Spaces When New Members Drop
 

Back in the day-and until recently-if a new member dropped, that opened a space to pledge another new member, even if they were over total. It happened to maybe most groups and the spot was usually filled rapidly and silently by someone the members knew.

Has this changed with quota additions? Let's say that quota is 70 but each sorority has 4 QAs. All the sororities are over total. XYZ has a new member drop the first week. Will they be able to pledge someone else?

There have been a few changes in recent years. Here is the official word from the most recent MOI. The lase paragraph is important. I think it might be why some "formal pledging" ceremonies are delayed a few days or a week. After that the window closes and you are bound by total. Which hopefully had been reevaluated at the conclusion of recruitment!


Vacancies in Quota
A vacancy in quota occurs in one of the following:
• When a woman negates her signed membership recruitment acceptance binding agreement,
• When a woman refuses to accept her matched bid at the conclusion of membership recruitment
• When a woman does not participate in a ribbon or formal new member pledging ceremony and/or does not sign
documentation or agreements with the member organization indicating her intent to pledge the group
A chapter may immediately bid and pledge another woman, even if the chapter is over total. If a chapter has received quota additions, the chapter may only bid and pledge additional women to the established quota. They cannot bid or pledge additional women to fill open spaces received as quota additions. For example, if quota were 25 and a chapter matches to quota (25) plus received 2 quota additions (total of 27 new members), the chapter may not fill any openings from declined bids until they drop below 25.
However, if a chapter matches to quota and is above total, and all potential new members go through the formal pledging ceremony (quota), the chapter is unable to fill any vacancies until the chapter drops below total should a new member break her pledge.

Okay, gotcha. So in my example above, XYZ couldn't bid another member unless they lost 5 or more pledges.

Exactly.

Yes, and the need to drop before the formal pledging ceremony. So declined bids, no shows to bid day, drop the next day, etc. I realize everyone has their ceremony at different times based on HQ protocol.

Hunh. It never would have occurred to me to postpone formal pledging so that if someone dropped they could essentially snap bid to get back to quota. Conventional wisdom seemed to hold to have formal pledging as soon as possible to keep the excitement rolling from bidday.

I think there are two schools of thought depending on the chapter/HQ direction. I've seen it go both ways at different schools.

If total is reevaluated immediately after recruitment as it should be, I think this becomes less of an issue. If ACS is selected, you can pick up a few extra if needed, parity is achieved and everyone moves on.

If a chapter suffers from many declined bids/no shows they might forge ahead w the ceremony with the women they have. Then get set up for COB as they may be well under total anyway.

There are other things to consider. If you have a shortened NM program, one way to extend it is to delay formal pledging - esp if Labor Day weekend is the weekend after FR. That gives you more time to weed out any and/or pick up some if possible. Yes, that's a ploy but needed in some cases.

This may be completely wrong information on my part, BUT I have been told that some organizations have time lines to when formal pledging has to be done. So organization ABC may require all new members to be formally pledged within 72 hours of accepting a bid.. I am positive there are differences between each organization. I could be completely wrong on this, there may not be time requirements, that may have just been something I dreamed up! But that idea of being able to snap bid back to quota is a good idea. Just one that I believe some organizations do not allow.

I don't mean to be persnickety, but it wouldn't be a snap bid. When filling a vacancy in quota, it is just a reg COB type bid.

Snap bids are for unfilled qotas and only done after bid matching but before the bids are distributed. Some Panhellenics don't allow you to COB untill 24 hours after bid day. I think that is a huge waste. Why delay things for chapters who need the momentum of formal recruitment to fill a few open spots?