Do you think your organization's risk management policies go overboard?

[adpiucf]

ADPi considers requiring anything of the new members outside of the approved new member education plans/all-chapter requirements to be hazing. So unless the entire chapter is invited to participate or it is an all-Greek Panhellenic sponsored event like New Member 101, it could be seen as hazing according to our view.

[raymondcartoun]

Can you really be too careful about risk management and rules? If an incident happens that does violate a policy, its bad enough. But at least disciplinary action can be taken to save the reputation of other members and chapters. THe reality is having rules in place to protect members' and the overall organization's safety and reputation does not interfere with the ability to have a good time. Bonds between members can still be just as strong.

[Sailboat Sis]

How about no pictures that even insinuate drinking on Facebook. No styrofoam cups, no Solo cups, anything. Regardless of whether or not you're in letters or over 21.

Also, we are no longer allowed to share function costs with other sororities or fraternities... i.e. no mixers. Even a "date party" with XYZ is pushing it apparently.

[33girl]

Originally Posted by Sailboat Sis

Also, we are no longer allowed to share function costs with other sororities or fraternities... i.e. no mixers. Even a "date party" with XYZ is pushing it apparently.

I know that you can't buy alcohol, but are you saying you can't even buy non-alc bevvies or food or help pay for the rent of wherever you're holding it?

[SigKapSweetie]

I thought they were a little strict my first year, but after being on exec I was grateful for anything that helped cover our butts legally.

[Sailboat Sis]

Originally Posted by 33girl

I know that you can't buy alcohol, but are you saying you can't even buy non-alc bevvies or food or help pay for the rent of wherever you're holding it?

Yes, we cannot buy alcohol, but that has been around forever. However, when we host a function, we must pay 100% of the cost. So say we have a "date party/mixer" with XYZ, we foot 100% of the bill for the location, food, etc.

I do want to say that I do not believe our Nationals is the problem. They are simply doing everything possible to cover us and themselves from a lawsuit. It is the insurance provider and our society that have made policies too strict.

Not that insurance even matters. If one girl is found to have consumed alcohol while underage, we would lose our insurance coverage.

[33girl]

Originally Posted by Sailboat Sis

Yes, we cannot buy alcohol, but that has been around forever. However, when we host a function, we must pay 100% of the cost. So say we have a "date party/mixer" with XYZ, we foot 100% of the bill for the location, food, etc.

A date party I understand (in my vernacular a date party is where sisters invite dates from several fraternities or perhaps not from a fraternity at all and therefore you are the sole hostesses), but I don't understand the rationale of making you pay all the costs for a co-sponsored mixer. It seems as though it would put you at more risk, rather than less.

[Sailboat Sis]

We have to change our vocabulary to "date party" when we have what is really a "mixer." Mixer implies that the cost is shared. I do not understand the logic either. Also, what was formerly called a "date party/cocktail," where sisters invite dates, must now be referred to as a "hangout."

[skylark]

Originally Posted by Sailboat Sis

How about no pictures that even insinuate drinking on Facebook. No styrofoam cups, no Solo cups, anything. Regardless of whether or not you're in letters or over 21.

Also, we are no longer allowed to share function costs with other sororities or fraternities... i.e. no mixers. Even a "date party" with XYZ is pushing it apparently.

I agree with the picture restrictions. Sure it might not be the best image to project to the community, but lets let the girls have the opportunity to make some decisions for themselves. It isn't as if a drunken picture or two is going to hurt the girls, PNMs or anyone else. The potential of the pictures having any affect on lawsuit exposure is minimal and if we did everything possible to minimize lawsuit exposure, we wouldn't have sororities to belong to because they would be isolationist, boring, convents.

[AlwaysSAI]

Originally Posted by adpiucf

ADPi considers requiring anything of the new members outside of the approved new member education plans/all-chapter requirements to be hazing. So unless the entire chapter is invited to participate or it is an all-Greek Panhellenic sponsored event like New Member 101, it could be seen as hazing according to our view.

That's SAIs policy all the way. We've had some trouble with it. You know, there used to be requirements of pledges that were not hazing, but helping the MIT to get integrated into the chapter. Like interviewing sisters-nope, no more. Technically, we don't even have a big/lil program. Each pledge is assigned a sister to help her during pledging, but technically it's not a big, oh and technically, I don't have a G-big or a GG-big either.

I think it's getting a little extreme. Like, I don't even feel like I know hardly any of the girls that came in during the spring. But, I can understand why those rules are in place--no matter how un-fun it makes their MIT period.

Phi Sigma Pi is a whole different animal in itself. We have hazing policies, but there are also things for us to finish during pledging that is outlined in our national constitution as part of the process. Our biggest thing is that, as a brother we are not allowed to drink, smell, hold alcohol in our hands--anything--if an initiate is around. Even if they are drinking, we can't.