Big Brothers/Big Sisters?
 

Alright, I got bored and haven't been around much but got curious about this topic when I saw the "Greeks in your family" thread...

How many campuses still have the tradition of Big Brothers for the sorority girls and Big Sisters for the fraternity guys?

At my campus, if you have a [platonic] close relationship with a Greek of the opposite sex, you can ask them to be your Big Brother/Sister. Usually the person has to be older than you in Greek life terms and it's mostly done for PR/politics.

The tradition is that you give your Big/Little Sister (in my case) a shirt with their letters on it in your GLO's colors. Some girls give their Big Bro a paddle, but that's usually common with only one sorority. I know in another school, you get them a shirt with their letters on it and your organization's name spelled out on top of their letters, but that's looked down upon here.

You can also get them other things (shot glasses, pens, gifts, etc.) with their letters but the shirt is the main thing.

I was just wondering how common this is in other campuses and what are some of the traditions if it exists where you're at.

When I first read this thread title, I thought you were talking about the organization.

I get the feeling it's not too popular these days (as it was, say, in the 80s) as little sister programs became forbidden by the NIC in 1987.

NPC sororities also do not have an official relationship with any fraternity as it would jeopardize our single-sex status.

I'm sure it still happens, but doing so would go against rules enforced by two umbrella organizations.

I know some Asian GLO do it down in Jersey. The little makes the big a paddle like a normal little.

Right, but on my campus it's not like a "group". It's just you asking a person of the opposite sex to be your Big Sister/Brother.

There is no rushing or pledging or anything you think of when you think of the tradition in the 80s.

I know what you're talking about.

And what you're talking about is still looked down on by many HQs.

I still don't get why anyone would want anybody outside their org. to be their Big Whatever. :rolleyes:

We tried to bring it back and our headquarters explicitly told us that we could lose our charter for doing it if we got caught. Not something worth that kind of trouble IMO.

i know a quite a few chapters that do it, its very under the radar but they do take it seriously.

I have a question about the Big/Little thing. I went to a sort of summer rush party last week and i herd some girls saying they were "ABC Sweethearts". Now is that the same thing as Big Brother/ Little Sister?

NO.

The title of Sweetheart has nothing to do with the Big/Little stuff.
http://www.greekchat.com/gcforums/sh...ad.php?t=84367

Oh ok cool. Thanks for the link.

So you guys do it?

Yeah, exactly.

Doesn't really matter to me because I think the whole thing's stupid, anyway.

So I take it your HQs are okay with it? Do they even know? :rolleyes:

I posted that before I was able to see your question to her.

There have been HQs at our school from different GLOs often, and it's still going on. Take it as you may.

I'm not talking about other HQs. I was talking about TKE and Phi Mu HQs. They're okay with it? You two seem to be knowledgeable about Big/Little Brother/Sister on your campus so I was just curious if TKE and Phi Mu HQs were okay with this happening under the radar at FIU.

:)

Actually, the CEO of TKE is in South Florida for a few days for some conferences.

If I do get to meet him like I was supposed to, I'll ask if he's okay with some chick wearing a tshirt with her letters on it in red and silver.

And it's hardly under the radar.

Riiiight. Actually, I'd be curious to hear his take on the big/little not-program. :)

ETA: Glad to know that the FIU Greeks don't do it under the radar. I bet other campuses wish they were like FIU!

I think he could care less.

And yeah, Kevin Mayeux IS down here. But then again, you're just some random person on the interwebs that doesn't matter and I have nothing to prove to.

Have a good day. :)

Say hi to Kevin for me! Have a great weekend! :)

It happens on my campus. I don't get it, think it is kind of dumb, and never participated in it. It goes on, but even with people being told not to do it, it happens anyway. Unfortunately it is part of the campus culture, even if HQs don't want it to happen. I've seen some creepy/tricky situations evolving with jealousy and what not regarding relationships, and just don't see the point.

Why is there a need to have special titles for people who are your friends?

My understanding is that they do it at GSU.

I think the reasons against it typically given are that it's degrading to women. The way I've heard of it being done, the girls selected as little sisters were normally the girls who were always around the house late at night, and it was just kind of a way of acknowledging a f***buddy.

And if you put it to him as girls wearing your letters, no he can't care. Let him see a little sisters composite or hear you referring to it as little sisters and I guarantee you he won't have such a shiny outlook on it.

