This is an article from a brother from Pi Lambda Phi Fraternity at Christopher Newport University. A donation to his fraternity was made on his behalf for this submission. Go here to learn more about this program……
Here’s an idea that for what was possibly the most effective AND inexpensive rush event for our fraternity – Q&A session. This is a great alternative to yet another costly event with some sort of gimmick theme that is meant to elevate an outsider’s opinion of your fraternity, while brothers force awkward conversation with strangers.
This new form of event can easily be hosted on campus, ideally closer to where underclassmen reside, or at the fraternity house. A question and answer session should contain a few parts.
The first part is a small presentation about your fraternity on a local and (inter)national level. The rushes should be familiar with all aspects of what they’re joining.
Second, is an opportunity for any interested men to pose questions to a few well-spoken representatives of your fraternity. Allow them to ask anything from what year you were founded to how much dues were last semester.
The third part is the most important and should be the most effective. Flip the Q&A on them. Take your brotherhood and break into small groups with roughly equal numbers of rushes. From there, have the brothers interview the rushes in a very relaxed and informal way. Kick back on a few couches and chairs, sit in a circle on the ground, or even take a walk around campus.
To help brothers prepare for this reversed part of the Q&A, the rush chair can collect suggestions for questions from all the brothers and organize them on discreet handouts for all the brothers. Remember though – this is not a checklist; just a guide for conversation.
Also remember, that the rushes aren’t the only ones who should be answering questions. Share your own responses or reflections on whatever the topic is. This will no doubt ensure you’re having a conversation, not conducting an interview.
This is also an excellent time to prepare rushes for the conclusion of your rush week, or “fraternity bid night.” Often times during this event, a rush may be asked what he can bring to the fraternity, or why he chose to rush your specific fraternity. The third part of the Q&A is a good time for a brother to coach a rush on what he’ll be expected to answer, and for the rush to reflect on what his answers will be.
This event will surely make rushes and brothers alike begin to form bonds and allow for more openness in conversation, rather than the usual surface-level introductory conversations. And the best part is: it’s free.
To learn more, check out our most in-depth article on fraternity recruitment: The Complete Guide to Fraternity Recruitment.