How/Why did your chapter begin?

[PM_Mama00]

I don't think I've ever seen this question asked, but why or how did your individual chapter begin?

My chapter was the first sorority on campus. It was started from 2 Delta Sigma Phi little sisters and a TKE little sister-- or maybe the other way around. Either way they were both little sisters, back when they were allowed.

Forgot to mention, when we first were formed we were Kappa Gamma Beta (KGB lol). I think it was after 2 years that we became Phi Mu. If our chapter website wasn't down for formal recruitment construction, I'd know more but this is all I can remember.

[Kevin]

An alum on our national foundation had a son attending my school, there was no Sigma Nu chapter. I can't speak for everyone else, but I saw it as a heck of an opportunity. My fraternity is probably one of the larger/better ones in the state. The alumni network is unreal. It also offered something that I didn't find in any of the other houses -- they guaranteed no hazing, and unlike the other chapters at the time, the claim was plausible since I'd be initiated and on the same level as the other colony members within 2 weeks or so of joining.

The national programming was excellent (the LEAD program), and the brotherhood was great. It took us 3 years to get our charter (3 years is a long time to basically be a pledge). Completely worth it though. The chapter's doing really well. It just took home Rock Chapter Honorable Mention meaning that we're on track to essentially being a top-10, chapter.

[Mooch279]

We were the first fraternity at UMBC. Young campus, it was only about 12 or 13 years old when we got colonized ('79). At the time our chapter was the fastest to charter in our fraternity history, a year and a week.

[SAEalumnus]

My chapter's founding fathers were actually the second group of men from our university to petition SAE for a charter. The first group was unsuccessful, though a record of their attempt is still filed in our national archives at HQ. Since over half of our chapter's founders were already connected in some way to SAE, they applied, were recognized as a colony of SAE within 6 months of the local founding date, and got the charter about two and a half years later.

[DeltAlum]

My chapter was chartered in 1862.

I forgot to ask and it's too late now.

I think Tom Earp had something to do with it.

[aephi alum]

History of my chapter

To make a long story short:

In the spring of 1993, a group of 7 Jewish women approached Panhel about starting a chapter of AEPhi at MIT. Panhel was not prepared to open the campus for expansion at the time (Theta had just colonized a couple of years earlier), but they invited the group to form a local sorority and perhaps petition again at some future date. (I rather suspect the Panhel powers-that-be were hoping they would give up and go away. They didn't know my sisters very well. )

The 7 women proceeded to form a local sorority, Sigma Iota Phi. They held their first recruitment just after formal fall recruitment in 1993; I was a member of that first pledge class.

In 1994 we again petitioned Panhel to become a chapter of an NPC sorority, and this time they allowed us to proceed. We re-approached AEPhi and a match was made. My chapter was chartered in November of 1995.

My chapter filled, and still fills, something of a niche market as an attractive option for female Jewish students - although we are, of course, open to members of all faiths.

[KatieKate1244]

My school had had local GLOs for a long time, but about the mid-60's they all started becoming national. My chapter was formerly Delta Theta Pi, a local sorority that was founded back in 1926.

I should mention here there is/was an education sorority with the same or similar name, but it wasn't part of it.

[AOIIalum]

http://www.louisville.edu/ur/ucomm/m...reek/greek.htm (our story is toward the middle of the article.)

[KSUViolet06]

The story comes from our "Path from Farmville" history book:

The Alpha Beta chapter of Tri Sigma was originally Tri Beta local sorority (not to be confused with the bio honor society of the same name). We decided to go national, became a colony of Tri Sigma, and were chartered in 1925.

All went well for us until Vietnam and the subsequent politcal protests and such on campus. After the riots and May 4th shootings here, 90% of the chapters here closed, including ours.

We were closed for 20 years. Then in 1989, a local sorority (Pi Delta) was looking to go national, and decided on Tri Sigma (since we had history there). We were recolonized in 1990 and have been going strong ever since.

[TSteven]

Very short version. The Lambda Lambda Chapter of Sigma Chi Fraternity was the first chapter (fraternity or sorority) at The University of Kentucky. Founded in 1893.

For more on the chapter history, please click on the link above, then History then Founding of Lambda Lambda Chapter.

[LaneSig]

My chapter has a founding history that is quite familiar among fraternities. Several guys at Arkansas State University felt that the existing fraternities didn't quite have what they were searching for in brotherhood. So these guys got together to form an interest group and after looking at three fraternities that had expressed interest in ASU, decided on Sigma Chi. It also helped that Sigma Chi had/has a large number of alumns in Jonesboro, Arkansas (home of ASU) and northeast Arkansas area. The alumns really pitched in to support our founders; even helping to get a house when the colony was only 5 months old. We were the 4th fraternity (of 9 groups) to get a house at ASU (this was the mid- 80's). It took 2 years to get chartered as the Theta Chi chapter of Sigma Chi (Jan. 7, 1987).

Sidenote - One of the well established chapters on campus felt very threatened by our founders and colony. The alumns tell us how the other fraternity, the largest on campus, called our members "The Tri-Lambs", after the group in "Revenge of the Nerds". Well, any of you who have seen the movie know that the Tri-Lambs end up living in the house of the jock fraternity. Guess what, when our chapter outgrew the original house and the 'established/largest' fraternity hit the skids and began losing members right and left; whose house did we end up taking over? Just like in the movie. The once largest group is now one of the smallest on campus and they hate us for taking over their house.

[shinerbock]

We wanted to get a keg, but nobody had enough money. So we all pitched in so we could get drunk. Thus, my fraternity was born.

[Tom Earp]

Originally Posted by DeltAlum

My chapter was chartered in 1862.

I forgot to ask and it's too late now.

I think Tom Earp had something to do with it.

Oh DeltAlum!

I did the same as many did.

I knew about all of the GLOs at The Pitt. and didnt feel that I fit with them even though I was a Pledge of one. So, I started one, a local.

We were a bunch of mis-fits as one of Our early members wife stated at His Celebration of life at His Death. Yes We were and damn proud of it, We worked harder as mis-fits to prove them wrong. We did!

We are not all the same and our Chapters or not the same even though we follow (?) the same rules.

That is what makes us different!

Just a thought, was there a Greek Organization that was not a local so to speak and expanded?

Yes there was and I know of only one.

Give me for ifs if You can!!!!

[JonInKC]

I don't even remember HOW or WHY, just that my chapter used to be Tri-C (Camden Country Club) until they got chartered from TKE in '49. We were the second fraternity to be chartered on the campus of Missouri State, I believe. KA was there before us.

[adpiucf]

An ADPi from another school came to UCF and founded a local sorority, Delta Pi. At this time, the fraternities still had little sister auxilaries. Most of the Pike little sisters became members of Delta Pi.

Also around this time, Alpha Delta Pi came to UCF and colonized. The effort was supported by the late Mary Esther Van Akin. Mrs. Van Akin stopped a young lady on campus one day and persuaded her that she needed to be a part of ADPi. The student resisted, but Mrs. Van Akin persisted. Zeta Omega of ADPi was chartered in 1982; many of the "Delta Pi" ladies joined. This winter, Zeta Omega chapter celebrates 25 years... and that young lady that adamantly DID NOT want to join a sorority? Mrs. Van Akin must have seen something, because not only did the young woman join, she was elected the first chapter president and was the very first member to be initiated. She has been instrumental on the international level as a vital part of our Housing Corporation Team and is organizing the chapter's quarter century anniversary!

All's well that ends well. Zeta Omega broke ground on its chapter house in 1989, and has consistently held the #1 GPA among sorororities, including last spring when it was the largest chapter on campus (nearly 150 members!).