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When I was a collegian, a member of my chapter got pregnant and was forced into alumna status by the president of my chapter with complete disregard for chapter bylaws and international rules. The president also seemed to forget the fact that while none of them were pregnant as actives or new members, there were a number of moms who were active in our chapter during that particular time period.
While the member in question probably would have changed status herself since she was busting her butt trying to graduate early plus preparing for the baby, forcing her into it ensured that she cut off friendships with most of the active members and definitely colored her entire sorority experience in a negative way. This was particularly sad for me because she was a leading reason why I joined.
So, in addition to having a baby a little sooner than planned (which should have been a joyous experience for her, as she always wanted to have kids and did want to have them soon after graduation), and dealing with the stress of that plus the stress of finishing up school, the chapter (as an entity) effectively turned their backs on her (minus a few members who stuck by her).
The point of this anecdote is tread lightly, consult chapter advisors and international rules, and don't force her into anything if you don't have to.
Sometimes showing true sisterhood and support is more important than looking bad to a bunch of PNMs during recruitment.
Last edited by agzg; 04-19-2011 at 10:07 AM.
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