the "great 8" sororities
 

I am just curious...

I read about the "great 8" recently (I really honestly had no idea about Greek life...other than my mom was an ADPi before I joined a sorority. I guess that's good because i think it would have subconciously affected my decision on which house to pledge).

For those wondering, and I'm sure you all know!, the great 8 are:
Kappa Alpha Theta
Kappa Kappa Gamma
Pi Beta Phi
Chi Omega
Alpha Phi
Delta Gamma
Delta Delta Delta
Delta Zeta

What makes these "the Great 8"? My mother's sorority, ADPi seems to have been the oldest one according to our pledge book, but I've been hearing Kappa Alpha Theta was the first. What makes these more special then the others? I am not putting any organizations down, as I know first hand the "great 8" at my school are all wonderful and great girls. I am just wondering why these specific organizations receive this title while others do not.

Re: the "great 8" sororities
 

I don't know where you got that list, but its wrong. I won't publicly correct it (by removing some orgs and adding another) because any list is hurtful to some members of those who were not mentioned. You should really think twice before promoting false stereotypes on a widely read source. It does no one any good.

from a website about Stanford sororities, boasting that they have 5 or 6 of "The Great 8" on their campus. What is the correct list?

I am sorry....i didn't mean to be offensive. i was just wondering what made the sororities "make the list" and others not. It wasn't meant to be hurtful or to say that other sororities were bad, etc. I was just wondering why these sororities had been singled out as the "great 8". Pardon my curiousity. I don't think anyone's feelings should be hurt over a silly list anyway. My organization isn't on there and it doesn't hurt my feelings. We know we're smaller and therefore not as well known. Sorry! No hard feelings...just plain curiousity.

I hope no one else gets offended.

i've never heard of this before. Sounds like a rip off on the Divine Nine!

probably is. The Divine Nine is a group of frats right?

No, it's the group of historically Black GLOs, both fraternities and
sororities.

You might want to watch your usage of the word "frat", a lot of the guys find it offensive.

why is it offensive? just wondering. sorry...i'm new to this...and greek life in general so i really don't know all of the "PC" terms.

B/c "frat" has negative connotations. Do a search, there's probably a discussion of it somewhere.

And I hope that no one repeats the nasty saying that goes along with not calling your fraternity a frat. I think it's way more offensive, and it does nothing to help their cause.

I'll PM you, IrishPhiSig

Prior to the addition of Iota Phi Theta, what is now the "divine nine" was often referred to as the "great eight".

I have never heard the term used to describe NPC sororities.

When I first saw your list I thought maybe it had to do with the originial members of the NPC. However, you did not include Gamma Phi Beta or Alpha Chi Omega. Also, you included Delta Zeta, who did not join the NPC until 1910, 7-8 years later.

Anyways, welcome to GC. I would not worry "too much" about offending someone on GC. There are many members on this board, no matter what you say you will attract some and offend others. (As long as you are not down right disrespectful). There are many places/campuses in this country that even the fraternity members use the word frat.

And Dionysus, there is a HUGE difference between the work frat and the word C&%#. I am sure you were just trying to make a point.

ETC: my dyslexic mistake

Creek Ghat?

Hehehe

Hohoho

Hahaha

:D

Try looking at Bairds Manuals from the early years to today!

God it is amazing what a difference there has been over these many years.

If you read that somewhere, it doesnt mean that it wasnt there.

Just passing along and asking questions is good. Some people are experts (?) or just want to argue, while others will discuss or be of service and aid.:)

I love to do both!!!!!!:D

People are like asswholes and opinions, we all have them!!!!!!;)

I'm sorry that this post is so incredibly "offensive". However I read this off of a publication and was wondering if it had any merit and if it did, why these orgs. earned the title and others did not. Its not in any way saying these are better than any other or worse than any other org.

Its mere curiousity...and something I hoped someone here could explain to me.

I've been to the website that determines the "great eight" sororities as well, and I think it's just some random guy's opinion that he's stating as fact. It's pretty clearly regionally biased in terms of California -- if the list had been made by someone in the South, KD or Phi Mu would have replaced Alpha Phi, for example.

Find a Post by ariesrising and check her Web Site.

It lists All of the Major Greek Organizations and many of the New MLGLO/LGLOs.

She has done one heck of a Job.

Oh, remember, She is an AI of Her new Sorority.

Frat. is a negative term to Fraternites. Frat Boys, Fraternity Men.

