Joining a Service Sorority? - Already in NPC

[knight_shadow]

Originally Posted by 33girl

If OPA is on U of State's campus Panhel, Susie will probably find that her experience will be much more "social" than it was at State U and will feel no need to pledge an NPC sorority.

Penn State (nittanygirl's school) is the EXCEPTION to this, not the rule. Service sororities and fraternities usually are not associated (fully or partially) with Panhel or IFC. And if they are, I question 1) the dumbassness of the school and 2) if the chapter is putting service first.

She may not feel the need to join, but she'd still be allowed to, correct?

And I've never seen a service organization on IFC/campus panhellenic -- that's why I initially posed the question.

[33girl]

Originally Posted by knight_shadow

She may not feel the need to join, but she'd still be allowed to, correct?

And I've never seen a service organization on IFC/campus panhellenic -- that's why I initially posed the question.

Yes, she'd be allowed to. She may get the cold shoulder from the members of her service sorority if she does, however.

I spoke a little harshly in my first post - I think that usually it's the school not understanding what groups are what and insisting that everything with Greek letters and pledging be on a council, even if it is an ill fit. (This includes KKPsi/TBS, Alpha Psi Omega, etc.) The school creates the problems with dual membership where there should not be any. (Oh and I'm not even touching the issue of APO/GSS/OPA at HBCUs.)

[knight_shadow]

Originally Posted by 33girl

Yes, she'd be allowed to. She may get the cold shoulder from the members of her service sorority if she does, however.

Got it. That's what I thought. Thanks.

I spoke a little harshly in my first post - I think that usually it's the school not understanding what groups are what and insisting that everything with Greek letters and pledging be on a council, even if it is an ill fit. (This includes KKPsi/TBS, Alpha Psi Omega, etc.) The school creates the problems with dual membership where there should not be any. (Oh and I'm not even touching the issue of APO/GSS/OPA at HBCUs.)

I understood what you meant.

[OPhiAGinger]

I know this is an old thread but I just stumbled across it as I was researching associate membership in campus panhellenics.

33girl is right. Even if an OPA chapter is a member of their local Panhellenic Council, their members are free to join the NPC chapters there and vice versa. The example that Dreamful Spirit referred to is true, too. But the problem was purely one of time management. She just didn't have time to pledge both organizations at the same time. She had to choose, not because the local Panhellenic Council required it but because she just couldn't keep up with both pledge programs at the same time. There was no restriction by either of the groups she pledged, nor by the Panhellenic Council.

[naraht]

Originally Posted by OPhiAGinger

I know this is an old thread but I just stumbled across it as I was researching associate membership in campus panhellenics.

33girl is right. Even if an OPA chapter is a member of their local Panhellenic Council, their members are free to join the NPC chapters there and vice versa. The example that Dreamful Spirit referred to is true, too. But the problem was purely one of time management. She just didn't have time to pledge both organizations at the same time. She had to choose, not because the local Panhellenic Council required it but because she just couldn't keep up with both pledge programs at the same time. There was no restriction by either of the groups she pledged, nor by the Panhellenic Council.

I"ve never run into a school that forbid a student from joining two groups that on other campuses they'd be able to join both, but I'm curious. APO doesn't have any membership limitations in that regard and in fact prior to about the 1960s you often see notes in our National Magazine on how many of the Social Greeks were represented in specific chapters.

My advice to people is generally, Go ahead and join both, just don't join both in the same semester. I had brothers in my APO chapter who had done it in both orders, APO first, then Social and Social first, then APO.