Meeting Alumnae and Actives Prior to Rush?

[KillarneyRose]

I was reading "Eating the Cheshire Cat" and at one point one of the main characters was preparing to rush at the University of Alabama. Her mother wanted her to pledge Tri Delta so she took her to a get-together the summer before rush to meet the local actives and alumnae.

Does this really happen down South? I'm not talking about necessarily with the Tri Deltas (that was just the org in the book).If so, is it something that is done openly or would it be considered a rush infraction?