After Initiation Chapter Shut Down... Now What?
 

I joined a sorority at one school out of state. When I was pledging, my sorority was under social probation (which no one was told about) and maybe two days after my pledge class was initiated my sorority went under investigation for a supposed hazing incident over the initiation weekend. No actual hazing occurred but because blind folds were involved that is considered hazing 101!! (Others please note this: blindfolds even if the girls put them on themselves is considered an act of hazing don't be put in an unfortunate situation like my sorority was)

I no longer go to that school, I moved back to my home state and am transferring to another school. I have looked in joining another chapter in my home state unfortunately there are only 4 chapters in my state and they are at schools I am not interested in going to or crazy out of reach (One of the top three schools in the country).

Here's my problem:
I was not an active member for more than 48 hours before my sorority was shut down, the only Greek activity/event I have ever attended was my own Bid Night, Initiation, and Founders day (which was the same weekend as the initiation). I paid for an entire semester's worth of membership and a pin and did not receive either. I can get a full refund and my membership and alumni status will be removed but although I will no longer be a member of that sorority does this still prevent me from joining another sorority?
Is there a by-law for special circumstance?

For all of those out there that are going to be negative and say I'm turning my back on my sorority, please be understanding to the fact I never got a real sorority experience. Any sorority experience I did receive I owe to my Big Sis and I love her dearly for trying her best to make sure my sorority experience was the best considering the cards we were delt.

If you did not get your membership pin you should contact your sorority headquarters. Since they handle badge orders they will be able to help you get yours.

You are in the same situation as any sorority member who transfers to a campus which does not have her chapter.

No, if you were intitated into a NPC sorority you cannot pledge another. That's the rule, and there is no getting around it. Check to see if there is an alumnae group near your preffered schools. There are undoubtedly many other organzations at your new school - you can still have a terrific college experience even if you are not able to be active in a chapter. Good luck.

I can not imagine how a chapter could be totally shut down for blindfolding pledges during initiation.

I assume she meant during pledging. Most initiations use blindfolds, as the freemasons did as well, which is where the root of most come from.

Because you've been through how many initiations?

To the OP, I'm sorry for your experience, but no, there's no way to get around the initiation rule. You should try to make the best of a bad situation, and become active in an alumnae group. Don't select your next school simply because they have a chapter of your sorority.

Yeah - that might have been a straw that broke the camel's back type of deal, or the OP is lying.

And I hate to tell you but I bet most NPC sororities are NOT using blindfolds these days. This strays into the conversations about what is and is not hazing and they've unfortunately had to take a tough stand. But blindfolding is an easier call than, say, making pledges have phone duty when the actives don't have to, or study hours that the actives don't have to.

And the OP as a pledge and BRAND new initiate probably wouldn't know all of the background dirt. A sorority is not going to shut down a chapter over blindfolding but if there was that, drinking in the chapter house, appalling grades, member retention problems, and an ongoing problem with various levels of hazing, I could totally see it. Unfortunately 18-19 year old girls may not really believe "one more incident and we're shutting you down."

It's REALLY too bad you were caught up in a bunch of stuff that was in no way your fault, but that's just the way it is. Other than taking a closer look at the schools you're not interested in I guess your other option is to join an alumnae chapter and move on to the next phase of sorority life.

And I know the service fraternities are not a substitute for NPC sororities, but they can offer you a lot that you might be missing and in general (I can't speak to any specifics) I think you can be a member of both.

But definitely talk to your sorority headquarters about your pin. It could easily be as simple as not knowing where to send it.

I think you need to talk to the HQ of the sorority into which you were initiated. If they are offering a "full refund" and such, there is a very slim chance that they are treating this as though you were never a member.

I totally agree about the OP not being privy to all the dirt leading up to revoking the charter of her chapter. To Deal the cards, I'm sorry this happened to you and you NM class. It really sucks. Unfortunately, getting a refund won't help after you've already been I initiated. All that will do is take away your lifetime membership and leave you with nothing. I'd contact HQ and get my membership certificate and pin if I were you. It's yours, and after everything else that has happened, having that in hand may make you feel better.

This happened at a college in my state about 4 years ago and for the same reason.(blindfolds). I feel so sorry for the new members who get swept up in the 'clean sweep' of the chapter when something like this happens. If I am not mistaken, at the school I am referring to, the pledges were also unaware of the probation status of the chapter. Of course, that is not confirmed.

It would seem, though, that the chapter(and'/or) national headquarters would be obligated to make new members fully aware of their status, including possible outcomes of violation of the probation, etc. Does anyone know if the green book speaks to this?

btw - I am pretty sure blindfolds are no longer allowed in most sorority rituals.

Maybe, maybe not.
Maybe, maybe not.

Right right I don't assume the OP knew everything. My point was that they were probably already in trouble prior to the blindfold incident (which the OP might not have known since New Members generally don't), or the blindfold incident was a lot worse than just using blindfolds (which hits the "OP is lying" bit).

It sucks that New Members and new initiates get caught up in this type of thing.

I'll take this as a satisfactory answer. Perhaps some still use it, some don't. Freemason initiation, from what is public knowledge, involves blindfolds. Many of the founding members of Greek letter organizations had masonry background. If that translated into the sororities as well, I would not be surprised.

Really? Was that given to you in writing by an Officer of the Fraternity/Sorority?

Jumping on the bandwagon and agreeing with many of the posters who've replied. Please contact your sorority's headquarters. Each sorority has its own Constitution and Bylaws and they will answer your questions.

IMO DeltaBetaBaby may be right; but we here on GC don't know. And once more I agree with MysticCat.

Looking into the future, I see all sorts of potential difficulty for the OP. She's already been through one New Member period and Initiation. No way I would be convinced that she'd never talk about that with anyone for the rest of her life, should she pledge another GLO. I know one GC member who was a pledge of one GLO, was not initiated, and subsequently pledged and initiated another (I've read her story) but she did not initiate into the first GLO. Quite a different set of circumstances.

Bottom line, this is messy.

Yeah, my line of thinking is that there is a (very small) chance that what took place was not a "real" initiation. The whole thing is obviously odd, from the details we've been given, so contacting HQ is the only way to sort it out.