6,200+ NEW MEMBERS WERE RECRUITED THIS YEAR

You probably know exactly how well your chapter has recruited this year, and how it compares to years past. You may not know how the Fraternity as a whole has fared so far during the 2010-11 academic year. SigEp has cracked the 15,000 undergraduate mark for the first time since 1993, the year many of our freshmen were born.

This data was collected from the Periodic Membership Report, SigEp’s annual census. It should once again make us the largest fraternity in the nation, a distinction we have held for some time now. Our 239 chapters reported an average chapter size of 63, compared to 49 men per chapter 10 years ago. Our final tally will be the highest total in 15 years, and represents nearly 10 percent growth over last year.

Manpower is critical to a chapter’s success. Bigger chapters can make a greater impact on campus by getting involved in more student organizations. Growing chapters ensure financial stability, which means bills get paid and houses get filled. Big chapters can be more competitive in recruitment and intramurals, and hold brothers accountable to high standards. And more men become lifelong friends who share our values and live our Ritual. The national impact of growth is simple: more money to invest in undergraduate leadership programming and more opportunities to make an impact on campuses nationwide.

What put us over the top this year? More frequent use of the Balanced Man Scholarship, year-round recruitment that started last summer and continued all year, improved recruitment training at the Carlson Leadership Academy, a focus on development for upperclassmen and the hard work of our undergraduates and volunteers.

The Fraternity still has yet to maximize its potential presence on our host campuses. If every chapter retained 90 percent of its recruits, SigEp would be a 20,000+ undergraduate organization. Think of what we could do then.

Take a moment to celebrate our achievement, a collective result each of you shares. And stay hungry for the next milestone. If your chapter recruits more of the best men on campus and provides a better development experience, you'll see the growth continue.

What records can we break next year?

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