Trying to rebuild my fraternity - techzbt @ Georgia Tech - Page 3

WLFEO · #1 12-08-2005, 03:50 PM

Techzbt-

Have you looked into Recruitment Boot Camp? A lot of the good advice on here is the same thing they preach- and they help you set up an individual plan. Check out recruitordie.com. They have sessions every summer but they will come to your campus (for a price, of course!).

Good luck!

Atlanta_OPhiA · #2 12-08-2005, 04:09 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by techzbt
I agree that rush is 365 days and thats what we've been trying to do, thus the rushing in November/December (our formal rush is in August). The problem with the classes is that our youngest guy is currently a 3rd year, so we don't have classes with many guys who would be really excited about joining a fledgling fraternity.

Have any of you thought about being a Team Leader for Psych 1000 (or GT 1000 or whatever they're calling it now)? If nothing else, you befriend a few of the guys in your class, and they may join later on (if not immediately). If you got four or five of your guys to do so, it could help. GT 1000's probably your best place to meet a variety of younger men. Just a thought. M&M Mentoring's also an option (and isn't a large time commitment).

Oh, and I saw your Technique ad, it looked great and was definitely eye-catching.

Best of luck to you guys!

(edited for a typo)

Rudey · #3 12-08-2005, 05:05 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Little E
The basics of ALL recuritment is the same. Know what you are selling, make relationships, intro them to the product you are selling, close the deal. Put it anyway you like, that is recruitment, the rules only mandate the forms that we do this in. People think recruitment is this huge state secret, it is just not all that complicated, you have to put yourself out there in ways that some people are not comfortable.

What does this have to do with anything? The basics between champagne and gin are the same: alcohol with the ability to induce drunken behavior. But then again champagne isn't gin.

-Rudey
--Thanks though for letting me know about those basics.

SoCalGirl · #4 12-09-2005, 01:07 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Rudey
The basics between champagne and gin are the same: alcohol with the ability to induce drunken behavior. But then again champagne isn't gin.

They both get the job done!

Quote:

Originally posted by Rudey
Simply because you were not in a fraternity, but a sorority. Being in a sorority involves more rules, organization, and a communist style system that deals with other sororities. Fraternities are not like that. COB is also different. It was all pretty evident in your advice. The advice from sororities probably wouldn't jive for NPHC recruitment either. It's all different - that's all.

Fraternity rush also has to deal with other fraternities, they're the competition.

How is your advice really different than my own:

Quote:

Originally posted by Rudey
Once you figure out exactly what it is you are selling, it's a lot easier to sell it.

Quote:

Originally posted by Rudey
I want you to convince me why ZBT should be on your campus. There are 32 fraternities and ZBT is not Jewish (nationally or locally on your campus) so you can't go that route. Why should someone join your fraternity given it's relative youth, lack of alumni, big pretty house, large membership, etc. When you can figure out an answer to that, then you can figure out how to rush for guys.

Quote:

Originally posted by SoCalGirl
Definitely have some brainstormig sessions:

Why did the existing brothers chose ZBT? Why do men chose to go elsewhere? What do you have to offer that other groups can't? What are other groups offering that you're not? If your chapter focuses on ZBT's Jewish history, is that helping you or hurting in attracting new members? Do you effectively use Hillel connections?

What kind of members do you want? I mentioned in another thread that a chapter should write an image statement defining what the chapter is and what the chapter wants to be. If you want a chapter that can dominate in sports, your image statement should reflect that. If you want a chapter that is filled with campus leaders, say so. Then use the statement to remind yourself of your target audience and go after those men!

techzbt · #5 12-09-2005, 02:25 AM

we had 2 brothers go to recruitment boot camp this summer. They frankly thought it was a giant waste of time and they didn't tell us anything new that our national hadn't already told us. They didn't give us any new strategies and it in general wasn't tailored for small colonies on reverse competetive campuses. They don't recommend it unless your chapter is completely lost as to how to recruit.

GT1000 is a good idea, we may actually have one of our seniors taking it next semester if they let him. I'm also going to be a group leader for a sophomore ECON class next semester as part of my Senior thesis.

We do have good news today. The guy that was brought to our meeting on Tuesday by his friend is really into this idea and is going to convince the friend that brought him to join, so it looks like we'll have at least 2 new brothers in the Spring. He's a great pro-active guy and will be a definite asset to the fraternity.

Also, about the guys you referred to me through PM, what do you think would be the best way to contact them, invite them to our spring rush events at the Student Center or invite them to dinner beforehand?

ZZ-kai- · #6 12-09-2005, 10:47 AM

If you have potential rushees right now, don't wait for rush events in the spring to get them - get them today - call them up, get them to go to dinner. Start from there. You have to be pro-active to get these men.

PS, if you get more pledges, don't do stupid shit to them either. That'll make their ZBT experience much better, and will likely make them rush better guys later on and you won't have to deal with 'well, I had to go through it, so, so is this pledge". You don't have a lot of options, so today's not the time to be losing 1 or 2 guys (well, it's never time I guess).

FSUZeta · #7 12-09-2005, 11:11 AM

there is an older recruitment thread, in which the men participated
in the discussion and had some really good ideas on how to quickly build the membership of a chapter. i remember that firehouse was one of the participants, and i think that rudey and james also had some great ideas. rudey, do you remember the thread i am referring to?

meanwhile, i will see if i can locate it.

