Switching from a Local Sorority to a National (National Panhellenic Conference)
 

Hey y'all,

Just wanted some advice on my situation. Currently, I go to a small school and Greek life isn't as prominent as it should be here. I am part of a local sorority here, and I am now an active for this semester. I didn't really have plans to transfer last year, but it seems like this is the case now. I will be transferring next semester to a bigger school, but they will not have my local organization. I plan to re-rush and hope to get into a NPC sorority, but I want to see what my chances were and if there were any bylaws against accepting someone who was in a local sorority.

As far as I know there is nothing that says a member from a local sorority cannot join a NPC sorority. Go ahead and rush at your new school but no one can tell you what your chances are

I think rules may vary from organization to organization. No harm in trying, though.

My understanding of Kappa's national bylaws is that a member may not be pledged to or a member of any similar organization, other than honorary or professional org.

I believe the NPC rules say you can't leave one NPC group to join another after you've initiated. You've never joined an NPC sorority so it shouldn't make a difference. Whether that will help or hurt your chances in real life is something we can't know or help with. But best of luck to you! Hopefully you can find a home and enjoy it as much or more as your current group.

Our bylaws have the NPC and the "any similar group" spelled out.

That may be a chapter bylaw as I just looked in the National bylaws and it says "She has not been initiated into any other member group of the National Panhellenic Conference."

I'll PM you the page and reference.

Does it specify any similar on the same campus, or is the OP's type of situation included as well?

That seems kind of over the top, JMO. Unless something specific occasioned it (i.e. someone joined a local, transferred, joined KKG and all of a sudden her local were all wearing light & dark blue keys and adopted an owl).

Thanks everyone! It seems like you girls are saying that it doesn't really matter since I never joined an NPC; so it might as well be worth a shot.

@amIblue?: so is it for just your chapter specifically that says y'all don't accept people who have been in "similar organizations"?

@KSUViolet06: You bring up an excellent point about letting my sisters know, that would be terrible for them to just find out the FB way.

I wouldn't be violating any National Panhellenic Conference bylaws; therefore, I am still eligible to rush? But I might not be eligible in certain chapters - is that what I should be concerned about?

You are eligible to rush. Individual chapters have to decide if you meet their membership requirements.

amiblue? is telling Mevara (who is also a KKG) from another chapter where to find it in the national bylaws, so I would assume she's saying that this applies to KKG as a whole, not just for her chapter.

Yes, I was referring Mevara to our national bylaws. I'm not sure we agree on the interpretation. I could ask someone at HQ, but I've probably said too much anyway on a public message board.

To the original OP, what will your status be with your local when you transfer? As far as Kappa is concerned, when a collegiate member in good standing transfers to a new school where there is no chapter, we become alumnae. I think this is fairly standard for NPC groups.

I get that you'll miss sorority life at your new school (I had to transfer after my third year because of family issues, and it stunk seeing all the groups wearing their letters and having fun), but didn't you make a promise to your organization?

Anyway, you are definitely free to go through recruitment, and the chapters at your new school will figure out if they want you and if you are eligible for membership.

It's worth a shot.

NPC doesn't have any rules stipulating that an initiate of a local sorority can't join an NPC sorority. There is a rule that, once initiated into one NPC sorority, you can never join another - but that isn't the case here. Some campus Panhellenics stipulate that if you join a local you cannot also join an NPC on the same campus - again, that isn't the case here.

So, if you choose, rush, and see what happens. Don't lie if asked whether you were in a local, but don't volunteer the information either.

Good luck.

Yes she sent me some clarification. It appears there is a bylaw that states as amIBlue said previously.

[Tangent]

Are your bylaws confidential?

[/Tangent]

Membership selection info is a slippery slope.

I understand, but it seems to me that if something is in the bylaws and the bylaws are available for public consumption, one is usually well clear of the slipperiness. The slipperiness comes when one gets into things not in publically available documents.

No biggie -- I was just curious.

I'm just wondering, why do you desire to be a member of an NPC? Is the school you're transferring to very far away from your current one? Could you still hang out with your local sorority sisters and participate in rituals and events even after you transfer? I ask this because trying to join a second sorority can be a very tricky situation, and as others have pointed out, you should definitely notify your current sisters of your intentions (who may then react in a number of different ways.) Understand that while they will most likely be somewhat hurt, their reactions could range from ultimately supporting your decision , to (worst case scenario) revoking your membership. I don't know what your local's policies are in such a matter, or if there even are any. I was in a local myself, and while this situation never occurred with our sisters who transferred, the idea had been discussed and to say that a sister joining an NPC would be "frowned upon" would be a huge understatement.(Obviously this didn't apply when we decided to join Theta Phi Alpha as a group :) ) I would suggest discussing this idea with your current sisters, and then decide where to go from there. Good luck.

I don't know if they are confidential but they are not publicly available.

Thanks.

For some NIC fraternities (and I suspect some other GLOs), the phrase “any similar organization” may refer to any fraternity (GLO) that may be viewed as “general” or “social” and not just members of the NIC.

Also, these GLOs are viewed as being inter/national (regional) in scope with multiple chapters and with some sort of headquarters or governing body. And they may also be a member of another umbrella (governing) council/conference/association other than the NIC. Or not. (Kappa Sigma and Phi Delta Theta for example.)

As such, I suspect this may be the reason the caveat “other than honorary or professional origination” is often added (needed).

Yes, unfortunately I will be moving to a different state and won't be able to come back as much as I want to. I do understand why it would be "frowned upon" though; if I had a choice in transferring, I wouldn't. And if I knew that this situation would come up, I would have waited to pledge into an organization. And I do feel terrible that I have to leave so many great people behind, but in the end, I still want the sisterhood bond at my new school (which might mean joining a NPC). If there isn't any violation against me doing that, I think it would be a matter of personal preference for me - I just wanted to know if I had that option.

I'm not sure what my status would be; I wouldn't be affiliated with the school anymore, which means I'd be leaving the local sorority as well. And I do understand that I made this commitment, but at that time, I was not aware that I would have to leave it behind. I'm still taking into consideration about re-rushing; I just wanted to know if there was an option for it because I've enjoyed being part of a sisterhood and the Greek community. And that's something I really value in my college experience. My situation is a bit tricky since I joined a local sorority with affiliations only around our neighborhood. But thanks for the info.

Thank you for your advice, I certainly will take it to heart. And I hope that I find a new home, but not forgetting about my old one, either.

a quick google says yes, they are.

I'm pretty sure that these things have to be publicly available for NFP's.

That's what I thought too so I went and checked it out. I promise I am only a legal governance geek rather than a creepy KKG stalker