Strictness of sororities

CarolinaDG · #1 07-17-2002, 11:39 PM

I've noticed something on these boards, and in talking to other greeks as well... Is it just me, or do some sororities have different levels of strictness coming from their nationals (EO, in our case)? I've noticed, for example, that some people who are talking about "sorority life" are completely TRASHING the girls, with their sorority letters listed in their name (such as my "CarolinaDG"). Also, I've run into a girl in a bar (different sorority, not DG) with her crush party shirt on (is this just our chapter, or are NO DG's allowed to wear letters where there's alcohol being served?) I just feel as if I'm constantly worried about what I say on these boards, but when I wander over to other boards, people just say what they want to. I mean, I even got in trouble by our member educator while I was a new member for saying a cuss word on my away message while my buddy icon was DG. I'm not saying that DG's wrong about being this strict, but I just wanted to pose the question... are we the only sorority that is?

#2 07-18-2002, 12:36 AM

DGs I hope you don't mind if I post!

As far as 'strictness' goes, I just think the rules are there to ensure that we promote the things our GLOs were founded on. I think it's pretty safe to say that all GLOs have their standards--and that includes having respect for your letters wherever you go.

As far as posting on the boards, I know that a lot of national officers from different HQs all over frequent the boards. There's no doubt about it--you don't know who's on GC these days. As moderator of the AGD forum, I can assure you that my sisters know to be on their best 'AGD behavior', especially when they have our letters backing them up.

I myself have a problem with cussing. I will admit to the fact that I have a true potty mouth (it's evident in my online journal), and to be honest, I shouldn't be cussing so much. But I know where my limits are and I know what the rules are. There's a line that I know I shouldn't cross.

It's so easy to create stereotypes. If an XYZ were to promote such trashy behavior on the boards, it's so easy for a PNM to think "oh...all XYZs must be like that too". Granted, there are a few bad apples, but we definitely want to try to promote and foster the best out of each and every one of us.

Happy posting, Carolina DG!

dggirly · #3 07-18-2002, 02:19 AM

I think the strictness come a lot from individual chapters as well as EO. I know I was talking to some DG's from other schools and they couldn't beleive we were allowed to drink from bottles( it is supposed to be a DG rule I heard that we are not allowed to drink alcohol from bottles) and that we were drinking from cups with DG letters on, or with our lavilers on! My chapter always thought our rules were strict because we are not allowed to smoke in letter or even be talking to a girl who is smoking if we are in letters(not that many of us do, but just the concept), and we can by no means drink in letters or delta gamma written out(esspecially at a bar) and while you are a NM you can not have your pin showing if you are at a party(sober or not) or smoking or around smoking. Infact the only thing we are allowed to wear is and jewlery that has dg on it like our rings/braclets/laviliers!

It in away could aso have to do with your campus, the more religous a campus is the less appropriate it is to be drinking in gerneral so the less approriate it would be to drink in letter! I think the hardest thing people have to remember is that every chapter is different so things that would be over looked at one chapter could be a big deal at another! I am sure there are things that I do which that I nor my chapter see as being inappropriate but if I were going to travel somewhere in the south(i am from california) people might find it offensive. We do have high standards at my school I don't want you guys thinking that our behavoir is crazy, just if we notice a girl is a little out of control or acting not like that a DG from my school should be acting like we call her into HB right away. We like to get the problem taken care of right away, and if the person is aware she is doing something wrong she can make a concious effort to change whatever it was that were not up to DG standards!!!!

PiPhiJulie · #4 07-18-2002, 12:22 PM

Sorry, I'm not a DG but I thought I would share that Pi Phi's (at least my school) aren't supposed to drink out of bottles either. We cannot wear our letters while we drink either. Also, we have to smoke sitting down. We don't really get in trouble if we are standing and smoking but it's suggested we sit down.

BearyCuteAPhi · #5 07-18-2002, 04:33 PM

My sorority also has its rules...for example we "shouldn't" drink, smoke, or swear/cuss while either wearing our letters or by being around our letters. Things like that that I respect but not necessarily everyone else does...that bothers me! but oh well I cannot act for someone else.

Ronnie

P.S. Everyone has to go to Brasil!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Its awesome!!!!!!!!!!

CarolinaDG · #6 07-18-2002, 05:17 PM

I had actually heard about the sitting while smoking thing. KD's at our school have that rule, too, because I remember being so shocked because I saw a KD smoking in her letters one day. Apparently they're allowed to smoke in their letters, but they must be sitting. But I had never heard the bottles thing. I like beer out of bottles! Why is this inappropriate? Or, is this just with letters on?

aephi alum · #7 07-18-2002, 05:35 PM

Another non-DG butting in, if I may

I'm sure every sorority has its share of these rules. We were forbidden from drinking while wearing letters or party/event shirts. I'm not sure about smoking-related rules, because I don't smoke.

I've never heard the "no drinking straight from the bottle" rule - is it because drinking straight from the bottle isn't ladylike/elegant? What's the reasoning behind the "no smoking while standing up" rule? What if you just want to step outside for a cigarette, and there's nowhere to sit down?

