Fall Formal Recruitment Rules
All members, including alumnae, are bound by these rules and responsible for
understanding and observing them.
ARTICLE I: QUOTA/TOTAL
1) Chapter total will be 40.
2) Quota will be determined by dividing the number of potentials receiving invitations to the second parties, by the number of sororities.
ARTICLE II: BUDGET
1) Chapters may not spend more than $500 on Formal Recruitment.
2) Donated Goods must be included in the budget.
3) Panhellenic Officers will check parties and may request a receipt if something appears not to fit the above provisions.
4) Chapters must be able and willing to give receipts to the Panhellenic Council within one week of the end of Formal Recruitment.
ARTICLE III: POTENTIAL MEMBERS
1) A woman who is or has ever been an initiated member of an existing NPC sorority shall not be eligible for membership in another NPC sorority.
2) To be eligible for Formal Recruitment, a woman must be enrolled at Texas Wesleyan University as a full time student.
3) A woman shall register for Formal Recruitment and pay a $10 registration fee. This fee shall be non-refundable.
4) A signed Membership Recruitment Acceptance Card is binding. If a potential receives a bid during Formal Recruitment but chooses not to accept, she is ineligible to pledge any other national sorority on the same campus for one calendar year.
a) One calendar year will be defined as this; if she receives the bid in the fall, she can't pledge another group until the next fall.
5) If a potential does not receive a bid during Formal Recruitment, she is eligible for Continuous Open Bidding.
6) A woman who has her pledge broken by a sorority, or who has broken her pledge to a sorority, may be re-pledged to that sorority at any time within the calendar year.
7) When a pledge (a new member who is not yet initiated) transfers to another campus, her pledge is broken, and she is eligible to pledge any NPC sorority on that campus at the earliest opportunity.
8) Pledges of a chapter whose charter has been rescinded or relinquished shall be eligible to pledge another sorority immediately following an official release from their original organization.
9) A Potential Member must provide their own transportation to and from all recruitment activities.
12) A Potential Member may not visit a sorority members place of residence until the end of the Formal Recruitment.
11) A Potential Member shall attend her potential member orientation and all parties to which she receives an invitation. In case of illness or any other emergency she shall notify the Panhellenic Council if she cannot attend.
12) If a Potential Member chooses not to return to a party she is invited to, she shall be removed for Formal Recruitment and allowed to participate in Continuous Open Bidding.
13) A Potential Member may not accept anything from a sorority member and may not buy a sorority member anything. This shall include but is not limited to drinks, food, etc.
14) A Potential Member may not ride in any sorority members car, or give a sorority member a ride.
15) In the case of a Potential Members relative or roommate being a sorority member, limited contact outside of recruitment activities is allowed, but Formal Recruitment and the Greek System are not to be discussed. Potentials in this situation are reminded to be wary of their contact with these people in public. Although the potential may know their behavior is in accordance with the silence period, others may think otherwise.
16) A Potential Member must have the minimum GPA required by the sorority that they intend to pledge in order to do so.
ARTICLE IV: CHAPTER MEMBERS
These rules shall be followed by all active, inactive, and alumnae members.
1) From the conclusion of the preceding spring semester until the first day of the new semester, all members shall follow the summer contact policy: Conversation between incoming freshmen girls and sorority members shall be allowed but members are only allowed to promote Panhellenic Recruitment and Greek Life in general (Go Greek). Members may not promote their individual sorority (Go Gamma Phi Beta/Alpha Xi Delta). Hot Boxing rules shall be followed at all times.
Following Potential Member Orientation Silence shall be observed.
a) Silence shall be defined as conversation between individual sorority members and potentials, which shall be limited to recruitment parties and simple recognition of potentials before these parties occur. Violations of this definition shall include, but are not limited to, blatant contact with potentials, inviting potentials to go somewhere, extended conversation outside of recruitment parties, sitting with a potential in a conversation setting, etc.
2) Members may not promise bids, invitations, or insinuate that they will see the potential new member at the next party. This includes but is not limited to phrases such as see you soon, see you tomorrow.
3) Members may not suggest intentional single-preference (a.k.a. suicide).
4) Members may not purchase anything for a potential member (gifts, meals, drinks, etc.)
5) Members may not visit or call upon potential members at their residence at any time until the conclusion of Bid Day.
6) Members may not inquire about or discuss another chapter's recruitment parties or procedures.
7) Members may not inquire about whether or not a potential member has received an invitation to another chapters party.
8) Strict silence shall be observed by members.
a) Strict silence will begin after the conclusion of your chapters preference party and will conclude after bids have been distributed. During strict silence, chapter
members may not interact with or engage in conversation with Potential Members.
9) No downgrading of any chapter or sorority member will be tolerated.
