NPC sororities and other national sororities

[SWTXBelle]

It only makes sense in reference to the item quoted above it, and even then I am afraid that all of the "nots" and "non-NPC" do make it less than clear. Sorry about that.
To try and condense my point - the NPC groups make unanimous agreements which protect the interests of their members. (As do most groups - it's to be expected.) It is a bit of a stretch to ask the NPC to do anything other than police itself - and to do so with anything other than its best interests in mind.
I believe the definition of a national sorority currently being used by the NPC is too broad. With so many groups being formed left and right, and with any one with more than two groups being able to call itself national, the waters are muddied in a way they were not, say, 20 years ago.
And I wanted to know if any non-NPC sorority has any rules that prohibit offering membership to NPC or other sorority members.
HTH

[SoCalGirl]

What's the NPC definition of a national org?

[SWTXBelle]

I should have said NPC's definition of a non-local (i.e. national) to be 100% correct. Locals are defined as not having any any guidance or affiliation from a national org - that is what I meant by being too vague or general.

eta - I seem to be mucking up the waters rather than helping at all, so I'm bowing out.

[AOII Angel]

Originally Posted by PhiRhoSister

Should a NPC sorority accept for membership initiated members or a chapter of another national sorority? The answer to this lies in the standards that NPC sororities hold themselves to.

So should a NPC sorority accept a petition for charter by a chapter of a non-NPC national sorority? No - the Unanimous Agreements only mentions "local sorority, local women's fraternity, or interest group" and NPC’s definition of local is a sorority without guidance from or affiliation with any national organization.

From Agreement on Extension under Unanimous Agreements
When a local sorority, local women’s fraternity, or interest group is applying to any member group of NPC for a charter, no other member fraternity of NPC shall communicate with that group, either directly or indirectly.
An NPC fraternity being petitioned for a charter by a local sorority, local women’s fraternity, or interest group located on a campus where a College Panhellenic Association is established shall require that the petitioning organization conform to the College Panhellenic Association’s established rules, regulations, and policies concerning membership recruitment, pledging, initiation and other activities.

So should a NPC sorority accept for membership a group of women who are initiated members of a non-NPC national sorority? No – if the NPC sorority respects other national sororities and expects respect from others in return.

Each NPC sorority agreed to the Unanimous Agreement: a women who is or who has ever been an initiated member of an existing NPC fraternity shall not be eligible for membership in another NPC fraternity. However, the NPC also requires that any organization applying for Associate or Active membership to not have as a member any woman who holds membership in, has resigned from, or been expelled from any other fraternity which is a member of the NPC.

Thus, if the purpose of such an Agreement is to make sure each NPC sorority respect the other NPC national sororities AND the NPC requires any national sorority to essentially abide by such an Agreement in order to become a NPC member, then for an NPC sorority to accept for membership a group of women who are initiated members of a non-NPC national sorority is the height of hypocrisy.

Your error in thinking begins with assuming that NPC's unaninous agreements have anything to do with local chapters or Non-NPC national organizations. These agreements extend ONLY to NPC member organizations. The NPC's rules were established to protect its members not the numerous non-NPC groups out there. Like kddani said....if you want NPC protection, join the NPC! As for getting respect from Non-npc groups...I doubt NPC is overly concerned with your opinions.

[Drolefille]

Originally Posted by AOII Angel

Your error in thinking begins with assuming that NPC's unaninous agreements have anything to do with local chapters or Non-NPC national organizations. These agreements extend ONLY to NPC member organizations. The NPC's rules were established to protect its members not the numerous non-NPC groups out there. Like kddani said....if you want NPC protection, join the NPC! As for getting respect from Non-npc groups...I doubt NPC is overly concerned with your opinions.

Two flaws here, one, the NPC has requirements to join, requirements that are thwarted by NPC absorption of non-NPC chapters; two, the question is not whether the NPC as an organization or a group of organizations are concerned about the chapters opinions, but whether the NPC should be concerned.

Of course, I suspect the NPC isn't much concerned with my opinion either.

[AOII Angel]

Originally Posted by Drolefille

Two flaws here, one, the NPC has requirements to join, requirements that are thwarted by NPC absorption of non-NPC chapters; two, the question is not whether the NPC as an organization or a group of organizations are concerned about the chapters opinions, but whether the NPC should be concerned.

Of course, I suspect the NPC isn't much concerned with my opinion either.

I don't know what you mean by "thwarted." In the recent cases, the NPC agreements have been followed.

[texas*princess]

While I agree that the NPC resolutions were created to protect "their own", I don't think that it's right for NPCs to absorb chapters who are initated members of other non-NPC National sororities - whether they be all-women chapters of traditionally co-ed Nat'l service orgs (I think it was Senruset who said some all-female chapters of APO have been absorbed by NPCs), or other groups like that.

As naiive as this sounds, it's called the "Golden Rule". Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.

I can bet that if a non-NPC Nat'l sorority wanted to initiate a chapter of an NPC org, that NPC group would be pissed off about it just as a non-NPC Nat'l group would be if a NPC took away one of their chapters.