When I post, I try to watch what I say, just as I would watch what I say and do when wearing letters (or, for that matter, when not wearing letters - you always represent your GLO). I'm the first to admit that I haven't been perfect, but I try not to be nasty, rude, etc.

PiPhiJulie · #8 07-18-2002, 09:25 PM

I think they consider it unladylike to dring from a bottle and to smoke standing up.

SoExited@FSU · #9 07-19-2002, 04:38 AM

We're not supposed to drink in our letters underage, or smoke in them ever. Also, if we're at a party, or a bar or club and see one of our Panhellenic reps, we're supposed to put down our drink and our cigarette out of respect for the fact that they can't drink with us. (They also reccomend non-clear cups and/or painted mugs for events) Lastly, if we're wearing, say a letter tote, or our Crush t-shirt, they like us to (Not require us to) make sure our make-up is nice and our hair looks decent, etc etc, since we're displaying what it is to be an Alpha Chi...

hannahgirl · #10 07-19-2002, 07:36 AM

We do not allow any drinking in our letters. It doesn't matter what type of shirt or jewelry it is. If you are caught wearing letters and holding alcohol, you can get sent to HB. Smoking isn't as strict with us. We can smoke in our letters...i've never heard of not being able to. The only rule we have is that you do not smoke in them or smoke in general during Recruitment events. Its not cool to sit and talk to someone who has been smoking right before you get there. The cup thing is another thing we do. If you are under 21 and you are drinking, it better be in a cup...no questions asked. If you are of age, then you are allowed to drink from the original cup/bottle.

CarolinaDG · #11 07-19-2002, 10:48 AM

Yeah, I understand about not being able to drink underage from the original container... though, we're not able to drink at ALL underage (and our advisors come to our events, and they know who is). Some girls, I'll admit, will get a "coke" so that they just don't look like they're drinking. And we are also told to make sure we look our best in our letters... I think that's a given for all sororities. I got so mad at one of our girls one day because she walked in looking HORRIBLE ( I mean, hair unbrushed, no make-up, just plain out HORRIBLE) to teeter-totter painting with her letters on. I mean, if you're gonna look bad in your letters, at least make sure it's not a place where ALL of the greek community's going to see you! I'll admit, I go without make-up sometimes in my letters, or I'll pull my hair up, but (and not to sound too conceited) I can do that. Anyway, back to subject... smoking's kind of a big deal, and I'm not sure why. We don't even have a smoking hall like some of the other sororities. There aren't very many of our girls who smoke, anyway.

dgtxalum · #12 07-19-2002, 02:39 PM

We had a back yard with a patio (enclosed) that was considered our smoking area. We could never smoke in the house, or out front. As for drinking out of a bottle, I thought that was more of an etiquette thing - that it looks "trashy" drinking from a bottle as opposed from a cup. I know I had friends who refused to drink from a bottle for that very reason. I don't necessarily think either way about it, however. From my recollection, I don't think drinking in letters was ever an issue either. I could be wrong, but I don't remember anyone ever saying otherwise, and I distinctly recall day parties (usually during round-up) where everyone had their "Go XYZ" or etc. shirts on, and alcohol definitely was involved! Not to say we didn't have our other rules, and many times people were called into Honor Board for things that normally you'd think would never be a problem.

AOIIBrandi · #13 07-19-2002, 03:05 PM

AOII does not allow drinking in letters period, no matter what it is. We didn't have rules about bottle v. cup, but some of the other GLOs on campus did. Also in my chapter you could only smoke in the privacy of your own home - this was the strictest on campus. It's been a while, so that may have changed but I don't think so.

KDShan · #14 07-20-2002, 11:38 AM

I am a KD Alumna, at my chapter the girls who smoked were not allowed to smoke in letters (if you they wearing a KD windbreaker, for example, they would put their hand over the letters, or the strap from their bag). As far as drinking in letters, were were not allowed to drink in letters as an active (which would mean we would even take off our lavaliers when we went to the bars). It was my understanding that as an Alumna, I could drink in letters, but in moderation only. An example would be the day of my graduation, I went out to dinner with my family, and I had wine with my dinner. I was wearing my pin, but I only had one glass, and was in no way intoxicated. Drinking from bottles....I can see how it would be considered "un-lady-like", however...I see it as a safety issue. When I was in college i would NEVER drink anything out of a cup (too easy for some scum-bag to slip something in my drink). If it's in a bottle you can watch the bartender open it and since the opening is so small, it would be very difficult for someone to slip something in without you noticing (if you're really worried, you can even put your thumb into the opening, then NOTHING will get in).

Oh2bDG · #15 07-20-2002, 11:02 PM

I knew there was differences between how houses see these issues... but I didn't realize how much they differ on each campus.

We weren't allowed to drink in anything that could identify us as a DG... so no letters, or written out, or jewelry... wearing anchors was risky. And we weren't allowed to smoke in front of our house or on campus.

But what about the Panhellenic 2000 Resolution, about drying out the Fraternities? All of the houses on our campus had different definitions on that one. Our CDC told us that EO defined a co-sponsored event as 3 or more DGs present. So if there was a party if more than 2 of us went we could be taken to HB if we drank. How reduiculus is that, especially when other houses defined co-sponsoring as having their letters there, or on an advertisement.

Oh2bDG