The Delta Chi Fraternity is deeply saddened by the tragic passing of our esteemed fraternity brother, Riley Strain. Our hearts go out to Riley’s family and loved ones during this incredibly difficult time as we work to provide support and resources to all those affected by this tragedy.

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Always Be Recruiting: 365-Recruitment for Undergraduates and Alumni

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by Heather Lockwood, Director of Fraternity Growth

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It is the end of the semester, and life as a fraternity man is starting to settle down. Greek week is over, yearly awards have been won, and things are about to be breezy for the next few months. Except, life for the fraternity man is never done and we, at Delta Chi, are firm believers in 365-recruitment. What does this mean for you? It means that every Delta Chi, both alumni and undergraduates, should welcome each day as an opportunity to promote friendship, develop character, advance justice, and assist in the acquisition of a sound education.

Whether your community participates in fall recruitment, spring recruitment or recruitment with no set structure, now is the time to think about how students on your campus will know about Delta Chi year-round. Make a public relations (PR) plan to grab the attention of students that will set you apart from other organizations. This might look like a daily, weekly, or monthly agenda set by your chapter to make intentional points of contact during the next year with the campus and local community. You can do this through your chapter website, social media platforms, wearing Delta Chi swag on specific days as a chapter, being visible at events, community service engagements, or spending time with your brothers in high-traffic areas on-campus. Think about what works on your campus for getting the word out and have your PR chairman connect with on campus marketing or communications offices to learn more about what you could be using to market Delta Chi.

When you are creating marketing items to engage the campus community, think about your end goal from your recruitment efforts, Delta Chi values, your chapter’s internal values, and what are the characteristics of your chapter membership. Who do you want to be the next leaders of your chapter? Your messaging should reflect these aspects, so be sure to think well beyond the messaging of “Go Greek” or “Join Delta Chi.” Think about using phrases like, “Be a Man of Action, Be a Delta Chi.”

Social media platforms and websites are not the only way to spread the word about Delta Chi. Connect with sororities and non-Greek organizations on campus to see if you can speak at their first meetings of the school year. Think about different events or places to connect with first year students, transfer students, and non-traditional students. Do not be afraid to connect with transfer students or non-traditional students – they often bring unique perspectives to our chapters! Utilize campus resources like peer mentor programs, new student orientation and admissions, student activities, campus recreation, diversity and inclusion, and so many more. Your campus has many outlets for students with varying interests, skills, and talents. Consider them your newest potential new members for Delta Chi.

More important than your marketing and PR tactics is developing your names list. To continually engage high quality men and leaders within your chapter, you first need to find them. This means connecting with men you don’t know and engaging in random conversations in class, in line at the coffee shop, on your way to class, or at events in your home town during the summer; the possibilities are endless! When we engage in conversation and get to know people, we learn if they could be a good fit for Delta Chi. Having the ability to be selective during recruitment is the ultimate reward for your recruitment efforts. Each man in your chapter should be responsible for recruitment, and we should challenge each member to bring names of individuals to consider for membership to the table. Choose a goal of the number of new contacts your members should be sending you each week during the summer or during the school year and incentivize this challenge. This will allow you to hand out bids year-round and constantly grow your chapter with quality men and leaders on your campus. You will be amazed how selective you can be during your process while simultaneously developing the future of your chapter.

When thinking about a strong recruitment and PR plan as well as a names list, everything comes to focus in conversation. If we have meaningful and impactful conversations, we will be able to develop a strong names list and have a selective membership process. Can your current members have recruitment conversations? Does your chapter have a positive identity on campus? Does your chapter have internal values in addition to the core values of Delta Chi? Can your members talk about values, philanthropy, the Delta Chi Educational Foundation, and the internal brotherhood of your chapter? Even if you said “yes” to all of these questions, practice makes perfect. Make sure you are planning intentional recruitment workshops for your chapter to practice conversation skills, or partner with other organizations on campus to practice together. These workshops are more than an opportunity to prepare for recruitment; these workshops are an opportunity for your chapter to practice interviewing skills for internships and potential careers. If you are struggling with chapter buy-in, talk to members about how recruitment will help them later in life. Need help with your recruitment plans or ideas? Utilize your ABT members, and do not hesitate to reach out to IHQ staff. We are here to help you succeed!

Just as our undergraduate members need to be recruiting year-round, we need our alumni to be as involved with our 365-recruitment approach. We know you inspire young men in your communities, some who will be joining college campuses in the fall, and we challenge you to connect with them and tell them about Delta Chi. We need to inform potential new members, their families and any connections you might have to incoming or current students to think about joining a leadership organization. To think about joining an organization that develops and inspires men of action, who give back to their local and campus communities and strive to become the best version of themselves. We challenge you to talk with them about their future goals and how Delta Chi is a great opportunity to network and find internships and jobs post-college. Talk with them about Delta Chi as an opportunity that lives with you well beyond the college experience and how the organization still impacts your life everyday.

All brothers of Delta Chi can and should be recruiting year-round to enhance the high-quality membership of our organization. With a PR plan, appropriate marketing materials, strong understanding of chapter identity, constantly evolving names list, and transferrable conversation skills, your recruitment efforts will result in a promising future for Delta Chi. The work we do to prepare for a 365-recruitment approach happens now, especially with the summer months providing some extra down time. This means we should be actively recruiting during the summer break, but we should also be actively planning, scheduling, and implementing, so our expectations and goals for the next year of recruitment are solidified. Recruitment is not the responsibility of one or two men in your chapter. Every member is responsible for the membership and future of Delta Chi and we all need to be held accountable. At Delta Chi International Headquarters, we challenge both our undergraduate and alumni members to hold yourselves accountable to helping our organization grow intentionally, because the things we do today drastically impact what happens tomorrow.

Be bold, be brave, be a man of action, and always be recruiting.

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Heather Lockwood is Delta Chi’s Director of Fraternity Growth. Passionate about higher education and the immeasurable, life-long opportunities and experiences Greek life provides to its members, Heather serves our membership through building relationships and promoting the values of Delta Chi across North America. She works with our alumni, undergraduates, and soon-to-be members to advocate the benefits of Delta Chi membership and the impact of our lifelong endeavor. You can seek her assistance and guidance at any time; contact her at growth@deltachi.org.

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