Married women can't join sororities???

[aephi alum]

I was reading through some of the older posts on this board the other day, and I came across a few that bothered me. If I'm reading them correctly ~ married women, in general, are not allowed to join NPC sororities. If you get engaged or married while an active member, you can remain as an active member, but you can't join as a new member if you're married.

As I understand it from these posts, the problem is time. Academics, as we all know, should be a college student's top priority. Second priority might be a job, followed by a sorority or fraternity, followed by other activities.

What I don't understand, is why the determination seems to have been pre-made that a married woman can't manage her time well enough to spend time on her studies, with her sorority, and with her husband. Having a husband doesn't require a vastly different time commitment, in terms of number of hours per week, than having a boyfriend or fiance. If anything, being engaged requires the most time, because you're planning a wedding in the midst of everything else.

So I'm a little confused as to why potential new members would be excluded simply because of their marital status.

I'd also like to know if any fraternities exclude married men on similar grounds. I gather that NPHC groups do not have this rule, is that correct?

I'm just curious ~ it sounds like a silly reason to exclude potentially great sisters...

[James]

We don't have a rule eliminating any male that is a student in good standing at an institution of higher learning that confers a four year degree and has a Kappa Sigma chapter.

IT smacks of discrimination, ethically if not legally.

[Optimist Prime]

James, she is talking about sororities. Sororites are for women to join. Women, you know...those scary things, with breasts.

[SSS1365]

I went through recruitment last fall, and in my group was a woman who was married. She ended up dropping out by her own choice, but I don't think the fact that she was married would have prevented her from receiving any bids.

[James]

Oops sorry thought she asked about Fraternity practices also.

Originally posted by Optimist Prime
James, she is talking about sororities. Sororites are for women to join. Women, you know...those scary things, with breasts.

A sister in my pledge class was already married when she joined Alpha Gamma Delta.

Because Nancy was a full-time student at UH, she had the option of joining as an undergraduate or joining as an alumnae initiate. She chose the first because she was still a sophomore and knew that she was going to be able to contribute as much as a collegian could. And she did!

The only things that she might've missed out on were the unofficial sisterhood stuff....movie nights....taco nights...basic going out stuff. Because she had a husband and a home to tend to it made it somewhat difficult to do what the rest of the sisters were doing...but that didn't affect her love for her sisters and for the Fraternity at all!

I think this was possible because she had the full support of her husband and she was great when it came time for managing finances and her time!

So yes, it can be done!

[shadokat]

D Phi E has no rules against married women joining! If they are a full-time student in at a four year university where we exist, they are more than welcome to go through recruitment. I would think this isn't exaclty legal, nor ethical.

[dzrose93]

Delta Zeta doesn't discriminate against married women. Although I personally have never met a sister who pledged while married, I have heard of several instances on other campuses where it happened. Granted, it's not a common occurence, but it is certainly not looked down upon by the sorority.

[mccoyred]

You are correct!

Originally posted by aephi alum
I gather that NPHC groups do not have this rule, is that correct?

I'm just curious ~ it sounds like a silly reason to exclude potentially great sisters...

[DeltaBetaBaby]

Originally posted by James
We don't have a rule eliminating any male that is a student in good standing at an institution of higher learning that confers a four year degree and has a Kappa Sigma chapter.

I find this interesting. There are quite a few Kappa Sigs here who do not attend our University. Some are at the local community college, others are not in school at all.

[James]

They could be transfers, or people that were formerly initiated that live in the area . . . what School do you attend again?

[Optimist Prime]

She could be asking that too. I was just messing with you

Originally posted by James
Oops sorry thought she asked about Fraternity practices also.

[ilovemyglo]

At our chapter we had a sister who went through rush and she was already married. Actually at another house the girl rushing her started talking about how all the sisters were talking about the girl that is married coming through rush and acting very snobby about it. In one of my classes there were two girls in it other than me that were in a sorority. Everyone in that class was married, it seemed. They were asking us if married women could join and they said No way, that in their sorority if you get married you HAVE to go alum. I proudly said that in my sorority, it isn't a problem, and if you get married while active, you always have the OPTION to go alum, but it is not mandatory.

[navane]

*Technically* she *did* ask about fraternities! See the following quote form her original message:


"I'd also like to know if any fraternities exclude married men on similar grounds."




......Kelly

[CutiePie2000]

I think in the 1950's, that was more the case, but times have changed and I think that restriction has been dropped (as evidenced by all the posts above, where married ladies have rushed and pledged!)