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	<title>The Fraternity Advisor &#187; Fraternity Recruitment</title>
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		<title>The Fraternity Rush Ninja</title>
		<link>http://thefraternityadvisor.com/the-fraternity-rush-ninja-2/</link>
		<comments>http://thefraternityadvisor.com/the-fraternity-rush-ninja-2/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 02 Feb 2012 03:52:02 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>pat</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Fraternity Advisor Videos]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Fraternity Recruitment]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://thefraternityadvisor.com/?p=2890</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[What do I do about the rush ninja? You know who I mean...its that guy in the fraternity who snuck his way in through rush and pledgeship, and came out a total asshole who causes girls to leave parties and in some cases brothers to go inactive.]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>This question was submitted by one of our readers. If you have a question you want me to answer go here to submit it: <a href="../need-advice/" target="_blank">Fraternity Advice</a>.</p>
<p><strong>Question:</strong></p>
<p><em>What do I do about the rush ninja? You know who I mean&#8230;its that guy in the <a href="http://thefraternityadvisor.com" target="_blank">fraternity</a> who snuck his way in through rush and pledgeship, and came out a total asshole who causes girls to leave parties and in some cases brothers to go inactive.</em><br />
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<strong>Answer:</strong></p>
<p>I have never heard the term rush ninja – it is pretty funny. Unfortunately, we are all familiar with this brother.</p>
<p>He got his bid during <a href="http://thefraternityadvisor.com/fraternity-recruitment/" target="_blank">fraternity recruitment</a> over a lot of objections from a lot of brothers because an influential brother labeled him a diamond in the rough. That brother convinced everyone he deserved a chance. During his new member period, he kept his nose down and the brothers didn’t like him, but didn’t have the heart to kick him out.</p>
<p>Next thing you know, he is the brother that no one is proud of. His values don’t match those of the brotherhood. He isn’t friends with the brothers and is the source of 90% of the drama in the fraternity. So what do you do?</p>
<p>The very first thing you need to do is have a private conversation with him. Men discuss things in hopes of settling their issues privately. You don’t have to accuse him of anything, just explain how his actions (be specific) have made YOU feel.</p>
<p>Hopefully, he will appreciate the conversation and modify his behavior. If he doesn’t, then other brothers should have the same conversation with him (privately one on one).</p>
<p>At this point he will realize that he has to change. If he doesn’t change, then the chapter will have to kick him out of the fraternity.</p>
<p>Before you start the process your fraternity has for expelling a brother, you better make sure that everyone feels the same way you do. This is obviously a big step and should not be taken lightly. I would first make sure the executive board is aware of the issue and let them take the lead on it.</p>
<p>I realize that expelling a brother is tough. No one likes to be the bad guy and kick a guy out. If this guy doesn’t meet your values, and is holding your fraternity back, then it is really your only option. Trust me though, removing this cancer from your fraternity will make it a lot stronger. It will also ensure that this type of attitude and behavior doesn’t spread.</p>
<p>This question was submitted by one of our readers. If you have a question you want me to answer go here to submit it: <a href="../need-advice/" target="_blank">Fraternity Advice</a>.</p>
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		<title>Is There a Place for the Dry Guy in Greek Life?</title>
		<link>http://thefraternityadvisor.com/is-there-a-place-for-the-dry-guy-in-greek-life/</link>
		<comments>http://thefraternityadvisor.com/is-there-a-place-for-the-dry-guy-in-greek-life/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 27 Jan 2012 02:48:10 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>pat</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Fraternity Advisor Articles]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Fraternity Recruitment]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[What do you think about men who don't drink? I'm looking at one fraternity right now who don't appear to be wild about it. I'm fine around drinking, I just choose not to. Is there a place in greek life for the dry guy?]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>This question was submitted by one of our readers. If you have a question you want me to answer go here to submit it: <a href="../need-advice/" target="_blank">Fraternity Advice</a>.</p>
<p><strong>Question:</strong></p>
<p><em>What do you think about men who don&#8217;t drink? I&#8217;m looking at one <a href="http://thefraternityadvisor.com/" target="_blank">fraternity</a> right now who don&#8217;t appear to be wild about it. I&#8217;m fine around drinking, I just choose not to. Is there a place in Greek Life for the dry guy?</em><br />
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<strong>Answer:</strong></p>
<p>A good friend of mine rushed my fraternity.  He didn’t drink.  He had the same concerns as the ones above.</p>
<p>During rush, no one made a big deal of it.  He asked questions about it, but no one really seemed to care.  He realized it wasn’t an issue to us, and he joined.</p>
<p>We would quickly learn that this was actually an awesome thing for the rest of us.  This brother was a regular with the party guys, and he never minded driving.  We always had a safe ride home.</p>
<p>The bigger point is he always hung out, and was a damn good brother.  His not drinking had no negative impact on him being a brother, and if anything it had a positive one.  We liked him for who he was, and didn’t pay any attention to the drinking issue.</p>
<p>It sounds like you are going through <a href="http://thefraternityadvisor.com/fraternity-recruitment/" target="_blank">fraternity recruitment</a> and have encountered some immature brothers.  Be sure one or two juvenile guys don’t spoil your opinion of the entire chapter.  Some of the younger guys often are misguided, and may not be good representatives of the entire chapter.</p>
