Largest Chapter You've Ever Heard Of

DeltaSigStan · #1 08-24-2002, 09:33 PM

What's the largest chapter of a GLO you've ever heard of, Fraternity or Sorority, traditional or cultural, social or special interest?

The one I know for sure is ATO at the University of Illinois with 137 members.

But I have heard that some chapters have like 200 guys. I even heard we have a midwest chapter with 300 guys (!), but I doubt that's true.

PandaOnProzac · #2 08-25-2002, 01:41 AM

I think any chapter around 100 would be hard to establish bonds with the whole chapter.

AchtungBaby80 · #3 08-25-2002, 10:06 AM

We have around 135 members now, and we're not even the biggest on our campus. I think the largest has about 150, or did have at one point last year.

RockChalk · #4 08-25-2002, 10:35 AM

The biggest sororities at my school have about 170.

ChiOqt · #5 08-25-2002, 12:49 PM

Our sororities here can have a maximum of 90 memebers, but only three of us have reached that. Since there are more fraternities their numbers are usually smaller, the largest having around 90 memebers I think. I've heard that some of our Chi Omega chapters have numbers around 250! I can't imagine, but it must be fun!!!

justhey76 · #6 08-25-2002, 12:50 PM

Many at U of Oklahoma are at 200 or over. (This is sororities, the fraternities are much smaller, because there are twice as many).

P.S. At MY school (NSU), they are at around 60, and I dont know how big the fraternities are

meheron · #7 08-25-2002, 02:20 PM

At BSU soroities can only have 80. When I first joined , because of Quota, we had 86. When I graduated last year we had about 50. (The previous graduation class was 33 girls). I have found that I like our numbers around 50. You get to know everyone on such a different level. At first it was kind of degrading because we were so used to saying we were the largest (with the thought of we were better because we had more girls) but as I got older I found out that numbers don't matter its the quality of those girls.

bolingbaker · #8 08-25-2002, 02:21 PM

In the late 1940s, right after WWII when all the servicemen came back and flooded the nation's campusses, the Kappa Sigs at Arkansas one year had 300 men in the chapter. In 1982-82, the Pikes at Florida State had about 250+ men on campus. The University switched from a quarter to a semester system and everybody's transcripts got screwed up, so nobody graduated on time. They just kep pledging guys and no one left.
This fall, the Pike chapter will return with about 135 actives, and expect to pledge around fifty. It's an interesting debate on GC about the structure of very large chapters vs. very small chapters and how much closeness counts. Very large chapters operate extremely well if they "win". Those chapters run on momentum and morale. Pride in the name, in the prestige of being a member of that group. Like being a Marine. Very small chapters operate extremely well when they focus the energies of all their members on specific goals, and especially when they can all live in the same house or near each other. The ideal system may be Penn State where there are more than fifty fraternities, and the largest probably has no more than 65 members.
Personally, I've been in both and I prefer the very large chapter. But, large or small, if the chapter is successful the members can have equally strong and rewarding experiences.

FHwku · #9 08-27-2002, 03:32 AM

we're relatively new on campus, compared to some of the other fraternities, but quickly growing. who knows how many is too many to form a tight-knit fraternity? one guy said, "historically, it's been a pattern that organizations that refuse to grow, die." so there is no plateau?

bolingbaker · #10 08-27-2002, 08:17 AM

interpreted as "Those who refuse to improve, die." Size is important if you think in terms of competition, but improvement is even more important. Size without success is pointless. remember, the chapter runs on morale and momentum. You should be at least as large as the top competitors. Beyond that, it has to do with achievement.

Dionysus · #11 08-27-2002, 08:30 AM

Alpha Phi Omega @ Saint Louis University, has about 300 members. I've been to one of their meetings, it was chaotic!

GPhiSweetiePie · #12 08-27-2002, 10:12 AM

According to Spring Semester 2002's grade reports, the Theta Chi chapter here has 172 members.

SigmaChiGuy · #13 08-27-2002, 10:53 AM

Where?

Kevin · #14 08-27-2002, 11:15 AM

Several of our southern chapters are around 200 members. I'm almost certain that Mississippi U is.. FSU is or was at least 150..

Angels&Arrows · #15 08-27-2002, 01:20 PM

Ole Miss's Sigma Nu chapter had between 180-200 members for the 2001-2002 school year.

Quote:

Originally posted by ktsnake
Several of our southern chapters are around 200 members. I'm almost certain that Mississippi U is.. FSU is or was at least 150..