heh, we don't take pins (they're kinda hard to get) but pledge books/manuals are like GOLD on our campus. The tradition of stealing/obtaining books is really, really strong. There is usually a "price" to be paid to get them back (usually a doughnut or a song). Certain fraternity books have a very, very high price on their heads (our brother fraternity being one of them). It's mostly in jest, but the boys take it a bit too seriously sometimes. The "rule" is that it has to be the pledge's error. It can't be taken if, say, the pledge hands it to a fraternity man to get his chapter information. It can't be taken if it is in a bag. However, if she leaves it wide open on a cafeteria table while she goes and chats to someone on the other side...fair game.

I think TKE did this at my school but I don't remember hearing much about it. Though, I did see a brother smear his leftover Denny's in a plege's book once for not remembering some fact about their org - now THAT was funny. He walked out of Denny's dripping eggs and grits out of his book!

How do the fraternities know you were the group that stole it? Do you send a ransom note? I have these silly visions of a fraternity pin laying on a daily news paper wearing a itty bitty blind fold.

You can check out this post on my blog for a fuller explanation. It's not complete - I could probably write a book. The issue is indicative of the larger society. Look at the people crying "We can't use real candles" when in fact one person says they used candles, had a fire, and dealt. These are people who learn lessons, and the lesson isn't "don't use candles", it's "be careful with fire." Those are leadership lessons.

When my daughter when to University of Texas at Austin, rushees were required to PAY for the privilege of attending SIXTEEN houses on one day. Tell me she's going to remember squat? She and I decided it was an asinine system, and she's happily GDI.

"au contraire mon frere" -- or, I guess in this case, "ma soeur de NPC."

Our organizations have similarities on the inter/national level, but I see significant differences (which are fine with me, BTW)

I think these days it's more - multiple chapters had incidents with fire and their insurance companies said they require a no-fire policy as part of their coverage. Same thing with many of the other restrictions.

NutBrn, I meant all our groups are similar in the general sense that all of our National/Int'l officers share the same challenges in promoting scholarship, leadership, service and sisterhood among their membership and dealing with practical matters such as finances, liability, litigation, anti-Greek administrations, etc. Obviously each NPC group has a unique, rich and wonderful tradition and history loved and cherished by her own sisters.

Did you mean something different?

First off, as for the candles, several schools/landlords are the ones that have the policies - I know we rented from a regular landlord, and we weren't supposed to have any open flames at all. It was in our lease. Some chapters that aren't housed hold rituals in classrooms or all purpose rooms - these buildings are usually nonsmoking and any flame at all would have the sprinklers going off.

In other words, sometimes it isn't the sorority making the no-candle rules.

Tess, I read your post, and while I understand your frustration with people not taking responsibility for their own actions, I really don't understand your railing at some of the things you are. Dancing With the Stars? It's a silly TV show. I don't think anyone feels they are being "mind controlled" if there's a reminder to vote for Marie Osmond because she's a Mu Nu. Would I vote for a sister who was running for homecoming queen? Yes, because she's not just a sister, she's my friend. I want my friend to win a contest she enters. There are several discussions on here about "the Machine" but that is most assuredly the exception, not the rule.

There was a large discussion on here about a sorority member (I think she was a KD) running for political office in Washington, and several of her sisters said that while they supported the fact that she was active politically, they didn't agree with her politics.

Several of my sisters are members of the Fraternal Caucus group - it's a lobbying organization. They certainly do not want everyone to think the same way. If that was the case, the sisters I know wouldn't be involved with it.

And I am sorry that you feel that meeting all the sororities is an "asinine system." Many women go through this process, and they DO remember who they liked and who they didn't. I realize that coming from a very small chapter this is a bit mind-boggling, but every school is different. If you wanted your daughter to have the kind of Greek experience you did, you shouldn't have sent her to UT.

Political activism isn't always a sign of leadership. I think (and I think DA would probably back me up on this) that in the "good old days" of protests and marching, there were just as many people there trying to hook up as there were people devoted to the cause..."what's your phone number?" in between "power to the people!" Sadly, a lot of women who are involved in feminist groups in college are told - NOT by the sororities, but by the "feminist" groups - that involvement in both is not possible.

And sometimes it is the sorority... my GLO's policy on candles comes directly from nationals and applies to chapters that are both housed and unhoused. It is even part of the risk management chairman's materials direct from the GLO to make sure every chapter complies...

I'm not denying that.

I'm just saying that there ARE times when the national sorority has nothing to do with it. There are lots of instances on here where collegians or alums say "our nationals didn't let us do so and so" and nationals had nothing to do with it...it was a chapter bylaw, or a tradition, or something the school didn't allow. Kind of along the same lines of blaming the "brothel law" for the lack of sorority houses when no such law exists. Everyone seemed to be piling on nationals for not "letting" them do things whether or not the national was really the one who made the rule.

Yes, the no flame mandate is straight from Headquarters but it was set with insurance and safety in mind. Sure I miss the ambiance of real candles during recruitment and ritual, but I'd much rather have a standing house and all the members safe than a little ambiance.

See my post on insurance above. It's not just housed members who are covered in the insurance policy.

Yeah, I understand the logic and liability-avoiding reasons (just like with many of the restrictions that inevitably have to exist)... I'm just saying that I miss it and it is too bad that we couldn't just solve the problem some other way than a complete ban. I have no ideas as far as what that would be, but I'm definitely jealous of the GPBs' real candles!

As a campus Greek Advisor I get that ALL THE TIME! Except in my case, it's "the college won't let us..." Actually, if they were familiar with their organization's policies and governing documents, they'd know that the school had nothing to do with the rule (whatever it is). I call chapter officers out on that all the time! (there are times when sorority members complain to me about a rule that I've never heard of before...come to find out, the rule is in the chapter bylaws and the chapter leadership blames it on ME when they are reviewing bylaws with the chapter members).

Our campus DOES have the "no candles" rule..but it applies to everyone in any campus property. The sorority chapters have found places off campus to do initiation instead (which gives them a better room in my opinion).

PsychTau

"And I am sorry that you feel that meeting all the sororities is an "asinine system." Many women go through this process, and they DO remember who they liked and who they didn't. I realize that coming from a very small chapter this is a bit mind-boggling, but every school is different. If you wanted your daughter to have the kind of Greek experience you did, you shouldn't have sent her to UT."

I didn't SEND her to UT. She CHOSE UT. I raised her to make choices and live with her decisions.