changing houses

I'm curious. I wanted to know if anyone out there has switched sororities. And by that I me joined a NPC and then dropped and joined a local. Or joined a NPHC and dropped and joined a IFC or even vice versa. Please dont use your real names for obvious reasons. I'm asking this because i saw an earlier post from a woman( i assume) who joined an NPC and was not happp and wants to join an NPHC.

[Ms.CrimsonCream]

Well, I haven't been in the situation that you have described, but I did want to post.

For those of you who joined a NPC sorority and are interested in joining the NPHC sorority I am a member of (Delta Sigma Theta), you won't be able to.

One of our membership requirements is that you cannot be a member of, or have been disbanned from any organization holding membership in the NPHC or the NPC.

I don't know how the other 3 sororities of the the NPHC operate, but I would think they might have the same kind of membership restrictions.

[PenguinTrax]

Heather -

Once you have been initiated into an NPC sorority, you cannot join another NPC or NPHC group. You can join professional or honorary societies. If you chose to relinquish your NPC affiliation and join a local, you can do that but I would caution you to consider ALL the consequences before rushing headlong into a decision of that type.

I can only assume that you are dealing with some issues in your current chapter. My advice to you is to decide what is important to you. If you love your sorority and what it stands for, but are having problems with certain members remember that you don't have to be friends with everyone and the bond to your sorority is lifelong and will outshine and outlast any problems you are currently facing. Is the problem so bad that you are willing to turn your back on your organization as a whole, for the rest of your life?

Talk to a trusted advisor or upperclassman and share your concerns. I feel confident that they would counsel you with wisdom based on their experience.

Barbara

[awatters]

Aren't there certain oaths taken during initiation to never join another similar GLO? My fraternity, like all other social fraternities, is for life. I will never join another one, even if I somehow change schools. Professional fraternities, however, are acceptable.

The exception is when the Grand Chapter releases a member from his oaths, which occurs only when a member is expelled for his misconduct.

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andrew watters
Theta Chi –*ucla

[This message has been edited by awatters (edited April 04, 2000).]

Barbara,
I'm not in a sorority, it's just that an eariler post peaked my interest about this subject.

[PenguinTrax]

Originally posted by Sweet Deliverance:
PERSONAL QUESTION:
For NPC sororities who allow women to change organizations, do you not have a problem with knowing each other's secrets and confidential information?

Once you are initiated in an NPC sorority you cannot join another.

If a women pledges a sorority but does not initiate, she must wait one calendar year before pledging another group. I have never known a woman that has dropped out of a group after pledging and re-pledged to another sorority. That's not to say that it would happen, I just don't know anyone that's done it. I have known women that attempted to do it and they did not receive bids.

I just want to know if some one was actually able to switch greek systems. I would assume that they would switch campus' or something in order to do something like this.
And if youre wondering where my intrest in this comes from, yes i am interested in joining a house but I'm trying to be very careful about which one I choose. I'm a legacy in 3 different houses. 2 NPHC and 1 NPC. How people treat each other is very inportant to me. After all of this, I'm thinking sorority life may not be for me. Oh well. Just trying to get info. =D

[Sweet Deliverance]

Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. is an NPHC organization. It is unheard of to denounce full fledged membership in one sorority and join another sorority. A member may cease to function actively/financially with the organization, but she does not "drop" herself from membership. She's still a member, but classified as inactive. There are occasions when women, who are rejected by their choice organization after applying, may decide to pursue another sorority.

When women are only interested/observing and are exploring their options by attending different events and informationals, that is fine and encouraged. Women should be certain, without reservation, which sorority they want to affiliate with because once initiated, it is a lifetime commitment. Every organization hopes to have members whose love for the sisterhood is genuine and undivided. Hope this helps answer your question.

PERSONAL QUESTION:
For NPC sororities who allow women to change organizations, do you not have a problem with knowing each other's secrets and confidential information?

[This message has been edited by Sweet Deliverance (edited April 04, 2000).]

[PenguinTrax]

Originally posted by heather:
I just want to know if some one was actually able to switch greek systems. I would assume that they would switch campus' or something in order to do something like this.

I assume when you say "switch systems" you mean go from an NPC to an NPHC. From what I know, the NPHC groups will not take a member that's been initiated into an NPC group. NPC feels the same way. You would really have to lie about your former affiliation. If someone found out about it, most likely you'd be asked to leave your current chapter.

