If once a pledge @ one fraternity, am I still able to join another after transfer?

[ProZach]

Hi - I'm currently a freshman and have always been interested in joining a fraternity... but I didn't go through formal rush this year because I'm pretty 50/50 as to where I'll be NEXT year - either transferring to another school or staying where I'm at, and I know many fraternities don't allow someone to leave a fraternity and join another, and naturally I'd rather be a part of a fraternity I like for 3 years of college instead of 1.

However I talked to a good friend of mine at the fraternity I'd like to join, and he suggested I try to become a spring pledge with them this year - then if I decide to stay I can be initiated, and if I decide to leave and join another somewhere else it will be fine because I was only a pledge. I was just curious if most fraternity organizations would be cool w/ me doing this?

[BirdDog]

Once you are initiated it's done, your in that fraternity for life. I was a pledge at a school and tranfered, as long as you don't get initiated don't worry.

[LaneSig]

Most fraternities don't care if you pledged another group first, as long as you did not become an initiated member. Many guys have pledged groups, de-pledged and then pledged another group the next semester. I can think of 3 guys in my chapter that pledged somewhere else first and then pledged Sigma Chi. And one of our most famous members, David Letterman, pledged another fraternity first, de-pledged, and then pledged Sigma Chi.

[Jestor]

Like a lot of other guys and like the situation you indicated, I pledged a fraternity, then de-pledged because I transferred to another school, where I joined a different fraternity.

So as long as you don't initiate, you're fine.

[DSTCHAOS]

I'm just getting the point that "depledge" refers to disassociating after accepting a bid but BEFORE becoming initiated. I thought it was a post-initiation disaffiliation so I was going to ask why any chapter would accept a de-pledger.

[Tom Earp]

Because another GLO can, as they were not initiated but only recruited to be a possible Full member.

[texasrho104]

Ask if the organization goes along with the 30 day retraction period. Some fraternal organizations make you a brother just as soon as you sign the bid card with no pledging what so ever and give you 30 days to retract that bid. I know of one on my campus that practices this. So if that happens then you would be in the fraternity's HQ system as being a member even if you didn't learn all of the secrets and therefore you can not join anyone else. Maybe some of you guys know what I'm talking about if not I can explain furthur.