I'm pretty sure every organization and its corresponding council or conference has regulations and consequences for "dirty" rushing/recruitment/membership intake.

There are different guidelines and perhaps more leniency for NIC as compared to NPC, but I'm sure some regulations and consequences exist. Our organizations didn't become as old and prevalent as they are without regulations against improperly interacting with aspirants and improperly bringing in new members, including but not limited to promising membership and hazing.

In fact, for some organizations, promising someone membership before they have gone through the membership process can be considered hazing or improper member conduct if something happens that prevents the person from becoming a member. Or, the person becomes a member and it is discovered that the person should not have become a member.

There are definitely rules regarding conduct during pledging/intake, but I've seen nothing for people that are rushing. I can only see that working in a structured/formal recruitment setting, anyway.

If they exist, I don't know of them.

We've told people they were shoo (or shoe?) ins...whether or not they are or not. We've dirty rushed if necessary, etc etc.

If there are rules, I'm not sure most fraternities play by them.

@ knightshadow

You're saying that the NIC doesn't have regulations and guidelines (even if considered minuscule and widely ignored) prior to an applicant being accepted for pledging/intake? I can't imagine the NIC organizations not foreseeing a reason to have formal guidelines for rush despite how informal rush is.

:) But, as an active bringing in new members, wouldn't it be your responsibility to know the guidelines and whether or not any exist? You all don't receive training for bringing in new members?

It may very well be the bolded.

Sidebar/
I noticed that my original post stated "rush/recruitment/membership intake." "Membershp intake" was intended to refer to aspirants prior to applying and prior to being accepted (or not) for membership intake.
/Sidebar

I'm saying if they exist I've never followed them nor heard of them.

That doesn't mean they don't exist.

Nope.

I mean, we don't. Procedures for others may be different.

I think the instructions would be:
"Don't be a creeper."
"Don't rush creepers."
"Bring over as many girls as possible."

Sorry, that post was for knightshadow. That's why we should use the quote function. :)

From what I've learned, NIC is more concerned with its member organizations than it is with how its member organizations are operating. There are guidelines that say what the national organizations must do, but the day-to-day is not a concern of NIC.

As far as recruitment, this is all I could find:

Statement of Position on Recruitment

The North-American Interfraternity Conference and its member fraternities believe friendship leads to membership. To effectively employ that as a strategy, NIC-member fraternities pursue a recruitment model based on an unrestricted, year-round commitment to actively seek prospective members who share a commitment to the fraternal values of scholarship, leadership and service.

The NIC and member fraternities have long advocated a year-round model of unrestricted recruitment - discouraging campuses and fraternity chapters from recruiting new members during limited times throughout the year and from using the term "rush" to label a time-specific effort to attract new members to a fraternity chapter.

Recruitment is the life blood of every chapter, and in addition to year-round opportunities to seek new members the Standards of the NIC state that host institutions and campus IFCs will not prohibit NIC member fraternities from recruiting. To prohibit a group from recruiting is communicating to the organization that there is no support for the group to improve, grow, or even continue to survive. The NIC is opposed to this prohibition in ANY and ALL situations.

To encourage effective implementation of, and active engagement in, a year-round recruitment strategy, the NIC and member fraternities provide resources and educational forums for undergraduates and alumni. The NIC also offers Strategic Consultations on campus, as well as the annual IFC Academy. Open to any council officer or advisor who wishes to attend, the Academy exists to advance NIC Standards implementation and support both fledgling and veteran councils.

OK, I thought you meant after an aspirant/rushee has been accepted.

To the best of my knowledge, because of how different the members are, NIC doesn't have any rules regarding membership. Local IFCs might of course.

Pardon me as I just learned the difference between NIC and IFC a year or so ago. I always called it IFC and didn't know that was the local entity until some GCer cyber smacked me one day. LOL.

Okay, so IFCs may have regulations and consequences. That's interesting and I'd be interested to see whether that is or isn't the case.

ETA: When I talk about regulations and consequences, I'm not saying they have to come from the council or conference. I was simply saying that the regulations and consequences should exist for the NIC fraternities regardless of whether they come from NIC, IFC, or the fraternities themselves.

;)

TBH, I haven't heard of local IFCs having consequences, either. The IFCs I'm familiar with usually host a "Meet The Greeks"-type event, but after that, it's (for lack of a better term) a free for all.

It was still a valid question as the NPC does have rather strict national rules about recruitment.

I'm thinking any "consequences" would be more for things like bidding people who aren't eligible (grades, class standing if it's deferred rush, people who aren't enrolled at the school etc) knowingly.

Bidding =/= rushing, though :)

But yeah, in those situations, the consequences would come from school or the individual fraternities, not NIC or IFC.

My ETA above clarified that I was saying that these regulations and consequences (hopefully) exist regardless of whether they come from the fraternities, NIC, or IFC. The notion that the regulations do not exist (regardless of where they come from) or that they MIGHT exist "but who knows" is baffling to me.

Bidding =/= rushing but there's inappropriate stuff that tends to happen before you get to improper bidding.