Definition of "Chapter"
 

Hi there, I'm a total newbie to the Greek Life so please excuse my ignorance regarding my question:

What is a "chapter" of a Sorority and why do they have different names to the Sorority? Example, Sigma Sigma Sigma had a Delta Nu Chapter...

Also why do some Sororites have only 2 greek letters instead of three? Example, Chi Omega.

Thanks! :o

Using your example, the Delta Nu chapter of Sigma Sigma Sigma might be at State University, whereas the Delta Xi chapter of Sigma Sigma Sigma might be at State Tech. The national group (Sigma Sigma Sigma) is broken down into university-tied groups (chapters). This is the case for all national sororities. The chapter name designates the university with which the national sorority is affiliated.

(I was never a Rho Chi and boy am I glad! It's hard to define chapter!)

Some sororities have two letters because that's what their founders chose. Others have three letters because, you guessed it, that's what their founders chose.

Are you a PNM? A new member somewhere? (Just asking because of the Greek letters in your username.)

Each organization's founders selected their 2-3 Greek letter name. Some group's reasons for their name are confidential, some are publicly known. A "chapter" is the term used for each chartered group on each University campus of an Inter/national org.

Typically orgs give each chapter an identifying name when it is chartered and that is often based on the Greek alphabet. The founding/first chapter would be Alpha, the next Beta, all the way through Omega. After that they started with Alpha Alpha through Alpha Omega, then on to Beta Alpha through Beta Omega, and so on.

Oh ok, I see - but not all organisations follow that system, right?

If I was starting a new Sorority could I just randomly pick three Greek letters based solely on the fact that a Sorority does not exist with that name? Especially if it's the founding chapter?

And Sydney: No, I'm not a member of any Sorority, I'm still trying to understand the system before I weigh up any options.

You could, but there is usually some sort of meaning behind the letters. Why do you want to make your own instead of joining an existing one? Also why the letters in your user name.

If you're starting a new sorority, then it would start as a local sorority, and there would only be one chapter. Therefore, you wouldn't necessarily need to give it a Greek letter chapter designation. As for the name of the actual sorority, if you're starting the whole thing from scratch (A HUGE UNDERTAKING!!), then you can name it anything you want, for whatever reason you wish.

And actually, Delta Chi, a national fraternity, doesn't even use Greek letters for individual chapters. Their chapter here at Penn State Behrend is simply known as the "Behrend Chapter".

Most do.

Those that don't follow the style of 'alpha of state x', 'alpha of state z', 'beta of state x', etc.

As noted, each Chapter is given a designation. These is determined by the org's National office, and done in order of ther groups chartering. You always know what chapter you joined, and when you met other members from your org, telling them your chapter designation (Chapter XYZ) along with the school is the norm.

First off, greek letters are NOT picked randomly. And yes, you'd need to pick a set not already in use, as pretty much all national groups have trademarked their names.

And yes, if you were founding a new org, you would be founding the first chapter (Alpha Chapter of new org XYZ).

Basically, with GLOs, the greek letters are the initials of the group's *real* name, rendered in the greek language. For instance, Phi Beta Kappa is called that because the letters are the initials of a greek phrase that means "Love of learning is the guide of life".

Right. Some organizations designate chapter name using other methods. Some fraternities, for example, designate the state where the chapter resides (Tennessee Beta, for example).

Correct. Only the founders choose the name of the sorority. And as Psi U MC Vito said, the name wouldn't be random letters - there's usually a reason why the chosen letters were chosen.

While that's noble and all, it isn't necessary to understand all the intricacies of Greek life before becoming active in Greek life. That's partly what the new member period is for. It sounds like you're wanting to start a new sorority - there are several threads on GC that you should read if you're really thinking about starting one.

ETA: Looks like several of us cross-posted, saying essentially the same things!

I forgot to mention not all GLO that use Greek Letters for the Chapter names go by order. Like our first chapter was the Theta Chapter, not the Alpha Chapter. Those organizations that do that have specific reasons for the chapter names.

BUT, if you were to give a chapter designation, it'd the Alpha chapter (or Nevada Alpha or Evansville Chapter or whatever).

Example: Two of the locals on my campus go by a chapter designation. One calls itself the Alpha Chapter and the other calls itself the Delta chapter b/c of things that have happened in its history.

I too am curious, though... Why the Delta Omega Lambda in your user name?

Looks like she just picked Greek letters that looked like the English letters.

And Psi for the first chapter of Chi - O at the glorious University of Arkansas.

Btw, Phi Gamma Delta also doesn't follow the "Alpha, Beta, Gamma" format at least post 1900. They designate their chapters by placenames. For instance, the Fayettville, Arkansas chapter is the Phi Alpha chapter. Or FA.

That was my assumption, but you never know.

Kind of a sidetrack, but a FUN FACT nonetheless: The reason we believe our founders decided to name their chapter after their university was because they wanted the prestige of Cornell to rub off on their newly founded group. So from the beginning they were known as "The Cornel Chapter of The Delta Chi Fraternity."

Herff Jones, however has not gotten the memo because they only offer us Greek letter guards and not English letters (though I have seen some old badges with English guards.)

Wow, I never knew this - interesting. How would you have a guard in English though - especially if you went to (ex) Transylvania University? Wouldn't that be a tad long?