Dartmouth Sorority Rush Oct. 8-17, 2004

[reverie]

I'm not familiar with Dartmouth history. Why did three of the nationals go local?

[33girl]

From Sigma Delta's website:

Sigma Kappa went local in the fall of 1988, becoming Sigma Delta. Sisters and Alumni felt there were irreconcilable differences between the Dartmouth chapter and Sigma Kappa National, specifically religion in rituals and an emphasis on men in National songs and overall attitudes.

EKT had similar issues with some of the things in Theta's ritual - if you Google "Epsilon Kappa Theta" you can find their history. Judging by this, I'd say the third local had the same reasons.

[reverie]

Wow, they definitely have interesting histories. EKT was a Theta colony the same year my chapter was one.

[WCUgirl]

I was surfing the website for EKT...and came across the pictures of their "Dress for Under $5 Meetings." Interesting.

Link

I'm assuming what they're referring to as a "meeting" is more like a mixer or a social event. Or are these really sorority meetings w/ a theme? I'm confused.

[PhoenixAzul]

I saw EKT and thought "Epsilon Kappa Tau!" which is a local sorority on my campus and I got really excited that there would be an Otterbein thread.

But that "dress for under 5 bucks" thing was AWESOME!

[kddani]

the dress for under $5 thing was interesting... however, I would NOT be thrilled with having a sister clad only in howard dean stickers over her breasts. Nor would I want to put that on a website for the world to see....

[33girl]

It would be hard to get too upset at a meeting when you're looking at a sister in a party cup bra (which I think is the point).

[Stacekat]

Originally posted by kddani
the dress for under $5 thing was interesting... however, I would NOT be thrilled with having a sister clad only in howard dean stickers over her breasts. Nor would I want to put that on a website for the world to see....

Which is why I'm guessing they are a local. They can do what they want...

[DGMarie]

I would have to assume after reading their chapter history that KAT might be kinda glad they AREN'T are chapter of theirs anymore.

[Wine&SilverBlue]

don't you think they revealed too much about KAT in their "history" ??

[KillarneyRose]

Originally posted by DGMarie
I would have to assume after reading their chapter history that KAT might be kinda glad they AREN'T are chapter of theirs anymore.

Roger, that. They were probably like, "Um kay...don't let the door hit ya in the butt!"

From their "History" link:

The History of Epsilon Kappa Theta
"Any fraternity ritual that does not help to unite a chapter and to provide the individual members with happy memories, beautiful visions and inspiration, is in need of revision."
"If Theta ritual has no meaning for us, we must revise it."
-From the Kappa Alpha Theta Ritual Book, written by L. Pearle Green


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

In the early 1980s, Dartmouth's Sororities were much different than they are now. Only a few female houses existed on campus, and those limited their pledge classes to 25 or 30 women every year. During this time, a number of new sororities were formed by women who were not content with the options open to Dartmouth women. Among them were the predecessors of Sigma Delta, Kappa Delta Epsilon, and Epsilon Kappa Theta.

The 1984s called themselves CONS (Committee to Organize a New Sorority) and established a provisional organization according to Dartmouth's guidelines. At the time, only sororities affiliated with national organizations were formally recognized by the college, and CONS choose to affiliate with Kappa Alpha Theta. KAT is the oldest sorority in America, and Dartmouth's chapter was its highly celebrated 100th colony. We were installed as the Epsilon Kappa Colony of Kappa Alpha Theta in January of 1982. The new sorority was visited by national officers, and by sisters from UVM, who initiated the founding class. Since we had no physical building, KAT met in classrooms, dorm rooms, or whatever random space they could fine, including the basement of the president's house! Ritual items and other common possessions were stored in scattered dorm rooms.

By the Spring of 1984, KAT proudly boasted to their pledges that they would soon have their own house. Due to the large number of forming sororities, and the lack of college property to house them in, the International House (Brewster Hall) was renovated into a kind of "holding tank" for the new sororities, until a permanent location could be found. In the Fall term of 1984, Alpha Chi Omega (now KDE) moved out of the International House, and KAT moved in. The house presented unforseen conflict in the Epsilon Kappa Colony. Our local advisors were dismayed by our eager use of the house for open parties and social gatherings. The national specifically forbade having alcohol in the house, and severely limited male visitation. The limitation on having male visitors in common areas only (to protect the privacy of our sisters) was especially troublesome for the EK Colony, as Brewster Hall boasted 27 singles, but very little common space. By 1985, EK sisters were beginning to weigh the pros and cons of affiliation with KAT, but votes on our bond to the national showed strong loyalty to the black and gold kite.

The creation of minimum standards in 1983 was expected to lead to the derecognition of several fraternities. However, the fraternities managed to pull themselves together, and KAT remained in Brewster Hall until 1986, when the building that is now La Casa opened up. Although KAT was offered first choice of the La Casa building, the lack of a common room and poor location led KAT to reject the small building, and Delta Delta Delta quickly moved in. The decision might have been different if we'd known that it would be 1992 before another house would become available.

In 1992, Epsilon Kappa sisters continued holding discussions about the pros and cons of their affiliation with KAT. Common practice up until 1992 was to hide the alcohol when the advisors visited and hope they didn't show up at night. The combination locks on the doors were changed for advisor or national officer visits (to prevent wayward men from walking through at inopportune times), and any alcohol was neatly stashed away. Unfortunately, in the winter of 1992, things took a turn for the worse.

