STEP THREE -- BUILDING CONSENSUS

Although rush is a year round process, there are definite cycles. They may differ from chapter to chapter and only you can decide when is the beginning and ending of each rush cycle. However, it is important to remember that as confidence and a well thought out strategy will lead to success, the entire chapter will ultimately determine whether or not membership recruitment will be successful.

To accomplish this, you must involve the chapter at the start! At the beginning of each rush cycle, you need to go through the process of involving the chapter in determining where it needs to go. Remember one of the basic rules of motivation -- PEOPLE SUPPORT WHAT THEY HELP CREATE.

To accomplish this, your committee needs to address six basic questions as follows:

• Who and where are we today.
• Who and where do we want to be?
• What are we selling?
• Who is our ideal prospect?
• Why join Delta Tau Delta?
• What is our competitive edge?

Who and Where Are We Today?:

In question No. 1, the "who" will ask you to determine a specific profile of the chapter to include a breakdown of your membership:

• How many members are in each class -- senior, junior, sophomore, freshmen?
• What is our range of majors?
• What is our grade point average?
• How do we rank in intramurals?
• What are the various hobbies and interests of our members?
• What do other fraternities and sororities on campus think of us?
• What does the administration on campus think of us?

Who and Where Do We Want To Be?:

After answering question No. 1, question No.2 begs for an answer. Is there a particular class that is out of balance, necessitating pledging more upperclassmen? What do we need in terms of an academic grade point average to improve, or maintain, our standing? If we are interested in more leadership positions on campus, we should be recruiting men who have demonstrated that flair in high school.

The development of this needs assessment is a basic step to making sure you are taking the right type of men. Avoid the cliche, "He's a good guy." You need to get inside that statement and find out from the membership what attributes a rush guest should possess if he's going to wear the "good guy" title.

What Are We Selling?:

How do you put into words something you live every day? This should be the most self-evident part of rush, but one where too many fraternity men are caught flat-footed. You need to put into words the feeling you have about the Fraternity, as well as project in all your publications what it is you are providing on campus. You may want to ask alumni, faculty, parents and girlfriends to gain their perception of what they think your chapter is providing as far as a fraternity experience. Has your chapter been stereotyped without you even knowing it?

Who is Our Ideal Prospect?:

We've done the assessment. We know about our strengths and weaknesses. We have talked about the type of men who will be coming through rush and the qualities for which we are looking.

The next step is to visualize what this perfect prospect would be like. Have some fun with this, but it will emphasize and drive home some important points to your members. The secret to success and personal power over the rush process is to be clear on what you want. What is your vision, or image, of the perfect potential member? Decide what talents and abilities this person needs to possess.

Obviously, no individual will possess every attribute, but what this gives us is a model by which we can compare all the men coming through rush so we may get a good variety which will help further the strengths and diminish the weaknesses in our organization. By completing a list of six short statements, you can put this profile together.

• His grade point average should be between ______ and _______.
• This man's previous involvement in college or high school should include¼
• We are looking for a man who¼
• Financial obligations have been explained and they will not be a problem for our prospect.
• Each prospect will have demonstrated leadership skills by his involvement in¼
• Our prospect should demonstrate some extra curricular skills in athletics, music, drama, art, student government/activities etc.

A copy of such a profile is provided as Appendix D of this manual. We recommend an enlargement of this profile be located in the rush room, as well a copy be given to every member once it is developed. It will help to develop questions to ask when conducting conversations so you may find out information about the prospective member. It prompts questions from your members that will get your rush guests talking about their favorite subject - themselves.

Why Delta Tau Delta?:

This is where you need to put your wordsmiths to work. This is combining the answers to questions 1, 2 and 3 into phrases that every chapter member can use. You have the advantage to go much deeper in your description of fraternity life, but it should follow some basic themes that are laid out in advance by your rush committee.

What is Our Competitive Edge?:

Every chapter has one and you need to decide what sets you apart from the rest of the fraternities on campus. What is the one thing that makes you different and gives you the edge over every other student organization? Every member should know what your edge is and be able to articulate that to a rush guest. It may be best grades on campus, ranked number one in intramurals, committed to "Lives of Excellence", notable alumni, your strict no hazing program.

Whatever "it" may be, it will set you apart from the rest of the system.

Chapter Assessment:

It would be impossible to gather a lot of this information in an open chapter meeting. So, prior to rush, we suggest you circulate to each member their own personal inventory, including what they think of the chapter, as well as biographical information of themselves. A sample of such an assessment is included in the Appendix B of this manual.

Once this information is coded and collated, you have effectively answered the first three questions and can simply present the material at a rush clinic designed for that purpose. You will be amazed at how this six step approach will help focus your chapter during a rush clinic to prepare them for the business at hand.

Your Checklist:

Appendix C is a rush organization checklist. It is provided here so it will be an ongoing process of making sure these items are covered on an ongoing basis. Reminders and expectations drive human behavior and performance.

Every member of your committee, as well as every brother in your chapter, has the best intentions when it comes to rush. However, it is not a skill that comes naturally to most people. Your leadership and motivational techniques will be severely tested. Don't get discouraged, for you are in for a great learning experience. Remember what we said earlier; a great rush plan never pledged a single person. Personal contact by members pledges new members.

Your job as rush chairman is to make sure your committee is organized enough to provide those opportunities for members to meet rush guests on a personal level and have effective discussions so decisions can be made regarding the men who will become the newest members of your chapter.