Before You Found a New Sorority

[preciousjeni]

Since we don't have a comprehensive thread about founding a new sorority and because there is no known cure for founderitis, how about we put together a How-To for folks. If you are thinking about starting a new sorority or if you are looking to nationalize your local, please stop here first.

Greeks, please only post about your own type of organization/council so that the recommendations will be as accurate as possible.

In fact, I will even work on compiling a list of groups/individuals who have come onto GC asking about founding a sorority.

EXPANSION...THE SAGA
Rush at UCSC

WHAT NOT TO DO
SKEPi

NON-NPC NATIONAL/REGIONAL SOCIAL SORORITIES (RECRUITMENT-BASED)
Running List

STARTING A NEW SORORITY/NEW CHAPTER OF AN GENERAL (NPC/NPHC/ETC.) SORORITY
Alpha Theta Nu
Rho Sigma Zeta
New Greek Girls
Alpha Grl
dixiegirl09
ehanline
New Christian Local
Rhode Island College
Genevieve
cep1017
NPC Interest
New NPC Sorority
Redraidergirl
Theta Xi Beta
jcolon
jayhawkgirl
ashb316
audrasue
MissJai
Swtmartini
MySTiK BaLL
dallasdoll
MissVirginia
MissVirginia
dreamsmanda
Cody46
Rechartering a sorority
Omega Phi Sigma
Culver8824
Silmanarmo
KIX

STARTING A NEW SORORITY/NEW CHAPTER OF AN SPECIAL INTEREST SORORITY
Non-Collegiate Sorority
Sorority for Grad Students
Academic Sorority
Technical College
Creating a Co-Ed Local
Christian Sorority
Plus size Sorority
Hospitality Sorority
Attracting Potential Co-founders - Christian
Dance Sorority
Beta Sigma Phi - Erica812

STARTING A NEW SORORITY/NEW CHAPTER ON A NON-GREEK CAMPUS
Alpha Mu Sigma
bianca131
Mimi6389
mckid

AFFILIATING WITH A NATIONAL SORORITY
Ramapo College Interest
That1LoudChick
MDJenny29
klplovely
Jfurr1126
Zetagymnast
Sphinx101
MissyKramer
dhgirl
Omega Phi Delta
Alpha Sigma Delta
Theta Kappa
Engineering Sorority (OHNOITSJESS)

ESTABLISHING/DEVELOPING A NEWLY FOUNDED SORORITY/CHAPTER
LaDy B
Zeta Xi Delta
Pi Rho
Pledge Ideas
Delta Rho Delta
Inductions

PARTIAL LIST OF ORGANIZATIONS

(More to come - feel free to send me links)

FOUNDERS OF SUCCESSFUL LOCALS AND NATIONAL EXTENSIONS/EXPANSIONS, PLEASE POST HERE!

[preciousjeni]

I'll start...

If you are interested in starting a chapter of Theta Nu Xi Multicultural Sorority, Inc., please visit http://thetanuxi.org/exp_underg.htm. That's all you need to know.

Please do not come to Theta Nu Xi if you have been rejected from another sorority/other sororities in an attempt to spite them. Only if you are truly interested in the mission, tenets and programming of the Sorority should you pursue your interest in her.

[33girl]

oh dear, preciousjeni, you are in my head.

Do not attempt to start a new NPC group if you (the "interest group" you) haven't already gone through NPC rush.

Do not attempt to start a new NPC group if the majority of groups on your campus are under total.

Do not attempt to start a new NPC group if your campus has informal rush and you only rushed one sorority. You need to check out ALL the groups.

I'm sure I will think of more later.

[KSUViolet06]

Your school must be OPEN FOR EXPANSION in order to begin the process of bringing on another NPC sorority. Usually a school will consider expansion only when all existing NPC sororities have reached and maintained campus total consistently for 2 years or so.

If your school DOES NOT HAVE SORORITIES, be sure to get approval from the administration before you decide to just "start a sorority." Some schools do not recognize Greek groups on campus.

Originally Posted by KSUViolet06

Your school must be OPEN FOR EXPANSION in order to begin the process of bringing on another NPC sorority. Usually a school will consider expansion only when all existing NPC sororities have reached and maintained campus total consistently for 2 years or so.

