Beta Sweetheart

[a.e.B.O.T.]

Question: Ok, so as a member of a colony, I really don't know much about the beta sweetheart. Could you please inform me if your chapter does (or did) it, and how common it is, what does it entail, who do you pick and how, is it effective? Please let me know because it sounds really interesting, and my colony would definitely like to know more.

thanks,
tim

[Betarulz!]

We never had a singular sweetheart.

We did try to create a "Beta Rose" program, but our Greek Affairs office wasn't too happy about it thinking it was too close to a little sister organization. There was some concern that there would be freshmen girls cleaning our house or doing other sorts of favors in order to get recognized. The original idea was that every pledge class would choose the group of girls that were their year in school and those girls would get t-shirts and have dinner cooked for them and get serenaded in front of their house and such. Again it didn't happen.

Personally, I really don't like the idea of a sweetheart. It usually ends up just being some senior's girlfriend (at least on my campus) and I don't see the point.

If you want to recognize girls that have been good friends of Beta, do that and try to be inclusive, but focus on the ones who have consistently and continually helped out. In my opinion, the ideal situation would be that you honor girls who aren't anyone's girlfriend and you let the junior class pick out the girls who must also be upperclassmen. Recognize the girls who have been to your rush events for two or three years, the girls who everyone is friends with. The ones who are part of that group's "posse" to the bars.

For me, there are probably four or five girls who by my junior and senior year who would have fit that bill and they would have deserved to be recognized, and only one was anyone's girlfriend by that time and they had been together since first semester freshman year. They were the girls who started hanging out with us freshman year, the ones who were likely to show up at our party AFTER the primer for some other theme party (thus drinking those guys beer and then coming to hang out with us). The girls who if one of the guys in my pledge class were holding a party senior year, they were sure to be there rather than going to the bars. The girls who helped us during rush by talking to high schoolers they knew would be good fits for our chapter (and in some cases telling some guys who weren't that they were better off somewhere else). Those are the girls who really deserve it, but why should we only pick one?

Again this is just my preference on the matter, and perhaps you're looking for something completely different.

[sdbeta1]

I haven't directly came across a chapter who has had a sweetheart, but from what I have read and came across previously is that it should be a lady who has exemplified the Beta spirit in her dealings with the fraternity. Don't just let it be a popularity contest, it is a great honor to be selected as the chapter's sweetheart. It should be a lady who has been around the chapter for an extended period of time. Don't select a sweetheart just for the sake of having a sweetheart.

I am unsure as to how common it is, my senior year the Delts selected a Delta Queen for the chapter, so I assume it isn't something original or unique to a specific chapter. Is it effective? I see its point being to recognize and honor a lady who has already shown her faithfulness to the chapter. It's effect is in the past, and it in no means creates a bond or obligation for the future. If it were up to me, I would shy away from selecting ladies who are currently dating a member. Also, the sweetheart should be "off-limits." But it would have to be something that is taken case by case.

[Coramoor]

We've had sweethearts at my chapter for as long as I can remember.

There are several reasons we have one. One to choose a girl we all like/respect to help create a positive image of my chapter. Also for slightly political reasons, in that our sweethearts sorority is more connected to us. Sometimes it helps strengthen a relationship and sometimes it can create inroads to a sorority with little contact.

Our sweet heart attends all of our events, helps out with recruitment, and when we have things for alumni they generally help with activities for our alumni's wives.

Our selection process is done by seniors and it's an interview type selection. Some rules I can think of off the top of my head is she cannot be dating a Beta. We discourage picking a girl that has a boyfriend because it usually creates problems in their relationship. We also make sure we know what the girl is like and her general reputation on campus.

[Beaver]

We had a Sweetheart at the OSU chapter, but the greek life office told us not to do it again the next year. It seems we had no soviergnty at OSU.