Quote:
Originally Posted by KSUViolet06
Wow. In my sorority, girls HAVE to be granted inactive status when they are studying abroad. During that time, they are only asked to pay national collegiate dues. We would get in major trouble for doing what you described here (asking someone who is not going to be active for a year to pay full active dues). I'm surprised that other sororities policies aren't similar.
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Yep, and that's what makes this story (or should I say, the justification for this story) a little fishy. I've heard of groups not granting a financial hardship status, but this is SCHOOL. She's going to be out of the country and unable to participate in the chapter for SCHOOL reasons. To me, denying her going special status is like allowing a high school student to pledge. I'm betting this was a chapter disconnect and if she would have gone to nationals, there would have been no problem with granting her special status. This is one of the things it was created for.
As for the shortening of pledge programs contributing to disaffiliation, I don't doubt it. Mine was only 6 weeks, but we had a small chapter, and I was a sophomore who had a good idea going into rush where she wanted to pledge as I'd had a year to see the warts & all of the sororities. Had I been a freshman forced to make a decision on who to pledge before I'd even had one college class or knew anyone at my college, I'd probably feel differently.
If NPC is going to continue to push for first semester freshman rush, they need to stop giving into PC-ness and make their pledge programs long enough so that when someone is initiated, she doesn't have to catch up for a year & 1/2 learning the things she should have as a pledge. If the school is mandating it, there needs to be a program in place for "newest sisters" to complete before they can hold offices. (I know in some instances you have to go straight from initiation to being elected, but hopefully not.)
I also think the kind of things and lessons women are learning in pledging has a lot to do with it. When your pledging consists of self-esteem building activities, being showered with gifts and a lack of any mandatory activities, it's not true to life. I'm sure there are many women who are shocked when after initiation, they're presented with lists of mandatory activities and things that must be done. All of sorority life is not like pledgeship - however, it should get easier, not harder. That's why pledgeship was created in the first place.