<p>Chances are the guys are level headed, and really don’t care if you drink or not.</p>
<p>If it seems like the fraternity is making too big a deal of you not drinking, go find another fraternity.  The last thing you want is to be part of a chapter that pressures you to do things you don’t want to do.</p>
<p>To answer your question – there is a place for the dry guy in Greek Life.  Actually, there are lots of places.  You just have to find the one where you fit best.  Good luck.</p>
<p>This question was submitted by one of our readers. If you have a question you want me to answer go here to submit it: <a href="../need-advice/" target="_blank">Fraternity Advice</a>.</p>
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		<title>Fraternity Legacy – Automatic Bid or No?</title>
		<link>http://thefraternityadvisor.com/fraternity-legacy/</link>
		<comments>http://thefraternityadvisor.com/fraternity-legacy/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 23 Jan 2012 00:07:41 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>pat</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Fraternity Advisor Articles]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Fraternity Recruitment]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[He has a fraternity brother who had his younger brother rush.   For whatever reason, the brotherhood decided the younger brother did not deserve a bid, and this caused some discontent in the fraternity.  He asked me my opinion on legacies.]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>A subscriber to my <a href="http://thefraternityadvisor.com/free-newsletter/" target="_blank">fraternity newsletter</a> recently asked me about my opinion on fraternity legacies.</p>
<p>He has a <a href="http://thefraternityadvisor.com/" target="_blank">fraternity</a> brother who had his younger brother rush.   For whatever reason, the brotherhood decided the younger brother did not deserve a bid, and this caused some discontent in the fraternity.  He asked me my opinion on legacies.</p>
<p>As frequent readers of TFA know, I believe your fraternity should only focus on having the most high quality men in the chapter.  If an individual doesn’t meet your expectations, then they should be cut or not given a bid.<br />
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However, my opinion on legacies contradicts this mindset.</p>
<p>I believe in <strong><em>nearly</em></strong> all cases a legacy should be given an automatic bid – especially if the original brother is still in school.  Only in extreme circumstances should he not be given one.</p>
<p>Here is why:</p>
<p>1)      It is necessary PR move.  Think about the brother in the original question.  His fraternity brothers essentially said that his family isn’t good enough.  I love my fraternity and chapter, but it would be very hard to remain committed to an organization that wouldn’t accept my real brother.  Also, think about the problems it is going to cause his family.  How is he going to explain to Mom that little brother isn’t good enough – especially if Mom is paying his dues?  I think you risk losing a brother if the legacy isn’t offered a bid.</p>
<p>2)      There is a more tactful way to handle this situation.  Let the legacy become a new member.  If the new member program does what it is supposed to do, it will prove whether he should become a brother or not.  If he isn’t a good fit, it will be exposed for everyone to see.  In nearly all cases where a new member isn’t cutting it, a new member will realize this and quit.  However, if he doesn’t, then you will have concrete reasons why he doesn’t meet your expectations of a brother.  You will have given him every opportunity to prove himself, and can now justify not letting him in.</p>
<p>3)      He may turn into a really good brother.  Maybe he just gave a bad first impression during <a href="http://thefraternityadvisor.com/fraternity-recruitment/" target="_blank">fraternity recruitment</a>.  We have all seen 100x the recruits that try too hard and come off bad, or the ones who are a little socially awkward.  However, often times these guys are diamonds in the rough and turn into great brothers.  If the original brother is a good member of the fraternity, there is hope for his legacy.</p>
<p>I am very curious to hear your thoughts on legacies.  Should they be given automatic bids?  Does anyone have a story that could help the chapter that is having this issue?  Please leave your thoughts below in the comments.</p>
<p>Any insight will really help this struggling chapter&#8230;</p>
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		<title>How to Kill Your Fraternity</title>
		<link>http://thefraternityadvisor.com/how-to-kill-your-fraternity/</link>
		<comments>http://thefraternityadvisor.com/how-to-kill-your-fraternity/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 16 Jan 2012 22:04:30 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>pat</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Fraternity Advisor Articles]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Fraternity Recruitment]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[I am the newly elected VP of my fraternity. I came in a year and a half ago as a sophomore in a complete rebuilding scenario. We are at a small school and currently only have 16 actives. The average "good" fraternity here has around 50-70 guys. Before I came in the type of guys that were here made us one of the few pretty much GDI fraternities here. All of those guys smoked pot and were pretty worthless so you can imagine our reputation around campus.]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>This question was submitted by one of our readers. If you have a question you want me to answer go here to submit it: <a href="../need-advice/" target="_blank">Fraternity Advice</a>.</p>
<p><strong>Question:</strong></p>
<p><em>I am the newly elected VP of my <a href="http://thefraternityadvisor.com" target="_blank">fraternity</a>. I came in a year and a half ago as a sophomore in a complete rebuilding scenario. We are at a small school and currently only have 16 actives. The average &#8220;good&#8221; fraternity here has around 50-70 guys.</em></p>
