How much should we teach our members about other GLOs in our conference/council?

[ASTalumna06]

I remember learning about other NPCs for maybe 20 minutes during one of my new member meetings nearly 10 years ago. I remember I. C. Sorosis, and Kappa Alpha Theta being the first greek letter fraternity for women, and Alpha Delta Pi being the first secret society for women, etc. After that, not much else was taught about other NPCs. All we really knew was that there were 26 member sororities.

Last week, I was at a restaurant that I regularly go to, and I found out that one of the girls who bartends is a Phi Mu. I told her I'm an AST, and she said she had never heard of them, and asked if they were a local.

I met someone else a few months ago who was an AGD, and I told her I was also in an NPC sorority. When I told her which one, she said she thought that there were only 8 sororities in the NPC (the 8 that were active at her university).

So.. how much were you taught about other GLOs in your conference/council, and do you think there should be more information provided to new members and brothers/sisters about these GLOs? And do you think that learning more about them would create less of an "us vs. them" mentality for collegiate brothers/sisters?

[nyapbp]

Yes, yes, and yes. I remember being at a lunch and one of the women said she was an XYZ (one of the 26 NPC groups) and the other woman did the "never heard of it" line and it irked me. Granted, I am a nerd, but I think the 26 NPC groups are in this together. Being proud of our collective history in no way diminishes the love and pride we have in our own.

[KSUViolet06]

This is so important (knowledge of other NPCs and NPHCs as well is so important.)

There is a session of Essential Sigma's Arc (NM) sequence that goes into "Sigma is bigger than just XYZ University." It includes not only discussion of all things related to Sigma nationally (awards, Walton House, Consultants, etc) but of NPC and its other member orgs as well. This information is also included on our membership exam to some degree. I'm pretty proud of being NPC knowledgeable and I owe it to my NM program (and am glad we kept that part of our programming when we moved toward ES.)

Honestly though, I think a level of the "is that a local?" thing is regional. Some NPCs just are not as well known in certain regions of the country. Ex: Where I'm from in CA, very few people have heard of Sigma so I have gotten the same response from some people. On the other hand, if you say Sigma in PA or NC, the average NPC sorority member is aware of who we are. We all have different regional strengths.

[FSUZeta]

When I was a pledge, we learned about each of the NPC sororities and had to identify their nickname, i.e., Pi Phi for Pi Beta Phi, ADPi for Alpha Delta Pi, etc., know the greek letters of each group, as well as be able to recognize their badges and pledge pins and where they were founded. We also had to learn the same information about the fraternities on campus. I have not idea what info. new members learn now a days.

[DrPhil]

If memory serves me correctly, we learned the founding year and location, colors, and "mascot" of the other NPHC sororities and fraternities. We learned the aforementioned information as well as the founders and M.S.P.U. for Omega.

[ASTalumna06]

Originally Posted by KSUViolet06

Honestly though, I think a level of the "is that a local?" thing is regional. Some NPCs just are not as well known in certain regions of the country. Ex: Where I'm from in CA, very few people have heard of Sigma so I have gotten the same response from some people. On the other hand, if you say Sigma in PA or NC, the average NPC sorority member is aware of who we are. We all have different regional strengths.

I would agree that it's definitely a regional thing. However, automatically assuming that a GLO is a local if you haven't heard of it, in my opinion, shows how little people know about the "outside Greek world."

[aephi alum]

I've been asked if AEPhi is a local, a "little sister" group for AEPi, and an alumnae group for Alpha Phi (!). I was even asked when AEPi had gone coed, because apparently people at an engineering school can't tell the difference between pi and phi.

My new member manual included basic info on all 26 NPC sororities, but we weren't required to learn it - it was presented more as "AEPhi is under an umbrella organization called NPC, and here is some information on the 26 member sororities, in case you're curious".

[flirt5721]

During my NM period we never went over the other NPC groups. There is a page with all the other NPC organizations in our NM book but we never covered them. I only knew of the chapters that were on campus (5 other groups). I didn't learn about all the other groups until I got onto GreekChat.

