Quote:
Originally posted by blueangel
I'm just a bit curious as to why it is accepted as being offensive to attack other GLO's on this forum, yet it seems to be OK to attack a Little Sister organization. The interesting thing here is that those who are launching the grenades have never been a little sister. How can one know what it's like unless one was in the organization?
As I mentioned before, I was a "Little Sister of the Shield" (Phi Delta Theta). I was not some piece of bait for rush (as some people have implied here) in fact, I didn't even attend their rush parties-- nor was I a "cling on" of a fraternity...
...AND nobody ever discouraged a Little Sister from joining a sorority. In fact, it is my experience that the exact opposit occurred. Young women who had never been directly exposed to the Greek system learned what "brotherhood" was all about, and what "sisterhood" could be for them. I saw a number of young women in our Little Sister organization go through rush AS A DIRECT RESULT of their good experiences in the program.
Being a little sister does not take up much time unless you want it to. Every activity is optional. Our once-a-week dinners at the house were optional (and they were free, by the way), the trips to the beach were optional, the parties were optional, and EVERYTHING was optional.
I was not a "cookie baker," nor did I ever hand out drinks at parties. I never was asked to clean the house, or do anything for that matter. That's not what we were there for. We were there to be a part of their "family." We were welcome to attend all of their social functions, sit with them at football games, and... they helped us if we needed it. One brother got one of the little sisters a job interview at his father's company. And conversely, one little sister helped tutor some of the pre-med brothers for their organic chem exam.
In summation, it was a wonderful way of meeting new people-- both male and female. It was never intended to REPLACE sororities, but rather, they were a complement to them.
I realize that as a forum, all sides of the issue can be discussed. I only ask that those disagreeing with the Little Sister organizations do so with respect. Please attack the idea, and not the membership.
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blueangel and any others.
I apologize if any of my remarks were taken as an attack toward you and or your involvement in/with your little sister (little brother) organization. That was not my - and hopefully not anybody else's - intent. I was addressing the current status of these organizations with respect to NIC and NPC.
While I'm not sure if little sister organizations were even common at The University of Kentucky (UK) (I know we didn't have one), I did grow up in a college town where little sister organizations were prominent with many (most?) chapters. And I have many women friends who were little sisters there and at other campuses. Some were also sorority women. All were treated with dignity and respect. So I do not doubt that your experience was anything but wonderful, fun and rewarding.
However, the reality is that
now both NIC and NPC frown upon these types of organizations because of legal aspects that may be inherent by the very nature of these types of organizations.
If I may paraphrase AGDee's previous insightful post. Currently, little sis/bro organizations can put all single sex GLOs at risk of losing their single sex status. And if that happens, it may very well mean that single sex GLOs will either have to allow members of the opposite sex join and/or perhaps lose tax exempt status.
You know what? I can honestly claim with all sincerity and conviction that I wasn't hazed. Yet I now know that some of the activities that I participated in are now considered hazing and or possible risk management issues. As such, while I do not think there is anything wrong with certain types of these activities, I do not/can not condone them now. Because I want to insure that our organizations continue to exist.
I can also claim with all sincerity and conviction that little sister (little brother) organizations served as a wonderful addition for many chapters and all members involved. Yet I know that little sister/brother groups may be a liability -
now. And it is unfortunate, but now I can not condone these organizations for the similar reason as before. Wanting to insure that our organizations continue to exist.
Again, please accept my sincere apologies if my remarks offended you.
edited for grammar and spelling