<p><em>Before I came in the type of guys that were here made us one of the few pretty much GDI fraternities here. All of those guys smoked pot and were pretty worthless so you can imagine our reputation around campus.</em></p>
<p><em>Anyways we&#8217;ve recruited and cut dead weight to where now we only have 4 guys before me and the rest are all new guys, and I&#8217;d say we have about a 50/50 split between &#8220;fratty guys&#8221; and &#8220;non-fratty guys&#8221;. As you know image is one of the biggest things when it comes to pulling in new guys as well as working with sororities.</em></p>
<p><em>What advice could you give me when it comes to trying to change the mindset of the guys we have to where we focus on recruiting more of the fraternity type potentials and less of the GDI friends that some of them seem to have? Also any rebuilding advice in general would be nice.</em><br />
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<strong>Answer</strong></p>
<p>This question was submitted by one of our readers. If you have a question you want me to answer go here to submit it: <a href="../need-advice/" target="_blank">Fraternity Advice</a>.</p>
<p><strong>Question:</strong></p>
<p><em>I am the newly elected VP of my </em><em><a href="../" target="_blank">fraternity</a></em><em>. I came in a year and a half ago as a sophomore in a complete rebuilding scenario. We are at a small school and currently only have 16 actives. The average “good” fraternity here has around 50-70 guys.</em></p>
<p><em>Before I came in the type of guys that were here made us one of the few pretty much GDI fraternities here. All of those guys smoked pot and were pretty worthless so you can imagine our reputation around campus.</em></p>
<p><em>Anyways we’ve recruited and cut dead weight to where now we only have 4 guys before me and the rest are all new guys, and I’d say we have about a 50/50 split between “fratty guys” and “non-fratty guys”. As you know image is one of the biggest things when it comes to pulling in new guys as well as working with sororities.</em></p>
<p><em>What advice could you give me when it comes to trying to change the mindset of the guys we have to where we focus on recruiting more of the fraternity type potentials and less of the GDI friends that some of them seem to have? Also any rebuilding advice in general would be nice.</em><br />
<strong>Answer:</strong></p>
<p>This is my fourth attempt at answering this question&#8230;</p>
<p>After reading your question again, and reading Dennis&#8217; reply below, I realize that I probably read too much into this question.  I interpreted the question to imply that you believed you needed to recruit guys for superficial reasons to get your fraternity to the next level.</p>
<p>That mindset will kill your chapter.  I strongly believe that you need to measure the quality of the men in your chapter by their character &#8211; not their image.</p>
<p>However, it is obvious you are committed to your fraternity and looking to take that next step.  I apologize for my initial answer….</p>
<p>I hope the intent of your question was how to recruit more high-quality men and how to get your current brothers to buy into that same mindset to continue your rebuilding effort.  I will answer that question&#8230;</p>
<p>First, I commend you for expelling the brothers who don&#8217;t meet your standards.  That is a very difficult thing to do, but was obviously the right thing as evidenced by your success.  As Dennis references below, I advise quickly removing brothers who refuse to meet the ideals and commitments of the fraternity.  Keeping dead weight around just prolongs the problem.</p>
<p>To take the next step, I think it is essential that all the brothers sit down and discuss what is expected of a brother.  All brothers need to buy into that vision.  This will help you achieve a few things.</p>
<p>It will obviously help you keep your brothers accountable to a set of standards.  They will be defined and they will be clear.  This will help your fraternity.</p>
<p>Also, it will help you focus on recruiting the right type of guy.  You will be looking for guys who meet this set of standards, and that will make recruiting easier.  You will have predetermined what expectations you have for new members.  That should aid you during <a href="http://thefraternityadvisor.com/fraternity-recruitment/" target="_blank">fraternity recruitment</a> discussions of why you should or shouldn’t take a guy.</p>
<p>Above all else, I encourage you to not take guys who don&#8217;t meet your standards.  If these guys make it into your fraternity, they will hurt you because they do not share the same vision as the rest of the brothers.  This will cause an endless string of frustration and cause splits in your chapter.</p>
<p>It will also hurt you during rush.   A high potential recruit could be turned off by your undesirable brother.  It would be awful to lose a future fraternity president over a guy you didn’t want anyway.</p>
<p>About your image, don’t worry about it.  Image is a by-product of opinions you can’t control.  Focus on what you can control.</p>
<p>You can control the quality of the brothers you have in your fraternity.  You can develop relationships with individuals in other organizations (sororities) that will eventually turn into relationships between chapters.</p>
<p>And if you focus on making yourselves and your fraternity better, I promise you the image issues you believe you have will go away.</p>
<p>Also, if you haven’t done so, I encourage you to check out my book &#8211; <a href="http://thefraternityadvisor.com/the-fraternity-leader-series/" target="_blank">The Fraternity Leader</a>.  This answers a lot of the questions you have – namely How to Recruit and How to Become Popular with Sororities.</p>
<p>This question was submitted by one of our readers. If you have a question you want me to answer go here to submit it: <a href="../need-advice/" target="_blank">Fraternity Advice</a>.</p>
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		<title>4 Spring Fraternity Rush Rules</title>
		<link>http://thefraternityadvisor.com/4-spring-fraternity-rush-rules/</link>
		<comments>http://thefraternityadvisor.com/4-spring-fraternity-rush-rules/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 11 Jan 2012 01:29:26 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>pat</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Fraternity Advisor Articles]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Fraternity Recruitment]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[4 Spring Rush Rules

