vets' clubs

[Erik P Conard]

back in the 40s and 50s there were a lot of groups formed by vets and eventually several became chapters of national GLOs
Some became great, others not. They were kinda fun to watch from afar -- some were simply card players, drunks, and guys on
the GI bill with a car and clean white shirt. I had, in fall of '54, as
pledge class prexy, a 6'6" marine, an old WWII re-tread, a couple
of returned vets...among our 29 (27 made grades). Let me assure you we had NO hazing, and the vets did well. But another
chapter on campus had, perhaps, a 26 year old average member
who did not recruit, did little and the chapter died a slow death.
Many vets clubs thrived on being the 'cheapest' and you got what
you paid for. They did not make much of a presence. Eventually
the vet supply dwindled and the vets clubs disappeared. And a goodly amount of the vets found their sweetheart, got married,
and lived in "vet city." Some remained active, too....
Over all, I think the vets were good in an era where beanies were
worn, paddles were public, and change was needed.
Any of you have stories 'bout the old vets' groups?

[hoosier]

I'm surprised that you had no hazing (that's called a paper member in the BGLOs).

I thought the vets really brought the hazing to campus, after they had learned the tricks in boot camp.

[RACooper]

Originally posted by hoosier
I'm surprised that you had no hazing (that's called a paper member in the BGLOs).

I thought the vets really brought the hazing to campus, after they had learned the tricks in boot camp.

Hazing has been around alot longer than that... one only has to look at the 'hellfire clubs' and such formed by students back in the 1700's in merry old England - clubs that had secrets, rituals, and even songs (like the tune to the Star Spangled Banner - the pub/drinking song of one of these clubs).

The British and University athorities launched various campaigns against the groups because of the crimes, hazings, and deaths all too common with these clubs...

If anything the WWII vets only brought a different variation to hazing - but for the most part newspaper clippings and such from that era actually talk about the decrease in hazing because the vets were serious wouldn't stand for shit like that...

[Erik P Conard]

I think Cooper is right. The returned vets, while they put up
with the less mature fraternity brothers, were somewhat of an
anxious nature to "git it on." They were not anxious for some
pimply-faced kid or some eastern jerk to come at them with a paddle or other object. They had been through enough crap in
Korea or elsewhere. My pledge class had three vets and our pledge trainer was a vet. We simply did positive things, had a
neat house and took out our hostilities on the intramural fields.
The dipshits who made fools of themselves in the Union or on campus eventually got the message. The beanies, paddles and
the peenie "pull me" strings finally disappeared. And it was the
old teacher college fraternities who were the worst; real state
universities (with law schools & med schools) were sophisticated
enough to be a bit more discreet--at least in public.
Much of the public hazing & humiliation comes, today, from groups
often immune to finger pointing as it is not "politically correct" and
besides, these groups have little to lose as many have little invested in their education anyway.
Then there are the spoiled brats and those who do not belong in
college...well, us advisors and the chapter leaders have their work cut out in an era where many still are asleep.

[Tom Earp]

As I was never a member of our Amred Forces, it is interesting to note that some of the largest Recruitments were done by returning Nam Vets and the Chapter flourished.

As Erik said, putting up with snot nosed kids was not in vouge.

But it seems that todays Mores' have changed where everything is so under casual.

Todays "Students" would rather wear Logos from clotheirs , Beer Companies, Shoes, ETC than their GLO affiliation or School!

[RACooper]

Originally posted by Tom Earp
As I was never a member of our Amred Forces, it is interesting to note that some of the largest Recruitments were done by returning Nam Vets and the Chapter flourished.

It is kinda understandable though Tom - afterall the vets would be well aquainted with things like brotherhood, duty, honour, commitment... and a little more mature... in that at they weren't coming to the chapter as naive youth - but rather as adults.

As Erik said, putting up with snot nosed kids was not in vouge.

....the root of some of my issues within the chapter....

But it seems that todays Mores' have changed where everything is so under casual.

Todays "Students" would rather wear Logos from clotheirs , Beer Companies, Shoes, ETC than their GLO affiliation or School!

Ah... I think this has been one of the eternal "debates"... alumni always can't understand the motivations/mores of the actives after a couple of years...

