Recruitment

The rush committee has one of the most challenging jobs to undertake and the most opportunity to determine the chapter's future. You are responsible for organizing rush and ensuring that all members understand their role in the plan. A successful rush requires the efforts of all members. In the past, fraternities didn't need to plan well-organized rush programs because of the large number of men who were interested in joining. However, those days are gone. Today, you must sell yourself and your fraternity to potential prospects. Always remember: a successful rush is an ongoing process to which each chapter member should contribute throughout the year.

Organizing a successful rush program calls for some brainstorming by all of the committee. Creative thinking and enthusiasm are your tools for success. To help you get this part of the process started, this chapter covers eight steps for preparing for rush.

Step 1: The Right Attitude

A successful rush requires an excellent program and the right attitude. The members must be optimistic about your chapter's ability to draw interest from potential prospects on campus. How do you instill such an attitude? It is completely up to you and your efforts. If you show enthusiasm and a strong will to succeed, the members will develop a positive attitude. Once you have that, competing for men on campus is easy.

Step 2: Who Handles What?

This step involves delegating responsibilities among the committee members. The rush chairman is in charge. He is responsible for making sure all activities are in order and done correctly. The pressures of managing rush can exhaust the chairman; therefore, it is up to the committee members to accept some of the burden. Each committee member is responsible for overseeing a specific element of rush; for example, the prospect coordinator is responsible for gathering as many names as possible. In this section, we explain the primary duties of each committee member. When planning your rush program, although each member has his own duties, remember that you are a team and should work together as such.

Step 3: Building Consensus

Before determining how to sell/position your chapter, the committee should evaluate your chapter and its members. Evaluating your chapter requires input from all of the members, not just the rush committee. You need to truly understand what your chapter stands for, where your chapter wants to be, who are ideal prospects, and why Delta Tau Delta is better than the other fraternities. The chapter members need to be honest when answering these questions. Genuine, candid answers help determine what angle to take when selling your chapter to potential prospects. To help you in your assessment, we have included several forms and checklists. You don't want to skip any topics that may contain important benefits of the chapter.

Step 4: Setting a Rush Goal

Once you evaluate your chapter, you need to set a goal based on your findings. When deciding on a rush goal, be sure to follow the rules of goal setting. These state that your goal must be specific, quantifiable, and attainable. Take time and put some thought into your goal. Remember, the rush goal is a good tool for getting people involved.

Step 5: Tools for a Successful Rush

Step five focuses on tools and techniques needed for planning a successful rush. As always, there is a right and wrong way to do things. In this section, we teach you the right way. For instance, every chapter should have a specific room for rush. The room should be secluded in which only active members allowed. It should not be some type of shrine, but just a room to hold supplies, the rush schedule and goal, and any other elements of rush. The Rush room helps the chapter get organized. Some other helpful hints focus on publicizing your chapter, handling in-house rush activities, tours, and building teams.

Step 6: Becoming a Salesperson

This new era of "selling your fraternity" has caused some members concern. They aren't sure how to approach the situation. This is not surprising. Most of us have never sold anything as abstract as membership in a fraternity. Selling is not easy, but when you believe in your product, it can be fun and rewarding. To help you, we have inserted a section that defines the fundamental elements of a sales call. A good salesperson knows how to handle questions and anticipate objections. We address these points in this section. We even suggest role playing because it is better to practice and make mistakes with your own brothers than with a potential prospect.

Step 7: The Rush Workshop

The Rush Workshop pulls all of your ideas together. It is the final step before Rush begins. As a member of the rush committee, it is your responsibility to communicate the plan to the chapter members, and a workshop is the perfect way for the committee to boost enthusiasm among members. This section helps your committee plan the workshop so that you can make the most of it, so don't take the rush workshop lightly. A bad rush workshop can be the end of many well-developed rush programs. As mentioned before, a successful rush must have the backing of all members.

Step 8: Proposal for Membership

The final step in the rush process is inviting prospects to join Delta Tau Delta. This is what rush is all about -- closing the sale. Deciding whom to invite into the Fraternity is the most crucial step in the rush process because of the high standards of the Fraternity. In step eight, we give suggestions on the best way to carry out your selection process and how to deliver the invitation. You must handle these steps properly.

Commitment to Growth

Rush is not just a once or twice a year activity. As Delt's, each of us has a responsibility to maintain growth within the Fraternity. A personal commitment to growth involves searching for new recruits year-round. Inviting new members means new contributions, new friends, and more opportunities.