Does being a sophomore or above matter when looking to join a fraternity?

[DeltaBetaBaby]

Originally Posted by BigRedBeta

For those that asked...

We've never needed to "fill space" in my chapter. Our chapter house is usually full with several juniors actually having to live out because we don't have the space. We do summer rush, so our pledges live in, but we only have spots for 21, and if we want to go bigger we have to find pledges that want to live out. In the time since I was a freshman, till now (6 pledge classes total) we've had only 1 class that started out below 21, which was a year in which the rush chairs' performance was an anomaly, combined with very low numbers of guys going through to begin with.


Are there possible exceptions in the future that we might take a junior? Sure, but it seems unlikely. Not to sound cocky, but given our campus involvement (just greeks in general at my school), if a guy did go through as a junior that on paper appeared to be a good fit for my chapter, we'd probably have someone who already knew him and would likely know the reasons he would or would not be worth a bid. Thinking about it personally, if it was me that knew the kid and found him to be a great fit, I'd still worry about his commitment to the chapter, what he was looking to get out of joining, and also what sort of things were coming up for him in the future...If it's a kid who is pre-med or pre-law, is he going to spend all second semester studying for the MCAT or LSAT? If he's in business is he going to be doing an internship somewhere during the summer, and thus not be around to help during rush? There's just too many questions that I'd need answered to my satisfaction to believe that the chapter and the man in question would both be helped. Even if the kid was a rockstar, there are just so many things that would go against the dynamic of my chapter...like getting him in to leadership roles within the house (b/c if he's that good at that point, shouldn't he be on the list?). Except that we don't elect pledges to executive positions (they initiate in january, elections are in November). And if he gains a cabinet level position - well the important positions at that level are where we place the future leaders of the chapter so they get some experience and grooming for the future, and then this "awesome guy" is left being the historian, sergeant-at-arms, or public relations chair...pretty much BS positions. (I was historian for a term because I pretty much dominated Beta lore but it's nothing I'd ever list as one of my leadership accomplishments.)

All in all the more I think about the more remote a possibility it becomes for my chapter - not that it wouldn't work at another, even on my campus (the guy who did rush as a junior did sign with another house), just not my chapter.

At my school, we had a fair number of men and women who transferred in from two-year colleges. Most of them spent an additional three years on campus. I guess my question was more about people who were new to the campus, rather than guys who hung out for two years without pledging.

[RU OX Alum]

well the average graduation time at my alma mater went from 4 to 5 and a half, so yeah, why not?

[shinerbock]

Same questions apply. Why are you here now. Where did you go originally, why did you leave, etc. Leaving somewhere can indicate things we don't want. I mean if you went to Berkley and decided it was too bleeding heart, that could be a valid excuse. However, if you transfer from Ole Miss to UGA, people are naturally going to make the assumption you couldn't cut it at Ole Miss. Our university is a big part of our fraternity (hence you have southern chapters that would side with another fraternity at their school over one of their own chapters from somewhere else). We also never had any people affiliate.

[Tom Earp]

Originally Posted by shinerbock

Same questions apply. Why are you here now. Where did you go originally, why did you leave, etc. Leaving somewhere can indicate things we don't want. I mean if you went to Berkley and decided it was too bleeding heart, that could be a valid excuse. However, if you transfer from Ole Miss to UGA, people are naturally going to make the assumption you couldn't cut it at Ole Miss. Our university is a big part of our fraternity (hence you have southern chapters that would side with another fraternity at their school over one of their own chapters from somewhere else). We also never had any people affiliate.

In rereading and rereading, you have made a good point!

So a Brother of your Fraternity transfers in from A University and you wonder why, then He is left out in the cold so to speak?

Maybe things did not work out at the first school as they did for me and moved on.

I worry that SCHOOLS are more important than Same Fraternity Brothers?

If XYZ or ABC is the most important thing, then where or the proiorties?

How Many Brothers do you know from outside your own Chapter? Are they more important than your school?

