Gotcha 33girl. I hope you didn't take any offense as I was only explaining our situation.

Frankly there are times when I envy chapters that don't have houses. Housing and meals add a whole other set of headaches. Repairs, maintence, staff, even preparing menus that everyone likes are a real challenge. We're lucky to have such a beautiful house and we've got a waiting list for members who want to live in. (We can only house 39 of our 150 members.) But it's alot of work to make it all run smoothly.

During the formal recruitment parties at my school, there MUST be at least 1 display with all the finances listed. It is a lot easier on everyone upfront to know if someone can't afford it if payment plans can't be worked out.

It makes sense. It would stop a lot of girls from dropping. I remember a rumor going around that one sorority asked in second round what the PNM's parents did and made (which, for the record, they don't actually... I was in there). My thought was, so what if they do? At least you'd get it all out up front... can this person really afford to be here, or are we "wasting" a bid on a girl who's just going to drop when she hears she needs to write a check for $400 right away?

"My dad works for Enron!" Yeah, that would have worked LOL.

Seriously, asking what someone's parents do the minute you meet them is really intrusive and offensive and not necessary. Plus it's pointless - you never know - the parents could be both working at Burger King and the PNM has a trust fund reserved for her from a great aunt or something. Not to mention the people who have "high prestige" jobs that are in debt up to their eyeballs.

By all means, have financial info available so the PNMs can judge for themselves if they can afford it - but for someone else to make that decision from stereotypes and assumptions is pretty repulsive.

I pay about $1,800 a semester for rent at my frat, but that includes all utilities, high speed internet, cable, and 9 catered meals a week (lunch and dinner monday through thursday and lunch on friday).

our dues are only about $300 or so a semester.

DTD fraternity fees (including food mon-fri):

$250/month first two months (while you're a pledge)
$150/month for actives.

If you want to live in the house after your freshman year, your total cost (food, rent, etc) is $650/month. I am trying to be an RA this coming year (2006-07) to cover some of the costs of my dues seeing as how I'm struggling to pay for school right now (parents are not helping at all). Before y'all give me a hard time about being an RA, it only requires 5 hours a week commitment and you get a free dorm AND $700/semester for food. That would allow me so much more freedom!

Our Panhellenic started something new with Fall 2005 Formal Recruitment. Each chapter submitted a detailed accounting of the financial obligations for new members. Not just numbers, but descriptions of what you actually get for your money. Additionally, chapters were expected to list what ADDITIONAL costs might be incurred. For example, my chapter was the highest by about $30, but we do not charge members for any social events. Other chapters had to list that they charge for informal, formal, etc.

We laid out the brochure very nice and professional, yet with fonts and designs matching the other Panhellenic recruitment handouts. We had fun quotes like "If being Greek means buying my friends, then it’s the BEST investment I ever made!!"

At least in the chapter I advise, and reportedly in the others as well, there were MANY MANY fewer financial issues amongst the new member classes. Everyone was well informed, and no one depledged for financial reasons.

The majority of ours are around upwards of 1000 a semester, not living in the house.