NEED HELP! NEW FRAT ON CAMPUS
 

My frat was kicked out last year. Now nationals has brought it back and we are about to hit almost twenty members. Unfortunately, we had a lower tier rep before we were kicked out. How do we mix or hang out with sororities that we do not have connections with? Would a simple and nice email asking to introduce us and discuss potential social activities? The phone numbers are not listed on the Greek Life page.

Is your group NIC(IFC)/NPHC or multicultural or something else?

What is campus average in terms of manpower?

Are you recruiting men who women would want to socialize with?

What sort of campus wide programming might there be where you could be paired with sororities instead of making potentially desperate or creepy cold calls?

We have to have some basics to give some good advice. Lots of people reading this are probably judging you a bit as this does come off as a tad desperate or awkward, to put it mildly. I actually really understand where you're coming from as a founding member of my chapter about 18 years ago. Feel free to take it to PM if you need to.

Like Kevin, I started a Fraternity, but it was a local.

We too ran into the same problems you are refering to but we never gave up. We did not have a house where we could put our letters om, which is tough when all others had a house. That would be a major move for you. Wear your colors, letters, pins or any other way to get some recognition.

Join in on intermurals, school events ( Football, Base Ball, Basket Ball ), community projects or any other high profile events. Work on GPA to get as high grades since they are ranked each semester. This shows how serious you are about grades.

Even if you may be a mid tier National, I am sure some of your other chapters are strong on other campi.

When recruiting, show what you can do for PNM's being a fun bunch of guys.

Good luck!

Where I advise (UCLA), during Monday night dinner, different groups stop by all the houses to make announcements -- fraternities, sororities, other student groups, brand ambassadors (like energy drinks) -- to promote upcoming events, products, or themselves (like student election candidates). If your school does this, take advantage and introduce your new members or promote your charity event. Give your fraternity flower to each sorority's social chair with a request to schedule an event -- whether it's social, a philanthropy, or educational.

Not something your school does? Call the Greek Life Office and asked to be put on the agenda for the an upcoming Panhellenic meeting. (Maybe not all 20 members, but your president and social chair.) Dress in Pin attire. Bring your fraternity flower for each groups' Panhellenic representative and a card with the name and contact info of your social chair.

Does your chapter use social media? A Facebook page or instagram with photos of your brotherhood and the fun things you do can go a long way in marketing to future members. Update social media regularly (suggest weekly -- no pics with red Solo cups or things that would be unflattering, even if YOU think it's funny), follow or "like" your school's other Greek groups social media pages and promote your upcoming events (sports, social, charity, school events that your members are involved in, etc.). Can't think of a new posting? Highlight a member with his photo, name, major, hometown, favorite event/memory of being in the fraternity, dream job after graduation.

I can't speak to your school specifically, but here are some thoughts:

- If the sororities aren't receptive to your invitations, consider looking to sororities in other councils you may not have asked (if you have multiple councils) or womens' athletic teams.

- Look at the standards your school requires of fraternity/sorority chapters and use that to organize something. It may not be a standard social, but doing a community service event with a sorority is a great way to connect, which may open doors.

- Worry first about getting your chapter up and running. There are probably a lot of things you'll have to do to get in the good graces of your fraternity and the school. Social activities are at the bottom of the list. So make sure your chapter has its stuff together before you worry too hard about all the other stuff, it won't matter if the chapter gets closed again.