What's a ......sorority?
 

So one of my sisters is on a mission trip in several countries in South America, and she sent this out as an email to our chapter.

"Today someone asked me what the ΧΩ on my shirt was. The conversation went somethin like this (but in Spanish):
-What's that?
-That's chi omega! It's my sorority.
-What's a "sorority?"
-Hmmm. Well? It's like a group of girls that are considered "sisters" and they do all sorts of good things for other people... Blah blah blah. We have a big house on campus that a lot of girls live together in-
-oh! Ok I get it! Like playboy!
-.....no.....not like playboy at all....."

I laughed my but off at this, anyone have any similar experiences explaining sorority life?

Yes, when I was studying abroad in Japan, I tried to explain it to my professor and his wife who had taken me to dinnner. Their conclusion? Like a convent!

yup. i'm the first in my family to go greek and the first on my mother's side of the family to go to college (her family is from mexico and the greater part of them are still there). trying to explain it to her in spanish was a nightmare. i finally just gave up; she seems to be happy that i'm happy although she doesn't for the life of her understand why on earth i would "want more sisters, aren't two enough?" :rolleyes:

I hope that's not her definition of sorority. ;)

Delta Sigma Theta is a sisterhood of predominantly Black college-educated women who are committed to public service. Delta is a private, non-profit organization that provides assistance to a service area(s) and to each other.

So, when I'm asked what a sorority is in America or abroad (not by my family and friends because everyone is either in a GLO or is college educated), I simply edit that to apply to all sororities and also state that there are non-collegiate sororities. Through conversation they can hear examples of service projects and learn more about what private and non-profit mean. Or, they can Google the rest. Many people in America and abroad have access to Google. Those who don't tend not to ask what a sorority is in the first place--they may make their own judgments and try to make jokes but most are not trying to learn something new.

Sometimes it's easier to explain it as a club that happens to be all women and is focused on community service, group bonding, and fun social activities.

Of course we all know our sororities are more than just clubs, but that's a better analogy than playboy or a convent ;)