A "travelling consultant," an ambassador from the KAT Grand Council came to stay at EK Colony for several weeks. Consultants are recently graduated Thetas, sent to a variety of colonies to help communicate novel problem solving approaches and guide new chapters. The sisters of EK Colony had received consultants before, and were usually able to squelch fraternizing and imbibing for long enough to accommodate them. The consultant who arrived in 1992 was dismayed by EK Colony's abandonment of tradition and ritual, especially the failure of the colony to hold regular "formal" meetings, with everyone in robes. She found our sloppiness with rules and rituals disrespectful to the national. After a short time, EK sisters resigned themselves to her criticism, and she in turn reported the colony to the national. On the return of our officers from spring break they received notice that we were on "double secret probation."

Male visitation and alcohol policies were the major components of the initial discontent with KAT, but EK Colony's objections increased considerably with the advice of our last consultant. Sisters objected to the idea that the sisterhood was incomplete without wearing robes to meetings, even once a term. Sisters objected to the complicated initiation ceremony, which took days of physical preparation and reams of memorization. The more cynical likened the robe-draped initiation ceremony to a witch's gathering. The moral code was a reading from the New Testament of the Christian Bible. Pledges had to kneel, which offended some sisters of other religions. The consultant and the national were very upset about our editing the initiation ceremony. The EK Colony began to question the returns we were getting when we sent away money to our national, and KAT began to threaten to revoke our charter.

We needed a unanimous vote to become a local sorority. One sister argued that the vote was not really to become a local, but whether or not to become a national, coming into compliance with the rules and expectations of the national we'd ignored for years. After several rounds of voting, and many tears, we decided to dissolve our relationship with KAT. We informed them of our decision, and they in turn revoked our charter. Our bank accounts were frozen, and our travelling consultant quickly packed up everything she could find that said, anywhere, Kappa Alpha Theta.

Anyone who wanted to become a member of the new sorority had to de-pledge KAT. Many seniors had been Thetas for three years. With less than a month left to graduation, they were asked to give up the national network and support of KAT to join an uncertain fledgling house. Brewster hall was divided into KATs and members of the new sorority, Epsilon Kappa Theta.

By the time we moved into 15 Webster Avenue that Fall, the officers of the former Epsilon Kappa Colony had thrown together a new name, new colors, a new pledge, a new everything. Epsilon Kappa was retained from our colony name, and Theta from the national, so we would still be "Thetas."

The colors of EKT are navy and maroon. Navy blue is for constancy, faithfulness, and genuineness. Maroon, a deep red, is for optimism and revolution. These colors are opposite, representing diversity in the house which is brought together through the combination of the two colors.

The shield of EKT is a shield with a moon and shooting star at the top, draped with ivy and waves. The date of our founding is at the bottom of the crest. The moon is a symbol for a female and also stands for brightness. The shooting star stands for aspiration. The ivy represents scholarship, friendship, and fidelity. The waves along the bottom are a symbol of change and represent the continuous evolution of ourselves.

The flower of EKT is the Tiger Lily. This flower was chosen because a lily represents exceptional fairness, and a Tiger is a person of great activity, strength, and courage. Ivy is the symbol of our sisterhood - an ever growing bond linking sisters together where every sister was a new leaf on the ivy.

Every May 4th, the founding of Epsilon Kappa Theta is commemorated. Initially called "Freedom Fest," the celebration was renamed "Theta Fest" in Spring of 1997 to reflect at least one KAT alum's concerns that Freedom Fest made the separation from KAT sound more appealing than it was. 1997 was an appropriate year to make the change; it was the 5th anniversary of EKT's founding, the 15th anniversary of KAT at Dartmouth, and the 25th anniversary of coeducation at Dartmouth.

On May 4th, 2002, EKT hosted a "Twenty Years of Theta at Dartmouth" party, which brought together many alums from both EKT and KAT. Karen Francis, one of the original '84s and now a trustee of Dartmouth College, was an honored guest and presented the 20th annual Karen Francis award, which has been given in her name throughout KAT and EKT's history. The Presence of both KATS and Thetas at the party, with balloons in maroon and blue and gold and black, signified for many of us a happy acceptance of our house's interesting history.

[PiPhiGirl2005]

I highly doubt that KAT headquarters actually uses the phrase "double secret probation".

[adpiucf]

Breaking away from your existing sisterhood just so you can have parties with alcohol in the house and boys in your room?

I think all national sororities that have any religious symbolisms in their ritual are in place as historic symbolisms, indicators of the feeling of that part of the country at the time of its founding, with options for those of other faiths to take part in those rituals without compromising thei beliefs.

More power to them for having a strong local, but it seems their reasons for returning their national charter were not for the best of reasons.

[Little E]

Perhaps this is the wrong question, but would an org really get a charter pulled for having men in the house and alcohol? It just doesn't make sense to me. And having advisors walking through at any hours? That seems highly inappropriate to me.


But I will agree that many locals who were former nat'ls are very aware of the no alcohol and restrictions on men ( i include men at rush in that). Still the whole big brother thing seems over the top.

[adpiucf]

Little E, Revoking a charter is typically done on a case-by-case basis and always the last resort when a resolution cannot be reached after several interventions, probationary measures and chapter education efforts. In some cases, as it appears with this local, the sorority relinquished the charter voluntarily because they decided they no longer aligned themselves with the sorority's mission.

Reasons for revoking a charter range from chapters falling into serious debt, continued policy violations, risk management issues that could include hazing-related injuries/deaths, lawsuits, you name it.