Clearing Greek letters (founding)
 

Greetings, For information on the founding of our fraternity please see post in Chapter Operations. Any information regarding a conflict with the use of these letters would be greatly appreicated. Letters we are attempting to clear are as follows:

Alpha Sigma Chi
Sigma Psi Delta (local)
Sigma Omega Psi
Delta Sigma
Sigma Delta Omega
Delta Epsilon Phi
Kappa Sigma Psi (high school frat)
Sigma Theta Delta
Sigma Chi Theta
Nu Sigma Theta
Tau Sigma
Sigma Psi Sigma
Sigma Tau Omega (local)

Check out Ariesrising's Greek info pages: http://www.geocities.com/ariesrising...greekorgs.html -- she has a list of known fraternities/sororities with letter combinations.

Hope this helps.

You're absolutely right. I did that, but I should have mentioned that I've run all these through google, the site you mentioned, Greek Pages, and everything else I could think of. By the way, as someone who has studied the symbolic psychology, that's a very impressive combination you've got there yourself. I'm leaning toward Alpha Sigma Chi - it has a dark intimation, but then again, consider who we really are. Back in the day we called people like me "the man." We're the men in black, who labor in cold dark places behind green doors.

For pure aesthetic purposes, I'm not sure you'd want to be Sigma Theta Delta... you'd be an STD :p

I have no clue what you're talking about, symbolic psychology, but I like Alpha Sigma Chi... sounds good.

Thanks for that head's up! What was I thinking? Symbolic psychology is the study of how symbols affect the psyche both at the conscious and subconscious level. It's a Psychological Warfare, Psychological Operations (PSYOP) thing. For instance, there are many cultures with no written language, and we have to draw a picture if we want to drop pallets of supplies or something like that, so they don't stand around under them and get squished. We did that in Haiti. In the Gulf War we devloped leaflets that showed guys holding hands, pan-Arab unity, that sort of thing. In our culture, that wouldn't work too well, but in Arab cultures they have no problem with men holding hands - it's common.

Ooooh, that's neat. So the different Greek symbols send conscious/unconscious messages.... If I understand correctly.

So can you tell me what Phi Mu stands for in symbolic psychology?

I can only speak for myself, because these things are always done by concensus, and there's cats with Ph.Ds in clinical psychology who review the development of the products. I'm not in that business anymore since I retired in 99. However, I was pretty good at analyzing symbolic representations as a native talent. I would say that M is a very strong letter, symbolically, and that it projects structure, support, and institution. Just think of how many powerfully charged words start with an M? It goes on for days. Being preceeded by Phi, the whole strikes me as abstract leading to constructive solution. In other words, your education and all your critical thinking leading to a solid future. That said, I could build a cryptic mythology to make it mean anything - but that's how it strikes me symbolically.

Oh, my lord, that's so bizarre, but that's always how I thought about Phi Mu--sort of abstract and soft and then more constructive.

Wow.
I'm a dork.

Very interesting.....Maybe when I am a senior I will do that as my thesis??? What do you think? (I am a psychology major by the way). :)

UDZeta: That sounds like a good idea! Very unique! :)

Dfran: Do you know of any journal articles/books that explain symbolic psychology? I'd like to learn more about this....

You're more likely to find articles, books, thesis, etc. that are about 'perception', "perception management" and how that works. Under that subject and the subject of group psychology (thats whole family of studies) is where you'll find references to the link between symbolism and the subconscious laid out. Advertising is another source.

You are probably familiar with subliminal suggestion, hidden images, that sort of thing. For instance I believe you probably know that back when whiskey was advertised a lot, and there was the ubiquitous picture of a glass with Scotch on the rocks - whatever, they used to put faces in the ice, dark images, specters. The thinking was that subconsciously men associate drinking with death, sin, darkness, evil, etc.

You'd think it would have the opposite effect, but it didn't, focus group studies were said to have revealed that the group shown death faces responded more positively to the ad than the group shown ice with happy images superimposed. The abstract of this sort of psychological literature, regarding the effect of symbols on the mind, is what I think of as symbolic psychology.

Everyone is familiar with the ink blotter tests. Have you ever been exposed to the solutions? Have you been shown the association between all the typical interpretations with regard to their meaning? That's very interesting, and very supportive of the hypothesis that most people 'read' some deeper meaning into all effective use of symbols than you'd think at first glance. Greek letter fraternities are a prime example. Why not Arabic, or Latin, or ancient Egyptian? None of those carry the same meaning symbolically.

If you know fraternal history then you're aware of the Masonic influence, Masons know the power of symbols. Pick up a copy "Freemasonry and It's Symbols." Check it out.

I will be happy to answer any questions about the world’s oldest and largest fraternity as well. I isn't a 'secret society.' It's not Skull and Bones. There are about quarter million texts on Masonic philosophy, jurisprudence, history, etc. If you’re interested in origin the place to start is “Born in Blood” by Robinson.

Alpha Sigma Chi was originally founded in 1868. It was the first fraternity of noted Greek Historian, William Raimond Baird (yes the Baird behind Baird's Manual). In 1879 after research was done by Baird, Alpha Sigma Chi chose to merge with Beta Theta Pi. Baird felt that no other union would be as good as that between his beloved ASX and Beta.

Click here to find out more about the union of Beta Theta Pi and Alpha Sigma Chi.

I don't know how you may feel about this historical note, but it is something that played an important part in the history of my fraternity. While I don't think anything of you using those letters, others might. However don't let that discourage you if your heart is set on those letters.

It's actually an English Honorary too I think...

Are you a 'traveling man'? What lodge? I'm from Plano #768 in Plano, Texas.

Yes, I've traveled from West to East by way of the North. Temecula Catalina Island Lodge No. 524. Also Valley of San Diego, Orient of California. Wouldn't you agree, that the symbols (especially in the Second Degree) played a large part in the experience?

Have you ever been to The George Washington Masonic Memorial Museum, or the House of the Temple, 1733 16th St. NW Washington DC? They are both very impressive, especially the libraries.

Gotta' jet. Thank you for meeting me on the level.

Fraternally, "D"