|
I'm not sure if this is the same thing but it may be. I've heard about from relatives & family friends and seen pictures in yearbooks of 'open' dances.
Back in the 1950's & 60's, at my small hometown college, the fraternities (four at the time) use to have these open dances for all the students. Most were held at the start of, or early on, each semester.
At these dances, incoming freshmen would meet the chapter brothers. The gentlemen that the fraternities liked would then be invited to other rush events - i.e. Smokers. So basically these dances served as a rush event.
In any case, the dances were usually held at either the county club or the student union ballroom. Also very popular were 'street dances'. These were held at the start of the fall semester while it was still very warm at night. A big flatbed would be parked at the end of a street near campus and a local band would preform. The flat bed would be 'decorated' with signs from the fraternity sponsoring the dance.
ABC says: Welcome Back!
The open dances ended by the early to mid 1970's. There were now twelve fraternities on campus so a more 'formal' concept of rush was in place. Also the student body was too big for anything other than the street dances. Which still happens to this day. However they are either sponsored by NPHC/NIC/NPC with ~GO GREEK!~ banners, or usually thrown by the student activities board.
|