Affiliation
 

My chapter is currently holding spring rush and has had Tri Delts from two other schools have come to our activities. We like both girls but our VP of memebership to us that even if we love them we have to wait until the end of the semester to "vote" them in although they will be welcome at all our events this semester. I thought this was sort of cruel to make them essentially rush for an entire semester when they are already sisters. I was wonder what expereinces anyone else has had with affiliation and if their sororities had a nationals rule similar to ours.

Humm .... that sounds very odd ...

I will probably bet that Tri-Delt International Policy is that if these members want to affliate, then they can - AND there is NO voting by the incoming chapter.

These members already had their vote for membership ... when they were invited, bid, and initiated into Tri-Delt, thus no need for a 'new' vote. And you are right - that is unfair to have them wiat in any result.

As long as these members are in good standing, and have the paperwork /letters in order (most NPC groups DO have some kind of paperwork for this), your sisters should be welcomed in open arms and smiles.

I HIGHLY RECOMMEND contacting Tri-Delt HQ to find out the proper procedure. Most chapters don't have experience with this, and officers may not have the most up to date information to the process.

Some nationals have a rule that you cannot affiliate your first semester at a new school UNLESS the old chapter "releases" you, which should never be a problem. You can affiliate your second semester no matter what.

However, if these girls were new members and not initiated, I believe NPC rules state their bids become invalid after transferring and they must in fact rush again.

I second NeonPi on this. Definitely contact your National Headquarters to find out exactly how this should be handled. Heaven knows no one should have to rush twice in one lifetime! :)

trid-

I believe your chapter is doing it right. As far as I am aware most, if not all the NPC chapters have similar affiliate guidelines. The member needs to let the chapter know she'd like to affiliate, then there's a one month probationary period, then the chapter votes to allow her to affiliate. I think they're still allowed to attend meetings and stuff but can't do things like vote or hold office during that time.

I don't think of it as cruel. Would you want some random sister coming in and voting on new members, or holding office if you don't know her well? It's kinda sorta like pledging again, except she'll still be a sister no matter the outcome of the vote.

Just to add to what NeonPi wrote... AOIIs policy (paraphrasing) is that if a sister transfers and is in good standing then she may affiliate if she wants to, the chapter does not vote on her. Once she is initiated it is for life, and we have to beleive that if any of our chapters thought enough of her to initiate her then that should be good enough.

I have seen other sororities that do it different. My sister has a friend that transferred from FSU to UF. When she tried to affiliate they let her play a big part in the chapter and when they were supposed to vote on her they came up with some excuse as to why the couldn't, then went on to pass a bylaw that until an affiliate member was voted in they could not attend chapter (how could they really get to know an affiliate??), and once they were they could not hold office. Sounds to me like they are taking away her rights and priveliges as a fully initiated member of that org. :mad:

Some sororities have semester wait affiliation policies, some don't. If this is just a chapter rule, I'd bet it was put in place because they had a bad experience with an affiliating member in the past and wanted to prevent it from happening again. Find out how, when and why it was passed before eliminating it.

I think in Theta Chi you have to be voted in. I don't see how it could ever be a problem though. Most of us would want as many brothers as posible. But, I could see if that if fthe old chapter/colony/interest group had a lot of bad things to say. But oh well. The only stipulation is that if a brother from a chapter transfers and either joins or starts a colony or an interest group, he can't be Marshal. That is, no iniatated brother can hold the position of Marshal (pledge educator) b/c they know the secrets.

But isn't one of the greatest things of belonging to a national, being able to connect with another initiated brother or sister that was initiated somewhere else? How can they be considered "random", hell they are members of your org, yet they would have to wait to affiliate to another chapter when they are already part of that organization? How jacked up is that?

Further, what happens if they don't win a vote to affiliate?

d

I used random cause you don't know her. For all anyone knows the member could be wacko.

But the main reason I agree w/ the practice is that when you leave school; at least in my sorority, you automatically gain alumna status. Alumna have no say in collegiate chapter votes. Actives/collegiate members only have voting priveliges (sp?) at their own schools. So a girl can't go visit another chapter and vote during a meeting. Being an affiliate member gives you voting priveliges at the new school.

I've said in other posts each Greek system is different. Suzy could transfer schools, hang out w/ the chapter for a month and realize she'd be just as happy keeping alumna status.

The month is a "getting to know you" stage. However, as much as I am for the probationary period and chapter vote; I've NEVER heard of a sister not being accepted. :)

Actually, the first woman who posted is right. That is the Tri Delta rule. Weird, but their rule. They must vote on someone who wants to affiliate. I used to work at their HQ and we got this question all the time.

Tri Sigma does not do this. You can affiliate....once your a sister, always a sister.

well, for obvious reasons it would be out of the question for a member to vote at a different chapter meeting just because they are visiting. BUT, if they were registered at the university, and not just visiting, then what? Fromt he post starter, it doesn't appear to be like that at all.

