Can someone Please Explain locals

AlphaSigLana · #1 07-21-2001, 08:24 PM

What exactly is a local? I guess I should've posted this in the locals section, but Greek life is checked more often!

lala79 · #2 07-21-2001, 10:02 PM

Hi there,
a local is a fraternity/sorority, just like a national, but has fewer chapters. Some only have that one, others have more. Usually a local is an alpha, or first chapter, just like a national is say beta alpha. You know how there are founding sisters/brothers of each organization who started the first chapter of a GLO, well that is the same thing. They are the founding chapter. Where most nationals have started from 50-100 years ago, a local may have started 10 years ago, or one year ago. It is the same thing, but it's starting out like when a national did. All national organizations were once upon a time local. I hope this clears this up a little bit.

shadokat · #3 07-22-2001, 12:51 AM

Our locals were chapters who weren't affiliated with a national sorority, and more importantly, didn't want to. They were specific to our university. I'm sure there were other organizations out there that share their letters, but the locals on our campus are only one group. They don't have any other chapters.

AngelPhiSig · #4 07-22-2001, 10:00 AM

What school do you go to tverde? Ive noticed that there are many schools like that!

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"...A dynamic sisterhood of powerful and passionate women maintaining uncompromising principles, igniting positive change, and embracing individuality!"

Phi Sigma Sigma - Gamma Gamma Chapter
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1-9-4-6 Doohretsis!

Tau Beta Sigma - Delta Omicron Chapter
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Go Golden Chickens! I mean EAGLES!

There are only a few good things that came out of Clarion- Chris Kirkpatrick of NSync, Kurt Angle (Pre WWF!) and any PHI SIGMA SIGMA!

AlphaSigLana · #5 07-22-2001, 10:05 AM

How do you find out what letters are available? (Does this make sense?) I'm from a school with only 5 sororities and 10 fraternities so until I joined this forum I didn't realize how many there were. Of course I knew there were more, but I only had heard of DG. I was definately not as knowledgable as the GDI-future greeks- that come to this site are. So I guess what I am asking is if you want to start Iota Alpha Mu- how do you find out if that has been taken? I'm confused!!!!

[This message has been edited by AlphaSigLana (edited July 22, 2001).]

33girl · #6 07-22-2001, 02:42 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by AlphaSigLana:
How do you find out what letters are available?

Well nowadays you can do a search on the Internet, but even that doesn't always turn something up. Way back when, I think people just chose a name and didn't think about "hey, someone else might be using this!"

Case in point: I have an old Clarion yearbook from 1950 or so and there is a local fraternity in there called Alpha Phi Alpha!!

And it is definitely not a chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.!

Tom Earp · #7 07-22-2001, 03:10 PM

A local is one that is not affiliated with a National. I started a local that affiliated with LXA.

Shorter College in Georgis is strictly Local but feels better after some years to affiliate with Nationals!
Nationals get more support while locals do it all on themselves!
We helped a local Soro. get on campus and while they became strong, they couold ah have affiliated with PHI MU, they did not! They are no longer on campus!
The idea for a local is to go with a National so you can have backing if you are the only one on campus! Of course you startede the local is because you did not agree with what was on campus or you would have beeen there!
That is the same as I did~ and it proved out! After 37 Yrs, I am still proud to be a LXA!

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Tom Earp LX Z#1
Pittsburg State U. (Kansas)

AGDAlum · #8 07-24-2001, 09:34 PM

I was curious about your comment, "How do you know what letters are available?" It seems to me that the motto comes first, probably in English (if that's the everyday language of the members--many of the new GLOs are multicultural). Then you translate it into Greek. The inital letters of the Greek words are the organization's letters.

Alternatively, and more likely for our founders who had had more exposure to the classics than we do, they might have chosen a Greek phrase that conveyed the meaning they wanted.

For example, Alpha Kappa Lambda means "Aletheia Kai Logos," or Truth and Reason. Alpha Epsilon Phi means "Aei Esto Philio," or May Friendship Be Everlasting. (Those are open mottoes, so I'm not betraying anyone's top secrets.)

I concur with Tom (LXA)'s post about going national. Being part of a national gives members access to a larger brother- or sisterhood with assistance for recruitment, housing, programming; and alumni/ae connections and an opportunity to contribute wherever you are.

