FarmHouse - Washington State University

Summer 2020 Newsletter

Washington State Chapter of FarmHouse Fraternity at Washington State University

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FA R M H O U S E F R AT E R N I T Y * WA S H I N G T O N S TAT E U N I V E R S I T Y * S U M M E R 2 0 2 0 Alumni Engagement Comes in Many Forms How Can You Help FarmHouse? Locate contact information for brothers who are missing out on FarmHouse Almanac. See the list of lost brothers on the inserted biographical update. Provide your email address to receive our digital updates (we're likely missing it). Contact our coordinator at Pennington & Company at hcarney@penningtonco.com or make sure you update your email address on the biographical update. Volunteer as a board member. Contact Alumni Association Board President Ryan Nottingham '98 at fhwsuassocpresident@gmail.com to express interest and ask questions. Attend alumni events, virtually or hopefully in person in the near future. Please see more details about upcoming alumni events on page 4. Refer an incoming freshman you believe would be a great member of FarmHouse. Contact Christopher Watt '18 at chrisjwusa@ gmail.com with their information. Donate at tinyurl.com/ WSUFarmHouse to support our chapter. Share stories and photos to be included in a future issue of FarmHouse Almanac. Email them to hcarney@penningtonco.com or include them with your biographical update. Building Our FarmHouse Family Alumni Involvement Critical to Successful Recruitment A s an 18-year-old high school graduate, I had no plans to join a fraternity and zero interest in going Greek. I had ranked my dorm choices and submitted my preference for a roommate. I had my first year planned out, but that all changed when two FarmHouse members came to my home over the summer and shared what it was like to be a part of their fraternity. When they called, I wasn't really interested in taking the meeting, but they mentioned someone from my high school, whom I knew and respected, so I agreed. Getting to know them and hearing their stories resonated with me and I knew by the end of the meeting that I wanted to be a part of that brotherhood. After committing to join, I was asked to help out and refer some friends. Although it was a simple question, "Did I have any friends or know anyone else going to WSU who might be interested?" it was the first time I was exposed to the vital element to the success of Greek organizations: recruitment. During my time in the chapter, our primary focus was on summer recruitment. We set a goal and sent out men each summer to bring in enough new members to keep the chapter above the break-even line. Recruiting is much different these days. The current membership can't be solely focused on one recruitment method. As recruitment evolves and as the chapter has tried to chart a new course, membership numbers have struggled. However, through these changes, and even with the more recent challenges, I couldn't be prouder of the way the current members have risen to the occasion. They have been creative and driven. I know they are working hard, but they could use some help and that is where we come in. As anyone who has done sales or cold calls knows, it's difficult to break down those initial barriers. We, as proud alumni, need to help open doors, start conversations, and provide warm leads. This doesn't have to be a big effort. Share your stories and memories with your friends, family, and people in your life. Be an ambassador for our chapter and spread the word about being a member to future WSU students. Even if those young men don't join, they will know what someone who wears an FH on campus stands for. If you know or come across a young man headed to WSU who would be a good fit, help our actives make a connection or give them a name to drop when they reach out. By doing this, we are helping the actives and helping to build the FarmHouse brand. I know that had I not heard a familiar name when I was called, I would've moved into the dorms and missed out on an experience that has greatly shaped my life. Fraternally, Ryan Nottingham '98 Alumni Association Board President fhwsuassocpresident@gmail.com (703) 362-5228

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