Would you bid a 16 year old?

[WestcoastWonder]

I was reading this blog on tumblr called Sorority Sugar and someone asked the girls who runs the blog this question:

I was wondering at other schools - what is the policy or norm for offering bids to girls who are under 18. We have a fantastic girl who came through recruitment, only thing is she is 16. My chapter is a little worried about the mindset and maturity level, being that we've had big problems with underage girls before. Is it acceptable to not offer a bid and say we really like you and think you would be a great with our sisterhood, please try recruitment again when your a little older?

My heart would say bid her if she was mature, sweet, smart and had good values, but my brain is telling me no because that sounds like a risk management NIGHTMARE!

My question is, what would you do in this type of situation and are there any specific NPC rules about age?

[AlphaFrog]

This is going to depend heavily on all 26 different membership policies, as well as campus culture, and basically boils down to what we tell any PNM - we don't know. Also, this is a situation that comes up infrequently, so I'm betting a majority here don't even know their group's official policy (even if it wasn't MS and could share).

[Titchou]

There are no NPC rules about age at all.

[Katmandu]

There is a HS in my region that is a private accelerated Catholic school with a classical curriculum. Graduates are typically 16 or 17, and virtually all go to university immediately. Many have pledged at a variety of schools i'm aware of...Centre College, Northern Kentucky, University of Cincinnati come to mind. One boy pledged at Indiana at 16, as I remember the mom saying she talked to the president before he accepted his bid.

[CaseyBat]

I know of a 17 year old new member at my school (not my chapter though.) Personally, I would be wary of someone that young, because of both risk management issues and maturity issues. Sometimes people can be miles ahead of their age group intellectually, but are still emotionally immature.

[TSteven]

Not NPC, but Sigma Chi Founder James Parks Caldwell was fourteen at the time of the founding making him the youngest of the founders.

Just sayin'.

[WestcoastWonder]

Originally Posted by TSteven

Not NPC, but Sigma Chi Founder James Parks Caldwell was fourteen at the time of the founding making him the youngest of the founders.

Just sayin'.

Whoa! Found a pic!



I wonder how old he was there. That was a fun fact!

[lovespink88]

Alpha Xi Delta had a founder who was 15!

[SigKapSweetie]

I turned 17 just before I pledged, and I had a chapter sister who was 16. IMHO, risk management issues have less to do with the member's age and more to do with her behavior.

[WestcoastWonder]

Originally Posted by lovespink88

Alpha Xi Delta had a founder who was 15!

lol but would you bid a 15 year old today?

[KSUViolet06]

Had I gone through recruitment first semester of my freshman year, I would have been 17 (didn't turn 18 until finals week.)

I don't see a problem with it, as long as RM things are strictly enforced and she knows that (for example) if date party is at a club/bar, she's not going.

Sigma does not have any rules concerning it, other than having some forms (like our policy form, payment type stuff, etc.) co-signed by a parent.

[Sciencewoman]

We had a thread on this before. I had a 14 year old pledge sister. She was in an early admit program at the University of Michigan. Nobody knew her age until it came up randomly in conversation just before initiation.

[lovespink88]

Originally Posted by WestcoastWonder

lol but would you bid a 15 year old today?

Haha, sorry I was hopping on the back of that 14 year old Sigma Chi post--not implying I'd bid a 15 year old!

And no, I would not. I think of me at 15...oy.

[WestcoastWonder]

Originally Posted by Sciencewoman

We had a thread on this before. I had a 14 year old pledge sister. She was in an early admit program at the University of Michigan. Nobody knew her age until it came up randomly in conversation just before initiation.

SWEET LEMONADE! You guys didn't know until initiation!? How does that not come up for so long? (depending on how long your pledge period is)

[Sciencewoman]

This was 30 years ago. We didn't have FB or the internet or any other way of finding out birth dates or similar info about people if they didn't choose to share it.