Service Sorority-Housing

[ESA_Forever1]

This might be a stupid question, but I'm just curious. How come all female service sororities can't live in houses and have letters on them? You know like Gamma Sigma Sigma & Epsilon Sigma Alpha.

Maybe someone might know

[Titchou]

Who says they can't?

[MaryAmanda]

The only thing that would stop us, in terms of it being against the rules, would be if a group's national constitution or by-laws prohibits it (as is the case with APO).

Speaking for OPA, I just have to say that we're not that type of sorority. Many of our girls nationwide are also members of social sororities with houses of their own. Not to say that we don't have occasional social functions -- we do -- and that great friendships don't arise from our sisterhood -- they do, but housing just doesn't fit our sorority's unique culture.

[ESA_Forever1]

yeah!
I mean i'm in a service sorority and I just never heard of service sororities having houses and I wasnt sure why? It would be cool to have one.
We also have social functions as well.

[ree-Xi]

The easy answer is that because we are a service sorority, and there is no "reason" to have houses. Most of our money goes towards service programming, and there is no infrastructure for things like dues and such to go towards housing. There is no Housing Foundation, no existing arm of Nationals to guide chapters reagarding housing.

You need bylaws, laws, regulations... it's a LOT of work. You also need a LOT Of insurance.

This is one of those areas where the differences between service and social sororities come out. YES you can make amazing friendships, YES you are working towards the same goal, but a service org is NOT the same as a social org. We exist for different reasons.

Now, that does not stop you and your sisters from living together. I roomed with two sisters off-campus for two years. We were about 1/4 mile from campus, and we ended up having a lot of dinners and stuff at the apartment. Ritual was held in an on-campus conference room.

I hope that my example was helpful. If housing is something that you feel your organization might benefit from, you should introduce it at the chapter and regional level, and prepare some sort of movement at your national convention.

[aopirose]

A Chapter House is very nice but it can be a "Be careful what you wish for" situtation. They cost a lot of money to operate and your chapter needs to be prepared for the sticker shock.

If members of your chapter are interested in living together, perhaps contact student housing and see if it would be possible to get a block of rooms. Think 2009-2010 as it may be too late to arrange for 2008-2009. See how that works out and maybe then discuss an actual house to rent or perhaps purchase.

My chapter went from unhoused to a small house owned by the university. It slept 20 people and was in a great location. Because it was university property, the cost was about the same as living in a residence hall.

I do want to add that you should involve your sorority's advisors and regional/national officers. Some of them may have experience in this area and if not, they may be willing to help you investigate it.

[emb021]

I can't speak for the Service Sororities (GSS & OPA), but for APO there are clear reasons why we don't have houses.

* We are a SERVICE Fraternity, not a Social. It's just not part of our reason for existing.

* IF we had housing, that would more or less make us a Social. That would put us in competition with the Socials for membership.

* Almost all of our Founders were members of Socials, and did not want to form a social fraternity that would require them to leave their current socials. Hence the intention from day one to be a new type of fraternity: a service fraternity, which would work with ALL other groups on campus.

* Having houses is EXPENSIVE. It can be a turn off to potential members who wouldn't be able to afford the cost to be members. It can be a time/financial drain on the chapter and organization that could better be used doing service.

* Since 1976, we have been co-ed. Makes it even harder to have housing (yeah, a co-ed social GLO. that will go off well with some...)

Hence for APO, we specifically have that chapters will not have houses in our National Bylaws.

[ESA_Forever1]

Yeah, that makes sense.
I wouldnt want to pay for housing I know that! haha
I mean mine is a service sorority, but do a lot of the same things social ones do. I was in a social sorority, but left so I know there is a few differences between social and service orgs, but I haven't too much of a difference. Like participating in activities on campus that involve greeks, and we have formal, and wear letters all the time, and do other stuff ,just that we do A LOT of service, which is good.
My Big and I were just discussing sorority houses on our campus, and were wondering why we dont have one, so I thought I would just ask here.

[emb021]

Originally Posted by ESA_Forever1

I mean mine is a service sorority, but do a lot of the same things social ones do. I was in a social sorority, but left so I know there is a few differences between social and service orgs, but I haven't too much of a difference. Like participating in activities on campus that involve greeks, and we have formal, and wear letters all the time, and do other stuff ,just that we do A LOT of service, which is good.

Service GLOs are still GLOs.

Can't speak for GSS or OPA, but in APO we do many of the same things that social GLOs do. We wear letters. We have fellowship events. We have a pledge program. We have banquets. We typically don't participate in greek activites on our campus because that is usually only for the social GLOs, so our Rush is done at a separate time from greek rush.