Dianne · #9 07-25-2001, 02:39 PM

Another thing about locals is that they tend to be at smaller schools. My sister went to a college with 1000 students. That was a third of the size of our high school! All the GLO's there are local.

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"Seek the noblest."
Zeta Love! <3

Corbin Dallas · #10 07-25-2001, 03:07 PM

My fraternity was a local for 25 years before affiliating with a small national, and then that national, Theta Kappa Nu, merged with Lambda Chi Alpha. My local wasn't Greek, but was considered a fraternity. We were PIES, Polytechnic Institute Engineering Sciences (I think). The thing that sucks, is that we don't have much info on this group and since they were here from 1900-25, as far as I know, all of the alumni have passed away. Our only hope at getting more info is that some old TKN brothers will have some info. I know IHQ has one of our PIES badges. I think in the early 1900's, there were a couple other locals, but all of the fraternities on campus for the last 75 years have been nationals, and were founded with the intent of being a specific national.

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Steve Corbin
Lambda Chi Alpha
Theta Kappa Chapter
Rose-Hulman Inst. of Tech.

Corbin Dallas · #11 07-25-2001, 03:11 PM

My fraternity was a local for 25 years before affiliating with a small national, and then that national, Theta Kappa Nu, merged with Lambda Chi Alpha. My local wasn't Greek, but was considered a fraternity. We were PIES, Polytechnic Institute Engineering Sciences (I think). The thing that sucks, is that we don't have much info on this group and since they were here from 1900-25, as far as I know, all of the alumni have passed away. Our only hope at getting more info is that some old TKN brothers will have some info. I know IHQ has one of our PIES badges. I think in the early 1900's, there were a couple other locals, but all of the fraternities on campus for the last 75 or so years have been nationals, and were founded with the intent of being a specific national.

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Steve Corbin
Lambda Chi Alpha
Theta Kappa Chapter
Rose-Hulman Inst. of Tech.

Tom Earp · #12 07-25-2001, 05:57 PM

Actually AGD, the only motto we had and it was on the Coat of Arms that I dsigned was, Cogito Ergo Sum, I Think Therefor I am!
I thought that was pretty apropo for an upsart group!
I never was a Bad Boy, But Damn was I mischevious!!! About 5 times a day at least 4 days a week!!! LOL!!!!! OOOH did that paddle and switch hurt like Hell! TEE HEE!

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Tom Earp LX Z#1
Pittsburg State U. (Kansas)

Vixenradio · #13 08-02-2001, 02:57 PM

Personally I think there are pluses and minuses with being a national or a local. The sorority I belong to is Kappa Gamma Chi. We were founded in 1902 as the Gamma chapter at Emerson College (in Boston, MA). In the 1920's or so the Alpha chapter (founded in 1890) became a part of Chi O and the Beta chapter (we believe became defunct)... so we are now the only chapter of the local Kappa Gamma Chi... Making us Kappa Gamma Chi, Alpha chapter.

Emerson College has about 2,500 or 2,700 students, but we have both local and national sororities and fraternities at our school. Kappa Gamma Chi however was the first sorority founded at Emerson college and we have been local for almost 100 years now and have no intent on going national.

In regard to your question about how you figure out what to name your local, that is an interesting question. I learned there is another local Kappa Gamma Chi in Texas that was founded in 1919.... So I think that there are probably locals out there that have the same name. Hope this helps you out wity your questions!
www.geocities.com/kappagammachi
www.geocities.com/krxalumni

Vixenradio · #14 08-02-2001, 03:34 PM

Originally posted by AlphaSigLana:
How do you find out what letters are available? (Does this make sense?) I'm from a school with only 5 sororities and 10 fraternities so until I joined this forum I didn't realize how many there were.

For finding out what sorority names are taken there is a great site!
http://www.geocities.com/localsororities

The girl who runs this site has been doing TONS of research on local sororities across the United States (she is also the moderator for the "Locals" posting board). I believe that she has most of the local sorority names posted on her site! If not just send her an email and I'm sure she'd be happy to help you out!

[This message has been edited by Vixenradio (edited August 02, 2001).]