STEP TWO -- RUSH ORGANIZATION

WARNING: Too much organization can kill a good idea! But failing to plan is planning to fail.

The structure of the rush committee needs to be determined long before the work of rushing begins. The rush chairman is at the center of the organization, the man responsible for the bottom line results. He should be a good leader and capable of generating support and enthusiasm throughout the chapter. He needs to delegate responsibility to other members of the committee and chapter and be the catalyst that makes things happen. However, you can over organize. Rush plans don't pledge new members. Personal contact pledges men and your organization should facilitate that contact.

The rush committee works under the scope of the rush chairman. The average size of a rush committee should be 15-20% of the total chapter membership. Members should then be appointed specific responsibility for the following:

• Prospects.
• Activities.
• Publicity.
• Legacies, Parents, Second Follow up.

Essentially, every member of the chapter could be considered a member of the rush committee, with their input being valued. Recruitment is the responsibility of every member of the chapter. Areas of responsibility should not be narrowed to one man, but involve as many members as possible. The following descriptions should not be taken as limitations, but as basic definitions and responsibilities. The Rush Committee:

Reports To: The Administrative Committee

Basic Function: To formulate the chapter's rush goals, plans and execution, and communicate these plans to the chapter, as well as provide a maximum number of opportunities for members to meet and recruit potential candidates for membership in Delta Tau Delta Fraternity.

Duties and Responsibilities are:

• To review current "manpower levels" and establishing a clear cut rush program for the entire year.
• To work with the Treasurer to establish a rush budget.
• To establish clear cut rush goals in line with the chapter's rush program.
• To delegate specific areas of responsibility to each committee member and to each member of the chapter.
• To make solid contact with all prospective members on campus.
• To solicit recommendations for membership from alumni, parents, high school guidance counselors, etc., and acknowledging their receipt immediately.
• To hold a rush workshop to inform both members and pledges of the committee's plan for rush and teaching effective rush techniques.
• To work with alumni relations committee and local alumni to secure their cooperation and support in the area for both contacts and rush events.
• To keep a complete file of rush prospects and recommendations, along with comments on each individual in a master file using standard profile sheets.
• To look behind the scenes and find out as much as possible on all prospects and then passing the information along to the chapter.
• To hold weekly committee meetings open to the chapter while maintaining written reports in chapter files for future reference.
• To analyze the results of your progress, apprising its effectiveness and making recommendations to the next committee regarding improvements.

This list provides broad guidelines. Chapters are encouraged to further develop and expand on various responsibilities.

Rush Chairman:

Reports To: The Vice President of the Chapter and the Administrative Committee.

Basic Function: To insure and carry out the responsibilities of membership recruitment, direct the individuals of the rush committee, oversee the education of the membership as to the proper rush procedure, lead the recruitment process during official functions and prepare an evaluation of the outcome

Duties and responsibilities are:

• To lead the committee and the chapter in the development and implementation of the membership recruitment plan.
• To coordinate the organization of the rush committee.
• To inspect the progress of committee members to see that membership recruitment is being carried out according to the plan.
• To organize, with the committee, a rush clinic to outline the specific strategy, as well as determine goals and direction of the chapter for the recruitment process.
• To lead the chapter in all recruitment activities.
• To provide motivation to all members during the rush process.
• To chair all meetings regarding membership selection.

Assistant Rush Chairman:

Reports To: The Rush Chairman.

Basic Function: To aid transition from one recruitment period to another preventing an unorganized or mismanaged rush period.

Duties and responsibilities mirror those of the rush chairman:

An assistant rush chairman should always be appointed to participate in all facets of rush including budgeting, telephoning, conversations with prospective members, parents and alumni, planning a rush clinic and extending invitations for membership. He is usually expected to fill the position of chairman as he is the person most capable of handling the responsibility the following term. Prospect Coordinator:

Reports To: The Rush Chairman and Committee.

Basic Function: To gather as many names of potential prospects as possible within the bounds of stated campus regulations and to coordinate communications with these individuals and keep the membership informed as to the methods of this contact.

Duties and responsibilities are:

• To maintain a master list of names of potential prospects secured from the registrar's office, high school guidance counselors, parents, alumni, members, sororities, student honoraries, faculty, etc.
• To draft all correspondence necessary to develop and maintain contact with these individuals.
• To coordinate all contact with a master calendar so members are aware of who is being contacted when and the type of letter or publication generated.
• To keep members updated on changes to the master rush schedule.

Activities Coordinator:

Reports To: The Rush Chairman and Committee

Basic Function: To develop and prepare entertainment activities for rush functions maximizing quality contact between members and rush guests.

Duties and responsibilities are:

• To organize all rush functions that involve the chapter according to a predetermined budget and schedule.
• To check the validity and appropriateness of any rush function with the chapter advisor, Division Vice President and/or the Central Office.
• To design a variety of rush functions which demonstrate the diversity of activities within the chapter and maximize the opportunities for members to talk one on one with rush guests.
• To make sure all rush functions are in compliance with the Fraternity's Chapter Responsibility Guidelines.
• To make sure the publicity coordinator has all the dates for rush events for the master calendar.

Publicity Coordinator:

Reports To: Rush Chairman and Committee

Basic Function: To coordinate basic design concepts that will emphasize the uniqueness of Delta Tau Delta and draw the attention of potential members, encouraging them to "check out" Delta Tau Delta during the rush process.

Duties and responsibilities are:

• To work with the committee to determine the overall theme/concept for rush.
• To determine the best possible way to "get the message out" according to budget. (i.e. buttons, brochures, booklets)
• To draft necessary literature for such publicity making sure it is within the bounds of good taste, promoting only the highest qualities of Delta Tau Delta.
• To secure the placement of advertising necessary for rush coordinated through the rush chairman.
• To make sure the theme for rush is carried throughout every event and activity.