1 – For a lot of fraternities, it is difficult to get brothers motivated during the spring recruitment period.  Brothers just aren’t as interested for whatever reason. ]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>4 Spring Rush Rules</p>
<p>1 – For a lot of fraternities, it is difficult to get brothers motivated during the spring recruitment period.  Brothers just aren’t as interested for whatever reason.<br />
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To overcome this, it is imperative that you make the recruitment events as fun as possible.  If they are events that the brothers will want to go to anyway, then it increases the likelihood that they will show up if it is a recruitment event.</p>
<p>This will have the added bonus that brothers should enjoy the event, which will make the event a success.</p>
<p>2 &#8211; Don’t overspend.  Spring budgets are tight.  Formal is normally in the spring, and the accounts get bled dry before summer.  Spring rush is one of those expenses that does not have to be excessive.</p>
<p>The guys who are going to join your <a href="http://thefraternityadvisor.com" target="_blank">fraternity</a> in the spring will have already been sold on it.  They will know the guys, and they will know what you do.  Don’t spend money when you don’t have to.</p>
<p>This brings me to my next point…</p>
<p>3 – Focus on recruiting guys you already know.  By January, everyone has established relationships with friends.  Guys aren’t going to join on a whim like they will in the fall.</p>
<p>Therefore, you will be spinning your wheels if you focus on trying to recruit strangers.  The time for recruiting strangers was in the fall semester when you could invite them to your events and take the time to get to know them.  Trying to find these guys and then get them to join is not the most efficient way to use your time.</p>
<p>4 &#8211; Make it quick.  You should know who you are going to recruit in the spring.  Focus on them and their friends, and then end it.  No need to drag it out.  This should motivate the guys being recruited because they  know they better act or be left out.  The brothers will be happy because rush will not last longer than necessary.</p>
<p>I hope these four tips help you succeed during spring recruitment.  For more recruitment advice – check out <a href="http://thefraternityadvisor.com/fraternity-recruitment/" target="_blank">5 Ways Your Fraternity can KILL IT During Fraternity Recruitment</a>.</p>
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		<title>Is There a Benefit to Having Smaller Numbers in Your Fraternity?</title>
		<link>http://thefraternityadvisor.com/is-there-a-benefit-to-having-smaller-numbers-in-your-fraternity/</link>
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		<pubDate>Sun, 11 Dec 2011 23:34:00 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>pat</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Fraternity Advisor Articles]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Fraternity Recruitment]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://thefraternityadvisor.com/?p=2811</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Question: Is there a benefit to having smaller numbers in your fraternity?
Answer: Yes there are.  The following are a few that come to mind:]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>This question was submitted by one of our readers. If you have a question you want me to answer go here to submit it: <a href="../need-advice/" target="_blank">Fraternity Advice</a>.</p>
<p><strong>Question:</strong></p>
<p>Is there a benefit to having smaller numbers in your <a href="../">fraternity</a>?<br />
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<strong>Answer:</strong></p>
<p>Yes there are.  The following are a few that come to mind:</p>
<ul>
<li>You should know all your brothers better.  It is easier to know 20 guys than 100.</li>
<li>Each brother will have more opportunities at leadership roles.  This means that each brother will have more input into the future of the fraternity.</li>
<li>Each brother will have more opportunities with the intramural teams.  It is much easier to crack the starting 5 on the intramural basketball team when your fraternity is smaller.</li>
<li>Housing becomes easier.  It is much easier to find a house to accommodate a small fraternity.</li>
</ul>
<p>That being said, I think this is a loser’s mentality.  Either your fraternity is growing or you are dying.</p>
<p>In my experiences, fraternities that say they want to remain small are the ones that don’t have the ability or ambition to get big.  And that is a shame.</p>
<p>While the benefits listed above hold true, I think the benefits of being in a larger fraternity greatly outweigh them.</p>
<p>The obvious benefit is by having more brothers, you will have more money.  This will lead to being able to do more things than the smaller fraternity, and should be a lot more fun.</p>
<p>Also, your status on campus will be greater.  While status is a superficial thing, it is human nature for your chest to stick out a little more when people think you are part of an elite organization.</p>
<p>Also, <a href="../fraternity-recruitment/">fraternity recruitment</a> should become easier.  More guys means more guys recruiting.  Also, a larger fraternity will have more of a presence on campus, which means the fraternity will sell itself.</p>
<p>Finally, and probably the most important reason, is for the longevity of your fraternity.  If your fraternity is small, then you are only one bad semester away from being in serious trouble.  What happens when your fraternity is 20 guys, but 5 of them are going to graduate this year?  That puts a lot of pressure on your recruitment ability, and gives the fraternity very little room for error.</p>
<p>I can understand why a fraternity wants to remain small.  You want to make sure you have real relationships will all your brothers.</p>
<p>This makes perfect sense.  However, don’t ever let this become a cop-out for not putting in the effort to recruit and improve your fraternity.</p>
<p>This question was submitted by one of our readers. If you have a question you want me to answer go here to submit it: <a href="../need-advice/" target="_blank">Fraternity Advice</a>.</p>
