Am I out of the loop? What is the "Divine 9"?

The Divine 9 are the fraternities and sororities that make up the National Pan-Hellenic Council (this is different from the 26 sororities of the National Panhellenic Conference).

* Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Founded 1906, Cornell University
* Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Founded 1908, Howard University
* Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Founded 1911, Indiana University
* Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Founded 1911, Howard University
* Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Founded 1913, Howard University
* Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Founded 1914, Howard University
* Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Founded 1920, Howard University
* Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Founded 1922, Butler University
* Iota Phi Theta Fraternity, Founded 1963, Morgan State University

ETA: Alumnae/ni membership in NPC/NIC is more of a lifetime title than obligation. The culture is such that the emphasis is on undergraduate programming. A far lesser percentage of NPC/NIC alum are involved post-college simply because they don't HAVE to be active as advisers, national officers, volunteers and association members in order to retain their membership.

I know that I tend to say that "I was an ADPi," but usually add, "but now I'm in the Alumnae Association," or something similar that indicates that I consider my sorority membership a lifelong commitment.

I usually deny I was ever greek at all, instead saying something like, "I didn't have to buy my friends."

I agree..I know during my Sigma "learning process" my Dean and ADP as well as several Old heads instilled in my whole line that the work does not stop when you graduate...they let us know that this is a lifelong commitment....

LOL!! I haven't heard this in a long time.

LOL...exactly!

It's usually followed with "uh...it's been soooo long ago...uh...I can't remember the chapter designation or what year I pledged...you know my old mind forgets things."

I had someone who pledged the same year as I did say that to me once. :rolleyes: I also had someone who pledged in the 60's say that to me. That sucks because I know Greeks from the 40's and 50's who haven't skipped a beat and can tell you whatever you want to know.

Actually, there are traditions, norms, and socialization that shape all of our organizational experiences. So while you say it is based on personal preference and isn't conference-specific, most NPHCers were socialized a particular way and know the deal. That's why certain generalizations can be made even if there is a percentage of unfortunate NPHCers who say "I used to be."

This identification of so-called D9ers as active members of their organizations vs. NIC/NPC (i.e., those who aren't also D9 member groups also)has more to do with the culture of these groups. They also have to do with how they are organized. For D9 groups graduate/alumni(ae) chapters are real, functioning chapters, and in many cases are do more than undergraduate chapters in terms of programming, etc., even though the social aspect may not be as intense, even though for officers and committee chairs, they may spend a lot of time taking care of fraternity/sorority business. And these chapters are the ones that will usually have houses that function as social meeting places and places to carry out social outreach programs.

This is in contrast to most alumni chapters and associations in NIC/NPC groups, which tend to be gather for luncheons or the like occasionally or some other project, and they tend not to have the authority to initiate candidates.

Yeah..I Agree

This isn't fully accurate. When it comes to alumnae initiation, alumnae chapters of some NPC sororities do have the authority to initiate AIs if there is no collegiate chapter within a reasonable distance.

This is why I specifically wrote 'tend' because I do know that some NPC groups do have alumnae initiation. (I may be wrong in that a majority of these groups do have this practice.)

But this isn't the same as alumnae initiation in NPHC orgs where entire lines are meant to be initiated into the alumnae chapter. There is no contingency about collegiate chapters or collegiate membership when deciding to have an alumnae intiation, which is the same process as collegiates; the criteria for applicants may be slightly different but the 'process' is theoretically the same.

NPHC fraternity men graduate and become members of alumni/graduate chapters. (and many join other civic groups)

Do NIC and NPC members "graduate" to another realm of civic engagement that replaces Greek life? ("The Lodge" be it masonry, Elks, KofP, etc; Kiwanis, country clubs, etc -- or Junior League, etc)

I kinda feel like that's where the fundamental non-understanding is here....for many NPC/NIC people, though "was" is merely semantics, I think that other organizations were in place for white people for longer than they have been in place for black people. In the early 1900s, black people had the lodge...then black greek life.

I'm not TRYING to make this a racial issue, but my understanding of the issue is based in the differences in social and civic opportunities for those people in the same time period.

Any thoughts? And forgive if I ramble....been a long day.