Any 16 year old New Members?

[ree-Xi]

I can't really give specifics for discretion's sake, but I'm looking for just anecdotal information right now.

Have any of you in NPC organizations ever had 16-year-old pledges/new members? Did you require a parent to sign financial documents? Were they allowed to live in the house (if you had houses)?

Thanks in advance. I'm just collecting information for someone.

Edited to add: I guess I am looking for more recent information, as things have probably changed over the years. (Thank you, Carnation, for the clarification!).

[carnation]

Yes but that was years ago so I'm sure that rules have changed.

[HQWest]

Yes we have had 16 year old members, and it wasn't that long ago. We have had several 17 year old members and have not had to do anything really differently concerning signing the agreement forms or housing, but I would think this may vary from place to place depending on whether or not you have university housing or a house corporation. It probably isn't a problem if housing is done through the university.

The bigger problem is that we have had some disagreements with locations for social events that denied access to members that were not 18. This can happen based on local liquor laws and whether or not the establishment is open to other clients at the same time. In our case, we had a private party room inside a larger establishment, but security denied access to 17 year old new members. The social chair was able to clear this up to prevent it from happening again (by providing a list of what girls to expect that were 17), but it didn't work out at that party.

I would think the one other place that age might be a problem is if you were going to go on a trip that had the members leaving the state?

[Titchou]

It's not all that uncommon with students skipping grades. I was a 17 year old - as were a couple of others in my pledge class. Though back then, 21 was the legal age and we all had to have our parents sign. Nowadays, we have to police that and make arrangements as we have to cover the legalities. As for a 16 year, not sure I would want one or let mine go thru recruitment.

[DeltaBetaBaby]

I was a 16-year old when I rushed, but was 17 by the time I moved into the house. As far as I can remember, my parents never had to sign anything.

Also, I thought it was a cool unique thing about me, but in retrospect, it probably was something I should have kept to myself during rush (see the comment above mine).

[IndianaSigKap]

The campus where I advised had a 16 year old go through recruitment. She had taken summer school in high school for three summers to graduate a year early. Her birthday was after recruitment, so she was 16 years old when she received her bid. She got a bid to a chapter that was not able to pledge her officially until her birthday in late September. This was a small campus and the organizations didn't have events (other than formals) in public places, so there was no issue there.

[DeltaBetaBaby]

Originally Posted by IndianaSigKap

She got a bid to a chapter that was not able to pledge her officially until her birthday in late September.

Do you have any idea why? I can't understand why 16 would be different from 17, in that you are a minor either way.

[IndianaSigKap]

I am not sure since it was not my organization and I didn't think to ask. I guess I didn't think it was such a big deal since it was only three weeks' time. I don't know if it was the GLO or the university who insisted on the wait.

[Sciencewoman]

One of my pledge sisters was 14. She was in a special program for gifted students. I knew she lived in the dorm where they were housed, but so did a lot of other women. We found out about this the evening of initiation...she mentioned it in passing and we were all really surprised. The pledge director and her asst. were shocked...a last minute call was made to IH, but it was after business hours. She was initiated.

[ellebud]

I just turn 16 when I pledged.

[ThetaPrincess24]

We pledged a 16 year old last fall. No one knew about it until after she was given her bid. As far as I know/have heard she is one of our best members and wants to be more involved in leadership positions.

[amanda6035]

Yes. The one we had was nothing but trouble. This was 3 or 4 years ago, so we didnt have a house at the time.

[aephi alum]

No 16 year olds, but I was 17 when I pledged my local sorority. I didn't have to have my parents cosign my financial documents. (In Massachusetts, a 17yo can have her own checking account. Not to mention, a local can set whatever rules they want. The treasurer probably could have tracked down my parents if I didn't pay, but as a local, our dues were practically pocket change, so I never had a problem meeting my financial obligations.)

We didn't have a house, so no issues there. No risk management issues either, as we didn't have alcohol at our events, and if we had an event such as a mixer where alcohol was available, all underage members (pledges and sisters) were expected to stay away from the booze.

AEPhi does require a parent or guardian to cosign financial documents if a new member is under 18. I have no idea if there are issues with women under 18 living in-house, as we didn't have a house while I was an active.

I do know of a 16yo young man who pledged a fraternity at my school and lived in house, but this was decades ago, and this is hearsay - I didn't know the young man in question.

[DeltaBetaBaby]

If your chapter house qualifies as official university housing, I don't see why it would be a problem for someone young to live there, i.e. it seems that it would be subject to the same rules as the dorms.

[honeychile]

I was 16 when I pledged, but that was mumble, mumble years ago. My parents had to sign, but I think it was more of a state thing as opposed to Alpha Delta Pi.