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		<title>Case Study – Two Recruitment Classes in One Semester</title>
		<link>http://thefraternityadvisor.com/case-study-%e2%80%93-two-recruitment-classes-in-one-semester/</link>
		<comments>http://thefraternityadvisor.com/case-study-%e2%80%93-two-recruitment-classes-in-one-semester/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 16 Nov 2011 03:04:28 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>pat</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Fraternity Advisor Articles]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Fraternity Recruitment]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://thefraternityadvisor.com/?p=2769</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Brothers from a fraternity in Illinois read my article Should We Have Two Fraternity Recruitment Classes a Semester and informed me that they had recently made this change. They allowed me to interview them about how the process is working out for them. Below is what they said:]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Brothers from a fraternity in Illinois read my article <a href="http://thefraternityadvisor.com/should-we-have-two-fraternity-recruitment-classes-a-semester/">Should We Have Two Fraternity Recruitment Classes a Semester</a> and informed me that they had recently made this change. They allowed me to interview them about how the process is working out for them. Below is what they said:<br />
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1) Why did you guys make the change to 2 classes per semester?</p>
<p>The change to two classes was originally motivated by an effort to recruit more quality men while maintaining the smaller class sizes that had been tradition in our <a href="http://thefraternityadvisor.com">fraternity</a>.</p>
<p>This change was complimented by a shortened membership education program (6 weeks) that we could repeat in a semester.</p>
<p>2) What successes have you had?</p>
<p>The biggest positive note of this change comes in continuing the momentum of <a href="http://thefraternityadvisor.com/fraternity-recruitment/">fraternity recruitment</a> through the passion of the new associates. Early on in the membership education process the associates learn about the recruitment process and utilize it reach out to other new freshman and sophomores that are likely outside of our normal sphere of influence.</p>
<p>The smaller class sizes maintain the strong bonds between the associates. We have also found that the more concise program enables us to focus on academics and other extracurricular commitments &#8211; something that we highly encourage.</p>
<p>While we were unable to formally start a second round of membership education we have been able to maintain consistent contact with potentials and their friends.</p>
<p>Maintaining this momentum has been so vital. As a result members have integrated the importance of meeting new people and generating names into their daily routine.</p>
<p>3) What difficulties have you had?</p>
<p>The transition to this new system has taken time&#8211; we were not able to fit in an entire member education due to time it took to implement the new changes. We have however will be pre initiating the next class whose member education will begin immediately in the spring.</p>
<p>Our new program also really demands for continual recruitment, which is a good thing, but the adjustment in keeping members motivated throughout the semester has sometimes been daunting. We have had to focus more upon small opportunities and more informal events to maintain relationships and generate names. Tabling &#8211; something ubiquitous to our chapter &#8211; has been an important part of this process.</p>
<p>We are about to face the completely new territory of recruiting over breaks in semesters. With it will come more obstacles&#8211; the summer may be particularly difficult in our area. We may refine our recruitment to three classes over the two semesters Fall/winter/spring.</p>
<p>4) How did this impact the rest of your new member program?</p>
<p>The 6 week program put more demand on our membership education and ritual team but it appears to be a stress that they will be able to handle. We still will need to figure out the timing of the second program and I week &#8212; whether it will overlap with the first program or begin immediately after.</p>
<p>At this point I&#8217;ve begun to think we really should transition to a &#8220;classless&#8221; or at least less class based membership education program. The program would be similar to how Sigma Phi Epsilon&#8217;s Balanced Man program works but shorter in length.</p>
<p>Revolving regular membership education would occur, for all members not only associates, focusing upon our 5 tenets of class, our philanthropy Push America, and an additional portion spent on history of the fraternity.</p>
<p>Important rituals would be spread throughout this time period. When all of these portions are met an associate could then be voted upon for the next initiation date. Classes would still happen but much more informally as groups of friends or associates decide to begin the process together.</p>
<p>This is a radical departure from our current status quo and would require overcoming obstacles that we cannot forsee &#8212; But given the informal nature of our university&#8217;s recruitment it would be a perfect fit and eliminate the organizational stress of holding back to back/overlapping formal associate membership classes.</p>
<p>5) Would you recommend having 2 classes to other chapters?</p>
<p>I would, regardless of having formal recruitment or not there are almost always dead periods of time when a chapter is not recruiting. I would also challenge younger chapters to look into a classless revolving membership education program&#8211; It really appears to be the new horizon of where membership education and recruitment is going.</p>
<p>Our biggest obstacle is the barriers formed by the tradition we feel obligated to maintain with our system of classes. A fall/winter/spring system may be best for my chapter. Regardless of the chapters situation I would urge chapters and their leaders challenge the one class per semester system.</p>
