NPC website

Does anyone know the new address for the official NPC website?

www.npcwomen.org

Originally posted by Tammy:
www.npcwomen.org

I looked at the website and noticed that no organizations have been added since 1951. Why is this and what requirements are there for a sorority to be concidered for NPC?

[equeen]

You have to have a minimum number of chapters (I think 10) established for a given number of years (how many, I don't know). I'm not completely sure of the completeness and accuracy of these facts, so someone else please comment. I'm not sure why no others have been added....I wonder have any sororities or womens' fraternities have petitioned to join NPC?

[This message has been edited by equeen (edited April 27, 2000).]

[PenguinTrax]

Requirements for membership:

A women's fraternity must be established in its national character for a minimum of 13 years; all it's collegiate chapters must be established at senior colleges and universities authorized to confer bachelor degrees and recognized by the appropriate regional association of colleges and universities; and it must have at least 14 chapters, of which the latest established is at least two years old.

---------------------

Essentially, a sorority must get to at least 13 years of age, have at least 14 chapters after which time they need to wait 2 years before adding chapters.

There is a rumor that one of the LGLO sororities is interesting in joining the NPC (I do not know which one). However, this would mean that their membership recruitment practices would have to change to match those of the rest of the NPC. Personally, I can't see that happening. I could be wrong.

Although there are only 26 groups listed, you must realize that there used to be many more members of the NPC. Many groups closed or merged with other, national organizations.

For example, Kappa Beta Gamma used to be a member of the NPC, but dropped their affiliation when their chapter numbers dropped. There are still 3 or 4 chapters in existence, all at Catholic or Jesuit universities.

Another bit of Greek trivia, from yours truly!

Barb

[equeen]

Thanks for clearing that up Barb, I was just as curious as Melanie. Question, what *are* the NPC recruitment practises, and how do the LGLO recruitment practises differ from NPC's?

[PenguinTrax]

The NPC has rules that all groups must follow and enforce mutual selection -meaning that both the potential member AND the sorority mutally choose each other.

The LGLO recruitment practices are, from what little I've gathered, very similar to those of the BGLOs. Many of the things they do during their new member periods would be considered hazing by the NPC (Like dress, rules of silence, walking in a line or other structured way. There are other things as well).

I can go into more details here or you can visit my NPC Rush FAQ Page: http://panhellenic.tripod.com/FAQ.html

Barb

[equeen]

Thanks, I'll check out the site, then ask any more questions I might have.

[equeen]

Alright, I do have a question, how exactly does the mutual selection process work for formal vs. informal rush (as I understand it, during informal rush, a prospective can focus on just a house she's interested in)....and I'm sorta curious as to how my chapter's rush practises do or don't fall under the process of mutual selection (we don't participate in formal rush, since we're not a part of NPC...but we have a fairly well-defined rush period).

Thanks!

[PenguinTrax]

This may ramble a bit, but hopefully it makes sense.

During informal Recruitment (sometimes referred to as C.O.B. - continuous open bidding), the prospective members are not required to visit every house and not every house can accept new members (see below*). The process is still mutual selection, but it is less structured. Potentials visit the houses they are interested in, many chapters will hold events specifically for this purpose. Sometimes there are time limits on COB, sometimes not. A potential may be interested in more than one house and vice versa. When the houses offer bids, the potential member can accept or decline the bid as she sees fit. Usually houses are required to all submit bids at the same time so that rushees don't decline a bid, hoping for a bid from another house.

During Formal, the Rushee lists her top 3 houses and contracts to accept a bid from any of those 3. During bid matching, the preferences of the rushee are matched with the preferences of the houses, hence, mutual selection. For example:

Suzi Rushee's preference card
1. House A
2. House Q
3. House B

House A #1 list
Suzi rushee
House Q
Suzi's not on their list
House B #1 list
Suzi Rushee

Becasue Suzi's first choice was House A and she was on House A's #1 list, she will get a bid from House A.

*During formal recruitment each house, despite the size of the chapter, is allowed to take up to a certain number of new members (quota). Not all houses will take quota and sometimes a house may be allowed to go over quota, but only by a small percentage. Once Formal recruitment is over and a chapter has not reached a population equal to or greater than campus ceiling (sometimes called 'total'), they are allowed to continue recruiting members until they reach total. Campus ceiling/total is a size number set by the college Panhellenic. It limits the size of chapters and insures that all chapters can compete on an equal footing. For example, on my former campus (small, non-residential). Total was 60 and few chapters ever reached that. Usual chapter size was around 45-50. On larger campuses, total may be as high as 150 or more. If a large house takes quota, which can be a huge number, the chapters can often swell to be over 200 women. A smaller house, struggling with numbers, would be at a disadvantage if this large house could continue recruiting members.

One thing that is stressed throughout Recruitment is the benefits of being Greek, not of being a member of House A, Q or B. Although it's important to receive a bid from your top choice, you really can be happy in (almost) any house if you put forth the effort. A person that receives a bid from her #2 or 3 house shouldn't turn it down - she must consider that those houses really want her as a sister. If a woman receives a bid and does not accept it, she will not be allowed to 'rush' for one full calendar year (thereby eliminating her chance to join during informal/COB).

Some women do not get bids because the houses that wanted them were not on their pref cards. In these cases the houses can 'snap bid' these women - ask them specifically to join their chapter. Snap bidding should take place within the 24 hours following the distribution of bids.

Barb

[PenguinTrax]

Beta Sigma Omicron, another prestigious teacher's sorority, was absorbed into my Fraternity in the early 60's. We absorbed only 7 chapters - those that our officers felt were most advantageous to us and/or were on campuses where we were not already represented. I believe the other chapters closed or possibly went local. BSO as a whole folded due to what are described "forces beyond their control". I don't know if BOS was a member of the NPC, but it was surely a member of the AES - Association of Educational Sororities (which merged with the NPC in the mid-50's).

Barb

[This message has been edited by PnguinTrax (edited May 04, 2000).]

[33girl]

Localsororities,
What a good question! I know Baird's would have some info on them but I don’t know how detailed it would be.

As a note on the male side, when Phi Sigma Epsilon and Phi Sigma Kappa merged, I think there were quite a few PSE chapters that went local as Phi Sigma. Ours did, for rather obvious reasons – the PSK’s were super-preppy and the PSE’s were large scary jocks.

[BSUPhiSig'92]

33 Girl:

As an alum of Phi Sigma Kappa who came from a former Phi Sigma Kappa chapter, I can tell you that you are pretty much right on the money. I actually interviewed for a Greek Advisor position on a campus with a Phi Sigma chapter, but they became Phi Sigma several years after the merger. One thing a lot of people do not realize, is that Phi Sigma Phi, a member of the NIC, got started as a national out of those Phi Sigma Epsilon chapters that didn't go along with the merger. When I was chapter president (years ago)I remember finding copies of letters going back and forth between the various Epsilon chapters regarding their support or opposition to the mereger. To say it was controversial was an understatement. It is still the biggest merger of two GLOs in history.

Barbara,
I went to the site and NPC took off the direct links to the houses. Do you have any idea why they did this? I'm just thinking of prospectives who want more info on a particular house and don't know how to find the website address'. Thanks

[PenguinTrax]

Originally posted by Carol:
Barbara,
I went to the site and NPC took off the direct links to the houses. Do you have any idea why they did this? I'm just thinking of prospectives who want more info on a particular house and don't know how to find the website address'. Thanks

According to the NPC, they wanted a cleaner, simpler site. I have links to all the NPC groups on my Panhellenic site, if you need them. http://panhellenic.tripod.com/FAQ.html

Barb