women are still high school seniors.

[33girl]

Originally Posted by LAblondeGPhi

YES! I think the single most inhibiting factor for WRCs is the double/triple rushing. There's just no way that you can have the same quality of conversation with a PNM compared to what stronger chapters are doing. Even if the PNM doesn't equate double rushing with "this must be the smaller chapter", it's still a much less positive experience.

Something that's been mentioned on here is having group conversations at all times - i.e. 2 sisters and 4 or 5 PNMs. IMO, this is what EVERYONE should use, including the groups that have enough sisters to go around. How many times have we heard "I didn't click with my rusher today" on here, and it caused a PNM to rank a chapter she had LOVED the day before at the bottom of her list? Maybe on paper, you guys would be BFFs, and maybe under normal circumstances you would love her, but if you walked in on your boyfriend spanking it to goat porn 5 hours previous, it doesn't matter how ideal the rushee is. Not fair to rushees, or rushers.

[Zillini]

There is an inherent unfairness in RFM that rarely gets talked about and that's the added financial burden it places on WRCs. Let's say RFM allows a strong chapter to invite back 700, but a WRC has to invite 1000. The WRC has to pay for those extra chair/table rentals, drinks, glasses, napkins, philanthropy project supplies, etc. Plus there are (typically) fewer members in a WRC to share the cost through their dues compared to a stronger chapter.

Something else to think about. Max recruitment budgets are typically set by the Panhellenic and are the same amount for all chapters. That gives a strong chapter more money to spend per invited PNM than a WRC.

* Granted if the campus in question has a totally no-frills recruitment, then this isn't nearly such an issue. *

[Titchou]

There are different styles of conversation during recruitment. A lot of it depends on the campus and/or the chapter. It is difficult to take 2 or more women at the door and have quality conversations with them. If you are used to a certain style of recruitment (bring them in, sit them down and chat while a few people rotate by and introduce themselves) then that's going to be tough - esp at pref where you are trying to have a "meaningful" personal conversation. It can be done but it certainly isn't easy. There are other methods of moving PNMs about the room. Without telling all our secrets so the PNMs know "how" we do it, chapters need to investigate these different methods. It often will make a difference.

Also, it's been known to happen that the CPH has allowed members from other chapters - or young alums - to be on the floor helping recruit at some WRC's. It's worked beautifully for us at a couple of places that I know about.

[dgdramadawg]

Originally Posted by Titchou

Also, it's been known to happen that the CPH has allowed members from other chapters - or young alums - to be on the floor helping recruit at some WRC's. It's worked beautifully for us at a couple of places that I know about.

You took the words right out of my mouth, Titchou! Even just using alumnae in the back rooms (plating food, pouring water, etc.) can free up the collegians to focus on recruiting.

[33girl]

Originally Posted by Titchou

Also, it's been known to happen that the CPH has allowed members from other chapters - or young alums - to be on the floor helping recruit at some WRC's. It's worked beautifully for us at a couple of places that I know about.

Originally Posted by dgdramadawg

You took the words right out of my mouth, Titchou! Even just using alumnae in the back rooms (plating food, pouring water, etc.) can free up the collegians to focus on recruiting.

I know that most of the PNMs on here who experienced it said that if they had to choose between WRCs who used members from other schools or those who double/triple rushed - while neither is ideal, they overwhelmingly chose the latter. It's hard to get a feel for a chapter if the only person you talk to isn't part of that chapter, and for better or worse, that is the way NPC gains members - through personal contact.

If you MUST use members of other chapters, unless the two chapters have somewhat of a relationship with each other and these will be women the PNMs will encounter again, I would confine them to back room duties or to initally greeting PNMs, and be very clear on their nametags who they are. It's easy for a PNM to feel misled otherwise.

Young alums (young = under 25) who are going to be still visiting the chapter a lot are another story.

[Mevara]

Originally Posted by Titchou

Also, it's been known to happen that the CPH has allowed members from other chapters - or young alums - to be on the floor helping recruit at some WRC's. It's worked beautifully for us at a couple of places that I know about.

I have also read about this happening on some campuses and it backfiring. I think there was a recruitment story on here that talked about it.

[33girl]

Originally Posted by Mevara

I have also read about this happening on some campuses and it backfiring. I think there was a recruitment story on here that talked about it.

This was one of the more recent ones, but there have been others.

[Mevara]

Yup, that was the one.

[Titchou]

The ones where I know we did it, the PNMs had no clue - at least they weren't told by PH that some of our women were from elsewhere. I can see where it might be a drawback if they were told.

[33girl]

I think it would be more of a drawback if they showed up on bid day and wondered where in blue blazes that nice girl was that they talked to all through rush and why the chapter had suddenly shrank to half the size it had been.

[Titchou]

Possibly but as it turned out, they didn't recall. And I think I can honestly say that most wouldn't. Both instances were on mega Greek campuses - 14-16 groups on campus. And as the week wound down to fewer numbers, fewer of the out of town folks were used so that by pref, it was all that chapter. You just have to work it right.....