Our chapter house was an old house that had a lot of bedrooms. It wasn't meant to be that way, but it turned out that way I'm sure :) In any case, there was a room on the first floor that had a padlock on it, and that was the chapter room. We used it during recruitment to show off our D Phi E stuff, for ceremonies and rituals, and the new members used it for their activities. BUT, our landlord got greedy then, and he told us we couldn't have an empty room anymore, and he turned it into a bed room. It sucked.

We have two studies and a chapter room. Our studies are open to anyone. Our chapter room is, too, except there's one closet that uninitated members can't rummage through, and the week before initiation or so the chapter room is closed off to uninitated people.

Well in our house we have a huge Entertainment center (built a year ago (by me) so not a huge secret yet but the new associates don't know about it so it is working) in front of the entrance to the chapter room. I mean this thing is big (15 by 8 feet). Its on whells which are not visible. The thing easily rolls out of the way to the side. It holds a big screen TV, DVD player, sound sytem, everything a normal entertainment center would. here is a picture of it.

Basement Picture

We fixed the basement up this autumn it looks way better.

Just an idea.

Our chapter room is the largest on campus, but none of the sororitie have houses yet. The chapter rooms are on the first floor of the two high-rise dormatories on campus. I can't speak for the other sororities, but we're generally not allowed to have non-members in there: especially not during meetings, rituals, sisterhood events.

We do hold recruitment in our chapter rooms, but it's getting to the point where we have SO many girls rushing that everyone is smooshed into the rooms. Since we have recruitment in late August to early September (and this is Tennessee), the rooms get VERY hot with all the bodies in there, and luckilly for us, we're the only ones who have air conditioning.

Many of us go in the chapter room at random times to study, watch TV, or just talk. It's a rather "unwritten rule" that we normally shouldn't have non-sisters in there, but occasionally a sister will bring in her friend or boyfriend for a minute or so when we're not doing anything that shouldn't be known about by outsiders. There is always the large dorm lobbies where we can have friends/boyfriends stay and wait for us while we are in the chapter room.

Our chapter room was just re-decorated, and it has always been a formal room, although we do have informal events in there (we just move the furniture). We have an attached bathroom with two sinks, a small kitchen, and a big locked closet for ritual items.

We have two couches, an extra-large wooden table with approx. 8-10 matching chairs, two high-backed living room chairs, an entertainment center, several display cases, shelves, and end tables. We also have TONS of trophies and plaques displayed all over the room (hehehe). Framed chapter pictures line one wall, and I could just go on forever about the other decor, but I'll spare you. :D

I have heard mixed reports on how our chapter room is supposed to be.

Older alumna told us that no one was allowed in our chapter rooms, except for Alpha Gams. However, we had some consultants let our Greek Week fraternity partners in our chapter room when we were holding chapter to speak to us. They said there wasnt anything wrong with it.

Either way, I believe our chapter room is able to lock, and most people dont even know it is what it is when they visit anyways.

We only allow brother from our chapter into the chapter room, we dont allow even nationals to go into it. The reason y is kinda long and i dont feel like typing, it just got torn a new one by a test and preparing for the second of the day.......................................oh yeah a girl can see the chapter room, but it involves a blind fold, but ill leave it at that (and no she doesnt have to do the whole house......get ur minds out of the gutter :o)