Joining Two Fraternities?
 

I have a little dilemna here. I am in my freshman year, and this fall I pledged Phi Mu Alpha at my school. For any of you who don't know, Phi Mu Alpha is legally a social fraternity, but it acts more as a professional fraternity. (The only reason it is social is so that we don't have to admit women.) Anyways, PMA has been acting essentially as a professional fraternity. It isn't a member of any national organizations, and on our campus it doesn't even appear in the Greek Life information and it isn't a member of the interfraternity council. I am considering pledging a social fraternity next year, either Chi Psi or Sigma Nu hopefully, and I was wondering if it is possible to be in both one of those and PMA. I know that I was specifically prevented from joining another "national fraternity in music" in the PMA bylaws, but I don't know how that applies to other organizations. I don't think there would be a time commitment problem either, as PMA is essentially what you make of it.

mystic cat gave excellent, succinct advice. follow it.

I can't speak for SN or Chi Psi, but AD would let you join as we consider PMA a music honor/professional society, not a social.

I know my chapter wouldn't prevent you from joining if you were in a music fraternity. In fact, some would note that as a positive in the rush meetings, its good to have people who are successful in their fields.

If, PMA is not a member of the NIC, then it is permissable to join one in the NIC conference.

Then you have to make the decission of where you spread your time to.

I believe that you'd be fine with Phi Mu Alpha and Sigma Nu since it's a music fraternity, but if I were you, I would consult Sigma Nu Nationals.

We have brothers that are part of Alpha Phi Omega (A service fraternity...I'm rushing at the moment, and our treasurer in SN is APO's Vice Pres) and Theta Tau (Engineering society). Here's their info:

Sigma Nu Fraternity, Inc.
9 Lewis St.
P.O. Box 1869
Lexington, VA 24450
Phone: 540-463-1869
Fax: 540-463-1669
E-mail: headquarters@sigmanu.org

You should be fine. It appears that Phi Mu Alpha defines themselves as a "social fraternity". As a Sigma Nu we define ourselves as an Honor fraternity but in the eyes of the Greek world we are considered a "social fraternty". It appears you should have no problems rushing Sigma Nu. I can't speak for the other house you spoke of.

Sorry, Phi Mu Alpha is a member of NIC.

Unless there is a agreement between them, You cannot join any other NIC Group.

That is something that You need to check out on Your own!

Technically that would be wrong. I am member of Phi Delta Theta and we are no longer a member of NIC. Years back we became independent from the NIC and took on our own rules. The only reason that we are current members of IFC at my institution is because it is required to be one if you would like to be on campus. If the guy in question were to rush us we would not let him become a member unless the fraternity is considered an honor society because I'm sure, just like everyone else knows you can not be a member of two "social" fraternal organizations.

Not true. Phi Mu DELTA is an NIC member. Phi Mu ALPHA is not.

Correct. And as of last year, Phi Mu Alpha is not a member of the Professional Fraternity Association, either. Currently, we are not a member of any conference/assocition.

Again, and I as I said in the post OTW linked to, the question (as far as "legality" goes) may well turn on whether the specific chapter of Phi Mu Alpha belongs to the campus IFC.

contact both nationals of each social fraternity and the local chapters as well. Sometimes having dual membership is okay with nationals, but a local chapter's laws will not allow it.

Make sure you cover all bases before you dive in.

I don't know how I missed this part of the post when I read it the first time, but I have to pull out my broken record and respond. Two clarifications are needed.

First, while the desire to remain single-sex was the impetus that prompted Phi Mu Alpha to review its history and its status vis a vis professional or social, that is not the only reason it is social, or even the primary reason. The primary reason it is social is because it was founded as a social fraternity, not as a professional fraternity, and because the Fraternity as a whole made the decision to return to our founding roots and ideals, including the ethos of the Fraternity as social rather than professional. That decision was first made 20 years ago; it has been reaffirmed and strengthened many times since.

As for saying that Phi Mu Alpha "acts more like a professional fraternity," if the OP had limited that observation to his own chapter/campus, I wouldn't quibble. As I have said here many times, the legacy of decades as a professional fraternity has been harder to reverse on some campuses than on others. And it is undoubtedly true that many of our chapters have more of a departmental presence than a campus-wide presence (and perhaps that is what the OP means). But I have a feeling that the Phi Mu Alpha chapters that are members of their campus IFCs would disagree with the OP about the Fraternity acting like a professional fraternity, as would most chapters I was familiar with in my own collegiate days or am familiar with now. I would certainly disagree on a national level.

[/broken record on year-old post]