House mother loved at UNL Beta chapter

hoosier · #1 03-13-2002, 12:34 PM

For Beta house, Gallon is the woman in charge
BY JULIE HUBBARD Lincoln Journal Star

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

MJ WILLIAMS/Lincoln Journal Star Sharon Gallon is Mom to 84 members of Beta Theta Pi fraternity at the Univeristy of Nebraska-Lincoln.

Sharon Gallon
Age: 58
Occupation: Fraternity housemother
Quote: "I was always involved with both my kids and when they grew up, I just thought being a house mom would be a neat thing to do."
-------------------------------

Sharon Gallon has two kids, plus 84 boys.
Her more than 40-room home of red bricks, plate-glass windows and dragon crests above three Greek letters, doesn't stay quiet much, if at all.

The nine tables in the dining room are usually filled. The brown staircase often echoes of footsteps, and computer keyboards clack away at all hours of the night in the downstairs study hall.

Gallon shares her home with the 84 members of Beta Theta Pi fraternity at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. She is the mom away from home.

She treats her "boys" as if they were her own: teaching them how to court girls, giving them lessons on table etiquette, and even disciplining them every now and then by making them put a quarter in the anti-profanity jar.

It's a lot like a real household, in a way.

Boys will be loud. Boys will stay up late. And boys are often mischievous, playing tricks like setting Gallon's table setting with four spoons instead of the usual salad and dinner fork.

But the full-time job has its rewards as well.

"Being a house mom is very rewarding because you get to know each boy," she said. "And take an active role in their lives."

The door to her room, in a corner behind a large den with fireplace and black grand piano, stays propped open.

Her cozy living room has patchwork quilts that line the chairs amid a sewing machine and arts and crafts, such as a handmade painted rooster picture hanging on the wall.

Gallon, an energetic-Texan, chose to be a house mom after her son and daughter started their own families and her husband died.

She spent her first three years as a house mom for an Oklahoma State University sorority. When she heard the Beta house in Lincoln needed a house mom, she applied.

Gallon preferred to be a fraternity house mom, and she's been at it for three years.

"Boys identify more with girl role models more than girls do," she said.

The fraternity members often stop into Gallon's inviting living room to talk about their girlfriends or get grease stains out of shirts, or just say hi.

The 58-year-old is involved with parents, too.

Many call her to order cakes for their son's birthday.

Some of the fraternity members have invited their second-mother to their homes for the holidays. One is taking her home to watch cattle branding and have a family dinner.

"Her role is on a different level then other house mom's I've seen," said Beta Theta Pi President Kyle Johnson, a junior from Omaha.

Other house moms do the job because they're paid to, but Gallon has more involvement with the 84 members, he said, and she puts up with a lot.

She has a routine with the members, just as a mother does with her own school children.

She leaves her day job in registration at UNL to eat with the household. At night, she often goes to movies with some of the members. When some have their nightly jam sessions on guitars and drums on the third floor directly above Gallon's living room, she's so accustomed to it, she doesn't seem to mind.

Nor does she mind hearing the chords to "Piano Man" played on the piano about three feet in front of her living room door.

One bonus she has as a house mom as compared with a parent is not having to wash dirty socks or clean up after the boys. They do that.

"I can't say what other houses are like," she said, "but I know I love my Beta house."

IowaHawkeye · #2 03-13-2002, 12:54 PM

that is the cutest story i have ever read

i know the FIJI house mom here and she is just as sweet as this woman sounds, the guys treat her like their mom and always ask for advice and help with problems - i love her!

Betarulz! · #3 03-13-2002, 01:49 PM

That's my House Mom!!!

TigerGirl52 · #4 03-13-2002, 02:16 PM

She sounds like a great lady Geoff. Y'all are extremely lucky guys!!!!!!

Allison

GammaPhiBabe · #5 03-13-2002, 03:08 PM

Awww..... that is such a great story!

It makes me miss our old house mom, who moved out-of-state to be closer to her family. She keeps in touch with us alums via email.

It's so nice to read a positive story about greek life. I wish every house could have such a wonderful house mother.

xo_sue · #6 03-13-2002, 03:47 PM

Whew! No offense Hoosier but when I saw your name by the thread- I thought it was another negetive story about greeks.

Thank you for letting us in on a positive story!

DeltAlum · #7 03-14-2002, 10:33 PM

Rulz,

Sound like your housemother is an outstanding lady. Since I've stayed at the Delt House at UNL and have visited them a couple of times, I'm on their alumni e-mail list and on a sad note, thier highly beloved and respected Cook passed away recently. Apparently she was quite a woman who befriended many Delt brothers over a number of years.

Betarulz! · #8 03-14-2002, 11:45 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by DeltAlum
Rulz,

Sound like your housemother is an outstanding lady. Since I've stayed at the Delt House at UNL and have visited them a couple of times, I'm on their alumni e-mail list and on a sad note, thier highly beloved and respected Cook passed away recently. Apparently she was quite a woman who befriended many Delt brothers over a number of years.

Thanks for letting me know that...I knew something had happened at there house, due to some announcements in the paper but I wasn't quite sure, and since I don't know any Delts I was left in the dark.

Hootie · #9 03-15-2002, 02:20 AM

Geoff!

I read that thread in the Risk Management Forum also! How neat to have your house mother featured like that! You guys must really adore her!

Hootie

GO HUSKERS!

BrianMUDU · #10 03-15-2002, 06:07 PM

Hey Geoff, is it a rule that all Beta houses have to have a house mom? Our cook used to cook for the Betas here, and she said back then it was her understanding that they *had* to have a housemother. Is that right?

ZZ-kai- · #11 03-15-2002, 08:44 PM

No, it is not a rule that all Beta Houses have a house-mother. There are lots of Beta Chapters (and all greek chapters for that matter), that do not even have the physical structure to have a house-mother, and some don't even have houses.

Although, it would be nice.........way to go Geoff, UNL-Beta, one of the best greek chapters in the world!

-kai-

SparkliiQTMTSU · #12 03-15-2002, 10:28 PM

AWWW I just read the story*obviously lol* and I think that is just the sweetest thing...Geoff youre lucky to have such a wonderful house mother!!

Nichole

#13 03-16-2002, 01:50 PM

That sorry is pretty sweet and it made me miss my house mom also. Ours is awesome too. Its good that I get to back in 1 1/2 weeks and see her and my chapter sisters again

LeslieAGD · #14 03-16-2002, 01:58 PM

That's a great story! Thumbs up to positive Greek and community involvement!