Question?!

[Blue Violet]

Although Alpha Sigma Alpha installed 13 chapters in those early years, by 1913 Alpha Chapter was the only active chapter of Alpha Sigma Alpha. The chapter turned to Ida Shaw Martin, founder and past national president for delta delta delta, for assistance. Mrs. Martin suggested that Alpha Sigma Alpha get in touch with Pi Alpha Tau from Miami University in Ohio, and as a result, Pi Alpha Tau was installed as a chapter of Alpha Sigma Alpha in May 1913. The two chapters recognized the insight that Mrs. Martin could provide and and immeditaely elected her to membership.
At this point, Alpha Sigma Alpha decided to limit its chapters to teachers' colleges and colleges of education within universities. By October 1914 two other local groups were sufficiently interested in Alpha Sigma Alpha to arrange for a convention.

OK, my question is......When ASA joined NPC in the 40's, Did Mrs. Martin have to give up her ASA membership due to the no-double joining rule? Do any of you Tri Delt's out there have a beef with Mrs. Founder for betraying Tri-Delt and focusing all her efforts on a different group? Do you consider it betraying? How would you feel if one of your sisters did that now? Would you be ticked if a women from your org. joined a national-non-NPC group and then tried to get into the NPC? How would that sit with you? I'm just playing devils advocate here-if I have all my facts wrong-let me know. I find this very intriguing. The above was taken directly from the ASA website.But, if I am wrong about something-let me know. I have checked the Tri-Delt one yet.

[Tom Earp]

Blue V that is not the only case of soemthing like this happening!

LXA helped get TKN started and then in 1939 the 2 merged.

I man helped XO get started.

In a smaller part of the picture, The TKE Advisor led me to LXA.

LXA Chapter helped a Local Soroity get started at PSU, KS.

They had a chance to go PM but thought they were better! Ha, they did not last long after that.

There have been over the years things like this happening.

But in the case you just described, I cannot say! I hope someone comes up with the true story. It would be very interesting!

[Firehouse]

dual membership was not uncommon. On some campusses, fraternities functioned as class societies. For instance, a sophomore might join DKE, then join Zeta Psi as a junior. I assume the situation was similar for sororities. It passed out of favor around the time you described. Probably both sororities tiday are proud to claim Ms martin as an alumnae.

[adduncan]

In my research for alum inits, I found the following on the TriDelta website:

"In 1907, Ida Shaw Martin (she dropped the Sarah after her marriage) published and successfully marketed the first of 11 editions of The Sorority Handbook. The book contained advice on the organization and operation of fraternities, and this began her 30-year career as a professional Greek consultant....

...She was elected to the Fraternity Hall of Fame in 1976. "

I don't get the feeling that DDD considers her support of other orgs a betrayal or anything of that sort. Just my $.02

Adrienne

[sugar and spice]

I don't consider it a betrayal -- she was just using her wisdom to help other groups. Personally I think it's awesome that one of our founders had a hand in helping one of the other eventual NPC groups form.

I'm sure other people may see it differently, but I think the majority of Tri Delts would agree with me.

[carnation]

ASA wasn't an NPC group when she founded it. As was mentioned, it was a group for education majors only.

There's a good chance that Mrs. Martin was dead by the time that ASA got into NPC, judging by how old Tri Delt is. Why do you care? You want God to jerk her pin or something?


Edited to add: yep, I just saw where she died in 1940. She never even knew that ASA went NPC.

[ZTAMiami]

Originally posted by carnation
Why do you care? You want God to jerk her pin or something?

LOL
That is too funny!

[shadokat]

Ida Shaw Martin, in my humble opinion, was doing something that all of us should strive to do...BE PANHELLENIC!!!

[ChaosDST]

HAHAHA...HAHAHA

Originally posted by carnation
[B]Why do you care? You want God to jerk her pin or something?

[33girl]

Ida Shaw Martin basically saved all our ASA asses. We had opened a bunch of chapters in the deep south and then had to close them, and were down to one chapter. That's when we went to Mrs. Martin. She helped us find the women in what would become our Miami U chapter, and helped us to find our other 2 Alpha chapters. Networking before the term even existed!

Mrs. Martin was voted out as ASA national prez in 1930. Basically she had overstepped the bounds of leadership and the membership had enough of it. For a long time her contribution was downplayed, but it's been realized now that if she hadn't helped us we would not exist. I think we also learned how important it is that the sorority be member-driven.

At the time, as was mentioned, we were not an NPC group. We were a social-educational sorority, limited to teachers' colleges only. Think of it in nowadays' terms if the national pres of KKG taught at a community college and decided to start a national sorority for community college students. There would be no conflict, because there would be no overlap.

Also as far as her devoting resources to other groups, well, she more offered advice than anything.

I'm sure we DID have collegian members who had double memberships at the time we joined NPC, and I'm guessing that they either picked one or the other. Same as if (for example) SAI would join the NPC - you would have to pick one or the other. As far as alums, we probably still have some "doubles" alive.

[Blue Violet]

Thanks for all the history (herstory)! I just saw a thread not long ago and someone in it said "no love for org. swappers" and then I saw that website and it got me to thinking. I think it's really neat the way she helped get so many groups established. I just thought it was interesting that she was actually in both groups-but it never occured to me that she might be dead before ASA joined the NPC. That was a good point!!

And as for the comment about if a non NPC group joined NPC (like SAI) what would happen to dual membership?-I did a little research and you were right...if you are in an NPC and a non NPC group and the non NPC group joins NPC, you have to be part of the first NPC group and relinquish membership in the other.

I knew a lot of men helped establish/start womens groups, but I didn't realize this lady had such an impact on so many ladies groups.

And I agree-very panhellenic. I think more should be that way instead of the "us" vs. "them" mentality I see so often.

[honeychile]

Originally posted by carnation
You want God to jerk her pin or something?

This may be the funniest post I've ever seen here! "Hey, you with the halo! Hand over the pin!" ROTFL!!!!

honeychile

[alphaiota]

i think it's great that she helped so many locals become npc. as for the miami chapter of asa, well they no longer exist. sorry to be a downer, but they left campus in dec. 2000. a semester before sigma kappa left.

shelley j
sigma k

[aephi alum]

Originally posted by honeychile
"Hey, you with the halo! Hand over the pin!"

LMAO

[crystalline]

Originally posted by honeychile


This may be the funniest post I've ever seen here! "Hey, you with the halo! Hand over the pin!" ROTFL!!!!

honeychile

Now that I would pay to see....