Normal Contact: Friendship or Dirty Rushing

[TSteven]

I read on the Rushing at the University of Alabama thread the following.

The rule [prohibiting summer contact between sorority members and potential recruits] says that, excluding normal contact, no sorority members or alumnae may contact potential new members or their parents after the last day of spring classes. The Panhellenic Association defines normal contact as contact between relatives, friends, neighbors and co-workers and asks that each sorority turn in a list of these circumstances in advance, Thompson said.

The rule also says there cannot be an organized attempt to influence potential new members through letters, phone calls, summer recruitment parties, alumnae teas or beach retreats. Sorority members are also prohibited from asking any fraternity to invite potential new members to summer parties.

Would this apply to members from other chapters as well?

For example: at my hometown university, (small town, medium size college) there are five active NPC chapters and two inactive. All seven have alumnae in town. Thus there are a lot of 'local' women in sororities.

Now if a 'local' sorority woman ran into her best or a good friend (who is a recent high school graduate and will be rushing at another college), would she be allowed to "put in a good word" for her sorority at the other campus? i.e. "You know I'm an ABC here at Hometown U. I am sure you would love being an ABC at State U. as well. It's such a great chapter and sorority." Ok, I know I need to work on the dialog, but I think y'all get the drift.

Or say the ABC member is hosting (or going to) an informal summer party (non sorority specific) and invites the 'local' girl to attend. They are, after all, best friends. While the party is not a sorority sponsored party, it happens that all or most of the women there are ABC members. Or say it's a summer fraternity party and ABC women will be there. While they wouldn't necessarily be rushing the girl, they may be promoting their sorority - knowingly or unknowingly - via positive talk about their chapter and the sorority in general. i.e. "We are so fortunate to be ABCs since we get invited to all the best fraternity parties." I would imagine that this may influence the PNM when she goes through rush at the other campus.

So basically, what is normal contact? Where or what is the line between friendship (hanging out with friends who *happen* to be in a sorority) and dirty rushing (where the sorority member is *activity* rushing the woman).

Note: the above scenarios are not hypothetical. I have seen them happen first hand and would guess it still happens today.