Sweetheart Orgs
 

I wanted to know what everyone thinks about Sweethearts groups. I talked to a lot of Greeks about it and some have different opinions. Some think they are respectable and others think they are sluts.
What do you think??:confused:

Unfortunately, most IFC groups banned these Auxilery groups in the Mid 80s. A Kappa Sig might be able to fill you in on why.

Delta Sigma Phi fraternity became the first to ban such groups. Our last Sisters of the Nile was in the early 80s...From what I hear the guys would have a RUSH for the Sisters after Fraternity rush week, and most of them weren't sorority girls. I doubt any girl would join now in 2004.

It sucks for the nationals, but a lot of locals and cultural GLOs have them.

Hey, if they can, more power to them.

I'd have to disagree, and say fortunately. Our program caused deep division in my chapter, especially around "Sweetheart Rush" time. It was not worth the headache, and good riddance.

Well, since you were actually an active during those days, I see what you're saying. Besides, with all the stuff GLOs are involved with, to have an organized rush for the opposite sex sounds like torture.

Sweetheart organizations have also been banned from the NPHC orgs. Iota Phi Theta has the only nationally recognized sweetheart organization.

Thanks for the addition :D

If they have been banned, how come these orgs are still around and still cross girls? And they still hang with their frat group.

Since most IFC frats banned them, the locals and other orgs that do allow them do so openly and happily. They aren't illegal by law, individual GLOs impose the ban on themselves.

Can someone please explain to me what exactly a sweetheart org is?

"Lil Sister" Groups
 

What I always wondered about are these "little sister" groups. Are they the same thing as "sweethearts?" In college I would see women wearing sweatshirts that said "XYZ Little Sis" and I always wondered why a grown woman would allow herself to be called a man's "lil sis." I understand and appreciate the concept of "big sis/lil sis" within sororities. However, I often wonder why these "little sisters" to fraternities didn't join a sorority if they were so into greek life. :confused:

I would on occassion see pledges of some fraternities perform certain actions, like kiss the hand of a "lil sis" and give her some kind of rehearsed greeting! That was outrageous to me!

Well back in the "day" the whole sweetheart/lil sis thing was a lot different from what I understand. (From what some of the older alums told me as a collegiate--stuff that would even make me blush!) My BFs chapter voted me sweetheart while he was collegiate and I was a grad student just because I baked them cookies and made them dinner and stuff. I didn't have any kind of initiation, it was just more of a "You're nice and you cook for us so you are our sweetheart." At their formal they gave me a set of letters that said "Sigma Nu Sweetheart" which is cool.=) I wear my badge more though...=)

I personally don't see their purpose. And no one has been able to explain their relevance to me so I give a thumbs down.

A lot of chapters still have A sweetheart who is one special girl chosen by the fraternity. Little sisters are a different matter - they rush, pledge, have a big brother etc.

Our little sister groups ranged from what Russ said (the brothers found it more trouble than it was worth) to the fraternity that kind of went in the crapper after they were discontinued since the little sisters were basically holding the fraternity together.

Zetagymnast, the former sweetheart orgs for the NPHC fraternities and sororities are now separate organizations. So for example, Kappa Sweethearts are now called KKI (Krimson Kourt Inc.). The same applies for Alpha Angels, Sigma Doves, Que Pearls, as well as the male auxillaries (though they are not as prevalent). While these organizations are separate on paper, many people on both sides still recognize their bond.

I personally do not see the need for these organizations, especially after they were banned in 90's.

Yeah I believe Sigma Doves are now Dove, Inc. BOOOOOOO:rolleyes:

Oye..why is this topic still brought up?

Here's my campus' definition:

Lil Sis- girls who hang out w/the fraternity (not allowed to wear letters)
Sweetheart- Pinned (fraternity engagement), allowed to wear her boyfriend's letters

oh lawd we have had this discussion...
it varies from chapter to chapter...

we helped the bruhs with parties, clean up, etc
we also had service hour requirment to stay active....
but that is what we did at our chapter

dont hate....

Diva, you seem a bit hostile, like you need to defend yourself. No one is attacking you. If you are proud of what you did, then be proud. One of my prophytes was a Kappa Sweetheart. Even though I don't agree with them, does that make me love her any less? No!

I think the question is this: why do you need to "help" these men? Why can't they do that themselves, I mean, isn't that what brotherhood is for? Why do you need to follow behind men to do service?

And please don't get defensive, just help me to understand your point of view.

I am not hostile i know TheEpitome1920 personally...
and we have talked about sweethearts before.

We didnt follow around behind the brothers, we generally helped them with things they really could not do... did we clean the frat house.. no not even... but we did help set up for parties, or would sell refreshements at the parties.
And the way that my campus worked being a sweet of the alphas was one of the best ways to get picked up for Delta... the AKA's hated us...
like i said before each yard is different, each org is different and each chapter is different....
my bf is a zeta knight... not sure what they did for the zetas though

And you know how I feel about them in regards to a particular organization. :p

I'm sorry, but I don't understand how grown men CAN'T sell refreshments or set up for a party...but maybe its just me....

