Disappointed? Don't Be, Opportunity Exists
Many times failure is seen as a moment to cut losses and move in a different direction. Chapters and Colonies often have the same mindset even though a unique opportunity exists. The traditional recruitment or "Rush" period is over, but this does not mean you should be satisfied if your goal was or was not reached. Other fraternities on your campus are likely turning their attention away from gaining new quality members giving your group an exclusive opening to capitalize on.
They are missing out on a number of men who have not decided whether Greek Life is for them or not. There are also men who have been dropped for one reason or another from joining a fraternity on your campus. Those are guys who want to be Greek, but were not selected to move forward. Each of these categories can help you begin a second recruitment push in the Fall semester.
Don’t think this is possible? Let’s look at the numbers.
Take for example there are 10,000 people on your campus. Approximately half of those are women which leaves 5,000. About 500 of those are already in a fraternity leaving 4,500. Ten percent of those will never join a fraternity, no matter how convincing you are, leaving 4,050. There were 50 who were dropped by other fraternities – 4,100. We’ll assume half of those wouldn’t want to be a part of TKE for some reason, leaving 2,050.
2,050 are waiting for you to show them how great it can be to join TKE. If you are a 30 man chapter and attract only 1% of these men, you will now have 21 candidates. 21!
There is one definite in life – if you never ask the question, the answer is always No. You will ask yourself 'What if' for the rest of your life. We could have had a 50-man chapter. We could have had more in the bank account for a better Red Carnation Ball. We could have had more of an impact on the campus, the community, and the world. The time for 'tried,' 'could,' 'should' and 'hoped to' are over. Take your chapter or colony from these words to action. Don't get numbers for the sake of size – bring more men who can become leaders and help build a better TKE. Chances are at least 1% of the men available to become new members are high-caliber men like YOU.
How do we have one class going through while we take on a second class? You have a plan for the first group, right? You simply take that plan and apply it to the new group. Add a few more men to help administer the plans. You will keep the chapter more engaged and find the next line of officers as a by-product. Men often step-up when challenged. This will be no different.
What if my chapter is happy being small and close-knit? Being close-knit is very important to a cohesive and successful chapter, but this does not mean you need to be small. Throughout the TKE Nation are groups of 50, 75, 100+ and yet they are just as tight. These groups not only become the best on campus, they become leaders in every aspect - Intramurals, Academics, Service/ Philanthropy, Chapter Operation…the list goes on. Why does this happen? The quality of members increases with manpower. We all have different talents and aspirations, all of which can compliment an already existing chapter. We all want to show how great TKE is, so why not give another man the opportunity to experience it. Someone asked you to join, return the favor.
What if we have a smaller campus size than the example? The numbers are still valid because the formula remains the same. No matter how you shift things around, there is an endless supply of men on your campus. The keys are to meet them, become their friends and then ask them to join. It’s as simple as that.
A second recruitment in the same semester is the same as the formal recruitment period, except now you have very little (if any) competition. What are you waiting for? This is the chance to improve you have been asking for. Don’t you want to spread throughout your campus how great being a part of TKE is? Show them all why TKE is the best and world’s largest fraternity.
Recruitment Resources - Order Supplies - Six Reasons to Join - Recruitment Site - Recruitment 101 - Performance Poll
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