<p>Each organization will have its own unique set of both obstacles against and opportunities for recruitment. Take advantage of what is normally those periods of little activity and continue recruiting&#8211; so many potential members are simply lost from lack of contact during the mid-semester lull.</p>
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		<title>Should We Have Two Fraternity  Recruitment Classes a Semester?</title>
		<link>http://thefraternityadvisor.com/should-we-have-two-fraternity-recruitment-classes-a-semester/</link>
		<comments>http://thefraternityadvisor.com/should-we-have-two-fraternity-recruitment-classes-a-semester/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 25 Oct 2011 16:32:26 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>pat</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Fraternity Advisor Articles]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Fraternity Recruitment]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://thefraternityadvisor.com/?p=2719</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[What is your opinion on having two recruitment classes in a semester? Do you have any advice?]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>This question was submitted by one of our readers. If you have a question you want me to answer go here to submit it: <a href="../need-advice/" target="_blank">Fraternity Advice</a>.</p>
<p><strong>Question:</strong></p>
<p><em>What is your opinion on having two recruitment classes in a semester? Do you have any advice?</em><br />
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<strong>Answer:</strong></p>
<p>A <a href="http://thefraternityadvisor.com">fraternity</a> faces many difficult challenges.  I think having two recruitment classes in one semester is a great idea for solving three of them&#8230;</p>
<p>One challenge is <a href="http://thefraternityadvisor.com/fraternity-recruitment/">fraternity recruitment</a>.  We all know it is extremely difficult to recruit and grow the brotherhood.  By having two recruitment periods, you will theoretically be able to increase the number of guys you recruit a semester.  And in theory, this should have a snowball effect because if you initiate more guys one semester, then you will have more guys recruiting the next.  This means your fraternity should grow.</p>
<p>Another challenge is differentiating from other fraternities on campus.  Everyone does about the same thing, which makes standing out harder.  If you have a rush period in the middle of the semester, you will be recruiting with little competition.  Also, you will be able to scoop up those guys who were missed by a few short weeks during the first go-around. Seems like a no-brainer to me.</p>
<p>The final reason is to improve our new member programs.  Fraternity new member programs are often too long and result in losing new members.  Your fraternity loses a ton of potential if you pin 10 guys, but lose 3 because they get sick of the new member program.  If you can shorten the new member program, while still teaching the new members everything they need to know to become productive brothers, then everyone wins.</p>
<p>My advice – try it!  Nothing says that you have to do it forever.  This could be the type of idea which takes your fraternity to the next level by increasing the men you initiate during the year by 25 to 50%.  That is huge for any chapter.</p>
<p>Realize that there will be sacrifices though.  You will have to make sure the brothers are motivated to recruit.  If they aren’t motivated, then no change will improve your recruitment.   You will also have to shorten your new member program to make room for the second one.  Like I stated earlier though, this is probably a good thing.</p>
<p>Again, I think this is a great idea and if you do it I’d really like to hear the results.</p>
<p>This question was submitted by one of our readers. If you have a question you want me to answer go here to submit it: <a href="../need-advice/" target="_blank">Fraternity Advice</a>.</p>
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		<title>Should Our Fraternity Give This Guy a Bid?</title>
		<link>http://thefraternityadvisor.com/should-our-fraternity-give-this-guy-a-bid/</link>
		<comments>http://thefraternityadvisor.com/should-our-fraternity-give-this-guy-a-bid/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 22 Sep 2011 22:56:25 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>pat</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Fraternity Advisor Articles]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Fraternity Recruitment]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://thefraternityadvisor.com/?p=2639</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I'm our fraternity vice president, but do a lot of the president's work as he's working a lot (it's like having 2 presidents ). We gave a bid to a guy some brothers don't feel fit "our normal image" and next week they will try to cut him early. Some brothers feel he is “sloppy seconds" as he rushed a different fraternity 2 years ago and quit. Other brothers feel that he may not keep quiet about certain secrets.]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>This question was submitted by one of our readers. If you have a question you want me to answer go here to submit it: <a href="../need-advice/" target="_blank">Fraternity Advice</a>.</p>
<p><strong>Question:</strong></p>
<p><em>I&#8217;m our fraternity vice president, but do a lot of the president&#8217;s work as he&#8217;s working a lot (it&#8217;s like having 2 presidents ). We gave a bid to a guy some brothers don&#8217;t feel fit &#8220;our normal image&#8221; and next week they will try to cut him early. Some brothers feel he is “sloppy seconds&#8221; as he rushed a different fraternity 2 years ago and quit. Other brothers feel that he may not keep quiet about certain secrets.</em></p>
<p><em>My issue is that this guy is NOT our normal guy, but I strongly believe this guy can help turn our fraternity around, he can pay dues, make his grades, and is very organized, which most of our brothers have a problem with having all 3 of those qualities. Any advice ?</em><br />
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<strong>Answer:</strong></p>
<p>I’m going to answer your question, but I don’t know if you’re going to like what I have to say.</p>
