reasons to join panhel
 

one of my friends is in a local sorority and she would like to see them join panhel... they've been invited before but her sisters have voted it down... we were trying to brainstorm some ideas about why they should join panhel... so far all we have is that they would be able to participate in formal rush... and if you have any repsonses to possible cons that could turn them into pros that would be very helpful... thanks so much!!!

Sarah

What university are you at? If you are at a public university, and they are in any way affiliated with the school, joining panhellenic is the only way they can guarantee their right to remain a single-sex organization.

I go to Western Illinois University... they aren't really threatened by boys wanting to join because they are a service sorority and we alread have a coed service fraternity on campus...

In theory, you are right, but stranger things have happened. Technically, joining panhellenic is the only way they can be a "woman's" organization. For example, guys have joined the Society of Women engineers out here.

DeltaBetaBaby, you're partially right - they will, of course, be granted single-sex status by joining NPC, but that is not their only option.

If you are official registered as a social organization, you can be singled-sex, regardless of NPC membership. Without going into a long explanation, SAI is all women because we are considered a social organization. Hope that helps!

I'm sorry....
 

I hate to sound uninformed but I guess I am -- what is SAI please? The web site in your profile did not come up....

Just curious!

My experience
 

I can only give you the experience on my campus. We had a local sorority on my campus (who joined an NPC group a few years later). Our local Panhellenic invited them to become associate member (voice but no vote). The reason for the invitation was to ensure that the local was following all of the rules that the NPC chapters were following under Panhellenic - which on my campus included taking buses to events over 5 miles away from campus, not having social events with Fraternities that are on probation, having a risk management program in place, etc.

The pros for the local were participation in formal recruitment and all of the PR that goes along with it, participation in Greek Week, access to the mediation process when it was needed to resolve disputes, close to full integration with the other NPC and IFC groups on campus - meaning that those groups really considered the local to be "one of us". Finally, because the local group was so willing to join PH, it gave them a great reputation for being cooperative and willing to follow the same guidelines that other Greeks follow - not just the university rules. When they decided to pursue a National Group to affiliate with, they got rave reviews from other Greeks and the University - I don't think it would have been the same if they had not joined PH.

I hope this helps.

one of their major reasons for not wanting to join is that they would have to change their initiation week... they do many things during this week that the NPC considers hazing and they would have to give this up to join panhel.

Then it might be a good idea not to do those things, even if they don't want to join Panhel!

If they are already rushing/operating like the rest of the sororities in Panhel, they should join. If they aren't, they shouldn't.

If they want to eventually become a national NPC group, it might be easier for them to get used to the rules and such as a local, rather than build up years of local tradition and then have to get rid of it when they go NPC.

Edit to FuzzieAlum: A Phi O does a lot of things that Panhel would consider "hazing" too. NPC probably has the broadest definition of hazing of any of the conferences. That doesn't mean these girls are running around nekkid and drunk in the snow because NPC calls something they do "hazing."

first of all they are a service sorority and do not want to affiliate with a national...

the stuff they do that the NPC considers hazing is stuff like they have to address actives as Ms. and they have to carry around candy in case the actives want a piece.... nothing really harmful but it is stuff that's considered hazing... they also have a day where they have to dress in all black...

Well, I'd consider that hazing, not just because the NPC says so!

But that aside, if they are a *service* sorority, they probably don't belong in Panhel, which is for social sororities. If they just mean they do lots of service, that's one thing, but usually service and social sororities are very different.

but if they join panhel then they can do formal rush with them and get their name out there more... and do socials and stuff with fraternities because right now the fraternities won't acknowledge them as a sorority... plus if they join panhel it will help with greek unity on our campus, which isn't at it's best right now...

Do they do rush and bids the same way Panhel does it...a mutual selection process...or do they let everyone who wants to pursue membership, pledge, and then they have to get voted in?

they go to some kinda informational meeting and then if they don't do anything really retarded like show up wearing face paint and leading a goat on a leash then they are extended a bid... and then they have to complete their new member period and providing they don't do anything to embarass the sorority they are voted in...