STEP SEVEN -- THE RUSH WORKSHOP

Now that you have completed the planning stage of your rush, it is time to communicate the plan to everyone in the chapter. This is best accomplished through an afternoon meeting designed specifically for this purpose. Your chapter will benefit during rush by having a consistent message communicated to all of your rush guests.

There are four main reasons every chapter should hold a rush workshop prior to every recruitment period:

• To communicate the plan of attack to the members.
• To organize and coordinate the brotherhood for rush.
• To train brothers, specifically pledges and new initiates, in effective rush techniques.
• To get the chapter fired up for rush.

The timing of your workshop is just as crucial as the purpose. It should be held just prior to your chapter's most important rush. This might mean late in the spring if your chapter plans a heavy summer rush effort, or as soon as you get back to school in the fall if you plan a big formal rush. In many cases, chapters hold two or three rush workshops a year, each tailored to the needs of that particular recruitment period.

The purpose of your rush workshop is to culminate all your rush planning and put the ideas to work. To do this effectively, your committee will need to create an atmosphere that is conducive to learning, brotherhood and enthusiasm. You should pick the sight of your workshop carefully, preferably away from the chapter house and the distractions of day to day fraternity life.

Advanced planning, preparation and publicity are important and necessary if the workshop is to be successful. You will want to plan a meeting of your rush committee specifically to plan your rush workshop. You will want to set a specific date and time and try to shoot for the best possible schedule. Keep in mind the various conflicts that will, no doubt, compete for available time. You should allow two and a half to three hours for your rush workshop and organize your presentations so it is fast moving, interesting and informative.

Pre Workshop Inventory:

During your workshop planning stage, you will want to utilize the inventory we developed earlier, which is listed in Appendix B of this manual. Ten days to two weeks prior to your workshop, every member should be required to complete this inventory. Your committees can get a jump on compiling information about the strengths and weaknesses of the chapter and provide it as a report for the first part of your retreat. The inventory is meant to objectively assess the chapter's current status and lead your members' thinking toward the number and type of men the chapter needs to pledge.

The workshop is where you define what a "good guy" is, where you will find him and how you will get him to join your chapter. The more of this information you can compile before the workshop and provide back to the chapter in written form, the more it will cut down on time-consuming discussions at the actual workshop. You can take time at this point to fine tune the perceptions and move forward right into the nuts and bolts of that semester's or quarter's rush.

Through this process, you will hopefully achieve a consensus of where the chapter stands and how achieving rush goals can put you in better shape. The committee can then introduce its rush goal and gain the total support of the chapter, not only for the goal itself, but for the committee's slate of rush activities. If everyone knows the importance of rush and feels they had a stake in isolating the chapter's weaknesses and forming the goals to correct them, they are more likely to really go all out during rush, rather than just go through the motions.

Necessary Materials:

There are certain materials you will want to assemble before your workshop to make the actual presentation more interesting and informative. These include some of the following items:

• Flip charts, easel, sheets of paper, or blackboard.
• Large markers and masking tape.
• A map showing the geographical areas from which the school and chapter draw its students and members.
• Video camera or tape player.

The flip charts, paper and magic markers can be used to help illustrate points, make outlines and record goals. The map is helpful in determining geographical strengths and weaknesses of the chapter and arranging summer contacts. You'll use the flip charts to illustrate the basic rules of rush such as:

• How to find your prospect.
• How to become acquainted.
• How to answer his questions.
• How to sell your school.
• How to sell the Greek System.
• How to sell Delta Tau Delta.
• How to get a commitment.
• What are the costs.

One chart should break down pledge dues, chapter dues, and fraternity initiation dues. It is vitally important for all members and pledges to know the cost structure thoroughly. This is probably the biggest concern of many prospects and one of the most frequently asked questions. It is a good policy to outline cost information from residence halls and apartments, as well as from other fraternities if known, so the chapter can properly portray where it fits in the pricing structure. The Treasurer should prepare an expense summary for use during rush by members.

The Membership Rush Packet:

As the last stage of your preparation for the rush workshop, a packet should be prepared for each member and pledge. The contents of this package should reflect your chapter's unique approach to rush. Included in this package should be:

• A breakdown of chapter financial obligations.
• A specific explanation of International dues.
• Copies of locally produced rush materials.
• A copy of the rush calendar.
• Rush Reminders (Appendix G).
• A list of specific awards and recommendations received by your chapter.
• The results of your chapter inventory.
• A list of commonly asked questions.
• A list of common concerns of rush guests.

