Rush Starts for us Tonite...

lifesaver · #1 09-03-2002, 08:35 PM

Wish us luck. Although technically, we are always recruiting, Formal Recruitment events begin tonight. We are hoping for 25-30 quality guys this semester, which would keep in projections for our growth, which we are aiming for continous, steady slow growth.

Am headded to the recruitment event after I leave here (work).

Just thought I'd jump in the fray up in here.

APhiRattlerGal · #2 09-04-2002, 02:32 AM

Good luck!!!I'm sure you guys will get great guys! We started our informal recruitment tonight. It was great. Met some great girls who I could see being a great addition to our family. I'm excited!!!

justamom · #3 09-04-2002, 06:54 AM

Best of luck! If you find guys who are ANYTHING like YOU, it will indeed be a successful recruitment!

Optimist Prime · #4 09-04-2002, 07:52 AM

Good luck with that! Mad probs for being active alumni. YOu better have a good rush. I want your title (largest avg. chapter size) and its no fun competting against people who don't do well.

KDHoney · #5 09-04-2002, 08:37 AM

Best of luck

lifesaver · #6 09-04-2002, 01:23 PM

Thanks everyone. Last night went pretty well, it is usually one of our better events. We had about 30 guys show up. We went to hooters for wings. Of course we have those guys who show up to eat and bolt, but for the most part, it was really good meeting all the new guys, and I can definately see many of them as brothers. Pretty coolstuff. They seem to be a good group of guys.

Tonight is the test for our recruitment marketing. I work for a graphic design firm, that has a business relationship with a marketing specality company that produces custom water bottle labes for bottled water. I designed a lable and got the chapter a great deal at cost, so they have been giving away water with our chapter logo and rush schedule on it., as well as website (that I built) and rush chair phone number. So far they have given away about 80 cases (24 per case). Our first listed event is tonight, so well see how well it all goes and how successful of an event it was.

As I told OTW, I hate formal rush. Time for fake smiles and no-doze. ugh. Too much stress and drama. Anyway tonight is Pool at a billiards place around the corner. Since I dont wanna be left outta the rush thread fun, I'll let yall know how it went tomorrow.

AOIIalum · #7 09-04-2002, 01:50 PM

Keep us posted, lifesaver. Hope those bottles of water pay off in a big way for your brotherhood! I like reading recruitment threads, so if there's any other men out there getting ready to go through recruitment feel free to tell us about it. I'll be here reading.

Christin

justamom · #8 09-04-2002, 01:51 PM

lifesaver, when this is all over, can you tell us (like the OTHER theads) what stood out to you, what was a turn off and how you think the rushees felt about different types of interacting.

LSU just finished up their rush and a good number from here ended up in basically 3 fraternities. My son asked where everyone went and when I mentioned 3 guys in particular he said, "Well, I'm not sure I WANT to be in a fraternity." (yes,I have him trained to say fraternity) I asked why and he said "Because I'm not LIKE them." I responded, "That's why there are so MANY fraternities.!"

ANYway, I'm saving different posts and thoughts that several of you guys have shared so I can slowly start slipping it to him in a way he won't feel is TOO intrusive.

KDHoney · #9 09-04-2002, 03:52 PM

The water bottle idea is very cool...it's a unique way to get people's attention. Hope it works for you!

lifesaver · #10 09-05-2002, 01:52 PM

Well things went well last night.

We played pool at the SMOKIEST pool hall ever. yuck. Anyway, we had about 20-25 PNM's show up. Whats cool is that they were different guys from Tuesday night, so our exposure is increasing. Most seemed to be good quality guys, withthe exception of 2 or 3 guys. ANd there was 2 or 3 blue chip guys too, that woul dreally be good for the house. I can tell the brothers are starting to get burned out tho. We have been rushing our asses off for the last 2 weeks and I can see it taking a toll. You can see it on their faces. FORTUNATELY its all over Sunday.

The question I am thinking about is this. My brothers RULE informal recruitment. Hang out with us and if the fit is right, your in. Formal recruitment is not our bag. NIC has a 5 step recruitment process that works very well for informal recruitment, 1) meet the pnm, 2)make friends with the pnm, 3)introduce the pnm to your friends in the org., 4) introduce the pnm to the org., and 5)invite the pnm to join. The problem is Formal recruitment forces you to start at step #4 and then go back to step #1. That having been said, we prefer to make them feel very comfortable and hang out with us. We dont want them to feel that they are being "rushed" but how to we educate them about the differences between us and the other orgs? Do we wait for them to ask? I worry that they will think the lack of our "rushing" them with the facts and info that the other orgs do equates to us not being interested in them? What do yall think?

justamom · #11 09-05-2002, 08:35 PM

Hey, hey , hey! My son is now "sucked" into your thread via my "retelling" of your post! Can you tell I'm excited!!!

