[TSteven]

These two are worth repeating.

Originally posted by 33girl
There is no such thing as a "former chapter." The proper nomenclature is dormant, closed or resolved (varies with the group). If you are talking about former MEMBERS who have surrendered their membership, please clarify that, as the members do not equal the chapter.

The ATO's could have formed a local fraternity called "Alpha Tau" or something, and all remained alums of ATO without surrendering their membership, and once they had enough guys who had been initiated into the local only, they could colonize Kappa Sigma. You cannot hold dual memberships in two NIC or NPC groups.

Originally posted by PhiPsiRuss
In the 19th century, it was a common practice with many fraternities to steal chapters of other fraternities (Phi Psi never did this.) By the time the interfraternity movement gained full steam, this practice was ended.

The basic rule in place with all NIC (and similar) fraternities is that the only way a member of a similar fraternity may be initiated into another, is if that member resigned and that resignation was accepted.

As far as picking up locals, or former chapters of defunct nationals, no resignation is needed.

If a local was recently a chapter of a national, any local members who were members of the former national must have properly resigned in order to be initiated into the second. This scenario is rare, but it does happen.