Not really along the topic, but JAM, what is Krewes?

A Krewe (Old English spelling of crew) is a Carnival organization. www.mglinks.com Most are private with non-public membership rosters. Membership is by invitation only.

In New Orleans, some date back to 1857 and others as recent as last year. Like any organization, some are perceived as more desirable then others. Desirability depends on what you are looking for. Most of the old-line organizations (I.e., old-family, with or without money) are male only and are seen as the most prestigious. These are like Comus, Rex, Olympians, Zulu, and Original Illinois. To get into some of these Krewes, a man has to belong to the sponsoring club first. Getting into the sponsoring club is NO EASY FEAT! For some organizations, it IS about your pedigree, what you do for a living, and to what other clubs you belong.

There are all female Krewes like Iris, Shangri-la, and Muses (one of the founders is a Gamma Phi Beta). Many of the late 20th century Krewes have both male and female members. I myself am a proud charter member of the Krewe of Orpheus (www.kreweoforpheus.net - we are celebrating 10 wonderful years!) However, I do belong to others as well as my husband.

There also gay Krewes like Armeinius (www.armeinius.com) which has some of the most fabulous costumes.

THE USC
 

South Carolina markets itself as THE USC since it was founded before So. California. I'm not sure it caught on anywhere else besides Columbia!

Marie

I can see that an elaborate social system like that can be a great comfort for people . . . that are well on the inside.

But i imagine that if you Fall from Grace there is little forgiveness?

Or little access for outsiders?

If you are outside that "circle of Trust" lol (Meet the Parents)

But i imagine that if you Fall from Grace there is little forgiveness?
Boy did you say a mouthful!
In retrospect, it all seems to be like the Indy 500. I can see how
couples were "jockeying" for social position. Women who were BRED to be the "perfect" wife. Sophie Newcomb was the place for a male to find a mate. This is the late 20s to early 30's age group. If you weren't in the League by baby number one, you most likely wouldn't be invited. If you rejected or delayed acceptance, there were no party favors for YOU! Prior to going inactive, a few brave souls were actually told, this IS word for word, "You know you are committing social suicide." However, when they opened the doors and made it easier to gain membership, it became OK to find community involvement outside
the league.It HAD to be within a select few organizations, however. Another quote, "When I no longer enjoy the people I must work with, it's time to resign." This statement, by a monied
female created an exodus which lasted for quite a while. Now, it is the SUSTAINERS which hold the clout, have the REAL parties and make the city go round... it is again-exclusive.

Or little access for outsiders? Tight group here...This is especially reflected in the Krewes. IF you are not a local blue blood, don't even THINK about an invitation to two of them.
It's funny because often, the off spring have not and will not achieve the same financial or social level as their parents. Yet, the folks pay their private school tuitions, pay for their Krewe memberships and hold their hand till the inheritance comes down the pipe. Oh, the new thing is to send you kid to out of state college. (Doesn't matter if it's a fluff college or not) It shows you don't NEED TOPS, AND back to sorority and fraternity-the kids can get into their legacy where for numerous reasons...they may have been cut from their parents' houses had they gone where people actually KNEW them! Power and connects can't save EVERY legacy...

Back to the race-after living in this place for 20+ years, the road to high society is littered with wrecks. Scandals-The Mistress of the most exclusive female Krewe turned out to be a lesbian and ran off with a woman, one political leader started another life in Atlanta all thewhile his wife and 5 kids were unaware of the double life he was leading...also had funky financials with a lot of property. Falling outs-law firms mostly but professional jealousy among the medicals, affairs-LOTS of affairs.
Still, if you have enough money behind you, you can return to the fold...just make the check out to the right fundraiser and make SURE Madame Chairman sees it!

edited for clarity

Justamom,

You should write a nice satirical book . . . right after you move North.

I take it that this bastion of PErvasive Southern Gentitlity is mostly in the suburbs and more rural areas rather than the cities themselves?

What do the demographics look like?

There is a complete difference in sorority mentality between the South and everywhere else. Basically in the South it is a beauty pagent. It is an exclusive system not an inclusive system.

Oh no, it's in the cities too. The alum clubs of certain groups, for instance, are quite adept at handing over a list of the PNMs to be kept in recruitment and those to definitely be cut to the active chapters at large universities. Likewise, PNMs from certain cities gravitate towards certain sororities--there are a couple af Auburn sororities in particular that the Birmingham girls seem to prefer.

I have been told quite vehemently by some of my Southern Sorority Friends that Florida is not part of the South. LOL

Boy, am I glad I went to a school where 95% of students weren't from the immediate area, and no one had any clue who your parents were or what my high school "meant." I'm glad the sorority women could judge me on my own merits rather than on the social structure that I had been born into! After all, I didn't pick my parents.

It may work for the girls in the system, but I just feel sorry for the rushees who don't have the right credentials through no fault of their own. I feel sorry for the outsider who accidently walks into it without knowing the rules.

Actually, outsiders may fare better than girls who are from the right families if there are hundreds of rushees. The girls who go in and select a group they like with no previous knowledge of "tier" can end up a lot happier than someone who goes in with her mind set on 1 or 2 sororities.

Yet again, I must explain to you that it depends on what part of Florida. If you're talking about Miami then, no, that isn't considered "southern". I think most would agree that Central and Northern Florida are "southern". Some parts of North Florida (ie- Pensacola, Jacksonville, Tallahassee) are more "southern" than some places in Georgia or Alabama.

Carnation-Actually, outsiders may fare better than girls who are from the right families if there are hundreds of rushees. The girls who go in and select a group they like with no previous knowledge of "tier" can end up a lot happier than someone who goes in with her mind set on 1 or 2 sororities.
Again, you are so right. Of all the local girls that went through rush with my daughter, there was one, from the private school, who didn't make it into the one her two closest friends did.
She accepted her bid, but was soooooooooo heartbroken. She STILL just hangs out with the other two girls and only does the functions with her sorority. My young guy friend said that the three have not really made much out of their GLOS. That's kind of sad to me. Coincidentally, this year's rush saw an exodus from the sorority the two joined. I think they got one local girl.

James , we are considered "small time" socially by Baton Rouge's standards and I doubt NewOrleans even gives us a second thought. Our size is that of a decent city, but our work force has a lot of blue collars. MANY of our civic leaders are LSU alum, but our local businessmen are local graduates. When I first arrived it was explained that people were trying to recreate the New Orleans social scene. In fact out of our population it was said "You only need to know about 3,000 people." Like the rest don't matter!:rolleyes: I do know a lot about those 3000 people, and other than my weakness for GC, I am trusted to NOT gossip. (GAWD, I have to tell SOMEONE!!!) You are right, I would have to leave town or they would hunt me down like a dawg and pelt me to death with their dublooms!

I would definitely agree that the north FL cities you mentioned are more "southern" but I think of it as more "country" southern and not southern in terms of "society", ettiquette, traditions, etc. Not to say there aren't nice points to each city but these cities are in closer proximity to small, less thriving cities and represent a different aspect (the stereotyped aspect) of "the south".

Reading this thread has definitely made me reconsider my intention to rush in the fall. I'm from the South, go to a southern school, am the first in my family to go to college, do not come from wealthy parents, come from a public school, wasn't a cheerleader, and neither won nor entered in any beauty pageants. Guess I'm as "outside" as you can possibly get.:p