I remember my Little introducing me to a friend from another school and she was a Theta. I was like I never heard of it. I realized that I needed to find out more about the Greek system as a whole.

[Titchou]

I think that going to the 8 week (or otherwise shortened) new member programs has impacted this and a lot of things we learned "back in the day." We had to learn them all when I was a "pledge." The shortened program meant dropping some things and this is one.

[PhoenixAzul]

As a pledge, we learned the basics of every sorority and fraternity on campus (all locals, plus one national fraternity).

Because I'm a geek, I ended up on greekchat and learned a bit about the NPC's and NPHCs, how their processes differ from ours, etc. I really feel like this would be good for the local campuses to learn as well, just as a mark of respect and understanding, and for good rounded citizenship. But as a crusty old alum, this might be a pipe dream (though I feel the actives may know more now, just because of Phi Delt's colonization attempts and successive non-local Greek Directors- a Phi Delt, a Delta Gamma, and I believe a ZTA(?) in there since I graduated.

I think enough to not embarass themselves would be great, especially if you go up to someone like an AKA or an Alpha Delta Pi, both with long histories and tons of members, and go..."so you're a local, right?"

[amIblue?]

Originally Posted by Titchou

I think that going to the 8 week (or otherwise shortened) new member programs has impacted this and a lot of things we learned "back in the day." We had to learn them all when I was a "pledge." The shortened program meant dropping some things and this is one.

This is exactly what I was going to say. It's unfortunate, but I don't foresee an increase in the length of the new member period happening so that we can learn about other groups.

[DrPhil]

Originally Posted by PhoenixAzul

I think enough to not embarass themselves would be great, especially if you go up to someone like an AKA or an Alpha Delta Pi, both with long histories and tons of members, and go..."so you're a local, right?"

Yes, when encountering the unfamiliar, it is best to silently observe and research when you get back home.

I know NPHCers who pledged long before there was a such thing as Iota Phi Theta (or after Iota was founded but there was no chapter in their city or at their school) so they of course are baffled. They mean no harm and most Iotas would not be too offended as long as there is no disrespect.

My only pet peeve regarding this is when someone wants a history lesson and for you to prove your GLO is "awesome enough to know about" when you meet them. That sometimes happens during interactions with people from other councils and conferences. And it sometimes happens at the most random of places like a not-Greek-affiliated vacation spot. Ummm...no, this elevator is not a first year student orientation. You (in general) learn about my GLO by researching when you get home. If you care...you don't have to care.

[Sen's Revenge]

I think it's more important to be courteous than to be knowledgeable. Each group places different priorities in their pledge programs and I can't fault them for leaving certain things out, but I will fault the individual member for being an ignorant douche.

[AOII Angel]

Originally Posted by Titchou

I think that going to the 8 week (or otherwise shortened) new member programs has impacted this and a lot of things we learned "back in the day." We had to learn them all when I was a "pledge." The shortened program meant dropping some things and this is one.

Originally Posted by amIblue?

This is exactly what I was going to say. It's unfortunate, but I don't foresee an increase in the length of the new member period happening so that we can learn about other groups.

I'd say it may have changed from the pledge program way back but if you compare NM program to pledge program year to year, this is not a change that occurred...at least in AOII. I have the advantage of being the first NM class ever and my biological sister is the last pledge class. She knows nothing about the NPC. They learned the Greek alphabet when they were pledges but she couldn't tell it to you now. I've seen her pledge book. They had a page (like in my NM manual) that showed all the NPC badges/pins and a second page where they listed the groups on their campus with their local history. Meh. Being ignorant of the NPC is irrespective of pledge/NM. It's willful ignorance. You have the information, you just choose not to learn it.

[Titchou]

Oh, no doubt most include in the book but whether or not that specific item is taught and tested for is a separate issue. Back in the day (and I'm talking the 60"s) we had to learn it all. But then we had all semester to learn it.