Rho Gamma Policy
 

My cousin attends a university about 20 minutes away from my university. At my school, selected woman disaffiliate for the summer and beginning of fall to be Rho Gamma's (Recruitment Guides) for women's recruitment, as I'm sure many schools do. My school has a ritual for Rho Gammas, and afterwards, you then get your Rho Gamma block letter shirt. I found out we wrote this ritual. I was just wondering if other schools have Rho Gamma initiation/ceremony/ritual (or Gamma Chi, Rho Gamma Chi, etc.). The reason I ask is because, at my cousin's school, they also disaffiliate, but they aren't officially called Rho Gamma's and just do what a Rho Gam does. So can she wear a Rho Gam block letter shirt? I mean, it's not a real sorority. It's based off English letters and no special Greek meaning. My school wrote a Ritual. Is it a big deal if she wears the shirt?

In a word, no.

We had Rho Gamma t-shirts but they weren't block letter. They usually said "Rho Gamma" on the front and a saying on the back about sisterhood or friendship, and then said "Recruitment 2005" or something like that.

I don't think it'd be a big deal if she wore the shirt. Or it might be a big deal in a positive way (like, all the other Rho Gammas end up wanting one). But block letter shirts are expensive and I don't know that I would want to buy one that I would only wear regularly for a few weeks out of the year.

Then why on earth would she want to wear a shirt that says Rho Gamma on it? It would be like wearing a t-shirt for a high school 10 states away that you have no connection to.

It's nice that you're thinking of her, but I'm sure her school and her Panhellenic have this taken care of. Let them do their own thing.

Unless your college panhellenic constitution has a specific rule about wearing block letters then it is ok to wear the shirt regardless of whether you do some made up ceremony. The block letter rule is campus specific and really more of a guideline than a rule.

Thank you!

That is what she and I are hoping will happen. The shirt also didn't cost that much. I was able to use part of my IFC budget to pay for it, so it was more of a win-win.

Because she is doing what a Rho Gamma does, and she would like a letter shirt to wear. I am not getting involved with her PHC. I mean there is nothing to care of. I just wanted to know if it would be a big deal if she came on campus with Rho Gamma letters on.

Anyway, I bought the shirt, she loves it, and we'll see what happens in the fall. Thanks for all the commentary.

:confused:

Op is a sig ep. Why would he be all up in the rho gamma koolaid at his school, including buying a block letter campus Panhellenic shirt?

What do they call them at her school? Rho Gamma isn't an NPC term - they did away with that kind of thing and just call them recruitment counselors. Some campuses have come up with other terminology - rho Gamma, pi chi, whatever. It's campus specific so who cares but that campus????

I am concerned with having an initiation ceremony for recruitment counselors. It is not a sorority. The position was created to help pnms through the recruitment process not form another house. Plus, having them disaffiliate from their houses at the beginning of summer seems a little long and counter productive. A review of the MOI might help.

Well, the MOI (edition 17 from earlier this year) has a recruitment counselor ceremony. It also recommends disaffiliaton for 30 days prior to recruitment. Both are recommendations and not unanimous agreements. I am pleased that so many have strong opinions about what NPC should and should not do. Hopefully those who are so interested will find a way to volunteer on a national level with their organizations and eventually get on their delegations in order to enact the changes they hold so dear.

To me a "ceremony" is different from an "initiation" but maybe just semantics. However, having shirts that are worn at times other than recruitment seems to be forming a group with an entirely new identity rather than a temporary group. Just my opinion.

And you are certainly welcome to it whether it is valid or not!

So you're saying...

You used money earmarked for your chapter's IFC dues (or worse yet, money from the IFC coffers) to buy a shirt for a woman who has zero connection to your school and nothing to do with IFC recruitment?????

Oy vey.

(And the fact that it "didn't cost that much" doesn't matter - this is some seriously shady shiznit.)

I know, wtf? Especially if they're not even called Rho Gammas... I missed that the first time around.