Pro Greek Parents Who Weren't Greek
 

It's funny how many people whose parents were born outside the U.S are so opposed to the idea of Greek Life.

So, this thread is for those with parents who weren't greek but are totally supportive of your membership. They don't have to be born outside the country, but its rare.

Both my parents were born and raised in the Philippines, and have seen the stereotypes, but have also seen the good we do, and are totally down with the idea.

My parents didn't really have a clue what GLOs were, and I think they still don't. I basically said that it was like Girl Guides, but for university students and alumnae, so they were okay with it.

As my parents did not attend college (unless you count 3 weeks of community college), my parents had no idea what GLOs were other than what they saw in the movies. They still don't really have much of an opinion and my mom can't really identify with it even still (this is after three years as an active and one as an alumna). However, if you ask my chapter who sewed most of our banners for Recruitment while I was active, they'll all say my mom. So, I guess I'd say they're actually just supportive of whatever I do, GLO-related or not

:)

My inlaws are in this category. They were farmers w/ HS diplomas but encouraged all 5 of their kids to affiliate w/ a GLO so they would have a support system, stay in school, get their degrees and be successful.

3 out of 5 joined GLOs. All 3 of them finished their degrees and went on to have very successful careers.

The other 2 did not affiliate - and neither of them finished school and their careers have been, shall we say, "bumpy".

Not exactly a scientifically-controlled study, but it's all the evidence my FIL/MIL need. This is why they encouraged their grandchildren to go Greek and they were my biggest support (other than Mr. A) in my AI pursuit.

--add

My parents were very pro-greek.

My dad was rushed back in the day, but knew that he couldn't afford it, so he never went through with it. My mom was discouraged by her mother, who had been turned down for a sorority during her undergraduate days just because she didn't have a cashmere sweater which was popular at the time (or so she claims is the reason...) But my mom saw her little sister join a chapter and thought it was pretty positive.

When I finally decided to rush, they both were really supportive since I was going to be out of state and didn't know anyone except for one girl that I was meeting at Nebraska to fulfill our long distance relationship that had gone on all second semester senior year. They both wanted to make sure that I ended up with friends other than her, so that if and when everything fell apart, I wouldn't be stuck all alone.

They've seen how positive an experience it has been for me that my little brother is basically going to be required to go greek when he goes off to college.

My mom is from Honduras and is absolutely pro-Greek. She was excited when my sister became an Alpha Phi, and a little disappointed when she disaffilated.

My dad went to Long Beach State in the 70's, I've never heard him talk about Greeks before, but he's never asked me dumb questions like, "So do you ladies really paddle each other?"

It was highly expected that I would join a sorority, so when I did last year, my parents were (and still are) super excited, proud, and most importantly, supportive. I'm really thankful to have gotten encouraging parents. My mom even wears her mother's pin to work everyday!

My parents liked the fact that I had sisters supporting me while I was in college. Being raised in the era of the Chicano Movement, they were (and still are) very proud to see a group of Latinas at the university who are successful and supportive of the community.

I don't think my parents completely understood what I was joining. My dad graduated from college as an older adult and my mom never went to college. They wouldn't help me with my dues and fees, but they did purchase my badge for me as an initiation gift.

My sister was anti-greek in college, but she roomed with the Panhellenic President, so she was involved in the greek system in an indirect way. She refused to Rush because she felt she was getting all the benefits without actually joining (the partying, the social aspect, etc.). Of course those of us in a GLO know differently.

On another note, my father-in-law and sister-in-law were greek...FIL=TKE and SIL=XO...since graduation though, neither one has been involved as an alum...so my husband is learning about alum activities through my own involvement. He wasn't so sure about it at first, but now he's very supportive despite his own "non-greek" status.

I'm fortunate that my parents were supportive, even though it took a while longer to get used to it.

My parents are pretty apathetic, but my mother did make me an AXO quilt, so they're not totally unsupportive. Although other family members make the distincition between my being an AXO and my sister's membership in AKA (and belittle my choice!), my parents see that our Greek experiences were more similar than different.

I chalk it up to the time during which they went to college, and they went to schools that didn't have big Greek systems even when fraternity membership was more popular. Plus, Papa went to school to be an engineer--not much time to pledge there!

My parents were pretty apathetic about the whole situation until the day that we had a Parents Lunch & they got to meet my sisters & their families. After that they were very enthusiastic about my involvement in Sigma Kappa.

My GRANDPARENTS never went to college and they are my biggest supporters! :)

My mom is a Theta, so she naturally supports my membership in ADPi. My dad didn't go to college, so he didn't really get it at first. But he is very supportive and frequently wears his ADPi Dad's Weekend polo to visit me at Miami.