Legacies, Parents, Recommendations, Follow up Coordinator:

Reports To: The Rush Chairman and Committee.

Basic Function: To develop and maintain consistent communication with individuals who have recommended a potential member, encourage parents and members to submit potential members as well as provide a safety net to insure that every rush guest that visits the chapter receives a follow up note or personal contact according to the chapter's interest in him.

Duties and responsibilities are:

• To develop a means of keeping an accurate account of rush guests' addresses and telephone numbers and all contact that is made with them.
• To develop a means of keeping an accurate address record of parents and alumni providing rush prospects.
• To respond to all correspondence that is received by the chapter and rush chairman in regards to rush recommendations, rush functions and questions pertaining to rush.
• To use the "notification of results" and "response" cards to contact alumni when there has been a referral or legacy.
• To utilize the recommendation forms provided by the Central Office and contained in the Rainbow to actively solicit alumni for rush prospects.
• To ensure that at every rush function, each member is assigned to follow up on a rush prospect with a phone call or personal note to gain a commitment for future contact.
• To provide continual follow up with potential prospects until such time as they are extended an invitation for membership or cut from the list.
• To develop a strategy for issuing invitations for membership as well as structuring bid teams.
• To develop a strategy for informing men who have been cut from the prospect list that they will not be receiving an invitation for membership.

This basic skeletal outline of a rush committee can be redeveloped and redefined so as to meet the changing needs of your chapter. The important thing is to define specific duties and responsibilities for each member so that they can be a part of the team and know where they fit in. No one likes an individual who seeks all the glory. At the same time, a wise rush chairman understands his committee will only be as strong as its weakest link. A good rush chairman knows his committee members, but should still realize people do what you inspect, not what you expect. The success of your committee will only come when all of you learn to work together as a team toward your final goal of a successful rush of meeting your rush goal.

Finding Prospects:

The time has long passed when fraternity men could sit back in their chapter houses and wait for the Interfraternity Council to drag a bewildered herd of freshmen through our doors while we pick and choose who we want for our new members. Today, we must go out into the marketplace of rush, identify the men we want and pledge them.

You cannot isolate yourself from the campus. Every chapter must have members well placed within the administration so we are recruiting and initiating the mainstream of the college population. We should have men serving as residence hall counselors, orientation leaders, student senators, members of the student governing association, individuals involved in the newspaper, yearbook, student union, etc.

Other places where rush prospects can be found are:

• School supplied incoming freshmen lists
• Friends from high school
• Alumni rush recommendations
• Parents
• High school guidance counselors
• Girlfriends
• Sororities
• Faculty members
• Rosters of honoraries on campus
• Through dorm storming
• Administrators
• Independent Intramural Leagues
• Classes
• Churches

Make this list as exhaustive as possible. Part of your early committee meetings should be to brainstorm other sources from which to draw names. You should be relentless in your search because the more men with whom you begin, the more selective you can be and the better chance you have of obtaining your goal. A special note should be made concerning alumni recommendations.

In many areas, the Central Office sends a special letter to all alumni requesting recommendations. In addition, the Rainbow asks for rush recommendations. Many alumni go to great efforts to contact prospects and send their names to you as a tangible way to express their lifelong loyalty to Delta Tau Delta. In many cases, these rush guests are sons or relatives who already have a knowledge or interest in the Fraternity.

You should consider it your duty to a brother Delt to acknowledge and thank the alumni for recommendations and, when pledging is over, notify the alumnus if the man whom he recommended pledged Delt, or another fraternity. It should go without saying, that you should make a special effort to check out each recommendation and give these men every possible consideration.

Your Master Rush File:

Every prospect should have a form filled out similar to that found in Appendix A. Though it may seem impersonal at first, you will find that as you deal with a great amount of names, codes will quickly allow you to determine where a rush guest is in the membership recruitment process. We suggest a ranking system of 1 to 6.

Put all of your rush prospect forms (Appendix A) in a 3 ring notebook. Everyone enters the system at Level 5 and as your committee does their work, they are moved between categories. They should be maintained within each category in alphabetical order so they are easy to find during the process. Obviously, your goal is to move candidates to Levels 3, 2 and 1 as quickly as possible. Your committee should review a list of names prior to every rush function with the chapter so they know where individuals are in the process. This list should also be made available to all members for reference.

Other Non-Verbal Techniques:

Make sure your committee maintains control over issuing nametags. A subtle, but very effective, way is to have one member of your committee make out all of the nametags for your top prospects that will be coming up for vote shortly, printing their names in upper case. Another rush committee member completes the remainder of the rush guests' nametags, done in upper and lower case. This way, even an uninformed member or alumnus will know at first glance where individual rush guests stand in the rush committee's thinking.

The Rush Room:

You should have one room in your house during membership recruitment periods designated as the "rush room." It needs to be open to members, while at the same time, out of the way so it is not obvious to guests of the chapter. Typical supplies in a rush room should be:

• Nametags.
• Fact Sheets on the Chapter.
• Pledge Cards.
• Pledge Badges.
• Brochures, Pamphlets and other Rush Literature.
• A complete set of rush data sheets on your rush guests.
• Note cards for jotting down quick notes to rush guests.
• Scrap paper for brothers to leave notes on specific rush guests
• A blow-up of the master rush calendar.
• Smaller copies of the rush calendar.
• Handouts stating costs of the Fraternity.
• Handout on how to answer tough rush questions.
• Other motivational posters should be displayed, including the chapter's mission statement, your rush goal, etc.