Recruiting with Character

Four essential points to ensure long-term chapter success.

by E. Preston Prichett III (Nu – Auburn ’10), Associate Director for Chapter Services

Do you have the desire to recruit strong members who already represent the values we believe in as KAs? Then its important to make an immediate distinction, now, between “front line go-getters” and “back row quitters.” Where do you start? You should start at recruitment. What are some traits that you review when evaluating a potential new member for your chapter? Athletics? Grades? Involvement? None of these are wrong…  but there are others things to review.

Are you reviewing your potential member’s character? You should be. His character in recruitment and new member education are tell-tale signs to his character as a brother.

Here are four key points to ensuring your recruitment is successful:

1. KA doesn’t try to create our morals in the minds of our new members, we seek out those potential new members who live out our ideals every day. We help them perpetuate and grow their understanding of these values. If potential new members are not reflective of our values and principles, then they should not become KAs. (are your brothers reflective of these or have they gotten a pass too?)
2. All chapter recruitment events are to be completely dry. If you try to recruit brothers with booze, you’ll find all you have is guys who want to drink. Alcohol increases the riskiness of recruitment events, and can lead to potential injuries. Underage drinking doesn’t make you cool, it puts yourself and your chapter at risk. Being a role model, gaining respect of younger members, that will make you cool–if you chose to drink also then so be it.
3. Potential new members are at your recruitment events because they want to become brothers–why else would they be there. Show them what they can aspire to be. Brothers that hold a good GPA and are active in other campus organizations look more appealing than “weekend warriors” in the long run. They will model themselves after your influence. Don’t get mad when they do live up to a standard you’ve set but not lived.
4. Finally, nothing causes a chapter to lose its charter faster than drug violations. Illegal paraphernalia has no place in KA. Therefore it should NOT be associated with recruitment events. Humans tend to attract those similar to ourselves, so if you desire to have a Clean Chapter you need to recruit Clean Members.

Consider character. Model the way. Start right from the beginning and you’ll finish strong at the end.