Dolphins2012
10-Year Member
- Joined
- May 2, 2011
- Messages
- 205
Can NROTC mids join a fraternity/sorority?
Thanks in advance!
Thanks in advance!
Can NROTC mids join a fraternity/sorority?
Thanks in advance!
Can NROTC mids join a fraternity/sorority?
Thanks in advance!
My DS enjoys his MID friends and his frat brothers. There is alot of extra time involved if you join a frat but if you can budget your time well its nice diversification. I was not totally in favor of the frat so I told my DS I would pay his dues according to his grades. I had to pay 80% since he had 4 A's and a B as a math major and similar grades the preceeding semester.
We were surprised when we found out that the Frat cost including dues at his school was $2500.00 cheaper per year then the Dorms R&B cost. I have noticed that Frat costs vary widely between schools.
DS's frat does have a house and he plans on living in it next year and is running for VP of the frat. It is cheaper than the Universities room plan. DS knows not to screw up as he is trying to get side load scholarship and is interested in pilot slot.
Have you been inside the house yet? Most of the Fraternity houses deserve to be $2500 cheaper.
@OP a good number of people in my AROTC unit have joined fraternities and I almost did too (my best friends from HS are all in them), but it can detract from your committments with ROTC, which if you are on scholarship, comes first. Plus, I hang out with them on weekends anyways. Additionally, at my school, fraternities don't discriminate agains ROTC cadets because they consider us a fraternity as well.
Quite an interesting subject.
It is true that ROTC *can* be like a fraternity... much less so like a Sorority. Depends on Unit size, the culture of the ROTC group at each school, etc.
However, there is a HUGE difference, and that is the issue of drinking/drugs. A cadet will need to be well grounded, and needs the support of his fraternity brothers, to fully participate without breaking the underage drinking laws. It can be as simple as "hey guys, I have taken an oath to uphold the law, and that includes drinking... I could lose my commission if I break that oath. So I'll be the permanent designated driver and sober partier -- if you accept me on those terms, we're good!" Those groundrules really have to be set up during Rush, not after the fact, so that the House the cadet joins has picked him with that understanding. If the brothers of that house can't handle that, then they won't offer him.
Anyway, my DD joined a sorority with the full support of her cadre. The cadre actually gives extra points in the EC evaluation portion of the OMS for the intramural sports and community service she participates in with her sisters (shoutout to Kappa) , and the cadre also appreciates the potential influence she may have on the dozens and dozens of girls in the House. In the same way Cadre support and encourage participation in student government, student Clubs, etc. to the extent that it does not materially interfere with GPA and Battalion involvement/leadership. In the same way, her Sorority understands that she has certain FTX, Ranger Challenge, PT, etc. commitments with ROTC that supercede her commitment to the House, and that there will be an occassional weekend where she is off at ROTC training, or an ROTC fundraiser at a football game parking lot, that she must choose in preference to tailgaiting, etc.
Quite an interesting subject. These comments pertain to Army ROTC.
It is true that ROTC *can* be like a fraternity... much less so like a Sorority. Depends on Unit size, the culture of the ROTC group at each school, etc.
However, there is a HUGE difference, and that is the issue of drinking/drugs. A cadet will need to be well grounded, and needs the support of his fraternity brothers, to fully participate without breaking the underage drinking laws. It can be as simple as "hey guys, I have taken an oath to uphold the law, and that includes drinking... I could lose my commission if I break that oath. So I'll be the permanent designated driver and sober partier -- if you accept me on those terms, we're good!" Those groundrules really have to be set up during Rush, not after the fact, so that the House the cadet joins has picked him with that understanding. If the brothers of that house can't handle that, then they won't offer him.
Anyway, my DD joined a sorority with the full support of her cadre. The cadre actually gives extra points in the EC evaluation portion of the OMS for the intramural sports and community service she participates in with her sisters (shoutout to Kappa) , and the cadre also appreciates the potential influence she may have on the over one hundred sisters in the House. Cadre also generally supports and encourages participation in student government, student Clubs, etc. to the extent that it does not materially interfere with GPA and Battalion involvement/leadership. In a way this kind on-campus organizational participation furthers one of the goals of having ROTC on a campus -- to influence students who may have never met a peer who values "service to country". I'm sure it helps recruiting of non-scholarship ROTC participants. At the same time, her Sorority sisters understand that she has certain FTX, Ranger Challenge, PT, etc. commitments with ROTC that preceded and supercede her commitment to the House, and that there will be an occassional weekend where she is off at ROTC training, or an ROTC fundraiser at a football game parking lot, that she must choose in preference to a House mandatory activity.
*edit* I found this helpful Thread after writing the above... seems to agree. http://www.greekchat.com/gcforums/showthread.php?t=89709
Thanks, however the pressure goes beyond rushing and pledging, and into the 2-3 years of Active life. When most of the brothers are drinking, it is natural for another brother, a "dry" brother as you say, to feel a little left out, and therefore a pressure to join in. That's why I said the cadet needs to be well grounded, set expectations up front, and stick to his commitments (including during Spring Break ) I imagine most cadets absolutely cannot wait until they turn 21.dunninla, regarding no drinking and joining a sorority/fraternity, in most (if not all) Greek systems, rushees can "dry rush" and "dry pledge".
Thanks, however the pressure goes beyond rushing and pledging, and into the 2-3 years of Active life. When most of the brothers are drinking, it is natural for another brother, a "dry" brother as you say, to feel a little left out, and therefore a pressure to join in. That's why I said the cadet needs to be well grounded, set expectations up front, and stick to his commitments (including during Spring Break ) I imagine most cadets absolutely cannot wait until they turn 21.