My dad was sort of against it, knowing the financial burdens it can be. But I told him this is something I have wanted to do since high school and its like a once in a life time college thing! He wasn't thrilled ... but was happy when I got my bid and congratulated me....but after my first chapter and told him about Father Daughter weekend he couldn't wait! The only real negative thing was, I was telling him when I would get initiated and he's like "they better not do any stupid crap I know college students do" and I was like "daddd" lol... But now he thinks about all the times in Brownies when we had father/daughter dances and dinners and such....I think hes secretly excited ;)

My mother is a Pi Phi with a relatively negative experience, though she never disaffiliated. My father was not AT ALL interested in Greeks. When I told my mother I was going through NPC rush, she had her reservations but started to get excited when she realized I would be in HER chapter house. Both parents were supportive when I decided none of the sororities was for me.

My parents didn't so much know about my joining Theta Nu Xi until after the fact (they knew I was interested in a sorority but didn't have details.) After I joined, they were both hesitant, but I've shown them how much I love my Sorors, so they're both quite supportive. My mother even purchased my first jacket as a crossing gift. :D

My mom has always been my biggest supporter. She is not greek,but has always encouraged and supported me in whatever I do.

In fact none of my closest friends are very supportive of greek-life. Yet,they knew how important Theta Nu Xi and being Greek in general is to me. They don't really care for the Greek system,but they suppport me all the same

That's so funny because my closest friends are HORRIBLE!!! They'll continue to make ridiculous comments about sororities but they support of the good work Theta Nu Xi is doing. Go figure?

Many of my friends were in other GLO's so they understand the bond...none of them are currently involved as alums, however, so they are supportive of my active alum status, but don't understand how I can still be so enthusiastic...

My parents were not greek, but are incredibly pro-greek!

Neither of them went to college, and I wasn't really looking at greek systems when I visited colleges because I knew nothing about it. However, when I looked at Hillsdale and found out that a ridiculous percent of the campus was greek (it was like 60% at the time), they started telling me to look into it, even insisting that I get tours of the sorority houses on campus visits. I had an RA in my dorm and a member of my cheerleading team who were both sophomores rush and pledge Pi Phi first semester, so when I rushed and received a bid second semester (deffered recruitment), they couldn't have been happier!

Although she was never in a sorority, my mom is great: she buys wine and silver blue Jelly Belly's and M&Ms for our house and is constantly buying me Pi Phi stuff from the bookstore. She even bought me my officer dangles! It's wonderful to have supportive parents.

neither of my parents were greek.....they didn't have the time to be with their degrees in college. but my parents were both very supportive when i went through recruitment. my sister had gone through the year before and they learned a lot about it then, and i was strongly encouraged to go through.....my mom still buys me squirrel stuff even though i'm out of school. :) so in my apt with my sis, there are squirrels and pandas on parade.

my grandparents, however, not so much. my dad's dad thinks all GLOs are just about the drinking, pilaging (sp?), and raping. all that piratey stuff. but oh well.......

my parents were very supportive of both my sister and i and our respective glo's.

Pretty much my entire family is Greek. The only people I get shit from are my friends who arent Greek. My 2 best friends think its stupid. They joke around and say stuff like "we'll go out with friday if you pay us." But I love them anyway.

My parents buy me a lot of things, too! They always get me items with roses on them, especially rose pins. My dad has even had my letters embroidered on items for me. :)

My parents said if my brother and I , when we went to college, wanted to join, that was fine, but we had to pay for it. So I did. My brother joined Lambda Chi Alpha, and ended having a pretty good experience. When I decided to join ADPi, he was the one who discouraged me the most. You'd think he would've supported me, but no. I decided it was my decision anyway, and have not regretted being a part of the fabulous sisterhood of Alpha Delta Pi!! A lot of my friends before I joined discouraged me as well with the "Why do you want to buy your friends" argument, but it didn't work. Once and ADPi, always and ADPi!!! And I love being Greek!!

My father went into the Army directly after high school and didn't enter college until a few years later. And then he only went to school every other quarter because he had to go home and help out with the farm during the busy seasons. But some of his friends from high school were in the Greek system so he knew what it was like. My mother just wasn't interested, I guess.

My sister joined Kappa before I did and then our older sister helped start a chapter of Phi Beta Chi and our parents were nothing but supportive to both of them and then later, to me, when I joined. Dad came to Dad's weekend when he could and mom always came to Mom's weekend. They would stop by the house whenever they were in town for a football or basketball game and would always take the time to say a few words to our House Mom when they came in. They bought me my lavaliere and still keep an eye out for Kappa-related things to get for me.

FIL was more against Mr. ISUKappa joining ATO but MIL, who is a Chi Omega, helped turn him around. I think they both kind of have a feeling it was "just a college thing" but were accepting of Mr. ISUKappa's membership and like the fact that he has kept in touch with so many of his fraternity brothers after graduating.

emleepc


please PM me! Would be interesting to find out about Your and My Brother!:cool:

I was the first actual one in my Family that went to College, and I mean way back, when to college.