If your school DOES NOT HAVE SORORITIES, be sure to get approval from the administration before you decide to just "start a sorority." Some schools do not recognize Greek groups on campus.

Is it permissible for my sorority to become affiliated with an NPC group even though we had just gotten one last year? We are a recognized group of CPC on our campus so would going NPC take the place of KBG or would we have to wait as if we were local?

[Drolefille]

Originally Posted by Kaorin_Kanoe

Is it permissible for my sorority to become affiliated with an NPC group even though we had just gotten one last year? We are a recognized group of CPC on our campus so would going NPC take the place of KBG or would we have to wait as if we were local?

...

[Regina.George]

Originally Posted by Kaorin_Kanoe

Is it permissible for my sorority to become affiliated with an NPC group even though we had just gotten one last year? We are a recognized group of CPC on our campus so would going NPC take the place of KBG or would we have to wait as if we were local?

Rut-roh

[luv n tpa]

Originally Posted by 33girl

oh dear, preciousjeni, you are in my head.

Do not attempt to start a new NPC group if you (the "interest group" you) haven't already gone through NPC rush.

Do not attempt to start a new NPC group if the majority of groups on your campus are under total.

Do not attempt to start a new NPC group if your campus has informal rush and you only rushed one sorority. You need to check out ALL the groups.

I'm sure I will think of more later.

Amen. Quoted for emphasis.

[CULater]

Originally Posted by preciousjeni

I'll start...

If you are interested in starting a chapter of Theta Nu Xi Multicultural Sorority, Inc., please visit http://thetanuxi.org/exp_underg.htm. That's all you need to know.

Please do not come to Theta Nu Xi if you have been rejected from another sorority/other sororities in an attempt to spite them. Only if you are truly interested in the mission, tenets and programming of the Sorority should you pursue your interest in her.

yeah, no kidding. unfortunately that is happening on my current campus. These group of ladies faked being interested in the current orgs on campus, some are even droppees of NPHCs, but decided to ask a large national organization to come to campus. For us personally, some stood outside the building where we held our informationals and tried to persuade the ladies who were coming to join them instead. We only found out much later because one of the interested ladies went on line for us and told us.

We find out after they asked for approval that their sorority nationals did not even know they were interested, and got the Greek Advisor here (who is pushing sooo very hard for them to come that he refuses to allow NPHC or non-mainstream org to put in a vote) to do all the leg-work for them (they did not follow protocol of the school or the sorority to get approved...ie, you need to be approved by the council before the dean, and they went straight to the dean to get approved, and since my school is very big on greek s- 50% greeks, with hopes for more diversity, he said yes).

They show up to presentation purposely wearing the sororities colors, and stole a lot of other orgs purposes/missions/philantrophy, and because the Greek Advisor barred NPHC and us alums from attending (he sent out a very nasty email saying that if we showed up there will be consequences), and kept non-mainstream org from questioning them, they were approved by NPC. He even prepped them on how to answer the questions he knew would be asked by NPC. They cried at the presentation because they were so happy to have found finally found a niche at my school. Just a little bitter not about the org, but these ladies and what they have done to try to come on campus. They can't see that by doing these things, that they've damaged their orgs reputation more (and btw, even if they do come on campus, these ladies will find no help or collaboration from NPHC because of their behaviors during this period; at least not until these first group of ladies graduate).

[texas*princess]

Originally Posted by CULater

yeah, no kidding. unfortunately that is happening on my current campus. These group of ladies faked being interested in the current orgs on campus, some are even droppees of NPHCs, but decided to ask a large national organization to come to campus. For us personally, some stood outside the building where we held our informationals and tried to persuade the ladies who were coming to join them instead. We only found out much later because one of the interested ladies went on line for us and told us.

We find out after they asked for approval that their sorority nationals did not even know they were interested, and got the Greek Advisor here (who is pushing sooo very hard for them to come that he refuses to allow NPHC or non-mainstream org to put in a vote) to do all the leg-work for them (they did not follow protocol of the school or the sorority to get approved...ie, you need to be approved by the council before the dean, and they went straight to the dean to get approved, and since my school is very big on greek s- 50% greeks, with hopes for more diversity, he said yes).

