the whole bound for a year thing...
 

Ok so we all have at least read it somewhere on this form. That once you sign you pref card you are bound for a year, before you are eligible for rush again. Do I have this correct it is your pref card correct? If this is the case does that mean that if you go through formal recruitment, attend pref and sign a card ( not suiciding not sure if it matters), that you are not elligible to rerush for a year if you were not extended a bid? Just curious:cool:

No, you are bound for a year if you accept a bid. Signing a Pref card says you agree to accept any bids you might get.

If none of the groups you put on your pref card extend a bid to you, you can rush the next day if you want.

ok thats what I thought but then i just read a post and the way it was worded made me question if it was the signing of the pref card that was so important or if it was the actual accepting the bid that bound u for a year.

Well they are one and the same essentially.

I think she meant if you see who you got and don't show up at bid day.

hijack:
So maybe I'm strange, but this gave me the mental image of a new member running from her sisters in hopes that if they somehow couldn't give her the physical bid that she'd be free from the binding nature of the agreement. Better hope you're fast...

//end hijack.

yes they are the same IF you get extended a bid...however if you sign a pref card and don't recieve a bid, then there's a HUGE differece

LOL. You've been watching too many crime shows where people try to get out of being served a subpoena. :p

^^^ now that made me LOL so now the guy next to me is reading over my shoulder...and blushing now...don't you love college libraries

(Greek Geek Alert)

When you sign a "Pref Card", you are signing what is officially called the "Membership Recruitment Acceptance Binding Agreement". Try saying that several times in one conversation, and you wind up saying "Pref Card" because it's easier. Anyway, the language on that MRABA is the following:

By signing this Acceptance Agreement, I understand and agree to the
following terms:
1. I am willing to accept an invitation to membership from any women’s fraternity that I list on this agreement.
2. I may limit my choices to one or list any women’s fraternities whose preference (last) event I attended and from which I am willing to
accept membership.
3. I cannot change the order of my preferences or add or delete a preference once this Agreement has been submitted to the College
Panhellenic Association.
4. Once I sign this Agreement, I am bound by the National Panhellenic Conference calendar year rule. This rule states that if I receive an
invitation to membership from any group I have listed and I choose not to accept it, I am ineligible to be pledged to any other
inter/national fraternity on this campus for one calendar year.
5. If I do not receive an invitation to membership from a group that I have listed, I am eligible for continuous open bidding.
6. I may choose to not complete an agreement at this time.

You have a signature line under those terms, THEN you list your choices, THEN you sign again stating:
I agree to the terms stated above and I am willing to accept an invitation to membership from any of the following women’s fraternities (listed in order of preference):

That is the "Pref Card". For campuses who use ICS or another computer based recruitment process, that entire document is on the computer screen. I know for ICS you have to click "I accept" and check a box in at least two different places before it stores your selection, so you can't really do it by accident.

Signing the physical Bid Card you get from the sorority has nothing to do with it (and I believe most of them don't have a place to sign...it's just an invitation to membership). So, if a woman doesn't agree to those terms above, she shouldn't sign it. That also means that she withdraws from the Formal Recruitment process because she does not agree with the terms of the process.

For COR/COB, most campuses either have a card you sign that is turned in to the Greek Life office to give permission to be placed on the roster for GPA reports, etc. or the Inter/National Organization has a form you sign that states you are officially accepting membership into the org and therefore are being placed on their roster and giving them permission to bill you for dues. That is the binding agreement outside of Formal Recruitment. Verbally telling someone at midnight that you'll accept their bid and then changing your mind the next day isn't binding. Your signature is.

(End Greek Geek Alert)

PsychTau

^^^PsychTau, I thank you for that excellent detailed explanation. I am tempted to QFP so that the next time someone comes on here and posts/claims "I didn't know/no one told me" we can show them this.

I was thinking it should be added to the General Advice sticky thread. Every PNM needs to read it and know exactly what she is committing herself to before signing(either physically signing or clicking accept on the computer).

Not going to do any good though.