In High School, My Father told me, I could work My senior Year, buy a car and get a job or, get a job and go to college. my decision only.

Went to College, well, two, got booted out of the first!:cool: After @3 1/2 years.

Went to another, changed Majors, and Fraternities and Grad.

Still here today!

Only In America!

Hope is still there for all !:D :D

My mom was president of her KD chapter in college, but she didn't push for me to go KD or even to go Greek, although she was excited when I did and came out for my initiation and everything and was always there when I had questions or whatever. My dad wasn't Greek, but was embraced by my mom's chapter (there's a photo of my parents together w/ my dad wearing a KD sweatshirt my mom's chapter gave him when they got engaged), so I think he was happy I had a good group of friends, although whenever I told him we had initiation, he joked about sacrificing goats the things like that.

My dad wasn't born in this country. He never went greek at Chico. I don't know what Greek life was like back then. I know it existed but I guess it wasn't his thing. My mom only went to college for... maybe 2 years. Never really got too involved.

I went Greek. They didn't seem mind. My cousin rushed before I did at the same school. Actually now that I think about it... I don't think anyone in my immediate family is greek except my cousin and I.

My mom watched all those cheesy Saturday night movies and whatnot too. But They figured it was my money, my choice.

My mom and dad were both completely apathetic regarding my choosing greek life. In fact, I don't even think I told them I was rushing. Rather, they found out when my laundry bag and I showed up at home one weekend and I was wearing letters.

I'm gonna be such a *fantastic* greek mom if my daughters join sororities. I'll have arrangements of their sorority flowers sent to their dorm rooms on Bid Day and buy them letters and all that jazz. It'll be fun! :)

AND I'll make their *very* anti-greek dad pay their dues :p

Neither of my parents were Greeks, but my grandmother was, so my mother actively pushed me into rush. In fact, my main high school graduation present was to get an "upgraded sorority pin"; I honestly (and naively!) thought that anyone who wasn't in a sorority or fraternity had tried to get a bid, but didn't!

my dad thoght about going greek but couldn't because he was doing too much already. his best friend is greek (FIJI) and so my dad basically said that he thought i might when i told him 3 days into recruitment that i had decided to rush. he did buy me a gorgeous upgraded pin though! and i think he was even more angry than i was when i found out that my chapter was closing.

My mom never went to college, but she was really supportive about my joining a sorority because I think she felt like I should take advantage of the opportunity since I had it.

My parents were a bit hesitant at first when I told them that I was going to go through the process to be a founding sister of Phi Sigma Sigma's chapter at CSUDH. Their biggest fear was that I would be hazed, plus they thought that at 32 and a grad student that I wouldn't fit in. When I told them about the other women going through the process and that there was no hazing (and i wouldn't join a group that did) they didn't say anything else. In fact they became supportive as they started to meet my sisters.

They came to our installation banquet and learned more about Phi Sigma Sigma and could see why I love it so much. Dad has made me a nice desk sign with the greek letters on it, he's made letter tikis for my sisters. Mom always invites my sisters over to work on scrapbooking (even now that I'm alum too). I pinned my mom a couple years ago and she was so proud of it. My parents even called me earlier this year when they were on vacation to tell me they had just passed a car with a Phi Sigma Sigma sticker on it.

Mom and dad are on vacation right now but when they come back I'm going to surprise them with Phi Sig parents shirts. I didn't think they'd want them, especially dad, but when I casually mentioned it they both said they liked the idea. Mom's sweatshirt is the sewn letters MOM with Phi Sigma Sigma written out underneath it. The material is pink with pink ribbons for breast cancer awareness since it is coming up on 1 year that she will be clear of breast cancer. Dad's is a polo shirt with the Phi Sig greek letters on the chest and dad written out just beneath them. I can't want to give it to them when they get home.

Carolyn

Totally Supportive
 

I don't think my Dad ever cared about being greek in college but my Mom wanted to be but because she wasn't what they considered "white" she didn't get in. My Aunt (her sister) joined one of the sororities that was weak on campus just to get in. My Mom refused. She wanted to be in one of the top 3 houses or none at all.

By her Sr. yr., the top three houses were begging her and she said no...but she was very supportive when I rushed and got into one of the houses she would have liked to have been in.

To me, greek life is just a part of college life!

KAT

Re: Totally Supportive
 

:( I'm glad sororities are so much more open these days!

My fellow Capricorn sisterl, I feel ya! I already told my 14 year old stepson that he WILL rush. I even drove him by the Greek housing at UBC (I was showing him the new Panhellenic housing)

If we have a daughter yes I will be the fantastic Greek mom!