The word recruitment conjures up all sorts of emotions for anyone who has ever gone through the process.
For the potential new members, there’s certainly a bit of fear and trepidation. There’s more than a little bit of pressure felt prior to recruitment. Thoughts go racing through their minds such as: “How DO I know if I’m making the right choice?” “What if I get a bid and my roommate doesn’t?” And more importantly….. “Will they like me?” It’s kind of a big deal.
For current members, surprisingly, it’s ALSO a big deal. The PNM might find it astonishing that the sister she’s talking to has a few reservations as well. I mean, as a sister, she really wants to show her organization in the best possible light. She’s an extension of her sorority, and, good or bad, the time spent with a PNM is a reflection on the rest of the chapter. And she knows it all too well. It can be unnerving. Fortunately, as an organization, the sorority has additional opportunities to shine: through skits, songs, and philanthropy demonstrations.
But more importantly, there are plenty of other opportunities to shine as an organization. Those opportunities arise every single day, long before recruitment starts, long after the balloons have deflated and the New Member Educator has started training up the next generation. These opportunities are vitally important to the health of each chapter, as well as the overall well-being of the Greek System as a whole. The key is this: When you’re out on campus, even if you’re not wearing letters, BE YOUR BEST SELF. The other students in your classes will determine how they feel about Greeks by the behavior they observe every day. They’ll form opinions just by paying attention to the Greeks in their classes, those walking across campus, and those they meet (and just notice) out at night. As they take in these experiences, they’re mentally filing away the memories, which will have an impact on how they feel about Greeks in general, and about your organization specifically.
Do your best recruiting by being your best self. Wear your letters proudly to advertise Greek life, and work hard to show the non-Greeks on campus what’s wonderful about being a member of your organization. If all of your members do this, every day of the school year, I assure you, recruitment (when it rolls around) will be much less stressful and much more successful. Your organization will grow stronger, generation after generation, as Greeks everywhere present their best selves to those who share those ideals, and may eventually be called brothers or sisters.