They show up to presentation purposely wearing the sororities colors, and stole a lot of other orgs purposes/missions/philantrophy, and because the Greek Advisor barred NPHC and us alums from attending (he sent out a very nasty email saying that if we showed up there will be consequences), and kept non-mainstream org from questioning them, they were approved by NPC. They cried at the presentation because they were so happy to have found finally found a niche at my school. Just a little bitter not about the org, but these ladies and what they have done to try to come on campus. They can't see that by doing these things, that they've damaged their orgs reputation more (and btw, even if they do come on campus, these ladies will find no help or collaboration from NPHC because of their behaviors during this period; at least not until these first group of ladies graduate).

So here's a question for you:

What is so wrong about a group of ladies who didn't find the sisterhood in other organizations, but are finding it somewhere else? How you do really know they are only doing that to "spite" the other groups and not because they truly are looking for their "place"?

From the sounds of it, you are talking about a NPC organization because the "non mainstream orgs" weren't allowed in on the presentations... on some campuses, affiliates or even non-affilates of the campus panhellenic are not allowed to make decisions that would affect the campus NPC, just like the NPC groups are not allowed in on making the decisions that affect the other umbrella organizations on the campus.

And even though you said they "stole" the missions/values/whatever of other groups, unless they stole them verbatim, like for example, had their open motto be the exact same as another groups, it doesn't make sense that they stole something. Most sororities exist for the same purposes: fostering sisterhood, creating leaders, excelling in academics, etc.

[CULater]

Originally Posted by texas*princess

So here's a question for you:

What is so wrong about a group of ladies who didn't find the sisterhood in other organizations, but are finding it somewhere else? How you do really know they are only doing that to "spite" the other groups and not because they truly are looking for their "place"?

From the sounds of it, you are talking about a NPC organization because the "non mainstream orgs" weren't allowed in on the presentations... on some campuses, affiliates or even non-affilates of the campus panhellenic are not allowed to make decisions that would affect the campus NPC, just like the NPC groups are not allowed in on making the decisions that affect the other umbrella organizations on the campus.

nope, they aren't trying to bring an NPC org on campus, and they work a lot like NPHC/LGLO/MCGLO than NPC. But, it would have been nice if NPHC and non-mainstream orgs could attend their presentation since they aren't an NPC org, and would know them better than NPC orgs, but nope, the Greek Advisor would not let us in.

And yes, obviously, it is not everyone is doing it to be spiteful, just a couple of the leaders who have caused a lot of trouble because of the tactics they've used. They lied about when they started doing paperwork (it wasn't until about 2 weeks before presentation that they initiated contact w/their Nationals, and that is only because their Greek Advisor did it for them). And again, none of us have anything against the organization they are bringing on campus, just a couple of these ladies who are severing greek relations by being highly disrespectful and even malignant.

[preciousjeni]

Originally Posted by texas*princess

So here's a question for you:

What is so wrong about a group of ladies who didn't find the sisterhood in other organizations, but are finding it somewhere else? How you do really know they are only doing that to "spite" the other groups and not because they truly are looking for their "place"?

I believe this question was directed at me. If they are truly looking for their place, by all means, check out what there is to offer before making a decision. What I'm talking about is women who approach organizations and explicitly state, "I didn't make it into an NPC sorority, so I figure it would be easier to start a chapter of your sorority" or something to that effect. We've seen women come onto GC and talk about the stereotypes of sororities on campus when it is clear they haven't truly investigated them before pursuing another organization. That's not a good look.

And this:

Originally Posted by KSUViolet06

*Starting a new sorority is not the cure for getting released from recruitment.

[KSUViolet06]

*Do your research! Find out the last time your school brought a new sorority to campus. If your school just added an NPC chapter in the past 3-5 years, they may not be ready for another one.

*Starting a new sorority is not the cure for getting released from recruitment.

[brownsugar952]

Originally Posted by preciousjeni

Please do not come to Theta Nu Xi if you have been rejected from another sorority/other sororities in an attempt to spite them. Only if you are truly interested in the mission, tenets and programming of the Sorority should you pursue your interest in her.

but it happens...

[preciousjeni]

Originally Posted by brownsugar952

but it happens...

And I would hope that organizational officers would be keen enough to ask the right questions and make sure the opportunity to expand/extend is really worth the time and money.