I just love how some Academins throw Frats around for the Male Greek Organizatins. Yep, they are smarter than we are!:rolleyes:

This is a good example of a constructive reply.

larger schools definately have a more specific list
 

I went to a university with a smaller greeks system then some. I do understand however that larger university with lots of sororities and fraternities and a longer history of stable greek organizations definately have lists of what they consider to be the most strong greeks at their school.

For instance both Alabama and Auburn have and "old row" list.

I don't know how interchangable those glo's are in that list but you can search the net to see "old row" fraternity or "old row" sorority coined at both of those schools.

I tried to find an "old row" list but I couldn't.

Oh, and I personnally am not offended if someone has a list that ADPi is not on. But, I do like to see where ADPi is considered by others to be "top tier" or whatever. If they aren't on the list I go to find out if we are at that school or not. So, just another interesting topic on gc.

Re: the "great 8" sororities
 

ADPi was the first society/sorority for women. It used to be known as The Adelphean Society. Theta was the first greek letter sorority. Kappa Alpha Theta came out before The Adelphean Society became Alpha Delta Pi
:)

I've never heard any "Great Eight" or anything like that be used in any ways other than speaking of NPHC before they became the "Divine Nine".

Like S&S said, it's probably just some guy stating his opinion as a fact.

? Was It Ben Franklin That Wrote "Commom Sense"? No, It must have been "Thomas Payne", Give Em Hell!!

Oh My God, To Many Quotes to Remembrr!:p

just saw this guy's website...

wow, talk about a transparent attempt to get laid.

You can tell it's only his opinion and he knows nothing about anything - like his reference to DZ's "odd colonization pattern." They actually absorbed several other sororities.

Stupid boy, throw rocks.

Your post isn't offensive, and no one is trying to attack you. The list you found is merely the OPINION of one man, and seems to have no basis in fact, which is basically the answer to your whole post. He chose them based on his loose "research" and as S&S posted if it had been anyone outside of CA, his list would've been a lot different.
People here try really hard to promote greek life in general, and get really touch when people to "rank" or post things with "ranks" or opinions on the "top sororities." People who may not know much about greek life come here for info and may take it as truth (as you, and I'm sure others, did with this man's site) and make undeducated decisions about greek life. Yeah, sometimes a little oversensitive at GC, but the intentions are there.

I've been around a long time & I've never heard the term the "Great Eight." Is this boy from Stanford trying to be a Wilson Heller?

LOL, NutBrnHair! Wilson Heller!

And I haven't heard of the Great 8 either.

You read my mind. To me the Great Eight is the NPHC before Iota Phi Theta joined. :)

Folks, this article was something I wrote a year ago trying to explain the Greek system's importance in my hometown to some of my friends who had no clue what sororities or fraternities involved. I basically highlighted the eight groups that I thought were the most important out here in California and nicknamed them the "great eight" after the NPHC nine.
It was on my personal website and intended to provide background for photos of what I was doing in college, not serve as a manual for the world which it apparently is now thanks to Google. As far as I can tell this is the first time anyone has found it offensive, including the numerous friends of mine in various sororities that "did not make the list," but I can see how it would be interpreted as a kind of national handbook instead of what it was meant to be. On the other hand, I don't think it at all rose to the level of say the USC TKE newsletter which ranked all of the fraternities and sororities by tiers. Sorry for the offense, but the text was never meant to reach the general public and is in any event gone.

You are absolutely right..

Irish, check your PM box, I sent you one! :D

I'm offended by people who are easily offended by things.

This is a fairly random place to put this, but if anyone goes to a school with both Phi Sigma Kappa and Phi Sigma Sigma...do they both go as 'phi sig'?

Yes.

..................and they usually stink..........

Well first off, if it's on the internet, it's easily reached by the general public. We do thank you for taking it down, i'm sure.

Second, I don't know if any of us have seen this alleged newsletter... it's also not posted up on the internet for everyone to see.

kddani, I think he's referring to Heller's newsletters that ended in the 1980s before most of you were born.

For the record, I was born, however I was too busy watching Sesame Street to care :)

He wasn't really clear on what he meant. But now that you've clarified that, I do know that there were people who were not thrilled about his newsletters either, and that they have been discussed here before.

Alpha Delta Pi was founded in 1851 as the Adelphean Society, we didn't go National unitl the 1900's, we were the first Secret Society for Women founded, but Kappa Alpha Theta was to my knowlege the first Secret Society to go National, making it the oldest Panhellenic Society.

You annoyed a handful of strangers on the internet that you can't even be really sure exist and changed your web site to match their expectations?

How uhm . . . eager to please. You can ask for your balls back anytime now.

Oh dear, this is going to be a fun show to watch.

Awesome!

Actually, it was referred to as the "Elite Eight"