An active, sure. An alum? That’s a southern thing. Our advisory board would never “let” an alum have influence on membership selection. It’d be odd for an alum to even care - as she had her chance to pick her friends 20 years ago.
No, actually it isn’t but I suspect that you already know this and just have an anti-greek axe to grind.
Not helpful to the OP, however.
Sometimes, although it is rare, an alum can have an influence but it is usually positive, as in getting the girl into the house, not keeping her out. In the 60’s and 70’s, it was rare for a legacy to be dropped from a house. As there came to be more and more legacies, it wasn’t possible for houses to accept every one. For my sorority, the definition of legacy was changed and now only includes grandmothers, mothers, and sisters (including steps) where it once included aunts, cousins and other relatives. Not all legacies are created the same either. If your grandmother is on the national board, you’re getting in. If you mother was a member at a different campus 30 years ago? Not so much pull. If the national president writes a recommendation or makes a call for you, you’re getting in. I just can’t even imagine an alum calling to keep someone out - and then bragging about it? No.
The southern sorority alums were controlling new membership by making the rules and bonus points such that ‘outsiders’ didn’t have much of a chance. Recommendations were required, more ‘points’ or consideration for those who were in any way connected to Greek houses, etc. Those who had no family history (including many minorities) didn’t even know they needed these things, so started rush way behind. At least at Alabama, all sororities sent national reps to work with the PanHellenic group to control the game playing. Some of the locals don’t want change, but the nationals do.
I am certainly not Southern, but when I was asked to write a letter for someone, I made sure to tell her that I would be honest. In a few cases, I was brutally honest. Neither girl ended up my sister, and I can’t guarantee that my letter had any effect at one chapter, but at my own chapter it carried weight.
The young lady was kicked out of her house later for a scandal, so I don’t feel guilty for “ruining a young woman’s life”.
I don’t think not getting in to a particular sorority can be equated with ruining someone’s life.
^^^^Yeah, I’m guessing that’s why MizzBee put that in quotation marks.