How to start a Fraternity or sorority

[teamcrunk]

Hey guys. I have a few questions. I want to start a Fraternity or sorority. I live in Canada. Could someone point me in the right direction maybe some info or a website that shows me how to start one in canada or is it the same all over the place? Thanks alot.....

[adpiucf]

Are you a man or a woman? A sorority is a women's organization; a fraternity may be men only, co-ed or a "women's" fraternity.

What is your purpose for wanting to start a Greek organization? Service, social, pre-professional, academic?

[teamcrunk]

Hey thanks for that little help :P I'm male. I want to start a frat for social. Just a huge group of people. Get together do things together ect.... I want to start a new local one. Co-ed for sure.

[Sugar08]

Originally Posted by teamcrunk

Hey thanks for that little help :P I'm male. I want to start a frat for social. Just a huge group of people. Get together do things together ect.... I want to start a new local one. Co-ed for sure.

Why not just start a club?

[AlphaFrog]

Originally Posted by Sugar08

Why not just start a club?

Ditto.


I'll never understand the urge to put a label (especially Greek letters) on your group of friends. What's the point?? Is it just so no one gets left off the list to a social function?? Or, if they do, so you can bitch because you're an official member of the official club, and therefore it's against the rules to leave you out??

I joined a sorority to meet NEW people, not to put a label on my friends.

[adpiucf]

While that may be true, it could be that the OP wants to learn more about Greek life, so let's answer his questions.

Teamcrunk-- get together a group of people interested in starting a co-ed social organization. As a group, come up with the following:

• A mission statement: why do you exist and why should people want to join? Hint: this purpose should be something you would be proud to tell your parents about.
• Pick a name, colors and symbols: what is your brand? come up with a tag line, something that will have some longevity and something your mother would be proud to repeat.
• How do people join?
• What does the organization do? Develop a schedule of activities that range from social to service to academic, as well as regular business meetings
• How much will it cost to develop and put on these activities? Plan for dues and how many members it will take to pull off these activities without each member breaking the bank.
• Are there phases of membership or an initiation? Develop plans to educate new members and create a new member manual with all of the things a member of your organization should know.
• If you plan to create a special ceremony to initiate your members, do so. This can mirror some of the induction ceremonies you may have participated in while in high school-- a pledge to be loyal to ideals of the organization, respectful of its members, and an official pinning or receipt of a token that symbolizes the organization.

Hope this helps! Starting any new organization, whether or not it has Greek letters, is a lot of work. It can be very challenging to get others to participate, to pay dues or to follow through on doing the things they promise to do. You may want to see if perhaps your university already has other organizations that are more established -- it may be easier to join an existing activity and immediately enjoy the benefits.

As a co-ed organization, if your membership practices are not exclusive; that is, if anyone at the university may join, you may be eligible to receive student government funding.

Good luck!

[LatinaAlumna]

Teamcrunk, I would suggest that you first go to your campus Student Activities or Leadership Office to get some guidance. Perhaps the staff there can help you understand the different options available to you, and help you decide what type of group would best serve your interests and your campus. As adpiucf stated, starting any organization takes a lot of work and dedication, so it's best if you have some solid information upfront to help you understand what's ahead.

[teamcrunk]

Thanks for all the info this helps me out a lot I have alot of work ahead of me :P. I have to get started now so thanks for all the help guys