[erica812]

Don't worry...it's not a secret! Beta Sigma Phi has several degrees. These degrees are levels based on years of active membership. Sort of like Girl Scouts...Daisies, Brownies, Juniors, Cadets, Seniors. In Beta Sigma Phi, the levels are Pledge, Ritual of Jewels, Exemplar, Preceptor, Laureate, and Master. There are also Nu Phi Mu chapters of women between 18-23. These chapters are rare since even young groups choose to go Ritual of Jewels instead (like my chapter). Traditionally, when a member progresses to the next degree, she progresses to a local chapter of that degree. However, the resent trend is that chapters wait until the majority (or all? I'm not sure) of their members reach a degree, then the whole chapter progresses. Chapter names are based on degrees. For example, my chapter is a Ritual of Jewels chapter so we are Delta Pi. If we progressed to Exemplar, we would be Xi Delta Pi, Preceptor=Preceptor Delta Pi, Laureate=Laureate Delta Pi, and Master=Delta Pi Master. If we had been a Nu Phi Mu chapter, we would have been named Phi Delta Pi.

Chapters of any degree can pledge new members, so a Preceptor chapter for example may have members of any degree from Ritual of Jewels to Master. The chapter names can give you some sense of the age of the sisters, but it is not an absolute distinction. Michelle, a regular poster here, is a pledge in an Exemplar chapter, and there are a couple of girls that post sometimes from a Nu Phi Mu chapter. I think the degree system is pretty interesting. It shows that you never stop learning and growing as a Beta Sigma Phi.

Thanks for posting!

Erica