Greek Families

[kaylaxlove]

I looked for a post about this, but I couldn't find one. I thought it'd be interesting to hear about everyone's greek families?

Within my house, we have several different families...I'm a member of the MC family.

Within our greek community, I'm part of a HUGE greek family that spans about six-seven different houses...maybe more.

I have 2 littles, one who has a pledge dad, a panhel daughter, and a pledge son. And TONS of "extended" greek family.

[PiAlphaGammaFM]

I have never heard of anything like this, but i would love to hear more

[1stPhiDeltAlpha]

My grandpa was a Fiji, my uncle was a Pike, and Im a Phi Delt lol

[jazing]

My Greek Family is a bit small, just my house and one other (directly). Indirectly though it spans all the houses, but that is by dynamics like second cousins and uncles of uncles. It gets pretty crazy. I've been trying to get my big to get a girl little though, so I can have more direct family.

[33girl]

Originally Posted by kaylaxlove

Within our greek community, I'm part of a HUGE greek family that spans about six-seven different houses...maybe more.

I have 2 littles, one who has a pledge dad, a panhel daughter, and a pledge son. And TONS of "extended" greek family.

Do the national headquarters of the various groups involved know about/approve of this "family"?

Just wondering.

[1stPhiDeltAlpha]

Wow I didnt even read what you wrote, just the title and thought you meant greeks in your ACTUAL family..

[DubaiSis]

I originally read it like 1stPhiDeltaAlpha did. I'd like to learn more about this as well. I get the families within chapters; that goes back forever, although the naming convention of daughter, mother, grandmother, aunt etc. has been change to little and big. But cross chapters? That's new. I wonder if that serves to foster Greek unity on campus and what purpose it serves.

[MysticCat]

Originally Posted by DubaiSis

I get the families within chapters; that goes back forever . . . .

I don't know that it goes back forever -- I'd never heard of it in any GLO until GC. We had big/little brothers, but we had no concept of families, grand-bigs/littles, etc. I don't remember any friends in other fraternities or in sororities talking in terms of families either. Always possible, of course, that they were doing the family thing and I just didn't hear about it or it didn't register with me.

I was talking with a collegiate brother in my chapter recently, and he asked about my big brother and about family. He seemed a little surprised when I said we didn't do families then.

This cross-chapter family thing sounds like it must be related to the idea of fraternity members having little sisters and sorority members having little brothers.

[33girl]

Originally Posted by MysticCat

This cross-chapter family thing sounds like it must be related to the idea of fraternity chapters having little sisters and sorority chapters having little brothers.

Yes, in the same way that root beer is related to actual beer. FYP BTW.

[DZsis&mom]

Originally Posted by 1stPhiDeltAlpha

Wow I didnt even read what you wrote, just the title and thought you meant greeks in your ACTUAL family..

Same, I'm confused (again )

[Mevara]

Originally Posted by MysticCat

This cross-chapter family thing sounds like it must be related to the idea of fraternity members having little sisters and sorority members having little brothers.

It is this exactly. On my campus I have just recently (2-3 years noticed that they do this. I don't know how it came about because when I graduated it wasn't like that at all.

[melindawarren]

Originally Posted by DubaiSis

I originally read it like 1stPhiDeltaAlpha did. I'd like to learn more about this as well. I get the families within chapters; that goes back forever, although the naming convention of daughter, mother, grandmother, aunt etc. has been change to little and big. But cross chapters? That's new. I wonder if that serves to foster Greek unity on campus and what purpose it serves.

It's news to me, too. If it's happening on my campus, I've never been told.

[kaylaxlove]

Originally Posted by 33girl

Do the national headquarters of the various groups involved know about/approve of this "family"?

Just wondering.

It's not an official thing, it's just something that has been on my campus for a really long time. Fiji has a pledge son/dad program which is the same as the big/little system...but they also choose "pledge moms" for their sons...I know that Beta does this as well...I'm pretty sure several others do too. So, I'm a Fiji pledge mom.

Which, connects me to the entire family within Fiji...and then whatever other pledge moms...it's just for fun.

I thought everyone did that...?

These families really do increase panhellenic sensabilities...they are just a fun thing--but it connects me to Alpha Chis, Alpha Phis, Delta Gammas, AGDs, Thetas, Fijis and Betas...which is cool...and just for fun.

[33girl]

Originally Posted by kaylaxlove

It's not an official thing, it's just something that has been on my campus for a really long time. Fiji has a pledge son/dad program which is the same as the big/little system...but they also choose "pledge moms" for their sons...I know that Beta does this as well...I'm pretty sure several others do too. So, I'm a Fiji pledge mom.

Fiji and Beta at all their chapters, or Fiji and Beta at your school?

Originally Posted by kaylaxlove

I thought everyone did that...?

No, everyone most definitely does not do that.

These "connections" may seem like fun to you, but they can bring about issues with, among other things, risk management and our status as single-sex organizations.

[WCsweet<3]

Originally Posted by 33girl

Fiji and Beta at all their chapters, or Fiji and Beta at your school?



No, everyone most definitely does not do that.

These "connections" may seem like fun to you, but they can bring about issues with, among other things, risk management and our status as single-sex organizations.

The Beta chapter on my campus didn't do this.

It is an interesting idea and could really foster panhellenic relations. I would really worry about the big and little with fraternities. I realize someone brought this up earlier, but I would be concerned with how this differed from the little sister relationships that were banned by NPC.