10) Hot Boxing shall not be allowed at any time during Formal Recruitment or at any functions preceding Formal Recruitment. Preferably there should always be at least one member from each sorority present when talking to a potential, but it is not required.
a) Hot Boxing shall be defined as a ratio of 3 or more members from a single chapter to 1 potential.
11) In the case of a members relative or roommate going through Recruitment, limited contact outside of Recruitment is allowed, but Recruitment and the Greek System are not to be discussed. Members in this situation are reminded to be wary of their contact with these people in public. Although the member may know their behavior is in accordance with the silence period, others may think otherwise.
ARTICLE V: PANHELLENIC
1) Panhellenic Officers must disaffiliate from their chapter during Formal Recruitment.
2) Letter disaffiliation begins at the end of the preceding spring semester. This also includes, but is not limited to, writing utensils, paper, key chains, stickers for your car, and license plate frames that contain Greek letters.
3) The affiliation of the Panhellenic Council is confidential. Their names or pictures must not be visible in any way to potentials. They may not appear in slide shows, videos, scrapbooks, chapter displays, or chapter web sites, unless their face is covered in some way (i.e. a sticker over their face).
a) Panhellenic reserves the right to check to make sure no pictures are being used.
4) Panhellenic may not reveal their sorority affiliation, or show favoritism towards one chapter at any time.
5) Panhellenic shall be allowed to participate in membership selection.
6) Chapters will be held responsible for the actions of their Panhellenic Representatives. Any judicial procedures taken against a Panhellenic Representatives shall apply to the sorority as well.
7) Panhellenic shall provide nametags for potential members.
8) Panhellenic shall serve as Recruitment Counselors (formerly called Rho Chis).
9) Panhellenic will be put into pairs in order to lead their respective groups to their parties.
b) The pairs shall consist of both junior delegates together and both senior delegates together.
10) Panhellenic shall provide each chapter with a copy of the Formal Recruitment registration form with a picture of each Potential Member.
11) Panhellenic shall provide each chapter with a copy of the identification video that will be made at the first Potential Member meeting.
12) Panhellenic may conduct a walk through of party rooms 15 minutes before each party, but are not required to do so.
ARTICLE VI: RECRUITMENT PARTIES
1) There will be no favors extended at any party rounds with the exception of informational pamphlets that may be given during the first party. Favors will be defined as anything that the potential member leaves the party with that she did not enter with.
2) No men are allowed to participate in any Formal Recruitment activity or party with the exception of transportation of props or materials.
3) Mothers of members may assist with food preparation, serving and clean up but are not allowed to interact with potentials or participate in party activities.
4) Normal contact and conversation shall be allowed between potential members and sorority members and alumnae during recruitment parties, but Panhellenic stresses that alumnae must be identified as alumnae and not misrepresented as active members.
5) Alcoholic beverages cannot be served during any part of Formal Recruitment. Alcohol cannot be in any recruitment photos, videos, skits, or slide shows.
6) Decorations shall only be allowed inside of each chapters party room. This means nothing should be seen while the doors are shut.
7) Cheering and singing shall only be allowed inside of the party room.
8) There is no restriction on food served during recruitment parties as long as it is paid for out of the budget. Panhellenic stresses that sororities use their best judgment when deciding what to serve or not to serve potentials.
9) Dress code for Formal Recruitment parties is up to the chapters discretion, but any clothing worn by members shall not be paid for out of the recruitment budget.
10) No sort of personal letters or notes may be given or read to potentials during any party.
11) There shall be a 10-minute break in between parties. Panhellenic shall give a five and two minute warning to each chapter.
12) During the parties Panhellenic shall give the chapters a fifteen, five, and two minute warning.
13) If a chapter chooses to present a slide show, it may be presented during the party of that chapters choice.
14) First Party
a) This shall be a thirty-minute informational party.
b) There are no restrictions on decorations as long as they are in accordance with the recruitment rules. As stated before, decorations shall only be allowed inside of the party room.
c) If a chapter chooses to give potentials an informational pamphlet, it is to be given during this party. If the pamphlet is different than the one used by Panhellenic in summer mailings, the pamphlet must be presented before the Panhellenic Council for approval before recruitment begins.
d) There is no restriction on members attire as long as it is tasteful.
15) Second Party
a) Chapters shall provide Panhellenic with their second party invitation list following the first party and their invitations for second party no later than 1 hour before the parties are scheduled to start.
b) This shall be a forty-five-minute party.
c) Any skit that a chapter chooses to perform shall be presented during this party.
d) There is no restriction on members attire as long as it is tasteful
16) Third (Preference) Party
a) Chapters shall present Panhellenic with their invitation lists following the second party and their invitations for preference party no later than 8 am on the day of the party.
b) This shall be a one-hour party.
c) Any ceremony a chapter chooses to perform shall be done during this party.
d) All potentials that are invited to a chapters preference party must be on their bid list.
e) The order of preference party will be decided by yearly rotation.