Ok, his "advice" (I'm really smiling right now!) If you're thinking about joining a fraternity, you know it isn't cheap. The other ones are talking about the costs and stuff when that's the LAST thing you want to hear. Go for a good time and getting to know each other. "That's what I'd want to do."

He thought the labels on the water bottle were really cool.

Maybe this will WORK!!!

AOIIBrandi · #12 09-05-2002, 09:00 PM

I too like the label on the water bottles. What a cool idea

Thank you for posting a story from the guy's point of view ( we really needed to hear), and good luck with recruitment.

lifesaver · #13 09-06-2002, 08:24 PM

Well it was a really successful event. Thursday tends to be a slow day, I dont know why , but historically it has been. Anyway, last night was great. It was sports night, and being the advisor to the recruitment chair, I had been pushing for him to have the event at the medical center. Their athletic facilities are way superior to the dinky ones on campus. Also, theyre are more facilities...volly ball, softball, football and some basketball courts. His concerns were that it was too crowded there, (which it sort of is) so he decided to go to a local park and play football there. I was kinda hesitant about this, because I dotn just want them to focus on football, some guys liek soccer more or vollyball. But I chose to fight the battles I could win, so whatever.

It was a great event. Everyone seemed to have a good time. We had about 22 PNM's show up. There were about 8 who called to say they wanted to come out, but felt the need to study. Thats impressive that they called us to say they couldnt make it out tho. I think it is a testament to the type of personal relationship we try to build with the PNM's. Our goal is this. Have them see that we are just liek their close group of friends from back home, just with a little more structure. If they see that, the leap to fraternity life doesnt seem so daunting. Anyway, as it stands now (going into the event tonight), there are about 40 guys who are interested in our house. Our goal has been to sign 25 or so. (maybe a few more or less). The recruitment chair feels that there are 25-30 he feels comfortable giving a bid to.

Tonight is our poker night. Its really classy, The girls that are dating the brothers/good friends withthe chapter make all the food so its nice. There are all kinds of snacks and sandwiches, etc. Then a few brothers break the room up into gropups and gives a small poker workshop for those who dont know how the game is played. Then we begin the tourney and give a way prizes for the winners. Its a lot of fun and we hype it as one of our biggest. I'd expect between 40-50 PNM's will show up.

Tomorrow is the Alum BBQ. The alums host it and throw it and its a great event to let the PNM's se that its for more than 4-years, and a get sense of the fraternity as a whole (we have some alums from other chapters). Alums make great salesmen, too. Sat night is our night off. (Thank god).

Sunday is Pref Dinner. If you get an invite to the dinner, it means we are really interested in extending an invitation to join. its not guranteed, tho. We all go to a nice resturaunt, ($20 a plate or so) and eat, then have a speaker talk about the fraternity. and a few members and alums get up to talk about what the fraternity has done for them, etc. Then we explain to the PNM's how the process goes from then. At midnight, its no contact period for 14 hours.

Bids are given out by the school at 10am to 12 noon on Monday. Then STEPS happens at 2pm in quad. EVERYONE goes out there and the PNM's havent told anyone their decision ('cept the school) and the are all lined up by the Greek Advisor, brought up on stage one at a time, and their name is called and they say who they signed with. They then run down the steps and join their new chapter. Lots of whooping and holloring, etc. Its a great event. Theres a DJ, and its a GREAT way to be welcomed into the greek community.

So our numbers look like we'll sign around 25. Fortunately, this year it seems well be able to be a bit more selective than we have in the past. Which is cool with pretty much everyone. We could take 35, but I dont think we will. We tend to have too many discipline problems when we cast wioth a wide net.

I dont know when I'll be able to update again. Will try on Saturday to let everyone know how tonights event went.

Good luck to everyone else out there, regardless of what side of the process you are on.

lifesaver · #14 09-06-2002, 08:34 PM

Heres a pict of the lable I created and we used.

Thought yall might be interested.

JAM- Good point, never thaought of that. Go for the fun. Thats what seems to be working. I have heard that from a few brothers. Thanks.

justamom · #15 09-06-2002, 08:40 PM

Oh lifesaver, it all sounds so wonderful and EXACTLY the right way to lead into it. I really like the way you all have paced things, saving the meaniful talks for those who are honestly interested.
The Alum Bar-B-Q is sure to impress any INTELLIGENT young man with the meaning of brotherhood BEYOND college!
FYI-I am editing out MY responses and saving yours for my son!

THIS IS THE BEST! PLEASE, he is REALLY interested in this. (He asked- How's lifesaver doing) It's a LOOOOOOONG story WHY he knows your name. I can't WAIT to compile your thoughts and impressions for him!
JAM
PS-His friends are asking HIM questions about "rush"!!!