Joining a Different NPC?
 

I've been a member here for 15 years and one of the most frequent questions we seem to get is "I was initiated into AB. Can I join CD?"

Some people ask because they transferred to a new school without their sorority. Some are dissatisfied with their Greek experience. Some know the national rule that this is not allowed but they ask anyway because they think their case is different.

What's your input?

If your first NPC experience didn't work out for you, another one is not the answer.

Find a different experience to try. Join an active honor society or community service organization or professional organization. Try other activities at your school. Join a club. Look around. Spread your wings.

Rules are rules. Dissatisfied or transferred members need to follow them.

I am floored by the number of posters who affirm that they know there's a national rule that says you can't but want to know if there's a loophole especially for them.

Sadly, carnation, I am not floored. Too many experiences with special snowflakes (both adults AND young women) who blithely act w/o regard to rules. They're Special, you know.

IMO the ridiculously short, truncated four to six week new member programs (w/ the exception of Chi Omega, to my knowledge) are one of the factors. Have you sat in on any of those new member meetings, especially in the mega-sized new member classes? It's very illuminating.

Let these new members have a good 18 weeks to learn about the sorority, membership, finances, etc. And make their grades (oh, yeah, there's that). That's plenty of time to make a decision about initiating FOR LIFE MEMBERSHIP.

Still don't see any evidence-based rationale (or data) for shortening the new member period.

Wasn't it supposedly done to avoid hazing? However, the NPCs are not known for that. I am all for changing the new member period back to a semester and I'd love to know how Chi O stood their ground and refused to shorten theirs!

I think that, everyone once in a while, the organization really has done it's NM's wrong, and it sucks that there's no exception in that case.

I agree on asking very young women to join an organization forever after 4 weeks and a test. It's a lot of pressure.

How long is Chi O's NM period?

SO MUCH THIS! I hate the shortened NM period. As a former CAB member, I know that the new members did not really learn the history, did not really assimilate/learn the values, creed, songs and philanthropy background---did not know all or even most of the actives, nor did the actives know them when they were initiated. I do not understand the value of the extremely truncated pledging/new member period. I don't think it helps to produce dedicated and committed new members. At the time we were having first degree ceremony in my chapter, today's chapters are preparing to initiate. Hats off to Chi Omega for standing firm. If they can do it, why can't other groups?

Although Chi Omega has stood strong in their organization's policies about NM programs and lengths, I know of at least two school where they have chapters where all New Member periods must be completed with a certain amount of time (one school is 7 weeks, the other is 8 weeks from Bid Day). In these cases they follow the rules of the campus.


ps - SK is currently on a 10 week promise program where NMs are initiated in week 7, but have 2 weeks of meetings and such immediately following initiation for the new initiates.

I completely agree with AZTheta and Katmandu. Unfortunately, I think a lot of universities were pressuring for this, too. I hate the fast initiation. I think it has harmed GLOs tremendously. It has has a huge impact on the bonds of sisterhood that we hold dear.

I am thankful that we are not moving to the policy of SAE, which has imposed initiation within what... 3-5 DAYS of accepting a bid?

But in those 2 cases, (if they were fall new member classes) did the Chi Omega chapter wait until the following semester to initiate?

No, they did not. They had to initiate within the stated time frame. In nine case they actually initiated before the SK chapter on campus.

That's so sad. The ladies should have been given a choice.

Chi Omega's NM period is the entire 1st semester or quarter, with initiation in the first few weeks of the 2nd semester/quarter (with exception at schools where the Panhellenic mandates all groups initiate within a certain timeframe). The reason is so all NMs make grades. If you don't make the minimum GPA, you are not initiated and held over for another semester/quarter.