panhellenic age limits

[REE1993]

Originally Posted by AchtungBaby80

Well, keep in mind this was coming from a bunch of 18-22 year olds. A bunch of 18-22 year olds who had mostly pledged before age 20, I might add. 26 sure doesn't seem old now, but it did then! Heh heh.

Hey, if a 26 yo wants to embrace sisterhood, and finds a mutual fit in her ideals, interests, etc., I think it's great. But I totally understand how it might feel weird on both sides. I think the idea of such an age difference will often reflect in a person's lifestyle, habits, goals, etc. Perhaps an older rushee/pledge might not have had the opportunity to go to college at a typical age. But I imagine that this very same person might feel uncomfortable taking direction (note I didn't say orders) from girls 8 years younger.

That being said, it might be cool to have someone as a "big sister (like real life), more experienced" type of sister in your organization, bc she can draw upon life experiences and share them with the rest of the house/chapter.

But again, there should be a mutual fit; and while it might not necessarily be an age issue, it might an issue in terms of generational differences and the fact that the "typical" collegiates "grow up" together in college. Much of sisterhood is the sharing of new experiences, personal growth, and learning more about who you are an who you want to become. In that case, I can see where it would not be a good mutual fit.

Forgive my rambling.

[dgdramadawg]

Has this PNM thought about how she might feel as a pledge sister of mostly 18-19 year olds? If she rushes at 26-27 and receives a bid, she will most likely be older than not just her pledge sisters, but also the upperclassmen and officers. She might be fine with that, but I know that it might make me a little uncomfortable to pledge if I was that much older than my chapter sisters. But hey, if it doesn't make her uncomfortable, I say she should go for it!

[Dionysus]

As for having officers younger than you...if you have issues with someone younger (but COMPETENT) giving you orders or making rules, that sounds like an attitude problem. Will you not take a job because the boss is younger than you? That's not common, but it's not unheard of. It's also kind of along the lines of a man not wanting to take orders from a woman. If someone is competent in what they do, it shouldn't matter what their background is.