Anything that Sigma Gamma Rho needs done, we can do it ourselves, and I personally don't think we need men to help us on a regular basis. If anything, it makes me lazy, knowing that someone is there to pick up my slack. Doing a collaboration with another group is one thing, but having a permanent "help" group is quite another.

yeah i know you still my girl though lol
hey we dont like them either *laffs*

I've heard that at University of Illinois Rhomeos are a big thing. That's the only time I've heard of an active group for a sorority. I've never seen a Zeta Knight and would like to know what they're about.

had you attended tuskegee you might understand

I'm not there, so I wouldn't know anything about them. And if I saw them, I would ask them the exact same questions...

But to each its own...

*Finger Raised*

My friend is an Alpha Angel, she told me that it was a "Stepping Stone" as well to the group of her choice. *Shrug*

But my Greek friends tell me that being involved in these groups actually hurt your chances of being picked up by an org.

Thoughts?

ok... i don't know what you call this but it happened on our campus:

a member of a national sorority (maybe a sweetheart or bf of a member in the fraternity) went around to all the other sororities (us included) and was in charge of setting up a "big sis" for the new members of the fraternity. The new members got gifts, had the sidewalk chalked, etc. And some of my sisters did it. And I know there is a national sorority that does this on a regular basis for ANOTHER fraternity. I have seen big chalk displays of "hey bobby joe, your big sis loves you... Go XYZ!" and so on.

I don't think it goes beyond getting the guy gifts and chalking the sidewalk, and I don't think my girls really hang out that much with the lil bros... (I don't see them giving letters out and whatnot.)

I know we are kinda excempt because we are local/regional... but what do you call all of this????

I mean we were lil sis's to Delta Chi at one point but in our history, we formed the sorority when all the sister programs were cut.

ZETA KNIGHT
 

Oh my God! I saw one once and I almost Fainted!!! I couldn't believe it!! And he had the nerve to TRY to call me SOROR!!!! OH MY GOD!!! At my undergrad we had a Rhomeo..........he was the biggest joke on yard!!! HOWEVER, my l.s., D.P. and a prophyte were Blue Stars (Sigma's little sister). Actually they were L.S.'s get it?, but all this was done freshmen year and they did not carry on with the affiliation into their sophomore year. It kinda just ended after that. Being in this sweetheart org actually made their journey into Zeta quite DIFFICULT! Where i'm from (GA) I would not recommend anyone joining a sweetheart org if they wanted to be taken seriously by any sorority in the future.

Wow, I had no idea the NPHCs had banned sweetheart orgs. Our Kappas still have their sweethearts and the Q's have their Ques.

Interesting!

I've read this whole thread & still didn't pick up on what the hell a sweetheart organization is/was...help!

It can probably be defined differently, depending on the organization and campus. We had a sweetheart group in my chapter in the 80s, and it was basically a little sister program. We called it our "Sweethearts" because our national fraternity banned little sister programs. We were being cute with semantics.

We never charged dues, and this could have been a big issue. If you charge dues, then you could be sued for full membership.

Many of our chapters do select a single sweetheart, but this is not the same thing.

I'm not sure I'm fully understanding the concept either, but it seems really outdated to me -- like it would've been appropriate in the 1950s but isn't now.

really depends on the campus your on

One of the reasons that most GLOs (Phi Mu Alpha included) now prohibit them -- there is too much risk of bad feelings with sororities and perpetuation of unnecessary stereotypes.

Risk management is another big reason little sister/sweetheart groups are now prohibited.

Re: ZETA KNIGHT
 

I think this varies from place to place. My sister, who is also a Soror, was an Alpha Angel and she said that it didn't hurt her when it came to Zeta. But then again she became a member in '93 @ an HBCU so things may have been different. I know there's a school up here where the majority of the women who go through intake were sweethearts the year prior.

While I agree that in the past they were viewed as stepping stones to greekdom, but aren't there other ways to achieve that goal now? But to each their own. I love you all...good day! :D

I don't know if I'd feel comfortable being someone's "sweetheart" but that's just me. I know a lot of people who do...More Power To You!

My question is why does this topic keep creeping its ugly head? I became a Kappa Sweetheart in April, 94. Then a sexy beautiful lady of SIGMA GAMMA RHO SORORITY INC in October 95. Being a Kappa Sweetheart helped me make it through the process of becoming a SGRHO. The main focus that my experience of being a Kappa Sweetheart taught me to realize the importance of community service. Having this knowledge drew me to Sigma Gamma Rho. Many organizations say that they do community service and it is vital to their organization. But I only saw 2 that were ready doing things in the community and I picked one out of the 2 that best fit me. Many don't understand that there are requirements to get in and there are requirements to stay active just like in the National Pan-Hellenic Council orgs. (I can only speak for NPHC sweethearts)

This conversation is useless. If it is a person's choice of wanting to be a little sister, that is their business. I was made on the campus of Clark Atlanta University, Gamma Kappa Chapter. We received the utmost respect from the men whom where in the chapter at the time and the Kappas in the Atlanta area. I knew that when I became a sweetheart I was going to take another step and become Greek. But I am not going to fault those who did not choose to make that next step.

WHO REALLY CARES???????????? IT IS THEIR DECISION ON WHY WHAT THEY CHOOSE TO DO.