Breaking away from NPC
 

I was doing some research about sororities that were once a NPC chapter and than split from that sorority and became a "new" sorority.

For example, at St. Lawrence University, there was once a chapter of Kappa Delta which was chartered as the Sigma Mu chapter in 1921. But for some reason, the sorority chapter split from Kappa Delta and renamed themselves Kappa Delta Sigma with the founding date of February 22, 1969.

I think this has happened a lot. Also at SLU, the Beta Beta chapter of KKG had their charter revoked because the National HQ didn't like the college area and such (there is a big section about it in Baird's) and literally took the charter away! And so, the sorority renamed themselves Zeta Phi. The College's 1912 Gridiron said that Zeta Phi was "founded as the Browning Society in 1875, became Beta Beta chapter of Kappa Kappa Gamma in 1881, became Zeta Phi in 1903."

Does anyone know of any other instances where this has happened?

SLU now has a KKG chapter but Kappa Delta Sigma remains unaffiliated with Kappa Delta....

KD's chapter at St. Lawrence was Sigma Eta. (Sigma Mu was just recolonized at George Washington.)

I think you'll find several sororities that quit their national organizations at Dartmouth.

Iota Alpha Pi voted to leave the NPC in the mid 1960's. They couldn't make it as an independent organization and disbanded in 1971.

Something you might be interested in... some of the NPC's that merged into current NPC's had individual chapters that did not participate in the merger or affiliate with a different NPC. Off the top of my head, I can think of a few Beta Sigma Omicron chapters that did not merge with Zeta Tau Alpha. Two went to Alpha Phi. However, a few chapters decided to go local- the Queens chapter- but didn't make it more than a couple years past the merger of BSO.

This could be an interesting history project for you!

Yes - every NPC that has closed at Dartmouth (which has only admitted women since 1972) has broken away from its NPC and continued as a local.

Sigma Kappa became Sigma Delta in 1986, citing the rituals of Sigma Kappa to be too rooted in Christianity.

Alpha Chi Omega became Xi Kappa Chi in 1990, but dissolved in 1993.

Kappa Alpha Theta became Epsilon Kappa Theta in 1992.

Delta Phi Epsilon became Pi Sigma Psi, but dissolved almost immediately in 1990.

Delta Gamma, which started as a local, became Zeta Beta Chi in 1997 and dissolved in 1998.

Also check out delta nu at Dickinson.

The early Kappa Alpha Theta Chapter at the University of Michigan became Collegiate Sorosis. I've written about that on my blog.

An added thought - early NPC meeting minutes sometimes referenced the "Michigan Situation" because Collegiate Sorosis was not an NPC organization and NPC's creation in 1902 meant nothing to the organization. CS had no compunction to follow Panhellenic Council rules.

I wonder why the issues with going National at Dartmouth?

RMF among others. The campus is very progressive and sone groups want to make their own rules.

Interesting stuff here:

http://www.dartmouth.edu/~atheta/cfs-history.html

And yes, the campus has an open policy where parties etc are concerned and for the most part, doesn't believe that the women should have to rely on the men for their social lives. I for one find it extremely refreshing.

Actually, 3 went to Alpha Phi. Our Delta Tau-Louisiana State chapter (being recolonized this fall of 2013), Delta Upsilon-Baldwin-Wallace chapter which is active and Delta Phi-Indiana University of Pennsylvania chapter which is dormant were former Beta Sigma Omicron chapters.

Beloit College in Wisconsin has an interesting history of local going national going local...integration issues during the 60s.

Is there still one NPC group waiting to colonize (stacked from 2009 opening)?

And then there are the College of Wooster groups that were forced to close in the 1910s. A friend told me that the local that was once Pi Beta Phi still has wine and silver blue as its colors.

A lot of them broke from national organizations over WASP clauses and the like.

The use of Christianity in the ritual, symbols, etc was also a problem.