Chapters know that they're all VERY different. If the XYZs at your new school do bring it up, you can always spin it to the tune of "I did get a bid from XYZ at Previous U and was pledging, but I depledged because I knew I would be transferring because of my major. I didn't think it would be fair to the chapter to initiate/get an office/get a little when I knew I was leaving the next semester."

Alright, so here's what's been going on.

Everything is clear and out in the open with my entire chapter. I've decided not to go through with initiation. Everyone seems understand the difficult situation I've been placed in - and they do genuinely seem to agree that every chapter is very different, like you were talking about 33girl. There are a few people who seem a little sore about it, but that makes sense and I know that everything going on has really stressed me out as well.

I'm still nervous about having to rush again, but I'm pretty sure that I'm making the right choice for me. However, now I have a new concern! Nationals told my chapter advisor and chapter president that I will NOT be allowed to rush for a full year since I accepted my bid. The chapter president and my big have both told me this means any sorority on any campus, even the school I'm transferring to. I was under the impression that the bid acceptance was only binding for a year on this campus. So what gives? Did they misunderstand? It sounded to me like Nationals may have meant I can't rush their specific sorority for a year.

The schools are in the same state -I don't know if that matters. Can someone clarify for me?

UPDATE - so I found this thread here that cites the NPC Green Book:
http://www.greekchat.com/gcforums/sh...d.php?t=116610

It seems to me that someone along the line made a mistake with the information they're giving me, then. Any ideas why Nationals would tell them I can't rush? I don't get how something like this could get so confusing when it's spelled out so clearly?

You can go through NPC rush with no problem when you transfer. If your current sorority has a rule that you can't be bid at another one of their chapters, that's their individual thing and definitely not an NPC-wide policy. You might want to private message a member of the sorority on here to clarify. :)

That's how I understood it as well, 33girl. But when I spoke to my chapter, they said Nationals told them that accepting a bid from my specific sorority meant that, according to their rules, I couldn't rush ANY sororities for a year. I was under the impression that a single sorority didn't have the power to make that decision and that things like that fell under NPC. I'm definitely confused.

Unless you heard this from the horse's mouth - i.e. directly from a national volunteer - I would guess that what your chapter is reporting to you got somewhat lost in the translation. Either that or they didn't explain it very well. You can rush again when you transfer if you aren't initiated. You do not have to wait a year, or even a minute, when you get to the new school.

This is Green Book standard - any sorority who would try to supercede it in any way is playing a dangerous game. Again, I think it's just a misunderstanding, but you might be well served to 1) ask a member of the group here on GC 2) call your national HQ yourself and speak to a sister. (Stressing the "sister" part because people working at HQs aren't always sisters or brothers of the fraternity/sorority.)

I spoke to the Chapter Advisor and that was her understanding. I didn't realize it was possible for a sorority to supercede the NPC - I just assumed that each sorority, as a member, had to follow the NPC's rules and regulations.

I will definitely try giving HQ a call.

It's NOT possible, not in cases like this. That's why I said any sorority giving the impression that it is, is on very thin ice and would definitely face some sort of reprimand from national Panhellenic. Which is why I think some arrows got crossed in the explanation, either from the advisor to you or from the advisor's initial inquiry to HQ.

The only thing they could do at your new school is prevent you from joining their chapter there (and that's highly doubtful). They can't prevent you from joining any of the other 25 NPC chapters.

Ah, exactly what I was thinking. They just kept pushing the point. It was almost as if they wanted to dissuade me from depledging? This conversation was happening a few days ago, before I formerly depledged. I just dropped it. I figure if there are any issues (which I doubt), I can deal with them at my new school when the time comes - and contact HQ at that point if I really need to.

Thanks for all your help, 33girl. I apologize if it seems like I'm asking the same questions over and over again. I keep getting all this mixed information from everyone and it's enough to drive me crazy!

Good luck MIA. You'll be fine, and either by malice or ignorance, your old chapter is wrong. I hope recruitment works out for you! This is an unusual situation so I look forward to hearing how it goes, how you feel about the process, etc.