I wish this would spread to other campuses - how awesome would that be?

I know the verse Chi O sings has been around for some time--it's the second verse of our Panhellenic Toast, which I believe was written in the 1920s. It uses the same tune as this one, only the first verse honors other organizations. Since most university/fraternity songs use tunes that were popular during the time it was written, I can only assume that other organizations also have a version of this toast?

As for our toast, we always sang it at Formal and at our Initiation Banquet, and we stood on our chairs as soon as Chi Omega was mentioned. We modified it slightly to make sure all the chapters on our campus were included:

Here's to Kappa Kappa Gamma
Here's to Alpha Delta Pi
To the Phi Mu Lion and the Arrow of Pi Beta Phi
Here's to Kappa Alpha Theta, the girl's fraternity
And here's to Chi Omega, for we love thee

Here's to Chi Omega
The Cardinal and the Straw
To the White Carnation, the fairest flower of them all
To the Skull and the Crossbones
The Letters and the Owl
May we ever keep unbroken
Our love and Sacred Vows

I would love to teach the W & M Panhellenic version to our Panhellenic Council. It would be a great way to kick off our Pre-Recruitment activities in the Fall. Soooo, does an ADPi want to write a verse for me? :)

In Panhellenic spirit -
 

Here's to A D Pi,
Our azure blue and white,
the woodland violets on our path,
our diamonds shining bright.
The clasped hands of friendship
two stars up in the sky,
symbolize the sisterhood
of dear old A D Pi.

- please, A D Pis, feel free to tweak if this works for you!

eta - alternate last line: we'll remain ever true/ to dear old A D Pi.

JUST FOR HONEYCHILE -

Here's to A D Pi,
Our azure blue and white,
the woodland violets on our path,
our diamonds shining bright.
The clasped hands of friendship
two stars up in the sky,
"We live for each other"
say Alpha Delta Pis!

this is really cool. i wish that we had something like this at my school

*looking for the like button!*

Oh, whoa. I am in this video. I usually just stalk GC, but this is worth logging in for! I'm glad my arm-swinging is in sync with everyone else's; I always worry about that.

For the interested: We also do the Panhel Toast for graduating seniors as their last toast, and my chapter (Phi Mu, Gamma Alpha!) does a different-but-similar chant for our new pledges after their pledging ceremony. It's a bit ritualistic, but done in front of non-initiated members, so not technically secret. But I'm keeping my mouth closed just to be safe. And because mystery is fun. ;)

This toast is awesome. I kinda want to make a verse for my org., even though at my school we're not part of Panhellenic.

Anyone want to do an Alpha Phi verse?

Anything for a Triad sister!

Here's to Alpha Phi,
our ivy twining round,
Ursa major lights our way,
lily of the valley all around;
Our bordeaux and our silver
with union hand in hand
Alpha Phis show sisterhood
all throughout the land!

me too!

Hi Fineline, can you check what's been written and help us out with any errors you might catch? Thanks and welcome! This is a great "tradition" that bears sharing, IMO.

HeatherIrene, a W&M sorority member typed up the toast in post 32 :)

This song, the tribute to our N.P.C. sisters and the Chi Omega verse, was first published in The Eleusis (Chi Omega's magazine) in 1907. It was written by a member of Nu Chapter of Chi Omega, Univ. of Wisconsin and is to the tune of "Our Director" from Yale College.

I love the way William & Mary is using it. Honestly, I'm thrilled that they can still perform it in these days of "no frills" since often any outdoor entertainment was banned. I know W&M Panhellenic groups used to be known for their porch songs -- a medaly of songs each group performed with hand motions, etc. on their front porches. Do these still remain?

Thanks, ONIJ - I saw that, but didn't quite process that information. So, ignore my request/previous post, Fineline. Thought it was odd to see "kappa theta" but couldn't hear it clearly on the video.

hehe, all my precious work was for naught ;)

oopsies...DF, I'm in a chocolate induced semi-comatose state. I have to go buy more candy to replace what I've eaten that was to go in the baskets.

And I'm not sorry. Not one iota of remorse.

No no, I meant the real lyrics wiped out all the effort I put in to transcribe them :p

Also, chocolate win.

Thanks--*very* nice job (although, in the interest of full disclosure, I'm not an Alpha Phi--it's just the only sorority at my alma marter that wasn't represented in the original post. Like others, I would love to see my alma marter adopt something like this!)

I've never seen that, exactly. We have "sing out" songs that change every day of recruitment. Sometimes this involves sisters who are standing on the porch. The only "hand motions" in Phi Mu's are a few well-placed snaps in one. I don't remember the ones from other houses, but I do remember that all of them were fun and clever. I wish what you were referring to remained; I'd like to see it!

