Accidental Legacy.
 

Hello fellow greeks, I've never posted before but have been a so-called "ghost" reader of the forum for a while now. I'm currently a sophomore Delta Tau Delta fraternity member at Texas Christian University (TCU) and we have a VERY strong Greek scene. I rushed under the assumption that no one in my family had ever been Greek other than my mom telling me she had to live in the Tri Sigma house's basement at Southeastern Missouri State Uni because regular dorm housing had filled up haha.

Well I found out that my grandfather was a Beta Theta Pi at Depauw several months ago but thought little of it. Well yesterday he came with my mom to meet me for lunch to pick me up from the fraternity house and nonchalantly told me "you know....my father and your great-grandfather was a Delt at Penn State."

He knew I had been a Delt for a while now and I just couldn't believe he had never told me! I know it may not seem like a grand deal but to me it's really special knowing I was a Delt legacy this whole time and I never knew it. I'm hoping to maybe try and see if I can do some research on my great grandfather and learn what I can of his fraternal experience. Leads me to believe some things really do happen for a reason! :)

I also had another friend here who joined Alpha Delta Pi and found out after becoming initiated her grandmother was also an ADPi and now wears her grandmother's pin to meetings. Anyone else ever have an experience like this?!

There is a girl who is a Kappa from my chapter that found out her grandmother was also a Kappa. I think she found out during her new member period.

I found out my grandmother was a Pi Phi about four months after my initiation into AXO. Pi Phi isn't on my campus, so it wouldn't have mattered- and I wouldn't be anywhere else but AXO. But I always found it fascinating.

When I was first visiting my chapter's house as a pre-freshman, I was looking at some composites from the 90's and I found out my uncle was a DU from my chapter...this was before I was initiated, but it was still really cool. I also found out that a cousin was a Sigma Nu and his wife was an Alpha Xi Delta.

This isn't exactly what I was thinking when I read "accidental legacy."

me neither, lol!

I grew up knewing I had a half-brother, but he didn't know about me. About two years ago, I discovered that he had also pledged an alumni chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha in my region. That's how we found each other. :)

Glad I wasn't the only one. :D

Same here. LOL

me either lol

Count me in.

I actually had an idea about where the OP was going with this! But then again, I had two greataunts in sororities and still haven't found out which ones, so it made sense to me. I should probably look at their school's greek life, and the years involved, but that would be the easy way!

One of my great aunts was in a sorority but I never heard which one. It would be cool if I had some Delt ancestors but I seriously doubt I do considering that most of my male ancestry historically went into the Navy instead of college.

The same thing happened to me. I didn't know my great grandmother was an AOII at UTKnoxville until I received her badge in the mail from her daughter, m grandmother. Congrats to you! I'm sure you can email DTD headquarters to find out when he was initiated.

shut the front door! great minds think alike, i guess? if and only if he's as awesome as you!

look at us GCers always bracing for the worse/oddest.

When we were colonizing and being installed a sister discovered her mother was a Tri Sigma! She told her daughter the weekend of installation of all times! I don't know why her mother never told her - but it was so cool to have a legacy without even knowing it!

Senusret I, that is an amazing story! Sometimes fate has a way of bringing people together!

Also, add me to the list of GC-ers who had a totally different idea when I read "accidental legacy!" ;)

I think those of us expecting the worst with the "accidental legacy" title, have been overexposed to the trainwrecks and nightmares that regular show up in the Recruitment forum!

Happy for you ebdelt! I agree with OleMiss, contact national with your information and they will be able to help.

Here's a way to differeniate cousins. It's actually easy, once you get the hang of it - but since I have half-cousins, it gets plain nuts.

We don't look a whooooooole lot alike, but personality-wise? Yeah, he's me, but more butch. Crazy.

I just KNEW that you would jump in and help to explain the cousin thing :) And I agree, once you get the basics down (and it's really not all that complicated until you throw half cousins and the like in there) it makes complete sense and is something that you'll never forget :)

LOL - I was once asked about whether or not another sister was related to me and I said (somewhat casually), "Oh, she would be my half second cousin (pause), twice removed - not exactly a legacy!"

But let's face it - the only reason YOU didn't post that was because I saw it first and Silver hasn't been around lately! ;)

We had a girl pledge during informal - when she announced to her mother that she was a Gamma Phi, her mother announced - SHE was a Gamma Phi!