As for going alumna, how is it that one could be considered an alum while still pursuing an undergrad degree?!?!
As for the Suzy case, isn't that on kind of a case by case basis, and actually up to the person that transfered. If she felt like feeling the chapter out, that should be up to her. BUT, if she wants to be involved as soon as she can, why make her wait? Why have her voted in?

It's just absurd to me, granted they aren't my organizations and/or my rules, but I feel that it is a contradiction to that appeal of being able to connect with a member from a different area.

Then again, that's just me, and we are a lonely regional, so what do i know?

d

There were a couple posts (I think it was in the LSU thread) about women who pledge at smaller schools so they can get into the sorority they want and then transfer to big competitive systems like LSU - where they REALLY wanted to join. If a sorority has an epidemic of that happening, I can understand why they would institute a national semester wait rule. I mean it's kind of like using - #1, you used the sisters at the first chapter to get in, and #2, you didn't have faith that the sisters at the second chapter would like you & vote you in so you had to "trick" them into it.


see damasa, aren't you glad you're a guy?

Well, although you have an option to affiliate I would assume you want to get to know the chapter first before you say that you want to be an active, dues paying member.

Chapters are so different that the new chapter may be way off from what you are used to and that would be difficult for the chapter and the affiliate. I would assume voting is a good way to go, I think that is how we do it.

When I was still in school we had consultants and I am sure they made the judgement call, but now I think it is up to the chapter.

actually, yes!!!! lol

I actually have a Chi O friend that is from a different school originally. Although she likes the sisters here, she feels that another house is closer to what her sisters were like at the first campus. Like we've all said a thousand times ourselves, each chapter is going to be different. Although we are all sisters and brothers, the chapters will differ from school to school.

I think that the waiting period makes sense in this case. What if you both aren't what you are familiar with? Then what? Sometimes people are just that different.

D Phi E has a "once a sister, always a sister" policy as well. We had a woman transfer to my school from Connecticut, and when she stopped by the house, it was very cool. So, we called HQs and they told us that if she wanted to be a part of our chapter, then we had to welcome her with open arms, which wasn't a problem at all. If a collegiate decides that she doesn't want to affiliate with the chapter, she has the option to go "transfer/non-continue" and go alumnae. HQs highly recommends taking one semester to get to know the new house before making a decision on affiliation, and that normally is the case. The woman we added to our chapter waited about a semester and then we added her to our roles, and did a little initiation thing for her with our chapter, even though she was initiated at her old chapter too. She loved it, and she was a great sister!

In Alpha Gamma Delta you have to have either the majority or 2/3 vote to affiliate with a chapter, (I can't remember although I was recruitment and membership was in my team).

We actually had a situation where a girl from a chapter in the same state transferred to our school. Her blood sister was an alum of our chapter and honestly the only reason this girl probably got into her chapter was because she was a legacy. She came around during rush workshops and talked about her alcohol problems and how she slept with so many guys. She was very unkempt and wore letters looking like a slob. She didn't have grades so she couldn't affiliate and it is a good thing because honestly she wouldn't have been allowed to affiliate because I don't think my chapter would have gotten enough votes for her. She could still do activities with us as an alum, though.

On a side note it was my sis moms sister so that made it even harder for me!

At the end of last semester, a girl from another chapter called me because she is probably transferring to our campus next fall. As it happened, she was going to be in Champaign picking up a friend during finals week, and wanted to stop by and check out the chapter.

I was really excited about this, because we would love to have more sisters, and she had even talked about living in the chapter house this fall. She said she would visit the chapter a few times this semester so she could make a decision.

I agreed to be around the house from 12-3 one afternoon because she didn't know exactly when she would get in. Guess what? She NEVER showed up. I was furious. I have better things to do during finals week than sit around waiting to give a house tour. I tried to do her a favor, and she was totally rude.

I never heard from her again. No e-mail, no phone call, no explanation at all.

If she moves here next fall, you can believe I will vote against her affiliating.

I didn't want to give my two cents but I keep getting sucked in.

As I stated in another forum, waiting is the best idea.

In my situation, I had to be "voted" in as well. Let me give you the background. I called the chapter and arranged to visit when I went to transfer orientation. In hindsight, I think I really liked them from the beginning because I wanted to but that's another story.

So, the chapter welcomes me to almost all activities right away. I go to bid night, I go to parties, I go to dinner. I'm not allowed at chapter. Hell, I even got a little (not the best thing to ever happen to me but that's another story).

So, iniation time comes around (November) and they tell me I'm officially a member of their chapter. There were a few problems that happened and due to what boils down to them turning their backs on me and using me as a sacrificial lamb, I decide this isn't the best place.

Now, policy (as I understood it at the time)was that dues were pro-rated for the semester based on when you become a member. Mental note, this was late November. So in December (after NO ONE in the chapter would speak to me) the treasurer calls and says I owe $600 for the semester. Now, I've already dropped out.

Lots of crap happens from there that I won't get into now, but bottom line, I was voted based on numbers, not because they felt I fit in. THe once a sister thing, DID NOT hold true.

So, I don't think its an awful thing to have to wait a full semester and be kept at a distance from a lot of things.