And if youre wondering where my intrest in this comes from, yes i am interested in joining a house but I'm trying to be very careful about which one I choose. I'm a legacy in 3 different houses. 2 NPHC and 1 NPC. How people treat each other is very inportant to me. After all of this, I'm thinking sorority life may not be for me. Oh well. Just trying to get info. =D

Heather -
This is what I would do if I were in your shoes: I would research the NPHC and NPC groups (all of them) on your campus. I would then decide which affiliation type appealed to me the most. If you decide that the NPC groups offer more of what you are looking for, sign up for Formal or Informal Recruitment and visit all houses with an open mind. Go where your heart says you belong and don't let anyone, espcially family members, pressure you into a decision. This is a decision that you alone can make. The NPC membership process is one of mutual selection. You will be able to list 3 chapters from whom you would accept a bid for membership. I have a site with good information about NPC recruitment - take a minute read the information as it explains the mutual selection process in a clear manner: http://panhellenic.tripod.com/FAQ.html

If the NPHC groups appeal to you then you will have to wait and find out when informational meetings are scheduled on your campus. In the interim you should start attending the events sponsored by the group of your choosing. From what I have heard, showing up at events from more than one sorority is frowned upon. Keep in mind that everything about the NPHC group's membership selection process is very different from the NPC. It is not neccesarily based on a mutual selection process and it takes several weeks of hard work and uncertainty on your part.

Being a legacy is not a guarantee of membership in either NPC or NPHC chapters. You may be given extra consideration, but it is not a guarantee of membership. Your opportunity to receive a bid will be equal to anyone else going thru Recruitment.

Please e-mail or post additional questions that you may have.




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Fraternally,
Barbara
Zeta Tau Alpha Alumna

If you have to go around telling everyone you're in charge you're not much of a leader.

[33girl]

Hey, speaking of this, I got mail from my nationals regarding new additions to our bylaws to be voted on at our next convention. One of the things was to add the statement that no member of another NPC sorority regardless of her status could join our sorority. It said the reason for adding this was that NPC’s legal counsel was advising all the sororities to put this in their bylaws.

Barb- do you know if there have been problems with people doing this or something? It sounded like they are trying to prevent people who transfer or who have terminated from joining somewhere else, which is already illegal of course.

Heather, the best advice I can give you is to follow your heart. Try as hard as you can to block out the outside forces (friends, family, the organizations’ “reps”) and concentrate on what you feel inside. Goony as it is to say, it’s like being in love – when you are in the right place you’ll know it! Good Luck!

[PenguinTrax]

National Panhellenic Conference Unanimous Agreements
II. Panhellenic Compact
1. A woman who is or who has ever been an initiated member of an existing NPC fraternity shall not be eligible for membership in another NPC fraternity.

Since all members of the NPC abide by these Unanimous Agreements, I don't know why each fraternity would have to put it in their by-laws. Extra protection perhaps? Don't know..

Barb

P.S. I have a Green Book, so if you ever have a question on official policy, let me know.

I pledged another sorority and dropped out the week of initiation and joined another house a year later. but I was never initiated into my first house.(thankfully)

thank you for all of your insight. I will make sure i check out all of my options before i jump into the pot.

heather

[equeen]

Along the same lines, how would one handle the following situation? My sorority is not an NPC or NPHC sorority; however we are organized nationally (ie. we're not local). Suppose a young lady were to leave us after initiation, would NPC or NPHC sororities accept her as a pledge? As far as our rules are concerned, they're like other sororities -- you can only be a member of one sorority; so you can't pledge/initiate us as well as an NPC or NPHC sorority...would an NPC or NPHC sorority have the same view of our sisterhood?

[PenguinTrax]

Originally posted by equeen:
Along the same lines, how would one handle the following situation? My sorority is not an NPC or NPHC sorority; however we are organized nationally (ie. we're not local). Suppose a young lady were to leave us after initiation, would NPC or NPHC sororities accept her as a pledge? As far as our rules are concerned, they're like other sororities -- you can only be a member of one sorority; so you can't pledge/initiate us as well as an NPC or NPHC sorority...would an NPC or NPHC sorority have the same view of our sisterhood?

The NPC regs are specifically aimed at women switching between NPC groups. As far as I can tell, there is nothing on the books that say a former member of the NPHC or another sorority, local or regional/national, couldn't be considered for membership.

Barb