What old tradition would you like to see revived?
 

Know of any GLO traditions that have fallen by the wayside that you'd like to see return? I started thinking about this with the lavaliere thread and the mention I made of the old Gamma Phi tradition of using chocolate to announce a candle passing. ( Apparently, not restricted to Gamma Phis!)

So what would you like to see our modern chapters do that was done back in the day?

This is more of a chapter tradition, but my chapter used to have fireside chats. According to our archives, the chapter would meet in the chapter room, light a fire in the fireplace and just talk. There would be no specific topic, it was just a brotherhood event! I would love to bring that back!

That's something that every family or group should do consistently.

Neat Chi O traditions - do they still do them?
 

While touring Chi O headquarters, I saw a few lovely china vases in their museum. One of the chapters always gave them as a wedding gift to their members. Also, your big sister would give you an embrodiered handkerchief, to be carried at your wedding. I thought both traditions were really neat.

I'm an alumna of a local sorority, so there's a bunch that I'd like to see resurrected because they're a huge part of our history. I'd love to see our original pins re-cast and worn on a regular basis. We're still sorting through the archives for more info on ritual/the pre-reform history of TD.

When I pledged, we were told that when we pass away, we were to either be burried with our badges or it was to be returned to the International Headquarters. I see a lot of them on eBay.

Bows and Toes

macallan - dare I ask?

I want real candles back. The electric flickr ones just aren't cutting it...

and I want to know about bows and toes too :)

I might be in the minority here, but I miss real, good old-fashioned RUSH.

I mean Rush with frills.
-with every wall decorated
-with every girl having to stay up late to get the house decorated after MS.
-with matching outfits
-with skits every party and cool themes
-with beautiful snacks and desserts because you can
-with girls chanting and singing at the door as you walk in and are just overwhelmed by "the moment".
-Oh, and one more thing--definitely with real honest to goodness could burn everyone's house down candles.
:)

Wish I had something better to contribute here but...since I don't know what traditions have faded into history...I'll just share a tradition I like.

Every 5-10 years my chapter holds a reunion and invites every collegian and alum to attend. There's usually a pretty big crowd in a big ballroom. It's so much fun to see old friends and see all the "eras" represented. But of course you don't know most of the women there personally.

One year, when the invitations were sent out, they asked you to include your favorite Gamma Phi memory with your RSVP. At the luncheon there were little bells with pink ribbons at each place setting. During the presentation a sister read off almost all the "memories" and if you remembered that story too, you rang your little bell. Needless to say some of the memories were hysterical, and it helped the many women of all ages present feel united as sisters even though of course we did not all know each other!

I miss rush,too!

[b]Yes, yes, and thousand times YES!!!!

This sounds absolutely charming! I plan to let our chapter know about this. A group of us gets together every 5 years, but never formally. Something like this would be amazing!!

Did I hear that Sigma Chi no longer hosts Derby Days? Those were a LOT of fun! So was the Awards Season, when fraternities named Best Sweetheart, Best Little Sister, Best Sorority President, Best Sorority Pledge, Best Dressed, etc, etc.

We had "Feasts". Yeah, imaginative name! At least 15-20 of us would be going to a concert, with or without dates, and before we left, we would have a major dinner. M-A-J-O-R! Afterwards, we'd quickly tear down the tables, then head off to the concert en masse. I know other sororities did the same thing (or similar) - we used to separate which sorority a PNM would probably select by which concert they were most likely to attend. I can remember a PNM who was several sisters' rush crush saying that she loved Neil Diamond. Later that night, we pretty much shrugged and said that she wasn't going to pick us, but gave her the invitation anyhow. She did go to ABC!!

I've mentioned the other event I miss dozens of times, but it was the Amos Hall Study Breaks. During Finals, we always kept a huge coffee urn full of hot water, along with coffee, tea, hot chocolate, and such on a special table for study breaks. At least one night a week, we'd have a sign in the elevator, inviting all of the other sorority women (NO MEN!) to join us at 11pm> 12 midnight. That way, no one was worried about their attire, makeup, etc, and at 12m, a timer went off so that everyone would go back to work. A lot of NPC goodwill came out of those study breaks!

What the......????

I miss the rush of days gone by as well.....

I also miss interviews for new members. I just don't see the problem with sitting down together for lunch, etc and chatting to get to know each other.

I miss scavenger hunts too....

And those who might have gone to Wright State, I don't know if it still happens, but I sure miss the Barfly "Pumpkin Hunt" and the "St Valentine's Day Massacre". (RM nightmares :) ! but tremendous amount of fun!)

I miss greetings and being called a respectable names by "pledges". I miss the special ceremonies before initiation and would predicate one's membership.

I wish longer pledge periods (and the word/term pledge) and waiting for grades to initiate came back.

