Starting A Sorority (HELP!!)
 

Hey, Im new to this so I'm browsing a bit to find my answer but just in case I don't I decided to ask.....

I am in a social group that promotes plus size beauty and self esteem, a few of us wanted to branch off and start a sorority because the group just deal with modeling and fashion, some of us actually want to make a difference in our community. Now I could have pledge at my school but my school doesn't have one because it's a school for working adults and I'm a single mom.

We tried to join a chapter that had the same ideas as us but they are located so far from us and expected us to travel for initiations and etc, all our contacts would be through phone and email, so we decided to start one ourselves, some of us are in school like myself and then some aren't some are working professionals.

So what would be the first step for us?

Thanks..

Have you considered starting a chapter of the sorority that you liked?

I'm not a single mom, I have my husband to help and I would not have time to worry about starting a sorority. There are priorities, and when your a single mom, I would say starting a sorority ranks about 500th on the list. If there really are several people in your postion...how about a CLUB??

Check out the locals board. But agreeing with the above poster, starting a sorority is a lot of effort...

Wasn't there a plus size sorority started recently? I know that there is a thread around here somewhere about that...

I understand what you are saying, and trust me I have tons of priorities and I'm on top of all of them. The first thing I thought about was if I was going to have time to start one being that I have a child, I have a job, etc and I do, Im not the only single mother who wants to start it, most of us are grown women with kids and our kids can be involved, but I don't know why I'm explaining this to you..

There is one, but it's not local the main chapter is in Florida, Im in the D.C area, and the closet chapter to me is Philidelphia. They want us to travel to them for initiations and what not, and all contact is through email and it seem like our responses were not met when we tried to contact them, there are to many hoops to go through so we decided to start our own.

I hate to be the bearer of bad news but there are too many loops to go through when starting your own sorority. And when it comes to pledging an already existing, relatively young organization, travel is going to be a part of the process. If you want it you work for it/do what it takes to attain the goal.

Kids involved?? Like I said before, you're not looking for a sorority, you're looking for a C-L-U-B. Call it the Mu Omicron Mu Club, have t-shirts made, knock yourselves out.

Really, why are you looking specifically at a sorority??

I understand what you're saying, but is it possible to branch off from a local sorority. I'm able to pledge at Howard only because my school has no chapter, hell no social organizations at all, but the other females aren't because most are not in school like me. I did think about doing the whole club thing but I'm already in one, and they are just about fashion and modeling, and partying, I wanted to actually reach out to the community..

Actually there is already a sorority called "Mu Omicron Mu. Sorry I don't have the address to the website but I'm sure the resourceful people on this site can find it for you;)

I wanted to join a sorority because of the sisterhood, the networking and to help change my community. Like I said in a previous post I can join through another school being that I'm still a traditional college student, but the others cant. All the negativity your'e giving is not really called for.

That's one great thing about clubs, they are not exclusive of eachother like sororities are. You can be in however many clubs you want to be in. And, if you're having a problem with the one you're in now, you can leave that one and join or start a different one, no big deal. No so with a sorority.

So in other words, your sorority won't be campus based?

There are already several sororities for adult women like this.

There's a difference between being negative and being realistic.

HEEEEEEEEEY. How's it going?? PM me and let me know.;)

I know but I can't find one, I been researching for a while.
and there arent any social organizations at my school



I am on a " yahoo mailing list thingy" with a sorority to be considered to pledge this winter, but there is something iffy about it. If I was to pledge with them they stated that a chapter can be made in my area.

Is it Beta Sigma Phi?? If it is, there's really nothing "iffy" about them. They're a large national sorority, with a pretty good rep. If it's not, try looking into them. They're not specifically for "Plus sized single moms who are working and going to college" but they do have chapters that target certain populations. (One city may have three chapters -maybe one with older members, one with younger members, and one that's mixed, etc for example). They have a forum here on GC and most of them are very open about sharing their experiences and membership info.

Nah it's not them, The one I'm talking about its like to be recommended to pledge to have to join a mailing list, introduce yourself and join in the "email conversations" they asks a questions like why you want to join, who are your role models etc. Recently they told us that we have to befriend a soror to get recommended. There arent any sorors in the D.C area to befriend so we have to do it through email, and long distance phone calls. To me I think it's better to be face to face with the person to see how real they are, a phone conversation isn't going to do it. Thats why I thought it was iffy..

