Leaving a Colony

[Kevin]

Originally Posted by 33girl

Holy passive aggressive, Batman. Depending on how far along he is, his "pledging" may not have entailed any promises he should flagellate himself about breaking.

That's not what being in a colony is like. I can't recall whether you helped found your chapter. If not, it's a very different experience from rushing an established group. Unless he was sold a bill of goods, and I doubt that, he knew joining a colony wasn't the same as joining an established group. Yes, honoring ones commitments is a sign of character.

Would you say the same thing to any other guy who was pledging a fraternity, realized it was a bad fit, and dropped out and pledged another group?

I don't consider it remotely the same thing. If you're a founding member, you have the ability to determine the culture of your organization. You go in knowing what kind of a commitment it is and realizing you're not going to be initiated next semester and have the traditional experience.

My first experiences with my own chapter, which I am a founding member of, were not positive. I didn't have any really close friends, I didn't hang out with anyone outside of chapter events and aside from being elected to a lot of leadership positions, I was never hugely popular.

Now, I'm chapter adviser, have a good relationship with just about everyone with a badge number, dedicate a large chunk of my time to the continued success of our chapter and find it extremely rewarding. I had every opportunity to join an established group and have a great 4 years of membership. I decided to forego that experience for something I think has been much more rewarding in the long term and haven't ever regretted it.