Out of State Rushing a Frat at Bama

[TSteven]

Originally Posted by Firehouse

I didn't realize that the University of Alabama had deferred rush till second semester!!?? That's the first step toward regulating the fraternities out of business. I'm shocked that the fraternities agreed to submit without a fight.

They don't. "Deferred" means Fall Rush. I believe that in previous years, Bama fraternities could extend bids during the summer. Now, while Bama chapters may still have summer rush events, bids are not extended until the start of the fall semester.

[Firehouse]

TSteven, you've always appeared to be a free-market sort of guy. Why in the world would an SEC school agree to eliminate summer bids? That has always been a staple of their great success. It angers me when bureaucrats try to bully the fraternities into restricting rush. Unlike sororities, fraternities have no quota, no limitation. Why not open up all sources of new members and allow the system to flourish to the max?

[TSteven]

Originally Posted by Firehouse

TSteven, you've always appeared to be a free-market sort of guy. Why in the world would an SEC school agree to eliminate summer bids? That has always been a staple of their great success. It angers me when bureaucrats try to bully the fraternities into restricting rush. Unlike sororities, fraternities have no quota, no limitation. Why not open up all sources of new members and allow the system to flourish to the max?

I totally agree. Frankly, one rarely hears of issues regarding IFC rush (as a whole) like you do with NPC recruitment. Yet, while the system isn't broken, some administrator feels that they have to "fix it".

Having year round recruitment (Summer, Fall and Spring/Winter) has always been an effective and successful way to recruit. Summer Rush gets you the local pledges and the men already known to the chapter. Fall Rush picked up out-of-state guys, guys from summer rush who needed more time to make an informed decision, guys who - for what ever reason - did not attend summer rush events, and returning students now interested in fraternities. Spring Rush (winter rush) picks up the guys who want a semester of school under their belt, guys who could not devote time to rush (pledge) during the summer or the fall (for example - athletes, band), guys who didn't really have a clue about Greek life on campus before they arrived, and friends and class mates of current members.

Bottom line is that a year round recruitment system supports not only incoming freshemn, but also upperclassmen with rushing. No "one time to receive a bid or else" factor. Year round recruitment allows the rushee to pledge when - and how - he feels most comfortable doing so. It can even the playing field by allowing chapters to use their strengths when - and how - they rush. For example, a chapter might not have a house on campus, but can compete during summer rush. Or a chapter doesn't do well during formal rush on campus but does well one-on-one either during the more relaxed summer rush or recruiting one-on-one during the school year (and then pledging during the spring). Or a chapter may do it's best recruiting during the more formal structure of fall rush.

Restricting how and when fraternities rush is... restrictive. And not good for the fraternity system as a whole. Which is why the NIC (IFC) advocates no restriction and year round recruitment.

[magnoliacurious]

They don't. "Deferred" means Fall Rush.

Exactly! That's why I had "fall" enclosed in parentheses in my post. Previously, as I understand it, fraternities had their more formal rush the week before school started in addition to the spring and summer pledging mainly for in-state guys. Now, if I've got it right, they can informally offer bids during spring and summer events, but they don't become official until the university's pledge period begins in September. And the fall rush is spread longer during the first month of the fall term to help out-of-staters and those not sure of which fraternity they want to pledge decide which fraternity might be best for them. Things sound so much easier now than they used to be for guys not-in-the-loop to pledge!

[LaneSig]

Guys, I think you are meaning "delayed" rush.

"Deferred" rush occurs when freshmen are not allowed to rush until 2nd semester or they have completed 12 hours.

If rush is held a few weeks after the start of the school year, it is "delayed" rush.

[TSteven]

Originally Posted by LaneSig

Guys, I think you are meaning "delayed" rush.

"Deferred" rush occurs when freshmen are not allowed to rush until 2nd semester or they have completed 12 hours.

If rush is held a few weeks after the start of the school year, it is "delayed" rush.

You are right. Generally speaking, deferred refers to freshman rushing the second semester. However, the confusion lies with this quote from the Crimson White article.

"That's one reason we went to this deferred (fall) Rush, " (then IFC President Will) Norvell said.

In this context, "deferred" means extending bids in the fall and not in the summer.

Actually, in rereading Mr. Norvell's quote from the Crimson White, it seems like Bama allows bids to be extended in the summer along with (perhaps) a more formalized or structured rush in the fall.

"The IFC has also formulated a database that each fraternity can access throughout the summer to see which men have pledged, so that they can focus on recruiting those who have not."

[ccmtx08]

yeah sorry about the whole "Frat" thing. I didn't realize calling them fraternities was always a big deal. In Texas its not taken as seriously I guess. Everyone calls them that here. Guess I'll need to change that.

[Tom Earp]

Originally Posted by ccmtx08

yeah sorry about the whole "Frat" thing. I didn't realize calling them fraternities was always a big deal. In Texas its not taken as seriously I guess. Everyone calls them that here. Guess I'll need to change that.

To many to let you know, Frat means boys, and Fraternity means men.

The only one I know who call their members Fraters is TKE.

But many members act like boys or kids!

[violetpretty]

I say "frat boy" if I am insulting a guy and "fraternity man" if I think highly of him.

[macallan25]

Originally Posted by ccmtx08

yeah sorry about the whole "Frat" thing. I didn't realize calling them fraternities was always a big deal. In Texas its not taken as seriously I guess. Everyone calls them that here. Guess I'll need to change that.

really?

[SWTXBelle]

Originally Posted by ccmtx08

yeah sorry about the whole "Frat" thing. I didn't realize calling them fraternities was always a big deal. In Texas its not taken as seriously I guess. Everyone calls them that here. Guess I'll need to change that.

Many fraternity men in Texas would NEVER use the word "frat". I can't speak about all of them, but all of the Sigma Chis in my acquaintance (and family) would take the use of that word very seriously. And they are all in Texas.