[DeltaBetaBaby]

Originally Posted by shinerbock

Same questions apply. Why are you here now. Where did you go originally, why did you leave, etc. Leaving somewhere can indicate things we don't want. I mean if you went to Berkley and decided it was too bleeding heart, that could be a valid excuse. However, if you transfer from Ole Miss to UGA, people are naturally going to make the assumption you couldn't cut it at Ole Miss. Our university is a big part of our fraternity (hence you have southern chapters that would side with another fraternity at their school over one of their own chapters from somewhere else). We also never had any people affiliate.

Transferred in from a two-year college. Does that not happen at your school?

[shinerbock]

Delta, sure I guess it happens. Those people usually don't rush. If they did, there would still be questions and concerns.

Tom, yes, my school is more important than my national fraternity to me.

[agzg]

Originally Posted by Elephant Walk

It's sort of an inside greek life joke in Arkansas. I had heard of them as shanes way before I went to LSU, in high school. It's a reference to this guy named Shane that was met in Panama City(which is filled of these kind of kids), and he was the typical gel-head and so on.

edit: He was the typical kind of kid the KE's usually take and why they're made fun of generally in Greek Life, even though they're a supposedly good chapter.

I dated a Kappa Sig when I was a freshman and he definitely was a gel-headed waste of life...

I definitely regretted that relationship!

[macallan25]

Originally Posted by Tom Earp

I worry that SCHOOLS are more important than Same Fraternity Brothers?

If XYZ or ABC is the most important thing, then where or the proiorties?

How Many Brothers do you know from outside your own Chapter? Are they more important than your school?

Your priorities should be to the guys in your chapter. I have plenty of great friends at other chapters throughout the South.....but my chapter here is far more important than SAE nationally.

[Tom Earp]

Originally Posted by macallan25

Your priorities should be to the guys in your chapter. I have plenty of great friends at other chapters throughout the South.....but my chapter here is far more important than SAE nationally.

The problem with you seems to be your narrow mindness.

The world does not revolve around the South of The United States.

So, YOU disrespect Your International? It seems so.

What you do not seem to realize, is that your Chapter Lives and Dies by their decission and those of your Brothers all over.

Have you ever been to a Geneal Assembly of Your Fraternity?

Have You ever had to Vote on closing a Chapter?

Can You make a decission like that?

[macallan25]

Originally Posted by Tom Earp

The problem with you seems to be your narrow mindness.

This is exactly why I don't like responding to you....you have the reading comprehension skills of a piece of bark. I'm narrow minded because my priorities are with the chapter in which I pledged? You are an idiot.

The world does not revolve around the South of The United States.

I never said it did dumbass. At what point in my response did I say anything like that? What the hell is wrong with you? I live in the South, if you didn't realize that. My friends all go to schools in the South. Southern Greek life and chapters in the South are what I know. Sorry if I'm not going to pretend that i'm big time SAE buddies with every guy at every chapter nationwide.

So, YOU disrespect Your International? It seems so.

Are you kidding me? You equate loyalty to your own chapter as showing disrespect to the overall organization? Sweet God you are a moron. Please explain this to me because my head is about to explode.

What you do not seem to realize, is that your Chapter Lives and Dies by their decission and those of your Brothers all over.

No Tom......people at other schools don't have any pull over what happens with our chapter. Me and my fraternity brothers at Texas have that control. The decisions that WE make as a chapter are what we "live and die by".

Have you ever been to a Geneal Assembly of Your Fraternity?

Have You ever had to Vote on closing a Chapter?

Can You make a decission like that?

Why do you write mindless crap like this? Nothing about any of this has to do with this thread or even the question that you posed. You asked a very simple question...........and the response you got wasn't what you wanted to hear. I would imagine if I said something along the lines of "Oh gee willikers, every SAE at every school in the country is my eternal brother and I will look upon him the same as I do my brothers at my respective chapter. Its ok that they don't have anything in common with me and don't share the same ideals because their SAE's!!!!!!" "Also, everytime I hear of a chapter closing, my heart breaks and my tears weep in sorrow for my unfortunate Phi Alpha SAE Brothers."

