MAJOR screw up? neophyte?

Loner39931 · #1 06-30-2002, 03:22 AM

Hi everyone,

At the beginning of this year I was rushed into a "colony" on campus. I decided it might be cool to try to build a fraternity. As soon as I agreed to join I was immediately put through a "neophyte" ceremony, without pledge education or anything.

Later i discovered this fraternity was, in my opinion, rotten to the core on both national and local levels.

Put simply, can I pledge another fraternity? Can I do so, or am I bound to this one for life?

I was put through this ceremony the day after I agreed to join! I was told if this national considers me a "brother," I cannot pledge another fraternity because it would be "double initiating." I know for a fact that I'm not a "fully initiated brother" of this national...and I have not went through the real initiation.

What IS a neophyte? Did I get screwed big time?

Kevin · #2 06-30-2002, 04:12 AM

Well #1 you could always request your complete resignation from the HQ of your former organization... If they don't grant it, pledge somewhere else and force them to

#2, colony members are typically not considered full members. In Sigma Nu I was the equivelant of a candidate (pledge) for the 2 years that I was a colony member (now I'm a founding father and I like that better).

Honestly, I don't think it'd be double membership. That only refers to a FULL membership as far as I know.

Dionysus · #3 06-30-2002, 09:56 AM

I believe a neophyte is person who is passed pledging, but before initiation. That was my understanding when I was a neophyte.

Tom Earp · #4 06-30-2002, 11:07 AM

IFC is different than THE Equivolent of the Soroity system PHC.

You are not a member if you have not been Initiated.

A neophyte initiation is to show your intention of being a member of that Fraternity.

I feel it is harsh to say that both the Local Chapter and National are rotten to the core though.

Greek Organizations have become a BIG BUSINESS not just because of the number of members but the Risk Management, Insurance, and cost of running the Greek Orgs.

The Main thing is to join a Greek Organization!!! If changes need to be made, why not be a member who changes the good for the best!!

Kevin · #5 06-30-2002, 12:26 PM

Quote:

The Main thing is to join a Greek Organization!!! If changes need to be made, why not be a member who changes the good for the best!!

Amen Tom!!! Too many of us are in this for what looks like the short run. We see the next 4 years of our lives as "our fraterntiy experience".

When most join a GLO, they feel forced to conform to whatever that organization is like. However, once you are initiated it is just as much YOURS as it is your bros/sisters. If you want to change it, usually all you need is simple majority to agree and sometimes 2/3! If you can't get that then you didn't try hard enough.

It's been a personal project of mine to revise our constitution and bylaws every semester so that the organization adapts to its weaknesses and is fundamentally better able to handle the challenges ahead.

If your organization in your mind is "corrupt" don't feel bad about calling a spade a spade BUT it is your duty to change it! This is a lifelong committment and is not something to be taken lightly.

It appalls me how many people want to turn their badge in when it stops being fun...

Loner39931 · #6 06-30-2002, 12:47 PM

I'm sorry, but we, as in our entire colony, aside from two or 3 members refuse to stay with our current GLO. We have got endorcement from a much larger and reliable national.

Our group was verbaly insulted by one of our GLO's national directors. The director's comments proved to us as a whole that we are not appreciated, nor respected by the national. They fail to send pledge manuals on time, and other needed resources were never sent (manuals, documents, nat. constitution and bylaws).

There are many more problems on the local level.

UToledoFiji · #7 06-30-2002, 02:23 PM

I am going to say one thing. Starting a chapter is VERY..and i repeat VERY difficult. Right now i am in the process of starting a FIJI chapter on campus. And trust me its very stressful. ANd yes sometimes you feel like Nationals dont care, but remember, you guys arent the only colony they have. WE too suffer from late pledge manuals comming or missing papers, but its just how it is. Really ask your self is it worth it to drop? Or are you guys just taking the easy way out? I am not tryign to attack, but i know many of times i have wanted to just say screw it i am going to rush a different GLO, but i realize that the hard work will beworth it one day. My group took a bucnh of guys who didnt even know each other, had doubts that it work, and made this into a good group. We work hard. When we dont get papers from nationals, we work around it and keep calling them. We have went from the new guys on campus, to being one of the top fraternities on campus with in a year. It takes time. Trust me on that. If you have any questions , you can PM me, i will give u some advice on how we have done it so far. Just really ask yourself, Is it worth giving up on?

33girl · #8 06-30-2002, 02:48 PM

Dionysus is right, a "neophyte" is someone who has completed all pledging requirements but has not yet been initiated. This is usually something that only lasts a couple days. Of course with a colony it would be different.

The ceremony you went through sounds like a formal pledging ceremony - it DOES NOT mean that you have been fully initiated into the fraternity, and you can pledge another fraternity if you choose to drop.

I agree with everyone that says starting a colony is hard work, but verbal abuse and not receiving the materials you need to run the chapter properly are another matter entirely. This is not "just the way it is" - the national HQ staff is there to serve you, and they need to be told that and not think they can blow off your requests because you are still collegians. It sounds like these guys came in, got y'all to sign up, and now want the colony to do all the work while they sit on their asses and collect the $$$. To quote Mr. 33's new favorite phrase, "That sh!t don't cook."

Kevin · #9 06-30-2002, 02:53 PM

I agree with everyone about the colonization process. Hang in there FIJI. I was a colonist for 2 years and we FINALLY got our charter in March. Words cannot describe the accomplishment.

Loner39931 · #10 06-30-2002, 03:11 PM

Our colony has been in place for over three years and has still not got anywhere.

Another national started a colony on our campus at the beginning of this year, they gathered 40 people in under one semester and are chartering this coming september and have already purchased a house.

They had all the supplies they needed, they had a recruitment seminar with people from their GLO... everything.

Lil_G · #11 06-30-2002, 03:41 PM

I would seriously consider changing affliation.

My group is in the process to colonize one of the elite NIC fraternities after holding status of two other NIC organizations.

To be blunt, some groups put more effort into helping their colonies/interest groups than others. Had i known this group would offer the resources that it currently is, i wouldn't have wasted my time or any of my bros with the other two.

Stick with it, nobody ever said it would easy. Whether you know it or not, there are those that count on you - don't let them down.

p.s. one of the groups on campus was a colony for 7 years. Don't compare your objectives to someone else's.

DeltAlum · #12 07-01-2002, 01:24 AM

I think everyone above is probably correct -- sounds like you guys weren't actually initiated into the fraternity.

But we didn't go through the ceremony with you, so anything we say is guessing at best.

If you want to be Greek, check with NIC or another fraternity you're more comfortable with. Get a real answer, not a guess.

In Delt, we had a colony that didn't reach necessary numbers in the amount of time allowed. After three or four years, the colony members who stuck it out were initiated as alums at one of our division conferences. It wasn't as good for them as receiving a charter, but at least their hard work was rewarded with membership.