Love it! Thought of one briefly for ZTA:

And here's to Z-T-Ayyy
The turquoise and steel gray
The gleaming crown of five points
Forever guides our way
Today and forever
We'll be Zetas true we sing
For our foundation is love
The greatest of all things!


Side note--does this remind anybody else of Harry Potter?

TTT cause' I still think this is the coolest. Enjoy. :)

<3 this tradition, would love to see it extended to Ole Miss!

Thanks so much for bumping, I love this tradition. They melody is probably even more catchy than "Call Me Maybe" lol (which is a reference that will be so obscure the next time this thread is revived).

That's a very cool tradition.

We had a toast that we used at informal events with just the chapter, but it was more joke-y.

They do not--it's always been fun to hear our alumnae talk about them!

Love your lyrics!! Great job.

Love this!!!

I'd love to see something like this on my campus!

Ditto!

The rho gams do cheers each day of recruitment. I can't imagine it would be hard to sub this in.

Not sure it is the audio or they are singing in a round but from a PNM perspective I think it is yet another thing you have to stand around for while people sing at you. If they had less chapters or fewer people per group singing I think it would be better.

I love the idea of reciting the panhellenic creed. I am wondering if I can work it into the bid day schedule?

Bumping for the awesomeness of this show of Panhellenic Spirit! (See page one of this thread or this.


Note especially to all new members: when you are out of college, yes, it will matter which alumnae association to which you belong, but the Panhellenic spirit will trump that in day to day life.

I still love love love this thread (and the toast!) Wish NCSU would do something like this...if we did, here's what we'd have (took the W&M verses, some other verses from this thread, and made up a few of my own!).

I present, NCSU's Panhellenic Toast:

And here's to all women of Greek fraternity,
Whatever creed or motto
Whatever they may be
Our strength is our country, our God, democracy,
May we never be found wanting in allegiance to these three.

Here's to A D Pi,
Our azure blue and white,
the woodland violets on our path,
our diamonds shining bright.
The clasped hands of friendship
two stars up in the sky,
"We live for each other"
say Alpha Delta Pis!

And here's to Chi Omega
The cardinal and the straw
And to the white carnation,
The fairest flower of all
And to the skull and crossbones
The letters and the owl
May we ever keep unbroken
Our LOVE AND SACRED VOWS!

And here's to the Deltas
The silver, gold and blue.
Our never ending circle,
Our pearl and pine tree too.
Our sisterhood is special
True friends we'll always be
Your happiness is our hope
In love for Deltas three!

And here's to Delta Gamma
Her anchor and her shield
Her loyalty united
And friendships ever sealed
Our cream rose is our beauty
Admist bronze, pink, and blue
And to our own dear DELTA G
We always will be true!

And here's to Delta Zeta
The Pink Kilarney Rose
Standing by our sisters
Wherever we may go.
The golden lamp and turtle
It's rose and green for me
Our diamonds shine the brightest
So proud to be DZ!

And here's to Kappa Delta
The diamond shield we wear
Throughout our lives in sisterhood
Our friendships we will share.
Our strength is our emerald,
Our beauty our white rose,
Through TA KALA DIOKOMEN
Our Love ever grows!

And here's the Pi Phi Angels
in wine and silver blue
The friendship that we share is
Of sisters ever true.
Our hopes and aspirations,
We aim our arrows high.
We will always be united
In our PI BETA PHI!

And here's to Sigma Kappa
Our dove on lifted wings
One heat and one way
Together we shall sing.
Lavender and maroon
Our colors deep and strong
Proud to wear the violet
SIG KAP can't go wrong!

And here's to Zeta Tau Alpha
The turquoise and steel gray
The gleaming crown of five points
Forever guides our way
We're sweet like our strawberry
The noblest we seek
Sisters of ZTA are
known among the Greeks!

And here's to all women of Greek fraternity,
Whatever creed or motto
Whatever they may be
Our strength is our country, our God, democracy,
May we never be found wanting in allegiance to these three.

Here's one for AOE I made up :)

Here’s to all the women of A Omega E
Our bonds are ever strengthened
in our sorority
To the white, the silver,
and the royal blue
May we always keep striving to
keep OUR FRIENDSHIPS TRUE.

Hahaha. Very true about CMM.

I loved this video, I especially liked how at the end of the video they all calmly walk back to (I presume) their chapter houses instead of going crazy and stuff... even after they performed it so well =) Heck, I know I would have turned to my sisters and gone HEY THAT WAS SOOOO AWESOME YAA! haha

TTT :)

Has anyone ever discovered what the hand motion means? I absolutely love the idea of each sorority using the same motion, then walking off with the hand in the same position. I can't help but wonder if it goes back to something from Phi Beta Kappa.

Confession: When I'm feeling down, I sometimes play that video!

That seriously was the coolest video!

My understanding was always that it was supposed to be a toasting motion, i.e. picture someone swinging a stein :)