I wouldn't either... I wouldn't let a girl wear my letters, nor would I put any money from my dues toward a little sister composite.

"Little sister" is just a way for the Greeks on my campus to acknowledge a girl who is close to us, helps us out when we need it, and basically, if she had a wang would be offered a bid to your fraternity- to put it bluntly.

Usually our Sweethearts are always a Big or Little Sister to more than one brother.

We don't randomly pick a friendly girl, if you know what I mean, from any sorority and appoint them as a Little or Big Sister.

While the program was banned we do the non program version that PANTHERTEKE is talking about. It's very non official and while gifts are not always given they sometimes are. A Big Bro is just someone you are friends with... Not a F*** Buddy. I know the history of degrading women through the original program and it is not like that at all!

Ok, you may really like this program, but do you really want me to call Phi Mu HQ and point them to this thread?

I think that's the point OTW is trying to make here.

Also, there have been like a million threads on this in the past. Most recently one where I ticked off some Sigma Chis by insulting the Sweetheart program. :cool:

Exactly. Putting my own opinions of the not-program aside, I think it's pretty dumb to publicly discuss something you know is frowned on by HQ. You (general you) might think you're getting away with it because you haven't been told to stop, but that might not always be the case.

And another thing I learned about Risk Management when I was a collegian and then later as an advisor...it's often those "unofficial" things that leave the most room for all hell to break loose.

This kind of pisses me off. No, not kind of, it just plain pisses me off.

A lot of the women I knew who were little sisters (sorority members and non-members) worked their ASSES off and were very proud of being little sisters. They weren't there because of politics or PR...they were there because they loved the brothers and what the fraternity stood for. They did a heck of a lot more to earn that title than saying OMG BE MY BIG BRO?? I don't even want to get into the wearing letters issue. A lot of the programs back in the day were sanctioned by the fraternities' HQs and so obviously they were OK w/ women wearing letters. This, not so much.

If groups are going to do the type of thing that PANTHERTEKE talked about, I wish they'd find a different name for it, like Sorority BFF of the Month or something. But like VandalSquirrel said...why do you have to have a title for your friends?

Okay, I see where you're coming from. I shouldn't have said its "mostly" done for PR/Politics. Sometimes it is, but like I said, all of the fraternity Sweethearts are girls who help out the fraternities and have several Big or Little Brothers in that organization. Which goes to show you that it's not always done for PR or politics. I only said that bit because sometimes you hear a person say "I want a Big/Little in XYZ."

And who said anyone wore anyone else's letters?? The only girl who can wear my letters is our Sweetheart; whether stiched, print, iron-on, etc. You'll never see a girl walking around my school in a fraternity's letters unless she is their Sweetheart.

I've seen people who do this at other schools (not mine, thank God) actually get the other group's letters on their jackets. Plus some other people in the thread mentioned wearing letters.

The way I look at it, it's kind of like AI...if a fraternity man asked me to be a sweetheart because he appreciates that I've supported his fraternity that would be one thing, but I can't imagine asking him if he'd be my big brother or a guy asking a girl that. Especially if they haven't really done jack for the group, they more want the connection with that single person.

Oh and to PhiMugirl07, you might want to be careful with phrases like "degrading women through the original program" as there are several GCers on here who pledged and joined little sister groups.

Since it isn't anything I was involved in, my info may not be 100% correct. However my understanding for my campus is that if CuteASABug was your little, you'd find her a big bro, instead of her asking SenusretI to be her big bro. For a woman not in my org., who I am friends with, the whole process happened between the end of fraternity rush and when school started.

I still don't get it, but some people on my campus take it SO SERIOUSLY that I often wonder why they can't give that kind of care and attention to their own brothers or sisters and make their groups stronger. It is also so variable because often it is just men or women in an org. that your org. often dates or hangs with, so it isn't like you're meeting people you'd never meet otherwise.

I knew this was discussed before, and according to a post it happens at WSU as well, now I've got my confirmation. http://www.greekchat.com/gcforums/sh...d.php?p=770314

At the University of Alberta, the Thetas and Fijis do a big brother/little sister thing where every year each theta gets a Fiji big brother, the relationship is really whatever you want it to be though, some girls are super close to their big brothers some arent it just depends on the people