New Chapter

[kinglui12]

HEY OHHH!! My name is lui and I have a couple of questions regarding starting a new chapter in my school. It just recently became a four year college and there are no fraternities, so I figured i would start the thing off. I'm not to sure what to do exactly so I would appreciate any of y'alls help

[taudelt1910]

I'd be happy to help you out with any questions you have. You can either post them here or email me at sdowiak@taudelt.net I work for Tau Delta Phi Fraternity.

[knight_shadow]

You need to make sure the school is open to Greek life. Your first step is talking to student activities/affairs/organizations.

[DrPhil]

Originally Posted by kinglui12

HEY OHHH!! My name is lui and I have a couple of questions regarding starting a new chapter in my school. It just recently became a four year college and there are no fraternities, so I figured i would start the thing off. I'm not to sure what to do exactly so I would appreciate any of y'alls help

What knight_shadow said.

Originally Posted by taudelt1910

I'd be happy to help you out with any questions you have. You can either post them here or email me at...I work for Tau Delta Phi Fraternity.

No, the OP needs to first go through the school. One of the best ways to piss schools and GLOs off is to waste people's time because you did not go through the proper channels.

I took out your email address in case you change your mind about Greekchat and get tired of making yourself easily identifiable.

[excelblue]

Yeah, how you handle this will really set a precedent in terms of your school's relationship with Greek Life. Start off on the right foot.

Does your school have a Greek Life office yet? If not, is there something similar to a "student activities" office? Seek those out and begin conversation over there. There's a good chance that the people who are there are affiliated with a Greek organization (it's not just college; it's lifetime membership).

That'll get you past the technicalities of your school and allow you (and your group) to seek national affiliation soon. Good luck!

[jazing]

Big suggestion. Don't buy stitched letters until you are an official colony. Where I am, a pre-colony has done this, and some of the brothers are upset. But in all due to time, they'll learn about Greek Life. The school this is at only has one other GLO, and it has a bad rep.

[AlphaFrog]

Originally Posted by jazing

Big suggestion. Don't buy ANY letters until you are an official colony. Where I am, a pre-colony has done this, and some of the brothers are upset. But in all due to time, they'll learn about Greek Life. The school this is at only has one other GLO, and it has a bad rep.

FYP. What is the deal with stitched letters being so much more official? Letters are letters and if you're not even an official colony yet, you don't get them...whether they be stitched, screenprint or glitter puffy paint.

[MysticCat]

Originally Posted by jazing

Big suggestion. Don't buy stitched letters until you are an official colony. Where I am, a pre-colony has done this, and some of the brothers are upset. But in all due to time, they'll learn about Greek Life. The school this is at only has one other GLO, and it has a bad rep.

Getting way ahead of things here.

If and when he gets to the point that he's actually in a colony, then he should follow the rules, protocols and traditions of the fraternity he's pledging.

And yes on what others have said: Talk to appropriate people at the school first to see if there is any interest or will be any support (or opposition).

[33girl]

Originally Posted by AlphaFrog

FYP. What is the deal with stitched letters being so much more official? Letters are letters and if you're not even an official colony yet, you don't get them...whether they be stitched, screenprint or glitter puffy paint.

I agree...other than being more expensive, there's no difference. All these "stitched letters" rules seem to have come about when pledging got easier. But that's just my opinion.

[naraht]

We actually had a colony (Alpha Phi Omega calls them petitioning groups), where getting stitched letters was *one of* the issues that ultimately led to the colony being shut down. For Alpha Phi Omega, a rechartering petitioning group should *not* use the chapter letters of the chapters at that school until it actually charters.

For example, if Alaska State University is rechartering Xi Xi Xi, it is the Alaska State University Petitioning Group *not* the Xi Xi Xi Petitioning Group.

This group made line jackets with PO on the sleeve and told the National Board member in charge of that area that it stood for Petitioning Organization. Given that they were attempting to recharter Rho Omicron chapter, this was a case of "How stupid do you think your National Board Member is?" (Note there were significant other issues too).

[AlphaFrog]

^^^The "stitched" part still isn't significant here...unless it would have been a-ok for them to get screen prinited PO tees/jackets.

[amIblue?]

Originally Posted by 33girl

I agree...other than being more expensive, there's no difference. All these "stitched letters" rules seem to have come about when pledging got easier. But that's just my opinion.

I'm with you. I wore stitched letters as a pledge back in the dark ages. We didn't have a rule in my chapter with pledges wearing letters.

[DrPhil]

Originally Posted by naraht

We actually had a colony (Alpha Phi Omega calls them petitioning groups), where getting stitched letters was *one of* the issues that ultimately led to the colony being shut down. For Alpha Phi Omega, a rechartering petitioning group should *not* use the chapter letters of the chapters at that school until it actually charters.

For example, if Alaska State University is rechartering Xi Xi Xi, it is the Alaska State University Petitioning Group *not* the Xi Xi Xi Petitioning Group.

This group made line jackets with PO on the sleeve and told the National Board member in charge of that area that it stood for Petitioning Organization. Given that they were attempting to recharter Rho Omicron chapter, this was a case of "How stupid do you think your National Board Member is?" (Note there were significant other issues too).

I am glad that Alpha Phi Omega specifically states that rechartering petitioning groups should not be using letters. This is why GLOs need to stop believing in "common sense" and think that people know what to do and not to do. People have a tendency to be impatient and put the cart before the horse unless they are prohibited from doing so.

Delta tells prospective members and prospective chapters that they are NOT members and chapters until Delta explicitly states so. Do not start doing anything that members and chapters do until Delta explicitly states that it is time to do so. That includes wearing using and wearing Delta symbols.

[DrPhil]

Originally Posted by amIblue?

I'm with you. I wore stitched letters as a pledge back in the dark ages. We didn't have a rule in my chapter with pledges wearing letters.

Does this mean that Kappa Kappa Gamma did not have a rule against pledges wearing letters?

[amIblue?]

Originally Posted by DrPhil

Does this mean that Kappa Kappa Gamma did not have a rule against pledges wearing letters?

Not to my knowledge, but that was a long, long time ago. Our Bid Day shirts were screen printed with the Greek letters for the pledges to wear. I do remember that the pledge educator encouraged us to go get Kappa shirts, cups, etc. in our first pledge meeting, so my guess is not (unless my chapter just decided to blatantly disregard the national rules, which I kind of doubt). Our instructions were more along the lines of what we could/could not do while wearing letters (no drinking, etc.)

I could go to the Kappa website and read the bylaws to see what the rules are now, but I really don't want to work that hard over something that I'm not overly concerned about.