This article is Day 30 of the series: 31 Days to Better Fraternity Recruitment.
There is obviously a ton that goes into rush. There is a lot of preparation and strategy involved. And there are a million different ways to be successful.
However, none of that matters unless your fraternity is strong. Having a strong fraternity is absolutely the most important requirement for recruitment.
It doesn’t take an outsider long to see if you’re a strong fraternity or not.
And at the first glance of weakness the type of recruit you need to be successful is going to bolt. Here are the classic tell-tale signs of weak fraternities during rush:
- A dirty house
- Brothers talking junk about each other
- Poor turnout among brothers
- Disorganized events
- No girls around
- Brothers with poor appearance
- Disinterested brothers
- Poor turnout among recruits
- Lack of engagement with recruits
- Talking about how last year was a bad year
- Talking junk about other fraternities
- Drugs
- Lack of excitement among the brothers about the new year
The last sign is particularly important and is where you should focus. The past is the past, and there isn’t much you can do about it now. However, what you can do is focus on the future.
If your brothers are genuinely excited about what the fraternity is going to do this year, then you are in good shape. If your brothers are not, then this should be your first order of business.
You need to be sure the brothers have something to look forward to, and something they can brag on. This excitement will show when they are talking to recruits, and this excitement will draw the type of guys you want into your chapter.
So be sure your house is in order before you start inviting others to join. If you do this, then your recruitment will not only be easier, but you will end up getting the attention of a higher caliber of recruit.
To learn more, check out our most in-depth article on fraternity recruitment: The Complete Guide to Fraternity Recruitment.