MRABA Binding / Age of Majority

[celebcj]

I've long gone alumna, but a similar thread on Reddit posed an interesting question.

Is the MRABA truly binding in states where the PNMs are not the age of majority (i.e. a 17 year old PNM) or in my case being 18 when the age of majority in Alabama is 19?

[navane]

As far as I know, MRABA is not a legally binding contract as such. It is a condition of joining a private organization. So, even if a 17 year old said, "I don't like the bid I got! You can't make me wait until next year to re-rush because I was too young to be held to a contract to start with. I'm going to do informal rush!" the organizations would just be like, "That's nice. You're not invited to our event."

[Titchou]

Originally Posted by navane

As far as I know, MRABA is not a legally binding contract as such. It is a condition of joining a private organization. So, even if a 17 year old said, "I don't like the bid I got! You can't make me wait until next year to re-rush because I was too young to be held to a contract to start with. I'm going to do informal rush!" the organizations would just be like, "That's nice. You're not invited to our event."

This. The MRABA is telling you that the groups adhere to this. You can't join a group without an invitation to do so.

[carnation]

Is someone on Reddit trying to get out of her MRABA?

[celebcj]

Originally Posted by carnation

Is someone on Reddit trying to get out of her MRABA?

no, she was asking a similar hypothetical

[celebcj]

Originally Posted by navane

As far as I know, MRABA is not a legally binding contract as such. It is a condition of joining a private organization. So, even if a 17 year old said, "I don't like the bid I got! You can't make me wait until next year to re-rush because I was too young to be held to a contract to start with. I'm going to do informal rush!" the organizations would just be like, "That's nice. You're not invited to our event."

makes sense! I remember one girl saying something about how she wasn't signing her MRABA without a lawyer present and I was thinking, what 18 year old thinks of that? And the Pi Chi said it doesn't matter anyway, it's a rule, you have to sign it if you want a bid.

[ForrestGrump]

The MRABA isn't a legally binding contract - there's no offer and acceptance of something or an exchange of something of value for the performance of the contract ("consideration"). It's basically the PNM's signed acknowledgement of NPC's rules and procedures. No, the PNM doesn't have to sign it, but the NPC member groups are still going to abide by those rules and procedures.

[DGTess]

Interesting. I love hypotheticals.

So if a woman refuses to sign her MRABA, she can't get a bid or be a quota addition on bid day. She won't get a snap bid on bid day.

But she can accept a bid the next day from a chapter on campus, right? Through the informal process? Even though she has not agreed to the MRABA conditions?

Or am I missing something?

[shadokat]

DGTess, you're right. If you refuse to sign your MRABA, no bid and no snap, but you can be a COB.

As I like to tell my advisees, sorority rules aren't laws you can take to court. They are the accepted policies of being in a sorority, and as a PNM or a member, you follow them as part of joining a private organization. In today's litigious society, PNMs think they can pull the "freedom" of something card out, and I always say you knew what you were getting into when you signed up for recruitment, so too bad, so sad.

[Titchou]

Sure but what guarantee do you have that the group you want will have an opening AND offer you a COB spot? Russian roulette if you ask me!

[33girl]

Originally Posted by Titchou

Sure but what guarantee do you have that the group you want will have an opening AND offer you a COB spot? Russian roulette if you ask me!

Exactly - if women are doing this sort of thing with regularity AND it’s working, the campus needs an NPC area advisor intervention, stat.

[aephi alum]

Agreed. It's an agreement, not a contract. The PNM isn't getting married or buying a house. The agreement is, "If you want a bid, sign your MRABA and understand that you're bound to whichever chapter bids you for the next year, or take your chances with informal. If you don't sign your MRABA, you're not getting a bid through formal recruitment."

Financial obligations are a different matter. AEPhi's financial obligation note requires a parent to co-sign if the new member has not reached the age of majority. But I digress.

[flirt5721]

We had a situation where a NM signed the MRABA, only stayed in the chapter for a month. It was explained that she would still be responsible for any due she would accumulate in that time. She tried fighting every way to get out of paying. She went as far as contacting the Dean of Students. He stated by signing the MRABA she was agreeing to all terms, conditions, and financial responsibility while part of the chapter; no matter how short of a time she was in it.

[shadokat]

Originally Posted by Titchou

Sure but what guarantee do you have that the group you want will have an opening AND offer you a COB spot? Russian roulette if you ask me!

So one university I know has an over-inflated total that the NPC area advisor was justified to grow the system. Average chapter size was 41; largest chapter size was 45. NPC area advisor said setting total at 59 would be fine

During formal recruitment, two sororities told PNMs to drop out of recruitment, and they would COB them. It worked because the number of PNMs going through was around 100 and there were 10 sororities. Those two chapters took quota of like 8, and then each had around 4-6 COBs of these women. If NPC doesn't do a stupid move like this, you're right, but it does happen!

[KerriMarie]

I love the sororities subreddit!