Rudey · #8 12-09-2005, 11:19 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by FSUZeta
there is an older recruitment thread, in which the men participated
in the discussion and had some really good ideas on how to quickly build the membership of a chapter. i remember that firehouse was one of the participants, and i think that rudey and james also had some great ideas. rudey, do you remember the thread i am referring to?

meanwhile, i will see if i can locate it.

It was by Stan in Greek Life. I don't remember more. I don't know if it would quite apply here - Stan was more concerned that he was the only brother that cared - but there may be some good ideas in it. I really think zz kai already covered it all though. There are no secrets or gimicks.

-Rudey

FSUZeta · #9 12-09-2005, 11:33 AM

thanks rudey.

OPhiARen3 · #10 12-09-2005, 11:42 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by techzbt
we had 2 brothers go to recruitment boot camp this summer. They frankly thought it was a giant waste of time and they didn't tell us anything new that our national hadn't already told us. They didn't give us any new strategies and it in general wasn't tailored for small colonies on reverse competetive campuses. They don't recommend it unless your chapter is completely lost as to how to recruit.

GT1000 is a good idea, we may actually have one of our seniors taking it next semester if they let him. I'm also going to be a group leader for a sophomore ECON class next semester as part of my Senior thesis.

We do have good news today. The guy that was brought to our meeting on Tuesday by his friend is really into this idea and is going to convince the friend that brought him to join, so it looks like we'll have at least 2 new brothers in the Spring. He's a great pro-active guy and will be a definite asset to the fraternity.

Also, about the guys you referred to me through PM, what do you think would be the best way to contact them, invite them to our spring rush events at the Student Center or invite them to dinner beforehand?

I think specifically inviting them to the rush events, encouraging them all to bring along any friends they think would be interested (get more!), and then mentioning if they'd like to meet up for a prelim dinner to ask questions would be great. I never did go to OPA rush - I just met all the sisters for dinner at Junior's, and I was sold

Tom Earp · #11 12-15-2005, 06:15 PM

First off, do not limit Yourself and You Organization to a specific Group of people it You want to establish and grow.

While that is at Your Groups discreation, only You can make the decision.

Come to the realization that there is intermingiling and why limit yourselfs?

If You do, then say goodby!

We as GLOs have changed over the Years. Cant You?

MikeBFiji · #12 12-15-2005, 10:28 PM

Have you thought about co-sponsoring an event, like a philanthropy or any small program, with a dorm?

In response to your recruitment bootcamp remarks. I thought Dave Stollman was an excellent speaker, and the mini bootcamp he went through in a lecture on our campus was excellent. Although I can see how it would be difficult with only 9 members. But the main way he talked about recruitment was this 5 step processes:

1. Introduce yourself
2. Make them your friend
4. Introduce them to your friends
4. Introduce them to your organiztion
5. Ask them to join

Also, Stollman is very loyal to those who went through bootcamp, and your brothers should be able to contact him for advice. My brother Jamie htat went through bootcamp does it all the time.

DOphimuuudle · #13 12-29-2005, 05:33 AM

On my campus, several fraternities have had similar problems with low numbers and difficulty recruiting. This past fall, one chapter's nationals instituted an ingenious idea, they got all of the sororities involved!

They had a competition with several diferent catagories.
1- They handed out "Go XYZ!" pins to all the sorority ladies and would have brothers sit at tables around campus where you could check in with your pin attached to your shirt or backpack- 1 pt. for each girl checked in went to each sorority.
2- Banner contest. Each sorority made a Go XYZ or Rush XYZ type banner and hung it in plain view on their house. Each Banner was ranked 1st-6th place (six sororities) getting points on down for the ranking.
3- Sisters coming to open recruitment events. 1 pt. for each sister at open recruitment i.e. their BBQ and the casino night they held.
4- They had a recomendation contest. Sororities submitted names of men they thought would make good XYZ's so they could be personally contacted and invited to events. 1 pt. per name.

At the end of the recruitment period, a winner was announced, and the guys of XYZ cooked dinner and served it to that sorority, serenaded them and made them a really nice banner for their house.

A good way to keep men once you've pledged them is by mixing with sororities. We helped out a few this way by inviting them over to the house to play Taboo, Charades or Pictionary and have Pizza. They response from their social chair was that they really enjoyed not only hanging out with us, but getting to know a lot of new women really quickly, easily and painlessly.

Hopefully these will help!

DOphimuuudle · #14 12-29-2005, 05:38 AM

I forgot to add that they gpt 20 new brothers with thia program... up from 8!

This is on a campus with about 4,000 student 33% of them greek (men and women). Not too shabby for one fall recruitment!

DOphimuuudle · #15 12-29-2005, 05:48 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by ZZ-kai-
See below, a true success story from Case Western Reserve Beta Theta Pi (posted at www.betathetapi.org earlier this year):

"Five Case Western Reserve University Betas, William Freed-Pastor, '06, David Bartholomew, '06, David Svilar, '06, Paul Serrin, '06 and Caleb Krouse, '05, recruited sixteen new pledges this fall more than tripling the size of the chapter. The hard work of these five men, coupled with the assistance of involved volunteers, will leave a lasting mark on the Lambda Kappa Beta chapter."

Just read this... my campus... it REALLY worked!!!

use your sorority friends to help you in MEETING new men. We have to learn how to start a conversation with someone we;ve never met and do it 15 times in one day. If nothing else this will help you get your foot in the door when you go out to meet new men, whether it's around campus, at an event or whereever. The Conversation starter is the hardest part.