After Initiation Chapter Shut Down... Now What?

[DeltaBetaBaby]

Originally Posted by 33girl

As far as chapters who aren't straight up with their pledges - i.e. don't tell them they're on probation and may be closed any minute - they deserve to just have everyone dump them and never speak to them again, and the national organization should be compelled to release them and let them initiate elsewhere. A national org that doesn't do that (or that allows a chapter to initiate its class when they've already made the decision to close the chapter) is full of shitheads. Sorry to be blunt, but it's the truth.

I agree with this. Everyone says stuff like "once you initiate into an NPC, you can never initiate elsewhere". I'd like to think that, at some point, there have been exceptions made, for exactly this reason.

[DubaiSis]

And really, how much of your ritual do you remember after your own initiation? There's so much going on, what with the cat suits and hovercrafts, that it's pretty hard to remember even the important parts. I think you wouldn't be too much of a risk of sharing secrets, accurately anyway. I would be supportive of these highly unusual circumstances but of course there would have to be a REALLY good reason.

[PiAlphaGammaFM]

I agree... it really wasnt the new members fault. We are only a local. but im sure my sisters would be willing to accept the new class into our sisterhood in this situation. Not that it will ever come up since we dont have any NPC orgs here and I doubt we ever will.

[AZTheta]

Originally Posted by DeltaBetaBaby

I agree with this. Everyone says stuff like "once you initiate into an NPC, you can never initiate elsewhere". I'd like to think that, at some point, there have been exceptions made, for exactly this reason.

Originally Posted by DubaiSis

And really, how much of your ritual do you remember after your own initiation? There's so much going on, what with the cat suits and hovercrafts, that it's pretty hard to remember even the important parts. I think you wouldn't be too much of a risk of sharing secrets, accurately anyway. I would be supportive of these highly unusual circumstances but of course there would have to be a REALLY good reason.

Originally Posted by PiAlphaGammaFM

I agree... it really wasnt the new members fault. We are only a local. but im sure my sisters would be willing to accept the new class into our sisterhood in this situation. Not that it will ever come up since we dont have any NPC orgs here and I doubt we ever will.

ahhhhh...No.

Disagree, respectfully.

Some policies, there is no wiggle room. This is, IMO, one of them. If you are initiated, you are initiated. You'll be granted alumnae status if a chapter closes for low membership. For Risk Management reasons - that's another story entirely, and up to each individual GLO's policies.

I'd be willing to wager that the OP wasn't paying close attention to the chapter's status, because in my experience there is typically a LOT of talk prior to a chapter's closure. It's really hard to hide this sort of thing, people. Especially today, where it takes all of 14 seconds for something to hit the Internet and be broadcast to hell and back for anyone and everyone to read.

As for not remembering initiation, well...I have to disagree with that as well. The chapter I advise conducts a review of Initiation immediately after (within a day), as well as weekly Ritual presentations during Chapter. We often have alumnae present at the Initiation review. We do our utmost to keep Ritual at the forefront, in a positive light, as a guiding principle for chapter operations, not as a "club" or "punishment." I speak with other advisors from other chapters at my campus and they do similar activities with their new initiates.

[melindawarren]

Originally Posted by AzTheta

ahhhhh...No.

Disagree, respectfully.

Some policies, there is no wiggle room. This is, IMO, one of them. If you are initiated, you are initiated. You'll be granted alumnae status if a chapter closes for low membership. For Risk Management reasons - that's another story entirely, and up to each individual GLO's policies.

I'd be willing to wager that the OP wasn't paying close attention to the chapter's status, because in my experience there is typically a LOT of talk prior to a chapter's closure. It's really hard to hide this sort of thing, people. Especially today, where it takes all of 14 seconds for something to hit the Internet and be broadcast to hell and back for anyone and everyone to read.

As for not remembering initiation, well...I have to disagree with that as well. The chapter I advise conducts a review of Initiation immediately after (within a day), as well as weekly Ritual presentations during Chapter. We often have alumnae present at the Initiation review. We do our utmost to keep Ritual at the forefront, in a positive light, as a guiding principle for chapter operations, not as a "club" or "punishment." I speak with other advisors from other chapters at my campus and they do similar activities with their new initiates.

My question is, was she actually initiated? As someone pointed out, the initiation may not have been approved by a National that KNEW that the chapter was in a lot of hot water. What's to say that she actually got initiated?

[AZTheta]

^^^ no point engaging in speculation, is there? I'm responding to other peoples' posts re: NPC policy on "once initiated, never another initiation into an NPC organization".

