Yeah, I mean there is always alot of guys around during the summer, but everyone still obeys all of the rules during formal rush, its just that bids aren't really given out because they already have been. Even the guys with bid still have to go through the formal part.

Gotcha, do you tend to rush more sophomores or are most of the freshmen local?
I have no idea if the Sigma Chis actually give bids early or not, but I'd be doubtful if the other 12 chapters do.

If a guy isn't around in the summer and comes to rush in the fall, is there still a possibility of him recieving a bid?

I imagine McCallan is like us, in that we rush mostly incoming freshmen in that summer. I mean, a lot of them are within an hour or so driving distance, so its not a big deal for them to drive over for a band party or something. If its farther, they'll usually just come to one of the beach parties or a party in Atlanta or Charlotte or something. We rarely rush sophomores unless they are like friends of current brothers, who for parental reasons or something couldn't rush their freshmen year. Usually we don't even rush those guys, its just a given that they'll be in the next pledge class. As for the HQ and University restrictions on parties... the school has all kinds of rules, but fraternities know which ones must be followed. For example, the biggest ones we follow are no alcohol during actual formal rush, and not bringing kids to parties during orientation (CWE weekend @ AU). Those are the ones which have really busted fraternities in the past. Most of the others we can get around. Also, I don't even know what the HQ rules on rush and pledgeship are. I was pledge trainer my junior year, but I guess we just don't really pay attention.

Hahah, thats funny, I really don't think I know what our HQ restrictions are either......and I have been on Rush teams too. I don't think ive evver reallythought about it....mostly just care about the university ones.

For Tennessee, it is a must for a fraternity to put in a good summer rush to make sure they can pull a good pledge class with guys coming from top schools in Memphis (MUS, Briarcrest, St. Benedict, Houston, CBHS), Nashville (Davidson, Ezell, MBA), Chattanooga (McCallie, Baylor) and even Jackson. The past two years or so, rush has been a 5/6 day event. Walkthroughs were on either Sunday or Monday, then there were two "informal" nights and then "invite-backs" for the other two "formal" nights and Friday would be bid-day/bid parties.

My fraternity throws a couple big parties during the summer in Knoxville and Nashville and some days on the lake in Knoxville and then at the very end of summer before the freshman go up we have a huge party in Memphis.

Its just meant to let the freshman coming in see us better than they would during rush, and for us to know who we want to rush balls on.

By the way, if you aren't having rush parties at a bar or two during rush week you won't stick out as much as the big fraternities that do. A band party is always a good idea since it brings tons of girls and music.

Yeah, even during formal rush when we can't have any alcohol, we usually take the guys out after formal rush ends (10pm each night I think). We'll have a party at someone's house or take a fraternity check to the bar.

Our rush days end at 9pm I believe, thank God. I usually just stick to the front porch burning cigs and talking to those coming up or heading out. Hitting on a guy four days in a row for a couple of hours is not my idea of a good time.

we would have been in so much trouble for giving bids out in the summer. Freshmen can't pledge untill the spring. It used to be that if you had enough credits you could still pledge first semester, but the rule changed when I got there and you had to wait no matter what.

that sucks

Not sure how it is at other schools, and this may have changed, but at UK (Kentucky) fraternities were not allowed to "officially" give out a bid over the summer. Or to be more accurate, the UK Administration would not "accept" the bid until the fall semester started. To be clear, a chapter might extend a bid, but it would not be binding until the the pledge was able to formally accept it in fall.

Regardless, by the time formal rush stated - which is right before/during the first week of classes - a good portion (core group) of the pledge class might be in place. Since there aren't quotas, totals or restrictions as to the number of men that can be extended a bid, the strong chapters continued to pick up more quality men during formal. Usually from out of state students and athletes. But also those men that did not know about the parties, had a conflict and could not attend, did not decide to rush until they summer orientation, or once they got on campus.