Can I get the same experience being in a sorority if I can't live in their house?

[knight_shadow]

[Vitashort]

Originally Posted by knight_shadow

Oh you go ahead shaq!

[Cheerio]

Does any sorority house on your campus allow non-members to sign a contract and live-in? You may want to try that your senior year. It's a whole-other perspective from being a sorority member, but you'll still be living in a sorority house.

[Titchou]

Originally Posted by Cheerio

Does any sorority house on your campus allow non-members to sign a contract and live-in? You may want to try that your senior year. It's a whole-other perspective from being a sorority member, but you'll still be living in a sorority house.

This would probably be frowned on by their insurance carrier. Ours, who handles most of the NPC groups, discourages it. Boarders represent a risk management issue.

[33girl]

Originally Posted by Titchou

This would probably be frowned on by their insurance carrier. Ours, who handles most of the NPC groups, discourages it. Boarders represent a risk management issue.

You mean because the insurance is written so that it only includes initiated members and NMs?

The concept of a boarder (if it's take boarders or lose the house) can be awesome, if she's/he's the sort of boarder who never actually spends any time in the house except to sleep. A boarder who wants to be part of the GLO can be a very hairy issue.

[Titchou]

Originally Posted by 33girl

You mean because the insurance is written so that it only includes initiated members and NMs?

The concept of a boarder (if it's take boarders or lose the house) can be awesome, if she's/he's the sort of boarder who never actually spends any time in the house except to sleep. A boarder who wants to be part of the GLO can be a very hairy issue.

It's difficult to have one set of rules for members living in and another for boarders. The standard room contract applies to members as do most of the lease agreements between HC and the chapter. So the issue then is who does the baorder sign the contract with and who governs her activities? It's a very messy wiggly line so that the best thing is to just simply not do it unless there is some compelling reason. In that case, the insurance company should be contacted to determine the legal issues and requirements thereof.
When I was Director of Housing, we just didn't do it. Simpler that way. And yes, what do you do about ritual in the house that only members can attend? Do you bar the non members during that time? Is that legal in your locale? Too many gray areas.

[AOII Angel]

We had RAs in the sorority dorm my last two years that were non-members. We liked the people but did not like the practice of putting them in our halls. It was intrusive and was a problem with our organizational privacy. I can't imagine why you'd want to purposely put a non-member in a sorority house unless you couldn't fill rooms and had to pay a mortgage.

[33girl]

It's a lil different story when:
1) you don't own the house and no house corp is involved (everyone signed individual leases directly with the landlord)
2) you don't do ritual or formal rush at the house anyway since it's too small.

In our case, we just let the women know that there were times they'd have to be out of the house (or stay in their rooms) for big-little, open rush parties etc. It worked out alright - they both had practically fulltime jobs on top of school and were gone a lot anyway. My mom's BFF's son was a boarder at a house at Penn State though - quite different affair than our little shacks - and I never did know just how that would work out.

I could have sworn during the DePauw/DZ brouhaha it said they had boarders, although I may still not be fully awake and just imagining that one.

[Vitashort]

Originally Posted by Cheerio

Does any sorority house on your campus allow non-members to sign a contract and live-in? You may want to try that your senior year. It's a whole-other perspective from being a sorority member, but you'll still be living in a sorority house.

No, I don't believe so,but I guess it wouldn't hurt to ask.

[Greek_or_Geek?]

I believe SDT at USC currently has boarders, so it's not completely unprecedented. However, to suggest to someone that they should inquire about boarding at a sorority house to get the living in a sorority house experience is absurd.

[victoriana]

Vitashort,

I understand your concern about not being able to fully bond with sisters if you don't get the chance to live in the house. I have lived out of house for most of my membership, and I never felt "left out." There are probably plenty of opportunities to go over to the house and hang out there without having to live there. However, there is something to be said for living in. Most of my sisters who lived in the house said that they felt a special bond to the other girls in the house and that it is an experience they will remember for a lifetime.

In all seriousness though, your attitude is really terrible. You assume that you'll get a bid based on the word of a few girls who were probably under-informed or trying to ease your nerves going into recruitment. Let me tell you, there is nothing more annoying to sorority women than a PNM who comes through recruitment assuming everyone will love her and that she will get a bid. No one likes a cocky bitch. There is a fine line between not worrying yourself to death about it and getting cocky. While I appreciate your effort to not worry about getting a bid, you're trying way too hard. Rather than thinking about these far-reaching issues that aren't even for sure things, you should worry about things you can control such as your conversation skills, attitude, wardrobe for recruitment, etc.

If you ask me, I think you've been nothing but rude to GC posters who have tried to give you the honest truth. Of course you're going to get snarky replies if you act like a know-it-all and a bitch. You are so set in your opinion that you don't want to listen to anyone who isn't blowing sunshine and rainbows up your ass. Sorry I'm not sorry for being harsh. I'm only trying to save you from a disastrous recruitment.

[Titchou]

RAs are a different thing because it's university owned housing. I'm talking about where HC has control of the facility - they own it or they lease it in toto from another entity. It's an insurance issue more than anything. Yes, it's nice to think that you can ask them to leave at certain times but what do you do when she wants to sleep with her boyfriend in the house and you can't??? Legal issues big time and chapters and HCs just don't need the headachs> Yes, sometimes the mortgage does have to be paid. In those cases we cross our fingers, light candles and pray to the saints!