accepted bid previous semester, want to join another fraternity

boilermaker01 · #1 01-11-2008, 02:53 AM

I accepted a bid the previous semester but have been rushing around some more this spring semester and am thinking about joining another fraternity. Rush is still going on for another 4 weeks and as far as I know I don't think I have been registered yet (I've had no ceremony). Any idea of this is possible? I go to Purdue University where we have about 45 fraternities if that makes any difference

LaneSig · #2 01-11-2008, 08:32 AM

If you haven't participated in an initiation ceremony, you are not a member of the fraternity you bid. You do need to formally de-pledge before you go through rush again. Check with your Greek Life office and your pledge trainer.

Ilaria Ame · #3 01-11-2008, 09:17 AM

i'm confused. you can rush and accept a bid one semester, and then still be uninitiated an entire semester after and no one minds you rerushing??? i'm not in any way involved in ya'lls system so i don't claim to know what's supposed to happen, but what you said doesn't make any sense to me. anyone care to explain?

AOII Angel · #4 01-11-2008, 09:43 AM

I'm sure his chapter does mind, but since he isn't initiated he can re-rush. With 45 chapters on his campus, there's a good chance other chapters won't even know he ever pledge Group A and can pledge Group B. However, chapters that know he pledged Group A may not offer him a bid because of it. It also depends on why he never was initiated. He may have just not wanted to initiate, but I doubt he'd tell us if they refused to initiate him!

LaneSig · #5 01-11-2008, 09:44 AM

First point: It's y'all (you all), not ya'll (ya all).

Second: IFC does not have same rules as NPC. If you sign a bid, you are not bound to that bid for 1 year. You can depledge or not initiate and re-rush the next semester. However, the pledge does need to officially de-pledge from the fraternity. If he has not de-pledged or been blackballed (or kicked out in any way) from his fraternity, he is still bound by his bid. It isn't a common thing, but it's not uncommon, either. My chapter took 2 spring semester pledges. One had pledged KA and the other Pike the semester before, but both dropped out before initiations.

Sigma Chi also likes to tell how David Letterman initially pledged Sigma Phi Epsilon, but dropped out and pledged Sigma Chi the next semester.

boilermaker01 · #6 01-11-2008, 10:33 AM

To clear up the confusion, our school has it so you can accept a bid, but defer it to the next semester...so I have not even started pledgeship...just accepted the bid. but I want to withdraw

LaneSig · #7 01-11-2008, 10:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by boilermaker01

To clear up the confusion, our school has it so you can accept a bid, but defer it to the next semester...so I have not even started pledgeship...just accepted the bid. but I want to withdraw

Then you need to depledge today. Check with your Greek Life office to see if you can go through rush for this semester.

SoIcey212 · #8 01-11-2008, 10:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LaneSig

Then you need to depledge today. Check with your Greek Life office to see if you can go through rush for this semester.

Good advice. I want you on my team.

scbelle · #9 01-11-2008, 11:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LaneSig

Sigma Chi also likes to tell how David Letterman initially pledged Sigma Phi Epsilon, but dropped out and pledged Sigma Chi the next semester.

Too funny. That's the precise example I was going to offer OP when I first read his post, but since I don't know all the ins-and-outs of fraternity life, I thought it best to defer my comment.

Kevin · #10 01-11-2008, 11:43 AM

You haven't initiated yet, so you can do anything you want to.

Ilaria Ame · #11 01-11-2008, 02:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LaneSig

First point: It's y'all (you all), not ya'll (ya all).

thanks for the info. it makes total sense. however, i plan to continue using "ya'll" because i'm just stubborn and set in my ways

TekeGuy · #12 01-11-2008, 02:35 PM

Because you haven't been through initiation and thus have not learned the secrets, then you're good to go. However, it's a completely different story if you're initiated. I don't think you're allowed to drop out of a fraternity and join another, having been taught all the secrets of the original fraternity.

LaneSig · #13 01-11-2008, 02:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TekeGuy

Because you haven't been through initiation and thus have not learned the secrets, then you're good to go. However, it's a completely different story if you're initiated. I don't think you're allowed to drop out of a fraternity and join another, having been taught all the secrets of the original fraternity.

Before someone else goes here: You cannot just drop out once you have been initiated and then join another group. However, some IFC fraternities will allow you to resign your membership (I don't know the exact process). After you have resigned, you have to have proof from the National/HQ to show you are no longer considered a member. Then, you can try to rush again.

But, that is an entirely different situation from the OP's, apparently. He has not been initiated, so like I said before: He needs to contact his fraternity immediately and depledge before he can go through rush again.