NALFO/NPC

[Sciencewoman]

We had an alumna initiate at Convention in 2010 who joined a NALFO sorority as an undergraduate. This was included in her biographical blurb in the Convention program. However, she hadn't resigned from that group...she was still a member, so co-membership is obviously fine with us. I can't speak to other NPC sororities.

[Sen's Revenge]

Originally Posted by Sciencewoman

We had an alumna initiate at Convention in 2010 who joined a NALFO sorority as an undergraduate. This was included in her biographical blurb in the Convention program. However, she hadn't resigned from that group...she was still a member, so co-membership is obviously fine with us. I can't speak to other NPC sororities.

With all due respect.... and I really mean that.... that is a bad policy which sets a bad precedent. At some point, social fraternities and sororities need to see each other as equals. NALFO, NMGC, NPHC, and NPC may all be different types of sororities, but they are all still general sororities. What is it about non-NPC "otherness" which makes dual membership okay?

It honestly says to me, as a person of color, that NPC orgs which allow this don't take the other orgs or councils seriously. Either that, or don't take themselves seriously. But I doubt it's the latter.

[Sciencewoman]

Originally Posted by DrPhil

Would co-membership have been fine with your sorority if this was collegiate and not AI?

The only "official" stipulation seems to be that a PNM can't have been initiated into another NPC group. PNMs pledge this when they register for recruitment. Since it would have been approved at the highest level for a Convention initiation, my guess is that there isn't a policy expressly prohibiting this at the collegiate level, but see below....

Originally Posted by Sen's Revenge

With all due respect.... and I really mean that.... that is a bad policy which sets a bad precedent. At some point, social fraternities and sororities need to see each other as equals. NALFO, NMGC, NPHC, and NPC may all be different types of sororities, but they are all still general sororities. What is it about non-NPC "otherness" which makes dual membership okay?

It honestly says to me, as a person of color, that NPC orgs which allow this don't take the other orgs or councils seriously. Either that, or don't take themselves seriously. But I doubt it's the latter.

At the time, my reaction was, "I didn't know you could do that." My guess is that this is an issue that probably hasn't been addressed between the governing bodies (NPC, NALFO). Aside from the official NPC-wide agreement that once a woman is initiated into a NPC sorority, she can't ever join another, I honestly don't know how "official" any of the agreements or policies are about dual membership or second initiation into another GLO. From discussions I've read, people have referred to rules that may be GLO-specific official policies, campus-specific policies, "unwritten policies," or "this is our official policy"...but is it really, or is the poster just under that assumption? Any decisions about this would be above my policy-making pay-grade, but I think these are questions that are ripe for addressing within and between GLOs and the umbrella organizing bodies. These instances may have been rare previously, but they will likely become more common as diversity in the various groups increases.

For example, I know a Gamma Phi who is an advisor at a university in California with a heavily Latina/Latino student population, and she shared that the NPC sororities on this campus were at a disadvantage because they were bound by the NPC pre-recruitment no-contact rule each year. The NALFO groups got a head start and begin recruiting new members before the NPC groups start formal recruitment. She wants to see a fair and cooperative agreement between the councils on that campus, but I don't know what incentive there would be for the NALFO groups to do that.

[33girl]

Originally Posted by Sciencewoman

For example, I know a Gamma Phi who is an advisor at a university in California with a heavily Latina/Latino student population, and she shared that the NPC sororities on this campus were at a disadvantage because they were bound by the NPC pre-recruitment no-contact rule each year. The NALFO groups got a head start and begin recruiting new members before the NPC groups start formal recruitment. She wants to see a fair and cooperative agreement between the councils on that campus, but I don't know what incentive there would be for the NALFO groups to do that.

Is this a campus with deferred rush? If so, the campus panhel is doing it wrong and defeating the whole purpose if they disallow NPC sorority members from talking to possible rushees for a whole semester.

If it's not deferred and this is all happening before classes start, the NPC groups must not be putting on a very good rush.

In other words, it the fault of NPC not NALFO and if I was NALFO I think I'd tell NPC to bite me.

[ASTalumna06]

Originally Posted by DrPhil

This thread is reminiscent of previous threads in which certain councils and conferences need to be told they are not THE definition of sorority and fraternity.

?

Originally Posted by Sen's Revenge

With all due respect.... and I really mean that.... that is a bad policy which sets a bad precedent. At some point, social fraternities and sororities need to see each other as equals. NALFO, NMGC, NPHC, and NPC may all be different types of sororities, but they are all still general sororities. What is it about non-NPC "otherness" which makes dual membership okay?

It honestly says to me, as a person of color, that NPC orgs which allow this don't take the other orgs or councils seriously. Either that, or don't take themselves seriously. But I doubt it's the latter.

Do NALFO, NMGC, and/or NPHC organizations restrict a person from joining if they were in a fraternity/sorority in a different council? I think I've read on this site that at least some NPHC organizations restrict it, but I can't be sure...

[DrPhil]

Originally Posted by ASTalumna06

?

There have been a few discussions. The more recent started when a username was explaining the different councils and conferences and said "NPC...the sororities" and "NPHC...historically Black sororities and fraternities."

The NPC website uses the general description of "The National Panhellenic Conference is the premier advocacy and support organization for the advancement of the sorority experience." This presents the NPC as being the go to for the sorority experience before the reader is directed to see which sororities are members of NPC.

It brought back memories for some of us who have heard that throughout our (non-Greek and) Greek Life.

****
My sorority is one of the NPHC sororities that prohibits dual NPHC and NPC membership. They were probably making rules based on what they saw occurring at the time. This needs to be updated to include other councils and conferences to reflect what has happened at some schools and alumnae chapters where people are being denied membership if they are already a member of a general sorority that boasts lifetime commitment.

[Sen's Revenge]

Originally Posted by Sciencewoman

The only "official" stipulation seems to be that a PNM can't have been initiated into another NPC group. PNMs pledge this when they register for recruitment. Since it would have been approved at the highest level for a Convention initiation, my guess is that there isn't a policy expressly prohibiting this at the collegiate level, but see below....



At the time, my reaction was, "I didn't know you could do that." My guess is that this is an issue that probably hasn't been addressed between the governing bodies (NPC, NALFO). Aside from the official NPC-wide agreement that once a woman is initiated into a NPC sorority, she can't ever join another, I honestly don't know how "official" any of the agreements or policies are about dual membership or second initiation into another GLO. From discussions I've read, people have referred to rules that may be GLO-specific official policies, campus-specific policies, "unwritten policies," or "this is our official policy"...but is it really, or is the poster just under that assumption? Any decisions about this would be above my policy-making pay-grade, but I think these are questions that are ripe for addressing within and between GLOs and the umbrella organizing bodies. These instances may have been rare previously, but they will likely become more common as diversity in the various groups increases.

For example, I know a Gamma Phi who is an advisor at a university in California with a heavily Latina/Latino student population, and she shared that the NPC sororities on this campus were at a disadvantage because they were bound by the NPC pre-recruitment no-contact rule each year. The NALFO groups got a head start and begin recruiting new members before the NPC groups start formal recruitment. She wants to see a fair and cooperative agreement between the councils on that campus, but I don't know what incentive there would be for the NALFO groups to do that.

Head start as in pre-freshman recruitment? That's not common among NALFO orgs.

Originally Posted by ASTalumna06

?



Do NALFO, NMGC, and/or NPHC organizations restrict a person from joining if they were in a fraternity/sorority in a different council? I think I've read on this site that at least some NPHC organizations restrict it, but I can't be sure...

My fraternity's policy says something about social or general fraternities (not council-specific) but I think leaves room for a local fraternity.