Deactivating from a frat
 

Say you joined up with some guys who wanted to start a new frat on campus and got initiated and became a founding father etc. But you realized that you really don't enjoy their company/the idea of being in a new frat. Is it still possible to "deactivate" or depledge and join another fraternity even though the new fraternity is still a colony?

It's very very unlikely; first, because most, if not all fraternities have rules against it. Second, if you've got a reputation in the Greek system as someone who dropped their fraternity like a hot potato, another fraternity may not exactly be ready to welcome you with open arms.

For the technical issue of whether or not you can even pledge/initiate with the new fraternity of your choice, your best bet is to talk to someone from that organization and ask whether it's even an option.

Again, though, be prepared for the fact that your chances of joining another fraternity are quite slim.

So you realized that brotherhood doesn't come without hard work and have decided that the difficulties of running a new colony are too stressful? Guess what - these things take hard work in an established fraternity too. If you don't want to put in the effort to build a legacy and experience the joy of having your work realized at chartering than certainly drop, but don't think anyone else will take you. My colony will become a chapter in April, anyone will tell you how proud they are and how much the effort and stress are worth it to see this finally happen.

Not only that, you're a guy who by being part of a new group said (as far as some people see it*) "all the existing fraternities at this school suck." And now you're coming back to ask them for a bid? Epic fail in the works.

*Even if that is NOT why the new group started or why anyone in it joined, some people in existing fraternities will feel that way.

it was almost to seem as if he wanted to become a founding father of yet another fraternity..

Good point; a new colony, which needs firm commitment from its members even more so than an established chapter, is not going to bring on someone who has already abandoned one new fraternity.

I think is something that should not be taken lightly. People need to understand one thing. Being Greek isn't a game, isn't a club, isn't an organization. It's a fraternity, a brotherhood. You have one chance to get it right, if you don't get it right, then that's it. There are no second chances, if you mess it up, then it's not for you. Don't come here whining and bitching, I don't get along with the members, etc etc etc. Deactivate, cut your losses, move on.

AMEN!

You're S.O.L. bud.

I don't know what IFC's rules are for that, but PanHellenic states that once you are initiated into a house, you can never be initiated into another house.

However, most houses that I know frown on taking guys who have been initiated into other houses. Greek life is not, like someone else said, to be taken lightly. These are not just everyday people, they are your brothers [or in my case sisters]. You share a special bond.

It seems like people are more apt to want to drop houses when they only joined for a dumb reason, like to be in the "party house" or the "hot house". That's not what it's about in the least and I don't know if that was your reasoning, but maybe you should think about that.

The same can be said about sororities too!

I'm pretty sure I read somewhere (I want to say it was something NIC website related) that once you fully deactivate from one fraternity and let the Grand Chapter know, you are free to join another fraternity.

But honestly, who would give a bid to someone who couldn't even commit to the fraternity he FOUNDED. Not I.

I couldn't imagine going through all of the work it takes to successfully found a fraternity (or any type of GLO) and then just throwing it to the wayside. Then I'd have to deal with the fact that my former XYZ brothers all hate me after I tried to get a bid from ABC.

If you're going to deactivate, then do it and say goodbye to Greek Life.

You're a Sigma Pi at the University of Arkansas, aren't you?

Admit it!

Those sons-a-bitches are droppin left and right.

LOL