Bring back above ground pledging, with gear.
Bring back the scroller club (A Kappa Alpha Psi pledge for those of you who don't know what a scroller is.) "traditionally".
Writing letters to the big brothers.
Having sessions down at the house.
Getting signatures for our little red books.

He means elBOWS and TOES pushups.

Yes, PT is an essential part of brotherhood.:rolleyes:



ETA: So, PB, you have the kahunas to post other brother's pics, but not your own???

I miss pranking. Both pledges and actives had to have pranks "approved" by the pledge trainer, so we were aware of possible liability even back then, but boy did we have fun coming up with creative ways to "get" the actives, and vice versa.

I just sent this anecdote in a message to the planning committee for my chapter's 50th anniversary. I think this is an awesome idea! Thanks for sharing!


Unlike others, though, I don't miss no frills rush! The matching outfits were nice, but I hate, hate, HATED the skits and songs everyday. As a rushee, I thought it was unbelievably cheesy! As an active, I felt unbelievably cheesy!! I love the new recruitment with more time to talk to the PNMs. If they could do it with more decorations and matching outfits, I like it even more! I would have kicked butt with the new recruitment...I can talk to a wall!

Bows and toes
 

Aw, now I'm disappointed. I had envisioned having to wear bow ties and paint your toe nails. Instead, just silly push-ups. :o

Well I guess my schools R was half-frills. We definitely decorate and have matching outfits. No skits, but lots of songs. The girls wait outside the rooms and can hear us singing really loud and some chapters bang on the door - which as a PNM really gets you excited to go in (I think Chi-O was known for doing this at Mason and when I was going through R I thought it was really cool). We also have food - we would usually get those little cookies with the pink ribbon on it, but no PNM was allowed to take anything out with her, as it may be construed as a gift. Had the napkins with our letters and all!

Seriously, what a fine looking bunch of men!

I'm just amazed at the outfits - they look so sharp - but is the cost part of pledging?? WOW

Slightly not a tradition: As a Fraternity Man I wish that the powers that be would not consider learning the history of our organizations "hazing". It is very annoying when you want to have a conversation about history and the newer members don't know what the history is all about. I know that the Sororities get in trouble for testing and quizzing but that is pathetic. Why would anyone want to be a part of an organization without knowing the history?

There are others things that chapters used to do that are now considered "hazing" but in all reality it is not. Hazing should be better defined and people shouldn't get in trouble for things that don't demean or embarass candidates, pledges, new members or whatever other orgs call them.

Definitely agree with bagging all of the "politically correct" terms NPC put into place (even now, most people don't use them) and bringing back interviews and more learning of history, etc to pledgeship. It shouldn't be the ONLY time you learn about your sorority but you should know the basics before initiation.

Also, if you are rushing/pledging as a first semester freshman, you should have to make grades before initiation.

Never said that. Thanks though.

I'm sorry...I didn't realize I wrote that macallan25 said "Yes, PT is an essential part of brotherhood.".

Oh wait, I didn't.

Whatever.

I really wish that my GLO allowed REAL candles and just promoted good fire safety tips. We have to use stupid battery powered ones that only work right 70% of the time. Bleh! :(

This will date me
 

I miss the actual walk songs, when we poured out of the house on to the sidewalk and sang to the rushees (yes I miss those terms too, and I think you are right that people don't use the PC terms). I can't imagine being stuck in the house and singing through the door.

Candles
 

I can't imagine trying to sing "Pass it on" now - "It only takes a battery, to get a candle going, and soon all those around, can't warm up in its glowing. . . "!!!

We dont' have a house and have to hold our rush parties in our Student Union rooms... but we usually get some other sort of room for Pref because they check to make sure there are no candles in the union rooms.. but other places on campus don't check. :p

bejazd - what a great idea. I'd like to pass that on for our Founders Day celebration. Thanks!

Tess

I've quit supporting the Greek system - though I support the ideals, the national philanthropy, and the local alumnae chapter because you can't do it from the outside.

I miss RUSH.
I miss PLEDGES. Frankly, when I invite a new sister, I want here to know that she is pledging her honor. Not necessarily to initiation, though if we didn't think she knew what she was getting in to, we wouldn't have invited her. I want her to understand the seriousness of it. AAA has new members, fraternities/sororities should have pledges.
I miss getting to know the rushees. What is this with "Rho Chi"? What a crock!. NPC would like you to believe every house is just like every other, just with different colors and badges. Had I not gotten to know the house's culture first, I would not have joined. The summer before freshman year, all the incoming freshman women were contacted by a summer Big Sister - a member of one of the sororities. I got a nice letter, and answers to mine, a frank discussion of Greek life and of other social, fraternal, academic, and entertainment options on campus, and a sense of what to expect.

I miss the opportunity for leadership. Today's collegians are expected to conform. "Go along to get along" should have no place in the Greek system.