Someone can correct me if I am wrong. But *I think* I have read at one point that another reason that panhel and sororities can't require them is because of a NPC unanimous agreement stating that in the spirit of equality it is up to each sorority to aquire a rec on a pnm.
I so agree that at schools where a rec could make a difference the importance of recs should be emphasized. My mother was anti-greek, so I had no help or information on greek life. As a freshman at UNT it might not have mattered. But the way they did sophmores back then, I was dropped immediately by all the groups where I didn't know someone personally.
*edited to add - I posted at the same time. Thanks for the NPC clarification AZ-AlphaXi.