ETA: go back and read the OP's first post in this thread. She states she was initiated, and was an active member "less than 48 hours" and has investigated other chapters of her organization that are in the state where she's currently attending school.

[DrPhil]

Originally Posted by AzTheta

ahhhhh...No.

Disagree, respectfully.

Some policies, there is no wiggle room. This is, IMO, one of them. If you are initiated, you are initiated. You'll be granted alumnae status if a chapter closes for low membership. For Risk Management reasons - that's another story entirely, and up to each individual GLO's policies.

I'd be willing to wager that the OP wasn't paying close attention to the chapter's status, because in my experience there is typically a LOT of talk prior to a chapter's closure. It's really hard to hide this sort of thing, people. Especially today, where it takes all of 14 seconds for something to hit the Internet and be broadcast to hell and back for anyone and everyone to read.

As for not remembering initiation, well...I have to disagree with that as well. The chapter I advise conducts a review of Initiation immediately after (within a day), as well as weekly Ritual presentations during Chapter. We often have alumnae present at the Initiation review. We do our utmost to keep Ritual at the forefront, in a positive light, as a guiding principle for chapter operations, not as a "club" or "punishment." I speak with other advisors from other chapters at my campus and they do similar activities with their new initiates.

TOTAL lane swerve/

I was waiting for someone to type this. I agree with all of this 100%.

I think this may be one of the NPC topics where it can be difficult for NPCers to speak generally when this may be more about specific NPC GLOs' policies. Don't quote me on that, though. LOL.

As for not remembering ritual after initiation, perhaps I am reading this incorrectly but, I do not understand how and why someone would not remember that. It really meant something to me on that day and I still remember it almost 150 years later. Part of that memory is fueled by the fact that I have had the privilege of initiating Sorors at the collegiate and alumnae levels throughout the years. But, it wasn't an easily forgotten experience when I was initiated.

/TOTAL lane swerve

[Greek_or_Geek?]

How do you hide being on social probation from an entire pledge class during their entire pledge period?

[fascination]

If she goes through recruitment at her new school in a different state and doesn't say anything about the previous sorority experience (for the rest of her life!), who would know? It would be a hard secret to keep, however, and not exactly honest, but she really got screwed over through no fault of her own.

[DeltaBetaBaby]

Is the policy really about the danger of sharing ritual, though? I thought it had far more to do with membership retention and such things, at least historically. Plenty of women leave organizations, and they could just as easily tell everyone all the deep dark secrets.

[agzg]

I don't think it does. I think it's to keep members from jumping ship to other NPCs. Part of the unanimous agreements.

[ElieM]

I guess the ultimate question is whether her initiation is official at her GLO HQ or not. If it is, then she's now an alumna. If it's not, then surely she is able to pursue other membership.

I could go around and initiate anyone I like into AAB or whatever, but that doesn't actually make them officially members.

[33girl]

Originally Posted by AzTheta

^^^ no point engaging in speculation, is there? I'm responding to other peoples' posts re: NPC policy on "once initiated, never another initiation into an NPC organization".

ETA: go back and read the OP's first post in this thread. She states she was initiated, and was an active member "less than 48 hours" and has investigated other chapters of her organization that are in the state where she's currently attending school.

The question is, was the initiation actually approved by an HQ who was planning on closing the chapter two days after it occurred?

If so, then they are the a-holes.

If not, and the chapter held an unapproved initiation ceremony hoping to bind these women to them, or kept their status under wraps, then they are the a-holes.

Either way, the pledges are the victims in this deal.

I would request to see emails from HQ approving or not approving this initiation...time & date stamp...because she said/she said ain't gonna cut it.

[Titchou]

OK, folks, we've got a week old thread with 4 pages of posts and the OP hasn't said a peep since her first post. What does that tell us? And, she said the only events she attended were Bid Night, Initiation and Founders Day. What the heck happened between Bid Night and Initiation??????? Just saying....

[melindawarren]

Originally Posted by Titchou

OK, folks, we've got a week old thread with 4 pages of posts and the OP hasn't said a peep since her first post. What does that tell us? And, she said the only events she attended were Bid Night, Initiation and Founders Day. What the heck happened between Bid Night and Initiation??????? Just saying....

A chapter on probation may not have social events? I don't know...

Also, RE: remembering ritual, I was too excited at my initiation to fully process enough of the ritual. Like, I remember some things, but I could benefit from paying better attention next time around. I was WAY too excited at my initiation!