Another Colony question

[Energizer420]

Sorry to be annoying im just trying to learn how this works, if the colony goes through recruitment before the founders are intiated then the new pledge class they take in are considered there first pledge class or they are considered founders also? Also can someone please explain to me what goes on, like how if a colony takes new members and they all just become one big pledge class. i think im confused so someone please explain to me how a colony works and also how it works with rush. Thank you

[Kevin]

Again, I can only speak for Sigma Nu.

The individuals that are considered founding fathers are anyone that is around when you get your charter. So anyone that joined the colony between Spring of '99 and the Fall of 2001 we included in our list of founding fathers.

We made a specific cutoff date a few months before we received our charter to determine who would not be initiated with us.

So yes... In essence we're all just one big pledge class.

[LPIDelta]

This actually depends entirely on the organization-- there is no standard here.

[PiKapp Raider]

We are not really considering our Rush groups as pledge classes. Some of us loosely call them Rush classes just to give it name. But honestly, the colony period it so undefined because organizations only do it once....What I saying is that your chartering new territory, so to speak. As for my chapter, we're handling it pretty much the same way ktsnake described it.

As a side note...enjoy this time as a colony, and don't let yourself get too frustrated with it (because, I promise, it will happen). And always keep in mind that the activities you do today will be the traditions pasted down to tomorrow, so make them count.

By the way, what GLO are you colonizing?

[aephi alum]

I think it varies from org to org, and it depends on the timing of the new member classes.

I was in a local sorority that went national. A couple of weeks after we pledged, a new girl joined us; as soon as she was pinned, she was considered to be on the same footing with the rest of us. She caught up to us in her new member education, and was initiated with us as part of the Alpha new member class. (This, BTW, is unusual - to be initiated while your "chapter" is still a colony.)

The following fall, we got an amazing Beta new member class. After they completed their new member program, they were initiated, and immediately afterward, we had our chapter installation ceremony.

There was some disagreement between us and nationals as to whether the Beta class would be considered founding sisters (we said yes, they said no). Ultimately, they were, but the compromise was that the signatures on our charter are in two columns - Alpha and Beta.

My apologies if I've confused you

[Energizer420]

Im not part of a colony, im already in a chapter I was just wondering because I was confused on how the whole process works

I am going to assume you are talking about the Delta Zeta colony in CT.

If a colony takes on a New Member Class while still being New Members themselves, typically they will all be initated as Charter Members as long as they are all initiated at the same time before receiving the charter. Technically they are all pledging, some New Members longer than others. This is sometimes done to reach a specific number of charter members before making the chapter official.

I was a member of a colony and we took on a pledge class while we were still pledges (this is back in 93 when we were still called pledges). There is a lot to do to receive a charter, and we had the time to accept more colony sisters through formal rush and COB before installation. It helped us get stronger, gave us practice with rushing for the next time around and was a lot of fun!

[crystalline]

Ours were considered founders. The new-new members we had just picked up were listed on the charter also, but as new members instead of founders. They were from our second "rush".