House Mothers

breathesgelatin · #1 04-02-2003, 11:48 PM

I searched and didn't find another thread like this-- soooo

1. If you have a house, do you have a house mother/director?
2. Does your university require GLOs to hire house mothers/directors?
3. Is your house mother/director a member of your GLO?

Washington and Lee University requires house mothers. Ours is Miss Joan. She is a Golden Arrow (50-year member in Pi Phi) from William and Mary. She is just the picture of a southern sorority lady.

sugar and spice · #2 04-02-2003, 11:58 PM

(1) We have a house mother.

(2) They require some sort of director -- either a house mother, a house director or a resident advisor. I believe all the sorority houses have house mothers, though. At one point we had house parents! But I don't think it's been that way since the 80s.

(3) I really don't know . . . but if I had to guess, I would say probably not. I think I would know by now if she was.

Tom Earp · #3 04-03-2003, 12:12 AM

As a local Founder, we broke the House Mother Rule!

Looking back, I now wish we had house Mothers!

When I was a AB pledge, Mrs. Mom was great and taught proper maners and dress for her Boys.

I met the House Mother at the LXA Chapter at U of Kansas, wow, if it wasnt so far to drive for a date, well, you ?

In todays problems, it might be better! Not only to keep an eye on, to give a shoulder to, to teach how to eat a dinner, tie a tie, what color to wear with what!

Funny story, at Founders DAY, had the Pres. wear a black shirt with a black tie and looked like a pimp! DA!

The International Director was there. It was worse when he had his tie wrapped around his head with a t-shirt on!?

Optimist Prime · #4 04-03-2003, 12:28 AM

I am house manager.

Tom Earp · #5 04-03-2003, 12:36 AM

Billy, you need a house sitter, not for the house dude but for YOU!

From Mawah to Youse!!!!

If youse be de house manager, Man you have the tuffiest job in Your Fraternity Chapter!!

Just be the Prick that I know you can be and make them toe the line!

recentASAalum · #6 04-03-2003, 01:06 AM

1. Yes, we have a house mom

2. I don't know if they are required but I'm pretty sure all the sororities have one... not sure about the fraternities here...

3. Our house mom is a ZTA... one of our advisors who is an ASA is the DZ house mom....

Kevin · #7 04-03-2003, 01:22 AM

No we don't have a house mom..
University probably doesn't know what that is

Only one of our Oklahoma chapters (that I know of for sure) has a house mom. She just got married to the ex-governor

Betarulz! · #8 04-03-2003, 01:43 AM

We have a House Mom...

All the Houses have House moms, with Phi Psi actually having a House Dad (who they often call "Mom").

I know that some of the sororities have house mothers who are members.

I think we are required to at least be looking for a house director if we don't have one.

Coolest House Mother is Delt's. She's like 30, and she's my director for an organization I'm in. She's super fun, and great to just talk to.

BSUPhiSig'92 · #9 04-03-2003, 02:08 AM

There were no house moms at Ball State when I was there in the 80s-90s (still aren't), but they were there up to the mid 1960s. Why there are no more house moms is a Ball State legend.

Back then, everyone's house mom was an older lady, usually a widow (ours was in her 60s, her picture is on the composite). It was not considered a suitable job for a young woman. Apparently the house moms at all the fraternity houses were quite strict and so all the chapters got together and plotted to do away with them.
The story goes, the undergrads all decided to prank the house moms till they quit. Our alums claim that some of our members found a dead dog that had been hit by a car, frozen in a snowdrift and put it in the house mom's shower! Of course she quit!

Apparently all of the other chapters did equally evil things to their house mom's, so the university was confronted with all of the house mom's positions vacated at once. The university then dropped the house mom requirement.

It may just be urban legend, but many of our alumni swear it was true.

Ball State's Greek Life is just full of stories like that!

Ask me, and some time I'll tell y'all the story about David Letterman and our Civil War cannon!

DeltaSigStan · #10 04-03-2003, 02:26 AM

At SDSU, only the sororities have house mothers. I think there's a rule that the house mom cannot be a member of that sorority, because none of them are.

dggirly · #11 04-03-2003, 08:52 AM

Actually at SDSU it is not a rule that the house mom is not allowed to be a member of that sorority. The DG house mom is actually an alum of that chapter. And there are even some active members who where in the house when the house mom was still active. The DG house mom is 25 I beleive. Just wanted to clear that up.

Also at SDSU I believe it was the Pi Phi House mom's daughter was the president A Chi O at SDSU. I am not sure if that is still the case, or if those are the correct houses but I know that it was a situation like that.

MSKKG · #12 04-03-2003, 09:47 AM

The Kappas at the University of South Carolina have hired a house director who is a DG. She is absolutely fabulous! I'm pretty sure USC requires each house to have a HD.

My chapter had a HD who was not a member of a GLO. We called her Mama C. We were required to have a HD.

33girl · #13 04-03-2003, 11:00 AM

There are no house moms (although the sis in charge of the house is sometimes called that, but it's stil an active sister) at Clarion fraternities or sororities...I think if there were, no one would live in the houses.

#14 04-03-2003, 01:23 PM

None of the fraternities or sororities at my alma mater had House Mothers/Fathers... what are the responsibilities of that position? I've heard of it, but know one i know seems to know what they do. Do they live in the house?

AAgammagirl · #15 04-03-2003, 01:32 PM

I don't think house moms/directors are mandatory, b/c in all of our canadian chapters (where i'm from) do not have a house mother. i was house manager for my chapter, but i was active at the time. however, i know alot of our chapters in the states do have house mothers. i think it may be different on every campus, and maybe have to do with the size of the chapter?
i agree with 33girl, if we did no one would want to live in the house!! out of the 7 sororities on our campus, i believe 4 or 5 have house mothers. all of the house mothers are alumnae from their respective chapter. the house that is our biggest competition during rush just got one this semester and i (as well as they) think that it will have a negative impact on rush for them.

i'm not saying house mothers are bad, but just not suitable for our campus.