About honor societies...
 

I'm a member of Phi Upsilon Omicron, and it does have some similarities to sororities/fraternities...for example, anyone meeting the grade and major requirements has to apply for membership, with the applications being reviewed by a sort of "invitation committee" (that's not what it's called, but that's basically what it is). Once a person is accepted, s/he is sent information regarding the national history, etc. and information about the local chapter, which must be read over and learned before taking a quiz over the material. If you pass the quiz, you can be initiated. I don't think the initiation ceremony is secret, but nontheless, it's ritualistic. Once you're initiated, Phi U does require a certain time commitment, as we did all kinds of community service activities. And there are alumni chapters as well. So even though it's an honor society, it does function in the same general way as a social GLO.

However, the other two honor societies I was in are nothing like sororities--they're more like if you've got the grades, bam, you're in and then after that you're not required to do anything.

I know a girl who is in an honor fraternity at central michigan university and I spent some time one night talking about the differences between her group and mine. They had a secret ritual, weekly meetings, formals, mixers, date parties, e-board, and participation. I guess it's different depending on what campus and group you belong to, all i'm saying that there are honor GLO's out there that operate just like social GLO.

Wow, this is like saying "gamma phi" local isn't allowed to hold the name "Gamma Phi" because Gamma Phi Beta exists. I hate to break it to you, but G-Phi-B isn't even called "Gamma Phi" at duquesne, it's called "G-Phi-B" because Gamma Phi is bordering on 100 years old, and the G-Phi-B chapter at Duquesne is barely ten years old...

Just because an organization has the same name, doesn't mean it's the same organization. There are many locals with the same titles as nationals...

Now that, on the other hand, you just can't plain do because coats of arms and such are under copyright.

I highly recomend collecting at least 50 or so sorority consitutions before you even begin creating yours. You cut them up, litterally, and scatter portions of the various consitutions everywhere... and you throw out what you dont want, and you collect the ideas you like, then you compile it all together with your other ideas.

Well we're called something less flattering at Platteville, where we've been for nearly 140 years, in one form or another. :rolleyes: You entirely missed my point - I'm Gamma Phi the local was founded without even knowing about Gamma Phi Beta the international. This girl wanted to start a sorority called Sigma Kappa blah blah and be referred to as "Sigma Kappa" and use their history, ritual, etc. Many of the locals with the same name as nationals (Sigma Phi Epsilon sorority comes to mind) had no idea about the national existing at the time they were founded and do nothing to copy the national. She was attempting to copy the national.

Lunarwolf, I knew absolutely nothing when we started our group.
Declaring to start a fraternity/sorority, is the same as becoming a Pledge. You have a long road ahead of you and you have to get to the end of that road. The person who started our group, officially, quit within a year...because of a fight over a woman, there was no "intelligent man with a vision" there was only determination and trial and error (lots of error and always on trial), and lots of binding together... if you started a group, you would know this. So what you say is not entirely true.

Speaking as the forum moderator I will say that many of you have been both unneccessarily mean as well as unhelpful to cristinasmiles original question/intention. And I am deliberately speaking in an understatement. In reality many of you have been just simply crass, rude and shown yourselves to be ill-mannered.

Also, many of you that have been mean have not read been careful in reading her posts.

Most of your objections and concerns were met early on and acknoweldged by cristinasmile. And yet despite the fact that she posted that repeatledly, many of you still tore her up down and sideways over what was no longer an issue.

Maybe you just felt safe being vindictavie both to a total stranger and a newbie on GC?

Some general points:

If you have to preface your post by no-offense, don't bother because you are just going to offend them anyway.

Also, a lot of you are doing what they call a Double-Bind. Where you are basically saying one thing and meaning another.

"I am just trying to help you out, but I am really bad mouthing you."

Now I realize that many of you were upset, even though it was mostly for no reason. Maybe you woke up on the wrong side of the bed or are really mad at someone else. Whatever.

However, one of the measures of being an effective human being and showing personal leadership ability, is to not act on being upset.

How you feel is almost irrelevant. What is important is how you behave. And I stated before many if you have behaved in a way that ill behooves anyone that is claiming to be helpful.

I am giving you fair warning, stop behaving this way in this forum. Other moderatos may tolerate or encourage useless emotional outbursts hidden behind so-called well-meaning posts but that kind of pettiness will not be tolerated here.

Let me pause and thank the people who responded in a considerate manner. It reflects well on you.

I would also like to show my appreciation to those whose reading comprehension was sufficient to understand cristinasmile and not criticise her for things she had already fixed.

cristina,

I have been nice and given you my opinion as I have seen you on the Sigma Kappa boards. But what I see on this board and others disgusts me. It is one thing to be bold and start your own organization... but to take on another's name, that is straight copying and be something that you are not. "but we are Sigma Kappa.. " that is from your first post. YOU ARE NOT SIGMA KAPPA. You are trying to be like us too much, esp. with the dove references and word usage. I don't care if it is an international sign of peace, it is an offical symbol of my organization and you still want to have reference to it with our letters as the first half of yours. If you really want a women's organization yet not be a sorority, why not choose a name rather than greek letters??

To all the other greeks,
Thank you so much for your support not only to my organization, but to greek life as a whole. I know that this women honestly wants to form some organization and I hope she can. My letters mean the world to me and I am glad to see that others care and understand. I am the daughter of 2 greeks (Pike and Alpha Phi) and to this day, my parents still represent their letters and hold them to the secret vows they took.

DPSiSigKap, which part of my above post are you having trouble understanding that you had to post your untrue and downright mean post?

Jumping on the hijack bandwagon, may I ask what honor fraternity this is, PiKA2001? It sounds a lot like mine, Phi Sigma Pi, and I know we have a chapter at CMU.
And PSP is a LOT like a social sorority/fraternity in the ways metioned by PiKA2001 and more, except for obvious factors like us being co-ed. We joke sometimes that PSP is like Greek for geeks. :D

Yes! I do believe it is Phi Sigma Pi.

I'm not sure why...
 

...cristinasmile does not PM wishinhopin -- if anyone could give the kind of advice she (cristina) is seeking, it's wishinhopin!! Don't y'all agree?!

Cristina -- that is my advice to you -- get yourself a cup of coffee and read this thead -- it took me quite a while to read it but wishinhopin has been where you seem to be now....please please please please do read it!

http://forums.greekchat.com/gcforums...threadid=10264