Hey Brandon! First of all, you and Lauren are so awesome for starting a Rescue Team! Way to go!! That is a great question, and I’ll give my two cents based on my experience with being on a Rescue Team for four years in college.
To start, advertising open leadership positions definitely attracted more people to not only sign up but also to follow through and show up at the first meeting! People usually like leadership roles and are more motivated when they are chosen since they feel more responsible. While this is a more generic recruitment strategy for members of all grades, for underclassmen specifically, my Rescue Team had a position called Freshmen Representative that worked very well. The position (usually two people – one boy and one girl) was reserved only for freshmen! The Fresh Reps would work under the Public Relations Chair (or Outreach Chair/External Relations Chair) and have a role in promoting events and meetings. Their role was not big within the leadership, but they also served as a bridge between the underclassmen and upperclassmen, and also by watching and being present in leadership meetings, they were able to learn the behind the scenes planning so that when the upperclassmen graduated, they could take charge. This can also help with a smoother transition between leadership.
To add to this, be energetic and passionate at the Club Fair! Get out of your comfort zone and really show that the cause is worth investing time into! Have a big smile and also a solid idea of what you wish to accomplish this coming year (maybe a set goal and a couple events in mind?) to share so that the underclassmen will be interested to join!
Hope this helped! And if you have any other questions regarding anything I said or need more tips for Recruitment and Club Fair, please feel free to ask us!!
