Building a Successful Spring Associate Class Starts in November!
College men have an Achilles Heel that keeps them from reaching their full potential unless they are able to recognize and overcome it – they generally don’t plan.
National Recruitment Advisor Barry Mask, Auburn ‘78
If your chapter has just finished fall recruitment, it’s likely the last thing on your mind right now is spring recruitment. It’s November – the final month of the semester which means football rivalries and tailgates, the beginning of basketball season, holiday parties and senior nights, followed by final exams. There’s no need to worry about spring semester recruitment until IFC formal recruitment week at the end of January.
Wrong!
Waiting until you come back in January to start planning for recruitment, or even meeting guys is a sure path to recruitment mediocrity or outright failure. Especially if you already suffered a less than spectacular or mediocre and low retention effort this fall. If you had a good fall recruitment – then take it to the next level by deploying the following tactics:
Ask your existing associated or recently initiated class for 1-2 names each.
Invite these PNMs over to everything you have left this fall – tailgates, road trips, gatherings, socials, holiday events. Why? Because…
You’re going to bid them at or just after whatever semester ending events your chapter hosts. Tell them to go home over the break and talk it over with their parents.
Remember, these tactics aren’t “theory” – they are tried and true!
We’ve done this for several years at Auburn and we always start January off with 8-10 accepted bids after break. Then add to them your regular recruitment tactics and guys you bid in January through informal or formal recruitment. For those chapters who have deferred recruitment on your campus, it’s even more important for you to make a lasting impression by making friends at your chapter/colony events throughout the semester.
You can do this with a little effort and organization. It will pay big dividends for the future of your chapter.
Go Far!
Barry Mask, Auburn ‘78
Barry Mask can be reached on Instagram at: @bmaskotaub1