Phi Sigma Phi
 

Can anyone (possibly a Phi Sig) give me the story of how when PSK and PSE merged, there was also the creation of PSP?

ok, When PSK and PSE merged there were some chapters of PSE who did not want to merge so they were released. They waited 3 years and formed PSP. They use alot of the PSE symbolism and there are thoughts in some circles that they just kept the rituals and secrets too. In a way they're our Dirty Little Secret. From what I've been told by people from NIC and a national President of another org. They pay dues but don't show up to anything. There is also tention between PSK and PSP for various reasons. That's all I can think of off the top of my head. BSUPhiSig'92 could probably tell you more.

When did this happen? My grandfather was a member of Phi Sigma Phi and I'm wondering if it's related to this or if it was just a local at his college.

The Merger happened in 1985 and PSP formed in 1988.

Maybe you don't know, but why was there a merger in the first place?

From what I've learned from "All The Phi Sigs" our national history book, and also from BSUPhiSig'92. PSE was in alot of trouble, their national office was a disaster. They didn't have a paid staff. The had poor communication and were on the verge of extinction in a few years if they didn't. Just by chance and the Greek Alphabet they were seated next to PSK at NIC House od Delegates and they discussed merger at a meeting in 1984 I think. PSK was well off with 90 chapters, the 2 orgs voted to merge. The vote pasted, there were some hard feelings in PSE, but, for the most part they all merged.

*highly condensed history*

In 1985 Phi Sigma Epsilon, in a very close vote, agreed to “merge” with Phi Sigma Kappa. A group of PSE alumni and undergraduate chapters realizing that this was not really a merger but a take over decided that the only way to save their traditions and heritage was to form a new fraternity. Now, Phi Sigma Epsilon had never taken any legal steps to protect their name so the new group decided to name themselves Phi Sigma Epsilon Association. Phi Sigma Kappa sued the new group. The PSE association decided to fight but PSK had much deeper pockets and the PSE association finally had to give up. In 1988 they changed their name to Phi Sigma Phi.

Yep, PSE was very strong on the 2 Schools that I attended, NWMoU. and PSU!

They were all stong in the Middle part of the country in smaller and state schools.

But as it sounds, they had problems at Their Hdq.

At least they had the forsight to merge and not just go into the books of a was Fraternity for all of their Brothers.

We had the same thing in 1939 with the Merger of LXA and TKN. To this time, it is the largest Merger in Greek History.

What is being rumored and talked about behind closed doors is the possibility of others because of the cost to run a Greek Org.:(

Dont ask me if I know anything about any mergers, as I dont.

Risk Management rears its ugly head and the cost of insurance for it!:eek:

Tom, you couldn’t be more wrong. Instead of fighting to save their fraternity all they did was commit suicide. The vast majority of Phi Sigma Epsilon brothers do not consider Phi Sigma Kappa to be their fraternity. Their fraternity is dead.

Thanks for the info. I guess my grandfather could not have been a part of the national Phi Sigma Phi since he graduated college in 1939. :)

it all depends on who you talk to. By saying a vast majority you are encompassing a lot of people. I would like to see the study or survey results you are quoting here. I guess everyone just has a different view of the issue.

By my observation, whether or not Phi Sigma Epsilon alumni consider the fraternity "dead" or not, depends entirely upon their chapter. We have a great deal of Epsilon alumni support of our chapter, as do many other former Epsilon chapters (I know many of the Missouri chapters still have a lot of Epsilon alum support). If their chapter closed post-merger, I would completely understand why those alumni would consider it dead.

A lot of the orgs that were in Phi Sigma Phi dropped out relatively quickly for varying reasons. On my last campus, there's a chapter that never joined it - but is a local that was once an Epsilon chapter. UW-Platteville Phi Sigma On the UW-Milwaukee campus, there is (was? they're going defunct from what I've heard) chapter called Phi Sigma Delta - used to be a PSK (and possibly PSE) chapter as well. I always thought it was interesting that the Phi Sigs from my school would go hang out with the PSDs and other PSK chapters and were totally accepted, even though they aren't a part of the national anymore.

I interviewed for the Greek Advisor's position at Platteville before hiring on at SIUE. The whole situation with Phi Sigma there was one I had never heard before. The administration explained that they broke off after PSK outlawed little sisters, and Phi Sigma wanted to keep them. Platteville's Greek system was very different from what I had ever seen before!

It really is - they still have their little sisters, called Phillies, and they were the last group allowed to "come" to campus as a local. Now any new group has to be national or petitioning to be.