ARTICLE VII: BIDDING, BID DAY, AND COB
1) Bid matching will be done as soon as possible following the last preference party.
2) Bid matching will be done by the Panhellenic advisor and one advisor from both sororities
3) No undergraduate member shall have anything to do with the bid matching process.
4) No men are allowed to participate in any part of bid day.
5) Bid Day shall officially begin as soon as bids are distributed to potentials and they join their new chapters.
Bid Day shall officially conclude at 8:00 am the following day, regardless of when individual chapter activities end.
a) COB shall begin no sooner than 24 hours after bids are received.
ARTICLE VIII: SUMMER CONTACT
1) Any contact with potentials shall be made by Panhellenic.
2) Anything given to potentials shall be given by Panhellenic and shall represent both sororities equally and provide only factual and helpful information.
3) No single chapter shall present anything to potentials; even if is has both sororities represented.
4) FRESHMEN ORIENTATIONS
a) Chapters are welcome to come to freshmen orientations, but must follow recruitment guidelines. This includes summer contact policy and hot boxing rules.
b) Chapter members are welcome to wear their letters as long as they follow the summer contact policy.
c) Anything given to potentials during orientation shall be given by Panhellenic.
5) FRESHMEN MOVE IN
a) Chapter members are welcome to come to move in day as a group, but must follow recruitment guidelines. Hot boxing will not be tolerated.
6) ORGANIZATIONAL FAIR
a) All Chapters must participate in Organizational Fair but must follow all recruitment guidelines.
b) Informational Pamphlets are the only thing that can be given to potentials at this time.
7) RAM CAMP/ RAM REVIEW
a) Chapter members are welcome to come to these events as a group, but must follow recruitment guidelines.
Hot boxing will not be tolerated.
ARTICLE IX: ADVERTISEMENTS
1) Individual Chapters shall be required to make five individual posters.
a) The design of the posters must be approved by Panhellenic
2) All chapters shall be required to make five general Panhellenic recruitment posters using a theme designated by Panhellenic.
3) Panhellenic reserves the right to ask a chapter to redo any posters that they feel are unusable.
4) Individual Chapters shall make door decorations for Elizabeth Hall and the female floor(s) in Stella Russell Hall.
5) All other Recruitment Decorations will be done by Panhellenic at their discretion.
ARTICLE X: JUDICIAL PROCEDURES
1) The Formal Written Complaint
a) Within 24 hours following the initial report of an infraction, a written complaint must be submitted to the Panhellenic President and the Panhellenic Advisor. If the president of advisor cannot be found, the complaint must at least be dated and placed in their boxes within 24 hours.
b) A written complaint must include the following information.
i) The accused sorority.
ii) The time and place of the alleged infraction.
iii) Specifications concerning witnesses.
iv) The signature of the chapters president.
2) Minor infractions and Penalties
a) Examples of minor infractions are primarily the result of membership recruitment procedure violations and include, but are not limited to, such things as violations of budget; violations of guidelines for gift giving, decorations, or apparel; not adhering to scheduled hours of membership recruitment events; and not meeting the deadline for submitting invitation lists.
b) Penalties for minor infractions shall be assessed to fit the nature and degree of the offense:
i) An official reprimand shall be recorded in the College Panhellenic minutes and a report sent to the NPC delegate and inter/national president of the offending chapter.
ii) Constructive penalties of a positive nature such as an extra activity designed for campus betterment, or clerical assistance in the Office of Student Activities/Greek Life are options, but Panhellenic council is not limited to those. Deprivation of social penalties is also an option.
3) Major Infractions and Penalties
a) Examples of major infractions are violations of the UNANIMOUS AGREEMENTS, such as extending an invitation to pledge before the time designated by the Panhellenic Council or suggesting to a potential member that she refuse a bid from another group.
b) Penalties for major infractions should be assessed to fit the nature and degree of the offense.
i) Constructive penalties of a positive nature of some extra activity designed for campus betterment, such as making arrangements for a Panhellenic workshop.
ii) Suspension of social activities, such as chapter parties, and participation in campus events, such as Greek Week. This shall not include formal or informal recruitment or observance of a national fraternity celebration.
4) Appeals
a) If the decision of the Panhellenic Council is not acceptable to the groups involved, the case may be appealed within 24 hours to the Panhellenic Council.
b) The accused sorority may present its case and answer any questions from the council members.
c) A 3/4-majority vote will overturn the original decision.
d) If the decision is not overturned, any further appeals shall follow the process outlined in the NPC UNANIMOUS AGREEMENTS.
