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The first pledge-class of the William Penn Society was inducted into the society in 1934. In January of 2008 we will be inducting the 74th pledge-class into the society. Because of our long history we take the process of introducing new members to the society very seriously. New Member Education (aka pledging) is the process by which the actives and alums of the society introduce the socities traditions to prospective members. NME occurs in January and lasts three weeks with Sundays off, for a total of 17 days of pledging activities. Pledging begins the first Tuesday of Jan-term and culminates with convocation on the third Sunday of the term. The Process The first step in the process of joining a society is Open House. While the Penn Society does not require prospectives to have attended Open House in order to be eligible to pledge, it is highly recommended that anyone interested in societies attend all open houses of the societies that interest them. This is a casual event that gives prospectives a chance to learn more about the society and meet some members. The open houses of the various societies are scheduled at the different times so that it is possible for a prospective pledge to visit all male open houses. Rush is the second prospective event. It is held later in the fall some time after open house. Like open house, the various societies schedule their rush events so that it is possible for a prospective to visit all rushes. Rush attendance is by invitation only, although announcements will be made so that anyone interested in going to rush can ask for an invitation. People that attend open house will generally be invited to rush, as well as other individuals that the actives have met at other informal events and through casual interactions. The rush event is a more formal event than open house and is held at a surprise location each year. This event gives prospectives another chance to get to know the members of the society better and have a good time on the society's dime. Each year the society holds other informal events so it is important to attend one of the formal events or get in touch with an active in order to hear about other events that may not be announced publicly. When the rushing process is over, all students are given a card in their mailbox with an opportunity to request a bid from a society. A bid is an inviation to join a society. Asking for a bid does not guarantee a prospective that they will get one. After the deadline to submit bid requests, the society decides who they want to offer bids to. The Dean of Students notifies students which socities have offered them a bid. It is possible for a student to recieve more than one bid, or to recieve none at all. Bids are given out at the end of the fall semester and a prospective has winter break to ponder their decision. When students return from winter break they are generally given a day or two to go to the Dean of Student's Office to accept a bid if they choose to do so. Pledging starts the second day of classes so it is very important that prospectives get to know the socities during the fall term. After accepting a bid, pledges attend an informative meeting with the Dean of Students and then begin pledging afterwards. Pledging starts the first Tuesday of Jan term. Requirements To be eligible to join a society, a student must have completed at least one semester at Whittier College and have a 2.5 cumulative GPA. Pledges must be enrolled during the January term while pledging and must recieve a C or better in their Jan-term class while pledging. Pledge Master The entire pledging process is run by the pledgemaster. Next year's pledgemaster will be chosen at the end of the spring semester. Open House Open House is an opportunity for prospectives to get to know the society and its members. All Male students that are not currently in a society are invited to attend open house. You do not need an invitation, this event is designed for anyone that has an interest to show it. By attending open house you will most likely be invited to attend future events. You are encouraged to attend as many open houses as you can so you can see for yourself what each society is like. This is an informal event held on campus. It is held in early to mid fall term. Look for publicity around campus during this time of year if you are interested in learning more about the society. Rush Rush is an invitation only events where prospective members of the society are invited to get a closer look at what the society is all about. New Member Education New Member Education takes place each year in January. NME encompasses 17 days of events over the course of 3 weeks. Convocation
Convocation is culmination of New Member Education. After pledges have
completed the New Member Education process they are formally initiated
at this annual event. The event is open to the public and friends,
alums and actives of the ten societies gather in the Shannon Center to
recognize the successful completion of the NME process. Convocation is
a fun event that recognizes the continuation of the tradition of
Whittier College societies.
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