Good points.

OP: did they say they were very particular about the girls they vote in/are they known as a competitive chapter that doesn't often allow affiliates, OR did you just get that impression?

It's possible this was a failed attempt to impress you—sending their creme de la creme out to meet the new girl.

If it's the first, who knows what could happen. If the chapter is very different from your home chapter, you may not fit in. It happens.

Ditto to 33girl and LeslieAnne on the new member periods. I came away from mine with very little (except the ability to pomp). My pledge class didn't really gel until later that year.

Edit: this is pomping. Wrap a 1"x2" piece of tissue paper around a marker, stick to board. Put 20 or so boards together to make giant picture. There's a skit that goes with it—usually geared to kids.

Do you just use the marker tops? I don't want to sound like a wet blanket but what do you do with the markers after you are done? That's a lot of plastic to toss.

crash/
That's interesting. I've never seen that before. It looks like it would take forever though. Thanks for explaining. I thought it was some kind of dance. :o
/crash

Pomping does take forever. We pomp floats for homecoming every year. The one year, my chapter did "Pirates of the Carribean" and they made a ship (an entire ship with people sitting inside) that had cannons on the side that would shoot out tissue paper pieces. Our treasure chest on the back of the ship would open and close. It was awesome!

As far as the OP goes, I'm really disappointed that newly initiated members think it is acceptable to just ditch your old sorority/ fraternity and initiate somewhere else. It scares me to think that these are the people who are the future of our organizations. Hasn't anyone ever heard of "loyalty" to their organizations? Maybe just hear about "loyalty" in general.

Re pomping: for us it consisted of brushing a ton of liquid glue over chicken wire and sticking squares of colored tissue paper in the holes. No markers were harmed in the making of our Homecoming floats.

Hahahaha..I was thinking the same thing. Instead of markers being harmed...out fingers were sore as hell once we were done...Pomping starts out being fun, but after a while you're like "Holy Shit this is painful..can we stop...It's done being fun, now!"

Our pomping what somewhere in the middle- it was chicken wire and then strips of tissue paper was twisted around it and then puffed out. And it does take forever- about a week to pomp a normal float.

However I did meet one of my best friends while pomping- he was in the fraternity we were paired with for homecoming. He is now my oldest son's godfather. So for me, pomping will always be a great memory!

As for joining a second org- trying to keep both affilations straight and keep is secret from different people seems like too much work! And I cannot imagine trying to do it today with all the technology around.

-hijack-That's just for house decs—chickenwire pomping is still done for the floats, or freestanding objects in front of the boards (trees, buildings, etc). Groups are usually allowed to start pomping at the end of August up until HC (middle to end of October).

Most groups either save the markers from year to year or donate to childcare centers/schools after Homecoming. Some groups just get dowel rods of the appropriate thickness and cut them up. They also use pencils for more detailed areas.

It's like a giant, super-flammable color-by-numbers. -end hijack-

You say you'd never reveal secrets yet you'll cheat to get into a new one. :( That makes me sad.

Our “pomps” are required to be flame retardant.;)

One of our new members:

http://i372.photobucket.com/albums/o...9_52625930.jpg

Others have answered the how-would-they-know question very well; I'd just add that an amazing amount of information can come to chapters via the recommendation process. Even if you think recs won't be needed for recruitment or getting a bid at your new school, guess what? Some sororities require them as a matter of national policy. So if (when) one (or more) of those sororities checks with alums in your home town, and/or with its chapter at your current school, to get a rec on you, what are they going to find out?

Oh yeah:
1) you lied on your recruitment application where it asks if you've ever been initiated in an NPC sorority;
2) you're ineligible for NPC recruitment anywhere; and
3) most important -- they now have some juicy information that will just have to be shared in an appropriate, dignified manner (or whatever).

That'd be a fun way to start life on a new campus.

I'd also wonder if trying to join a new group, when one has obviously met their own sisters on the new campus, would lead to having membership totally revoked from the original group. That would definitely be a good way to get negative attention from many members of the greek system, and have no alumna experience.

All you can do is try. I would not second-guess them. Look at it this way -- if they are prepared to accept you as a member of their chapter, why wouldn't you return their sisterly regard and give them a chance? If they won't accept you, then take early alum status and investigate other campus clubs and organizations.

You are only in charge of yourself. You can't control the actions of others. Act in an honorable way, and let the chips fall where they may. Think of it as a character-building exercise.