TKE Whistle
 

Greetings,

This is a long shot, but has anyone every heard of the TKE Whistle and/or have any info on it? Apparently fraternity whistles were a fad in the early 1900s. There is an account of Frater Reagan talking about the TKE Whistle. Hopefully this bit of TKE history isn't lost.

Regards,

G

Here's a meme of a lot of the GLO whistles, but I don't see TKE's.

https://i1.wp.com/www.franbecque.com...tles.jpg?ssl=1

https://i1.wp.com/www.franbecque.com...tles.jpg?ssl=1

Wow, that's awesome. Thanks!

Theta whistle
 

I had to laugh when I saw this thread. Two of my doctors are Thetas; one is from my own chapter (small world). When we discovered our connection (due to my kite necklace), after asking me "are you a Theta?" (not the past tense "were" but "are" - yay!) the doctor from my chapter actually whistled. I whistled back, and we both said/semi chanted/sang "Oh Theta girl" because that was how we were taught to remember the tones of the whistle. Weird what we remember from college! Not sure any of the "younguns" remember or are taught that or ever use it. I had never used it until responding to my doctor.

What I was told, a long time ago, was that it was used by Greeks when traveling. In a train station, one could whistle and see if there was a response. That way one would discover a brother/sister traveling. Not sure of the veracity of this but it does make a cute story.

More info on Whistles at https://www.franbecque.com/whistle-a...sorority-tune/

but no TKE. :(

Though not listed here, I know that Delta Gamma has a whistle. I never learned it because they had fallen out of favor by the time I was a collegian. If someone has it, please share.

Whistles are the NPC handsigns of their day!

Whistles and Baird's Manual
 

Only one whistle that I can find mentioned in Baird's Manual (though multiple editions). It says that Phi Delta Theta adopted a Whistle in 1894. No information on the tune.

Been on GC 20+ years and never heard of a whistle. Some of those whistles are catchy. A composer could have a fun project using these themes giving them the Brahm's Academic Festival Overture treatment.

If Erik Conard were still alive, I bet he would know it. I think Erik had met all the founders of TKE personally.

Might such whistles sometimes be listed for campus greek groups in very old collegiate yearbooks one can peruse online? Perhaps as bars of sheet music, which you'd have to decipher for the tune.

That meme is incorrect as far as ZTA.

Had never ever heard of the "Sigma Chi whistle". Cool

Wondering if "Alpha Delta Phi" is the fraternity or ADPi before their final name change. Since it's with the women's groups, I'm inclined to the latter.

This is awesome! I wondered why there are whistles! Thanks, Tink!

So much this!

It's definitely Alpha Delta Pi.

So much truth!