There are many ways to create unity within your chapter whether going to sporting events together, making chapter t-shirts, or having movie nights. Creating unity within your chapter makes every member feel like they are wanted at all of the events. Creating unity within your chapter also helps increase membership and retention. Invite your chapter members to help with the preparation of these chapter events and get everyone included. Remember DEX is not only about vocational understanding and civic consciousness but social intelligence and leadership development. Creating unity will also get new members involved and what to possibly become a chapter or state officer. Help your chapter members grow and get them involved with as much as possible because they will then recruit their friends to become members.

Here are a few ideas you, and other students can plan to recruit potential members:

1. For every (# of members) paid members you personally recruit, you get some amount of money off of your membership fee
2. Insert DEX bookmarks in textbooks at campus bookstore/library
3. Visit this website for sample brochures http://deltaepsilonchi.org/pdf/bookmarksrecruit.pdf
4. Create a chapter webpage link off of WMMA site
5. Create chapter webpage off of student organizations website
6. E-mail business students via .edu e-mail
7. Conduct open house/socials before actual DEX meetings
8. Write on boards in classrooms—When and where open house and meetings are
9. Use DECA College Connection to contact more interested students on campus
10. Put up flyers/leaflets in classrooms and bulletin boards
11. Speak about kickoff meeting in business classes
12. Advertise “free food” at your meetings (College students LOVE that!)
13. Go to first year/freshman orientation and recruit new interested students
14. Set up a booth at club day/student organization fair
15. Set up a display in a trophy case at school, or on bulletin boards in the hallways
16. Send out a press release to school newspaper/local newspaper about start of chapter and what it will bring to the area
17. Contact student services to put up announcements on the TV system in school
18. Provide student counselors a set of promotional materials to students who express interest in marketing, management, business, etc.
19. Have a kick-off cookout in the middle of your campus
20. Talk to local high school marketing classes in order to recruit new students for next year
21. Put up signs in dorms, and on campus apartments, put flyers in student mailboxes
22. Get an article in the student newspaper/school website/local newspaper about your new organization
23. Advertise on campus news station/radio station
24. Bring a friend to a meeting
25. Secure a display window/trophy case/bulletin board for your chapter to display upcoming events and past pictures/awards
26. Conduct a visible community service event on campus
27. Sell Homecoming shirts sponsored by DEX
28. Sponsor a raffle where the proceeds will go to charity
29. Visit the DECA Images section of the national website. Order banners, pens, recruitment brochures, and other promotional materials
30. Plan events during DECA/Delta Epsilon Chi week—October 11-17, 2009
31. Talk to roommates, classmates, and former DECA members about joining
32. Use websites like Facebook, Myspace, and Twitter to search for people with DECA/Delta Epsilon Chi as an interest

Hopefully this list will get you thinking about all of the ways you can get students to think about joining WMMA/Delta Epsilon Chi!

Emily Leonhard
WMMA President