As someone who tried to start a new sorority, on a campus with excellent greek life, lots of support, lots of time, and no kids/job to worry about, and still couldn't get it off the ground, I hate to be negative, but I honestly don't think you have a snowball's chance in hell of this working. I agree with AlphaFrog...start a club. Honestly, if you don't have the time or whatever to really get the sorority going, then you're going to end up disappointed with a glorified club anyway. Or get some of the people in your current club who want to get involved in the community to do that...just make it another aspect of the club.

Good luck in whatever you do...but honestly, from what you've said, you don't have any idea what to do with starting a sorority and while you may be gung-ho about it now, you'll reach a point where you feel frustrated.

Beta Sigma Phi

They might not be EXACTLY what you're looking for, but they could fit really well. (Like when you go to the malllooking for a pair of Sevens jeans, and then all of a sudden you find a pair of Paiges that fit really well, even though that's not exactly what you were looking for- ok so I personally don't spend over $30 on a pair of jeans, but you get the point).

You right I don't know what to do, thats why I asked so I can get some insight...

But thanks anyway guys.....

Hey, don't go just yet. Everyone has a different experience.

I'm a mom, a graduate student, and an active sister of Beta Sigma Phi. While I think Beta Sigma Phi could be a good fit for you, I also understand your desire to start a campus org. I've been corresponding with a single mom who is trying to get a sorority going on her campus. PM me and I can give you more info. If anything, you might be able to bounce some ideas off of each other.

Good luck.
Erica

the bottom line to go about it...
 

Hi there,

Well, I ended up pledging DZ where I was at but had contemplated starting my own as well - I don't regret a second of my DZ experience, however, at times I wish I had gone forward with what I had hoped to do and not had let the idea of extra hardwork and additional hurdles along the way stop me.

Working in student affairs currently, here is what you would have to reasonably need to do or consider:

1. Visit your campus activities office (if you haven't already) or locate the advisor in charge of expanding/creating student orgs. It sounds like you don't have Greek life already on your campus, which could mean that they do not allow such organizations, would be a problem. Some institutions do not allow local organizations, which would also be a huge problem. Many today, due to risk management issues, require all organizations to have a national tie.

2. If you do have Greek life there, you will need to look into the different councils and see where yours could fit - if you offer Panhellenic, Multicultural Greek councils, All Greek Councils, etc. Most fraternities and sororities, if allowed to expand, must fit under a self-governing body.

3. Have you considered latching on to a National Panhellenic Conference chapter? (visit www.npcwomen.org) Although you have a very specific purpose, you will find that you can draw national ties, so you will have alumnae support through your "creation" (also called expansion) process, you will forgo the issue of being a local (sorority insurance is INSANELY expensive), and still be able to create something that is *yours* For example, you may become an XYZ National Sorority but you support certain specific local causes and select your membership based on those things.

4. On kind of a side note, I've seen many women on my campus join sororities and have children while in it, or be single moms and make it work - it's all a matter of what you can make time for

I hope this helps - let me know where you're at because I'd love to know how everything works out! :)

Well I have decided not to start my own. Me and a few friends has started a group and we are working towards making it legit. Me myself plan on trying Beta Sigma Phi out they seem to draw me in more...

I thank everyone for the comments..

I don't know from personal experience, but a group of my friends were involved with starting a chapter of an existing sorority, and boy, was it a TON OF WORK.

When I was in college, I was taking a full class load, and I pretty much had a full time job, and it was a lot of work to pledge a sorority that had existed on campus for over 50 years because of sheer time constraints. I could not imagine adding a kid into the mix.

I know you want the sisterhood, closeness, etc, but in all honesty, you do not need to be an initiated member of a sorority to feel that way. I was just as close to other friends as I was to my sorority sisters.

Is there a way to close this convo, because I already made my decision which was posted in my previous post. Thank for everyones opinion...

;)

You can PM James, moe.ron, SAEalumnus, or amycat412 and they can lock it for you, if you'd like.

This wouldn't be the Beta Beta Omega Sorority perchance, would it?

If so, I can tell you that this particular org got clowned royally on several different Greek boards for a number of reasons, one of which was between its "nickname" and the group of women it catered to created a very comical result (BBQ).

I do know now that the Yahoo Group died out within 60 days of its founding.

Anyhow, lemme know....

BTW, the other plus-size sorority was called Chi Zeta Theta. It has its own website but at last check it was being "down" for maintenance (only its intro page is online at this time).

Let it die peacefully RM.

I'm just curious, that's all.

Nothing more, nothing less.


BTW, I didn't read her final post until after I posted my message.