So, funny that I read this today.

I am a Founding Father of Theta Chi at Radford University, the Iota Zeta Chapter. (There are secret reasons we say it like that. SShhh)

It is my chapter's 8th anniversary today.

I was also a charter member of my chapter, but we were always called Founding Sisters of the Eta Omicron Chapter. This title was used loosely by those even in HQ, but we all we knew we were "charter" sisters.

This was never meant to demean the amazing women that founded our fraternity! It was simply what everyone called us.

Our NM classes are also called by year and term, but we also use the letters. The class after the founding class was the Alpha class for us.

I've seen the terms "founder of (insert chapter designation)", "chapter founder", and "charter member" used to refer to the AEPhis who signed a chapter's charter. I usually refer to myself as a chapter founder, even though it's highly unlikely anyone would take me for one of AEPhi's original seven founders. (I'm old, but not that old!)

:D

I say chapter founder for the women who founded my particular chapter and signed the charter. That could be because some of us are from chapters that still have original charter signing members and can say that, where as some chapter don't have any living.

I'm pretty smart and can figure out what people are meaning without getting my fourteen pearls tangled up in my bushy tail.

thanks! im so relieved!

While I tend to agree with the OP, I will also agree that each GLO has its own terminology.

Just recently, and in other organizations, I had to qualify for which organizations my mother was a founder, and for which she was a charter member for her obituary. It was somewhat fun to see the glazed look come over my brother & sil's eyes! (hey, take your giggles where you can!)