Quote:
Originally posted by Honeykiss1974
To play the devil's advocate.......
For those of us who were born and raised in the South, how do you feel about some southern WGLO members hosting the "Old South" weekend or celebrations? I had asked what this was in the Kappa Order forum and was told that this is a celebration of old southern charm, etiquette, traditions, etc.  Do you guys agree with this definition and if so, why don't Southern BGLO's celebrate this as well? Just curious as to see what the responses are.
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As the sister of a collegiate Kappa Alpha brother, I feel like I can probably give a little background about the Old South tradition. The reason that Kappa Alpha celebrates the "Old South" is because the fraternity was founded during the Civil War period in this country and because Robert E. Lee, a very well-respected General in the Confederate army, helped to get the fraternity started.
The traditional Old South formals that are thrown annually by Kappa Alpha chapters throughout the country are, like Honeykiss stated in her post, a celebration of old Southern charm, etiquette, and traditions. The men dress up in Civil War uniforms and the girls dress up in large, hoop-skirted dresses and attend a party that reminds them of where and by whom the KA organization was founded: in the Old South and by Southern gentlemen.
The Old South formals are truly beautiful events and are something that every KA chapter looks forward to each year. The "Old South" weekends were originally started during the opening of "Gone With The Wind" in the 1930s. The movie was a huge hit nationwide and one KA chapter used it as an inspiration for a formal. It caught on among other chapters and quickly grew into the well-known tradition that it is today.
A lesser known, but equally important, event is Convivium. This is another annual event held by all KA chapters which consists of a formal dinner during which noted speakers talk to the chapter members and their dates about the history of the fraternity and the ideals that it stands for. During the dinner, the fraternity members drink a water toast to Robert E. Lee, honoring the assistance that he provided in helping to form the Kappa Alpha Order.
Can someone please tell me when and where the Divine Nine organizations were founded? Were any of them founded before or during the Civil War period? I know that several were started in the early 1900's -- just like DZ!
-- but I'm afraid I'm not aware of the founding years of the others. Thanks in advance for the info!