<p>First, the President and VP are supposed to be in charge of very different things. I don’t mind the two of you to team up working the two positions – that’s what I do with some of my advisors on our board – but you need to make sure you’re getting all the responsibilities of both jobs done. If you’re not, then covering down for your friend may not be what’s best for the fraternity.</p>
<p>Second, you said this guy “can pay dues, make grades, and is very organized, which most of our brothers have a problem with.” Okay, so you’re COO (&amp; part-time CEO) of a company that fails at most of its important business metrics? You have bigger problems, and you’re the guy most in charge of fixing it.</p>
<p>Are you a fraternity or a social club? What are you doing about those issues in your active <a href="http://thefraternityadvisor.com">fraternity</a>? How are you improving these people’s lives? Do you think the example set by one new member to the active fraternity when that guy doesn’t fit in and isn’t trusted or respected is going to change the fraternity? Does that sound reasonable to you? You need to move decisively to put in financial, scholastic, and fraternity management programs that make actives learn those skills through on the job training. You need continuing education programs. Fraternity men aren’t successful in the real world because they strapped some letters on and networked an interview. They’re successful because they’ve been in the trenches developing the skill set and running a serious business for years before their peers get that opportunity in the real world.</p>
<p>As VP, those internal operations of the fraternity are your job above all else. Don’t get distracted by an emotional attachment to one new member, or any other minor issue.</p>
<p>On to your question though…</p>
<p>All these objections you raise from other brothers seem legitimate to me.</p>
<p>I don’t know what not your “normal image” guy means. Diversity of perspective makes collaborative decision making stronger, but taking a guy that cannot fit in hurts you. If he isn’t accepted into the brotherhood, then it’s fake and meaningless to everyone. If brothers have a legitimate concern that he isn’t and won’t be accepted, then that’s a valid issue that deserves discussion.</p>
<p>I don’t want to be anyone’s second choice. I wouldn’t take that from a girl, no matter how hot, so why would I take it from a rushee that wants to be part of the thing I value the most? It could be done, but it would take a lot to convince me otherwise. That’s a valid discussion too.</p>
<p>I don’t know where this concern for secrets is coming from, but it’s important. If your brothers legitimately think the guy can’t keep his oath of secrecy, then you can’t keep him. Most chapters expose new guys to minor stuff they wouldn’t want in public and see how they respond to judge their trustworthiness with the ritual. We give up charters to protect our ritual and what it means. We’re supposed to be willing to give up our lives to protect it and our eternal souls if we reveal it. If your brothers don’t trust a new member to that degree, you must cut him.</p>
<p>I appreciate that this new member has a lot of good qualities about him, and I’m sorry your fraternity is inconsistent on some of those same things. Obviously, you want to take quality, responsible new members that meet their obligations. That’s how you build from the bottom up one brick at a time. But, those qualities alone aren’t enough. You need the package of those things in someone that fits your group. Otherwise you’re sacrificing brotherhood for money and GPA points, and we don’t do that. The “normal guy” for a fraternity can change over time, but it has to happen incrementally.</p>
<p>You said the guy went through with another fraternity two years ago and dropped. I don’t know how much your fraternity spends on recruiting per year, your dues rate, or retention rates so I can calculate your cost per bid. But, I’m guessing it takes a couple years to break into the black. This guy is a junior. Your best case is break-even financially when he’s graduating. He’s a financial risk with no potential gain, so he should be blue chip in other ways to justify taking him at all. It negates the “he can pay dues” argument.</p>
<p>I’m sure at this point it sounds like I’m against the guy. In truth, I don’t know him or your fraternity, and it’s not my place to tell you either way. My point is to say these are valid discussion items. You should respect your brothers. Despite their flaws, the judgment of the group is usually better than an individual. Make your case to them, but respect and support what they decide. Spend your <a href="http://thefraternityadvisor.com/fraternity-recruitment/">fraternity recruitment</a> efforts looking for someone with those qualities, who is also a better fit. And, don’t get bogged down with stuff like this when you have such heavy lifting on your own to turn around your fraternity and take it to the next level.</p>
<p>I love that you care so much. Just keep it pointed in the right direction. Good luck!</p>
<p><em>This question was submitted by one of our readers. If you have a question you want me to answer go here to submit it: <a href="../need-advice/" target="_blank">Fraternity Advice</a>.</em></p>
<p><em>– This answer was written by Dennis Nall, an alumni brother from Alpha Tau Omega and contributor for the <a href="../">thefraternityadvisor.com</a>. If you are interested in writing for <a href="../">thefraternityadvisor.com</a> – let us know (<a href="../contact-us/">CLICK HERE</a>)!</em></p>
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		<title>Our Fraternity Rush was Great… Now What?</title>
		<link>http://thefraternityadvisor.com/our-fraternity-rush-was-great%e2%80%a6-now-what/</link>
		<comments>http://thefraternityadvisor.com/our-fraternity-rush-was-great%e2%80%a6-now-what/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 15 Sep 2011 17:23:06 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>pat</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Fraternity Advisor Articles]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Fraternity Recruitment]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://thefraternityadvisor.com/?p=2635</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Our fraternity had a great rush and now we have a large pledge class. What is the best way to start a pledge program to get these guys quickly involved? We are worried that some guys may quit, and that is the last thing we want. Thank you.
