Order of Initiation

[AlphaChiGirl]

Look, if this is esoteric, please don't answer. I just wondered if there's a method to how they decide line numbers, order of initiation, etc. I've heard alphabetical order, height, order of entrance into the pledge class--you name it. Does anyone have an answer? Does it differ from chapter to chapter?

[twinstars]

my pledge class was initiated in groups of 5 or 6 by alphabetical order.

[SoCalGirl]

WOW twinstars! How big is your pledge class? We have to have abnormally large pledge classes just to inititate two or three at a time. But I'm sure that differs between sororities too.

[twinstars]

Originally posted by SoCalGirl:
WOW twinstars! How big is your pledge class? We have to have abnormally large pledge classes just to inititate two or three at a time. But I'm sure that differs between sororities too.

I think we had 29 or 30 girls in my pledge class. Quota at my school is usually about 30, and we only have 5 houses.

[AXOcutie]

My pledge class had 14 girls in it and we were initiated in alphabetical order. I thought that was the only way Alpha Chi did it, but I'm not really sure. Anyway, I hope that helped a little hun.

Our initiation order was according to class standing. When there are girls with the same class standing, the order is determined by who is the eldest. For chapter meetings we sit in chapter order--our order of initiation (with the exception of the Prez and VP Ops and Finance, who are always the first three).

[Corbin Dallas]

We get our bond number, initiation number, line number, whatever you want to call it by alphabetical order, so even if you are a senior initiating with all freshmen, and your last name starts with a Z, chances are you will have a higher number than all the freshmen. I assume this is done only because it makes paperwork easier.

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Steve Corbin
Lambda Chi Alpha
Theta Kappa Chapter
Rose-Hulman Inst. of Tech.

[Alumnus who cares]

We had a "chapter roll" based on a few criteria. The hierarchy went something like: pledge class, when you moved into the house, year in school, and pledge semester G.P.A. This means that a freshman with a mediocre G.P.A. who moves in house right away will be higher on the chapter roll than a sophomore with a solid G.P.A. who waits until the following fall to move into the house. I guess more than anything, it's an incentive to move into the house right away.

[lifesaver]

For us, we vote on it. Before rit starts we vote on Low number (usually a guy who busted tail as a new member) and if we are reaching a milestone number, we'll vote for that, i.e., a centennial number, or bi-centennial. The rest of the guys after the low number and centenial numbers go in alphabetical order.

[ztafairy]

The way that we conduct initiation is by alphabetical order and also by the time that you became a new member. We sometimes take a few more girls after rush and they are put at the end of the "roll". In the past, we have taken a few more girls and put them into a separate pledge class b/c they have entered the sorority so late. They are initiated last. It is nothing against them, we just like to give seniority to the older pledge class. We like to put then in order by their last names so there's no confusion.

[UNFSigmaChi]

Our chapter does ours by the grade recieved on the national test. Initiation numbers are important to our chapter so those who know there stuff and get a high score on the national test are first.

[KSig RC]

Pin order for us is decided by a vote, taking into account test scores and how each pledge acted during pledging in general - it's important b/c this order determines order to pick rooms in the house, etc.

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Rob C.
Kappa Sigma
Mu-Psi Chapter, Boston U

[33girl]

Totally alphabetical, no regard to class or anything else.

When I was in school one of the fraternities always had what they called their "ritual number" on their jackets. Now the girls have started doing it too. For us it kind of doesn't have a point, since we don't USE it for anything, but it seems to be the in thing to do for the sororities now.

[Dewgirl]

??? Pardon me if I'm overstepping, but...you all have numbers? Initiated seperately? Our pledge classes are initiated as a whole, simultaneously... Wow...that must take forever!!!

[SoCalGirl]

Yup Dewgirl, initiation is definitely an all day affair.

I've heard of chapters spliting it up over two days and even having two initiations going on at the same time. I couldn't imagine that.

When we had to initiate 15 girls in one class our advisors took pitty and granted permission to double up the girls. Normally that's only reserved for chapters with 50 pledges.