Fred Semester
 

Hello! I was looking around and I can't seem to find where it states in the Manual for Members that you can't have a little during your fraternity education semester...

Can someone site it for me? Thanks!!

<3 and roses!

First of all, what exactly do you mean by: "fraternity education semester"? FRED in SAI is an ongoing experience and part of meetings, not just one semester. Do you mean during your first full semester as an initiated member?

I don't think something like that would be stated in the Manual for Members. If you were wanting to locate it, I'd start in the chapter bylaws.

If you mean that you can't take a little as an MIT, well, that kinda make sense. You're just learning about SAI yourself.

In my chapter, it was a tradition that newer members did not take a little until a full year after they were pledged. (ex: Pledge in Spr. 09---take little in Spr. 10) If your job as a big is followed as it is in the ritual, it's kind of hard to do if you were initiated in May and take a little in September. You have yet to live a full semester as an initiated SAI and aren't familiar with the rules and such that come along with being in SAI. You wouldn't be able to educate your little and properly prepare her for initiation. (I keep thinking back to the ritual here, so it's getting hard to write what I really want to say....)

And, unless the chapter is teeny tiny, most officers don't take a little either. Especially the big ones like President and VPM.

Lol. My chapter was huge when I was initiated, and my big was Chapter President. Then again... I don't really remember her ever doing much.

Our rule is that you can take a little the semester after you pledge, and anyone in the chapter can take a little. We expect the potential big to understand what she's taking on in terms of her responsibilities, no matter the age or pledge year.

I always told the new officers at training every year: "Being an officer is a thankless job. You will only be criticized for the difficult decisions you make and rarely celebrated for the great things you do."

If you've never been President, you have no idea what kind of responsibility it is. There's a lot that goes on behind the scenes.

Amen. There's a lot of diplomatic stuff the president has to do within the sisterhood, the school's music department, and the college/university in general. Plus, people look to her first and foremost for guidance and leadership. It's not an easy job.

I was more referring to her doing "big" kinds of things, I'm sure she was busy being Pres.

^^^That's why my chapter didn't have the President and VPM as bigs while they were in office.

And I find it interesting how other chapters did/do things. The feeling I get from my chapter about who takes littles (other than what's in the bylaws) is that the sister knows herself best, and she should take into consideration her position in the sisterhood before saying she will take a little. That's our way of making sure that all the littles get enough guidance and love from their bigs.