If you are going to be a moron and type out sputtering sentence fragments and one line rebuttals.........don't bother.

[Tom Earp]

Originally Posted by macallan25

This is exactly why I don't like responding to you....you have the reading comprehension skills of a piece of bark. I'm narrow minded because my priorities are with the chapter in which I pledged? You are an idiot.



I never said it did dumbass. At what point in my response did I say anything like that? What the hell is wrong with you? I live in the South, if you didn't realize that. My friends all go to schools in the South. Southern Greek life and chapters in the South are what I know. Sorry if I'm not going to pretend that i'm big time SAE buddies with every guy at every chapter nationwide.



Are you kidding me? You equate loyalty to your own chapter as showing disrespect to the overall organization? Sweet God you are a moron. Please explain this to me because my head is about to explode.



No Tom......people at other schools don't have any pull over what happens with our chapter. Me and my fraternity brothers at Texas have that control. The decisions that WE make as a chapter are what we "live and die by".





Why do you write mindless crap like this? Nothing about any of this has to do with this thread or even the question that you posed. You asked a very simple question...........and the response you got wasn't what you wanted to hear. I would imagine if I said something along the lines of "Oh gee willikers, every SAE at every school in the country is my eternal brother and I will look upon him the same as I do my brothers at my respective chapter. Its ok that they don't have anything in common with me and don't share the same ideals because their SAE's!!!!!!" "Also, everytime I hear of a chapter closing, my heart breaks and my tears weep in sorrow for my unfortunate Phi Alpha SAE Brothers."

If you are going to be a moron and type out sputtering sentence fragments and one line rebuttals.........don't bother.

OKAY DOKY! Impressive!

I FEEL THE SAME WAY ! Hell, we all do!

But, SAE is not the only GLO on Earth!

You need to work with people and People from Other GLOS. Get the program?

[macallan25]

Originally Posted by Tom Earp

OKAY DOKY! Impressive!

I FEEL THE SAME WAY ! Hell, we all do!

But, SAE is not the only GLO on Earth!

I'm actually trying to be civil here......because my head is about to explode.

Do you even read the garbage that you type? You trying to stay focused on a single topic is about as unlikely as Tito Jackson winning a Grammy.

I am well aware that SAE is not the "only GLO on earth". You asked a simple question about loyalty to your chapter/nationals/schools....so I answered it.

As for this:

You need to work with people and People from Other GLOS. Get the program?

I don't even know what this means. Actually, I'm just going to go ahead and say no, I don't. I have friends in many different fraternities.......do I feel the need to involve myself in their affairs?.....no. Why would I?.....and vice versa. Outside of having social relationships with other fraternities, I have no need to "work" with them on anything, whatever the hell that means.

[Tom Earp]

That is the point. U just do not get it!

[shinerbock]

Why should we work with other GLO's. I didn't join them all, I joined one that I liked. We're not one big greek world. I'm sorry, but my fraternal ties don't overcome stark differences in other areas. I didn't go through pledgeship with people from other chapters. They don't act, dress, or think the same way as me. The fact that they wear the same letters as me and believe in what our fraternity stands for is not sufficient for me to regard them like I do people in my chapter.

I know this is a shock to some people, but the fraternity (as an org, not the people in my chapter) is not overly high on my list of important things. I'd rank my faith, my family, my country, my school, and my friends ahead of it.

[macallan25]

Originally Posted by Tom Earp

That is the point. U just do not get it!

No, I don't get why you think "working with other GLOs" in an effort to be one gigantic ball of Greekdom is something that you think is so incredibly important. I don't. That really isn't something that I think is necessary or productive. Like Shinerbock said, I joined my fraternity because I wanted to be a part of it and because I liked it, not so I could make an effort to involve myself with a bunch of other fraternities.

So instead of you blurting out sentence fragments and telling me that I don't get it..........perhaps you can enlighten me on just what it is that you are talking about in reference to "working with other GLOs."