The packet's purpose should be explained during the workshop.

Selling the Workshop:

That the rush workshop should be mandatory for all members and pledges goes without saying. However, making that an expectation does not guarantee you will get the turnout you desire. To get a good turnout, plenty of advance notice and enthusiasm are necessary. Here are some ideas:

1. Announce the workshop at the next chapter meeting, preferably four to six weeks in advance. Inform the chapter of its importance and make attendance mandatory.

2. Put signs on bulletin boards throughout the shelter announcing the time and place of the meeting.

3. Make announcements at meals the last two to three days before the meeting.

4. Contact everyone by phone whom you might miss by these other means, or who, for one reason or another, might not think they have anything to add to the process.

Training for Success (Role Playing):

We have talked around this subject several times throughout this rush manual, but we cannot overstate the importance of this technique in planning a successful rush. Role playing is a technique widely used in business training programs to train salesmen on effective techniques in simulated sales situations. The purpose is to let the novice practice and learn from the mistakes he makes in an artificial situation so he will be more effective when he gets out and makes actual sales calls.

In rush, the product you are selling is the Fraternity. Everyone in your chapter must develop the skills to be able to effectively sell an outsider on the personal benefits he can derive from Fraternity membership. By setting up role playing sessions as part of your rush workshop, you can train your members in effective rush techniques. Although not necessary, a video camera can assist individuals in refining their rush skills and technique, as well as capturing some of your best people in action to use in future rush workshops or to let individuals who happen to miss the workshop for an excused reason benefit from what they missed.

How Role Playing Works?: You should select beforehand two members to act as a "rusher" and the rush "guest." The rusher should approach the rush guest and start a conversation just like he was at a rush function. The rush guest would act like a typical freshman, acting uncertain and asking questions about the school, fraternity system and Delta Tau Delta. For your first role playing session, it is better to use two of your more experienced men so the younger members can see how it should be done.

After a few minutes of "rushing" with the chapter looking on, you should stop and analyze what has taken place.

1. What were the good and bad points of the rushers approach?
2. How could he have been more effective?
3. Did he sell the idea of fraternity and Delta Tau Delta to the rush prospect?

This is also a time to answer any questions the men have on how to answer questions and how to handle difficult situations. You may want to ask your younger members to come up and try a role playing session in front of the chapter and then analyze their performance.

Role playing can be used to refine skills in almost any rush situation including:

1. How to begin a conversation.
2. How to answer difficult questions.
3. How to overcome concerns.
4. How to answer financial information.
5. Making first contacts over the telephone.
6. How to extend an invitation to join the chapter.

Describing the Fraternity: Your time together in a rush situation with a potential prospect is short. If you only had 30 seconds to one minute to tell an individual about your chapter, what would you say? If you learned from a rush guest other fraternities were saying disparaging things about your chapter, how would you respond? What are the major benefits of fraternity membership?

All of these questions deserve attention and should be well rehearsed so the membership has a clear idea how to describe your brotherhood effectively.

Some examples might include:

1. Fraternity is brotherhood -- caring for one another, helping when help is needed and forming lifelong friendships.
2. The Fraternity offers a person the opportunity and encouragement to develop to his full potential in all areas
3. The Fraternity is a practical experience in democratic living where each member has a say in how the chapter functions
4. The Fraternity provides leadership and social skills training. Many employers place a high value on experience gained from fraternity living.
5. The Fraternity offers supplemental education in interpersonal relationships, business management, salesmanship, and social skills.
6. Because of diversified membership, the Fraternity provides for a broader understanding and acceptance of varied backgrounds and personality types. This diversity is a rich experience in tolerance, cooperation and teamwork.
7. A higher percentage of Greeks graduate from college compared to non-affiliated men. This is evidence that the Fraternity makes one's college experience more meaningful, more educational, more enjoyable.

These are a few examples of the social benefits of fraternity membership in its broadest sense. Your chapter should develop its own store of phrases that have special meaning to your membership. A list of these specific benefits relating to your chapter should be included in your rush packet. The Workshop Program: With all the thought and planning you have put into your workshop, now you should have a good idea of how to organize one. You want to have the room double checked and all materials ready. Start and end on time; delays will cost you in attendance and attention.