repledging a fraternity
 

I'm pledging a fraternity right now, but due to a number of circumstances this past semester, my grades aren't up to par to crossover. But i love the guys in the fraternity, and my big is like my best friend now. I really want to repledge this coming semester but i'm just not sure. I know that this is the house for me, but i don't know if i want to pledge all over again. Plus i know this is stupid, but i'd feel like a total loser if i did it all over again/ i feel like i let my big down. any advice would be REALLY helpful, thanks in advance!

You need to talk to your big brother and your pledge educator about this. I don't know your organization, or its policies, but its not likely that you would have to rerush and pledge all over again. You might just have to wait to make grades to initiate, but it depends, so talk to your big and pledge educator ASAP.

I'm not in a fraternity, but in my NPC sorority, years ago, if you didn't make grades (initiation was held the first week of the following semester), you re-pledged the entire semester. There was a girl in my pledge class that this happened to, and unfortunately, she didn't make grades the second time around, so she was out.

Yeah, but let's be honest - pledging a fraternity and a sorority are apples and oranges. Being an NPC new member is not too much different than being a full member.

At my house you can re-pledge twice. I know what your saying when you say it would absolutely suck to re-pledge especially when you got so far. Talk with your pledge captain and president about this situation.

Best of Luck

This actually was very early 1990s. Pledges were pledges and pledging lasted for 14 weeks; initiation was held the following semester. It was nothing like the New Member programs that in place now.

I was just sharing that someone in my pledge class was held over to re-pledge the entire next semester.

Oh, I see, sorry for the misunderstanding. In any case, he needs to talk to someone actually in his chapter so he can figure out what will happen.

I don't think you have anything to be ashamed of.

We had a new member who went through the pledging process, but he was so busy with other things in his life that he ended up missing a lot of the new member activities. We, as a chapter, felt as though it would not be fair to initiate someone who put in so much less work than the other members of his class. We decided to not initiate him and ask that he go through the new member process again if he wanted to be a member.

At first, he was devastated that he didn't make it through, and he even contemplated not joining because of it. Ultimately he made the decision to pledge again and turned out to be an excellent leader within the new member class. By the time the vote to initiate came around, he got a unanimous vote in and we were all so proud of him.

You could ask him to this day and he will tell you that having to pledge twice was the best thing that ever happened to him.

That situation has nothing to do with this kid - he just didn't make grades.

He has to talk to real people ion his chapter who can give him an answer (I swear half the things people ask on GC should be directed to real people that they actually know - you'd think that would be easier than coming on a message board and asking random strangers!)

You know, I never understood that neither. Maybe they don't want to sound like an idiot to the people they actually know.

Maybe, but I feel like everyone has one person in their chapter, maybe their big, who you would be comfortable asking even the dumbest questions

My story was meant to show some of the benefits of pledging again.

It seems like a big concern of his was that he felt like a loser trying to pledge again after already completing a new member education program.

I addressed the issue by letting him know of a person who almost didn't go through because he felt like a loser for having to go through it twice and how successful their second attempt was.

Let me tell you that we currently have some really good members that it took 3 times to pledge. Reasons being financial one time, grades another, etc. If anything it shows you have a drive to really want to be apart of that brotherhood. Trust me, I know what you are saying. I would hate to repledge, but if it meant me not experiencing everything that I have already, then without a doubt I would do it again. It will be worth it. Good Luck.

being one of those who had pledged and not enough money, i can understand. all of the guys were very nice about it, but if no mon, no fun. came back and repledged and never regreated it. always found that if you found a place then stick with it. they hung by me and kept me in the loop and made me still feel welcome. so, i will always stand by these brothers. when i graduate this next semester, i will always be a brother with them and my fraternity.