Starting traditions on a campus
 

My campus seems to have little in the way of some of the mainstream greek traditions, such as lavaliering and pinning. I was wondering if anyone has input on picking those up, or even doing it despite it not being common at my campus. (Some info, 16 sororities, 29 fraternities, 3000 members, I am a Phi Kappa Tau).

the best advice I could give you would be to just start doing it. if your chapter starts doing it and it turns out well, then other chapters will start doing it and...BAM! you just re-started a great tradition

Well part of my question is where is a good place to even find out how some of the traditions even go

Just go to your fraternity's conferences and talk to other guys in your fraternity from different chapters. Hell talk to anyone who has ever been greek like uncles or aunts. Talk to your alumni.

Traditions are not that hard to restart or to even innovate.

Check out my post on this thread:

http://www.greekchat.com/gcforums/sh...ad.php?t=93232

It's something to start with...

Lvaliering isn't all that popular here on campus because we only have 4 sororities and 5 fraternities, but one of my sisters was just lavaliered and we had a lavalier ceremony. It had to be explained to everyone what it was, but everyone enjoyed it.
Also something that is a tradition on my campus and not common in other places is that instead of having one huge event for our Philanthropies, we have a whole Philanthropy week where the other GLOs and even independents compete for points and win a small prize at the end. Just do it if you want to bring a tradition to campus and word will be spread!

Not sure with that many GLOs why there is not something that sticks out?

Charity events, Greek Week, Intrumurels, home coming, home game sports events, or just doing something fun!;)

We have greek week and charity events, they are quite successful here. However we often involve students not in GLO's and often the events seem to wind up not really feeling like a tradition.

I was more thinking along the lines of lavaliering or pinning or the like. About all we have is raids and serenades once a year

I know certain GLOs would always give the same set of letters to their newly initiated members so you may see a whole bunch of AOPi girls with white shirts with red letters on and know they had just been initiated. ZTA on my campus had "chapter letters" and they were all the same.

As far as lavaliering, some groups have specific "sweetheart" songs, etc that can be used. I witnessed a TKE lavalier one of my sisters and he asked to come to one of our chapter meetings and we did a candlelight, only she didn't know it was for her, her roommate was also a Zeta and stole her candle to use. Her boyfriend blew out the candle from behind her and lavaliered her right there. Immediately after, his brothers came in, serenaded her, and then carried him out to throw him into the pond on campus. Tradition enough for ya? :D It was really neat to watch, to say the least!

I don't know what us Tekes and lakes have in common...we just seem to go well together:D