[SoCalGirl]

She means that ABC sorority could not become a member of NPC because the iniatiated women of ABC's chapter at BFE State U was absorbed by an NPC group already.

[LPIDelta]

Again, I ask--what constitutes a "national sorority." A sorority with two chapters can incorporate as a "national sorority", thereby making itself national.

My feeling is that since it is not covered by the unanimous agreements specifically--and maybe it should be?--that absorbing a chapter of an non-NPC national is allowable. Is it right? Maybe not, and that is up to each group to judge until NPC addresses the issue specifically.

I also contend that no matter the type of organization, the ultimate interest to consider is that of the women in the chapter and ensuring they have the kind of experience they are seeking. It is their group to run and if they seek other opportunities because they want something different for their members, then that should be okay. Just like there are locals and non-NPC national chapters seeking affiliation with NPC groups, there are also NPC chapters that go local every year because the experience offered is not a match for the desire of the group. It does go both ways.

I don't know what my point was here-- This is just a great example of why membership development, programming and keeping up with our members' expectations (staying relevant) are so important, no matter the kind of organization.

[33girl]

Originally Posted by SWTXBelle

I believe the definition of a national sorority currently being used by the NPC is too broad. With so many groups being formed left and right, and with any one with more than two groups being able to call itself national, the waters are muddied in a way they were not, say, 20 years ago.
And I wanted to know if any non-NPC sorority has any rules that prohibit offering membership to NPC or other sorority members.
HTH

True that - and it should probably be talked out and agreed upon ASAP.

As for your second question - are you including NHPC?

[SWTXBelle]

Sorry - no, not including NPHC.

And let me remind my NPC sisters that the NPC is not some giant separate organization. We all have a voice through our representatives, and if there is an issue you feel is important you should address it through your org. and NPC rep.

[AOII Angel]

Originally Posted by SWTXBelle

Sorry - no, not including NPHC.

And let me remind my NPC sisters that the NPC is not some giant separate organization. We all have a voice through our representatives, and if there is an issue you feel is important you should address it through your org. and NPC rep.

Exactly! To say the the NPC should not do this or should not do that is ludicrous. They can and will ONLY enforce the unanimous agreements. To bash the NPC for recent events involving KBG is just a roundabout way of saying that KD and KKG shouldn't have absorbed those KBG chapters. It's up to the individual NPC organization to decide whether or not it is appropriate to absorb a "national" sorority chapter. If NPC were to decide that we cannot absorb these chapters, then they would have to have a "unanimous" agreement...somehow I doubt that Kappa Delta and Kappa Kappa Gamma would turn on their new sisters and agree to such a change. I'm sure that no NPC organization is gunning to take out any of these small national groups. Each of the recent cases was different, and we likely know little of what actually went on during the decision making process. May I also remind you that KD and KKG were not likely the ONLY NPC organizations to have presented to these chapters for expansion!

[Drolefille]

Originally Posted by AOII Angel

I don't know what you mean by "thwarted." In the recent cases, the NPC agreements have been followed.

Saying "well they should just join the NPC" doesn't work when there is a minimum chapter requirement to join the NPC and your chapters get absorbed by other orgs. The policy of allowing absorption is not one that encourages other orgs to join the NPC, it's more like dangling membership just out of reach, and yanking it away if you get close.

[AOII Angel]

Originally Posted by Drolefille

Saying "well they should just join the NPC" doesn't work when there is a minimum chapter requirement to join the NPC and your chapters get absorbed by other orgs. The policy of allowing absorption is not one that encourages other orgs to join the NPC, it's more like dangling membership just out of reach, and yanking it away if you get close.

I see your point, but the NPC didn't go to these chapters and ask them to jump ship from their national org. To help these non-NPC groups grow, we must turn down legitimate chapters seeking affiliation who have no intention of staying in the non-NPC group since they don't provide the services they promised? NPC organizations have not been aggressive in these situations so why should they have to apologize for a national not growing or succeeding? It sounds like KBG tried to expand too quickly and was not able to keep up. I doubt they are going to fold like a cheap suit just because one of their new chapters decided not to stay with them. From all of the posts by the one member BootyKBG, they are trying to reorganize. I wish them the best of luck. I think any of our groups can sympathize with chapters closing because they made poor choices or things didn't work out like they planned.

[33girl]

Originally Posted by AOII Angel

I see your point, but the NPC didn't go to these chapters and ask them to jump ship from their national org. To help these non-NPC groups grow, we must turn down legitimate chapters seeking affiliation who have no intention of staying in the non-NPC group since they don't provide the services they promised?

I think that part of the issue with the 2 KBG chapters that did this is that not only did they affiliate with an NPC, they closed their chapter. They could have disaffiliated as individuals, formed an interest group and found an NPC the same way - while keeping the KBG chapter open for any other individuals who might still want that choice, or for their national to come in and try to reorganize.

It's kind of like going through rush and saying "not only am I not going to put ABC on my pref card, I am going to find all the pref cards w/ ABC on them and erase them."