]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>This question was submitted by one of our readers. If you have a question you want me to answer go here to submit it: <a href="../need-advice/" target="_blank">Fraternity Advice</a>.</p>
<p><strong>Question:</strong></p>
<p><strong></strong><em>Our fraternity had a great rush and now we have a large pledge class. What is the best way to start a pledge program to get these guys quickly involved? We are worried that some guys may quit, and that is the last thing we want. Thank you.</em><br />
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<br />
<strong>Answer:</strong></p>
<p>First off, congratulations on a great recruitment and a great new member class! Recruiting is a challenge no matter what, so my hat goes off to you all. Attrition in a new member class can result from a wide variety of things, but typically comes down to a few more broad issues. In addition to answering your question about getting them involved, I want to hit on a couple of other ideas that will help keep your new members excited and keep them in your chapter.</p>
<p>1) Get your new members involved ASAP</p>
<p>From the moment your new members sign their bids, there needs to be some event that brings them together with your current active membership. Something as simple as your new member class walking over to the dining hall with your entire active membership serves as an easy way to bring them in to the chapter. Have a cookout, plan an event at the campus rec center, or have some type of celebration to welcome your new members into the fold. This way, it not only shows your new members that you want them to be a part of your chapter, but it also gives your current membership a chance to get excited about the growth of the chapter. Once the bids are signed, make sure you include your new members in every possible way. Include them in any chapter social events, community service, brotherhood opportunities, and most importantly, treat them as BROTHERS, not “pledges”.</p>
<p>2) Get your active members involved!</p>
<p>Again, inclusion is sort of the theme here. When your active members are not just bystanders, your new members have a better chance of feeling like they are a part of the chapter, not just “the new guys”. This also gives your new members a chance to see how current members interact with one another, accomplish task, and manage events, all crucial parts in establishing strong future chapter leaders. This also allows bonds to form. I’m of the mindset that, in terms of <a href="http://thefraternityadvisor.com/fraternity-recruitment/">fraternity recruitment</a>, people join other people, not the allure of socials and community service events. Why then won’t this same approach work with retaining new members? We all can look back at our time as new members and think of a few active members, and not just our Big Brothers, that were the reason we stayed committed.</p>
<p>3) Make sure your new member education program is truly in line with your fraternity’s values</p>
<p>This is the anti-hazing part of the program. Does your new member education process require absurd and lewd acts? Does it require new members to do illegal, immoral, or beyond stupid? Does your new member education process ask new members to do things that your active members wouldn’t do even if they were paid? If the answer to any or all of these is yes, you need to rethink your program. We use the phrase “New Member Education” because it is an education about the chapter, the general fraternity, and the true values behind why fraternities are so near and dear to so many of us. It is not “Pledge Embarrassment” or “Earning your letters”. New members drop out when they feel they are belittled, abused, or seen as objects of amusement. If you design your program to be inclusive and in line with the real purpose of your fraternity, your new members will be energized by it, not bogged down by it. When someone struggles, and they will, that does not mean it is time to ridicule them into improving. It means it’s time to provide proper support and encouragement.</p>
<p>You and your <a href="http://thefraternityadvisor.com">fraternity</a> already have the tools to be successful with your new members; you just need to use them properly. Best of luck on a successful new member process!</p>
<p><em>This answer was written by Joe Russo, an alumni brother from Phi Delta Theta and new contributor for the <a href="../">thefraternityadvisor.com</a>. If you are interested in writing for <a href="../">thefraternityadvisor.com</a> – let us know (<a href="../contact-us/">CLICK HERE</a>)!</em></p>
<p><em>Joe Russo is a Brother in the Bond of Phi Delta Theta&#8217;s Ohio Mu chapter at Ashland University. While an undergraduate, Joe served in multiple chapter positions, including chapter president, and was a Phi Delta Theta Peer Mentor. He currently serves as a Chapter Advisor for Phi Delta Theta&#8217;s Ohio Kappa chapter at Bowling Green State University. Joe works for American Campus Communities, a student housing company, in Toledo, Ohio</em></p>
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