[DeltAlum]

The only vets club I recall while I was in college was "Vietnam Veterans Against the War."

Pretty sure there weren't any vets in my chapter at the time.

[Sister Havana]

Isn't there some fraternity for veterans? I could swear I've heard of one but I can't remember the name.

[RACooper]

I can tell you it wasn't mine... well okay at least not my chapter...

In regards to the military and Fraternities I do know that Sigma Nu has a particularly strong connection given their founding at VMI.

[Erik P Conard]

yes, how quickly we forget
I do not know a single chapter of any fraternity anywhere who
did not have at least one vet in the 50s.
Without the support of the returning veterans many of our men's
groups would have folded.
They furnished us a bit of maturity, too, that we would not have
otherwise gotten.
There were strong vets' clubs, too, and the Legion thrived, but a
good many joined fraternities, too.
Vets were loved and made superb pledge trainers...LOL
There never was a fraternity designed, per se, for vets.
There was "vet city" generally a cheap housing setting on a
fallow field on or near campus where the couples lived...yes, they
were married, no "shack ups."
Often the wives would participate in the fraternal doings, and
they were most welcome. Married actives are quite rare these days.
Sometimes a local would spring up made up of vets with cheap
dues, not much more'n a drinking club. Some of them went on
to become a legit national chapter, and all the others folded.
But it was an era, another chapter in the greek history, tales we
soon forgot...yes, how quickly we forget.

[Sister Havana]

Doing a google search...it looks like there are a few veterans' fraternities out there. I found Phi Chi Sigma, Epsilon Tau Sigma, and Delta Omicron Sigma. All are coed.

[Alpha Sig Scott]

Originally posted by Erik P Conard
yes, how quickly we forget
I do not know a single chapter of any fraternity anywhere who
did not have at least one vet in the 50s.
Without the support of the returning veterans many of our men's
groups would have folded.
They furnished us a bit of maturity, too, that we would not have
otherwise gotten.
There were strong vets' clubs, too, and the Legion thrived, but a
good many joined fraternities, too.
Vets were loved and made superb pledge trainers...LOL
There never was a fraternity designed, per se, for vets.
There was "vet city" generally a cheap housing setting on a
fallow field on or near campus where the couples lived...yes, they
were married, no "shack ups."
Often the wives would participate in the fraternal doings, and
they were most welcome. Married actives are quite rare these days.
Sometimes a local would spring up made up of vets with cheap
dues, not much more'n a drinking club. Some of them went on
to become a legit national chapter, and all the others folded.
But it was an era, another chapter in the greek history, tales we
soon forgot...yes, how quickly we forget.

Erik,

I think you should write a book on GLO fraternities. You seem to have an astounding wealth of knowledge on the subject.

I'd read it. I'm sure there are many other GC members would also. Get to work

[MysticCat]

Originally posted by Erik P Conard
Any of you have stories 'bout the old vets' groups?

Not a story about a "vet group," per se, but my WWII vet father was one of those whom you described. After the war he returned to college, where he pledged Kappa Sigma. I would hazard a guess that many of his chapter brothers were also vets, especially since I can recall my mother referring to some of the wives of my dad's Kappa Sigma brothers.

[Tom Earp]

Vets returning to campus. Wow, what a change.

The Quadrangle at NWMoSt Teachers College was built by these returning VETs so there would be a decent place for them tho live as opposed to what they were used to.

I mopped and waxed those floors My Freshman Year to Help pay for School.

They did get rough as one would expect from may Years of usaged and are now gone to the wrecking ball. I am sure they did not go down lightly!

They were the shit holes when I got to College in 1960. That is until I found out who built them and tried to do the best job I could for them who were no longer there! Floors were Spit Shiny and We restarted the radio station in one of the small rooms.

But time moves forward and I dont know if there was even a Marker for those Brave Soles who built, lived, and graduated from there!

[DeltAlum]

Saw this on Fraternal News and remembered this thread...

Associated Press
October 29, 2005

Pueblo CSU group forms fraternity for veterans

PUEBLO, Colo. -- A group of veterans at Colorado State
University-Pueblo have formed a fraternity and are hoping the idea
will catch on nationally.

"We've done our duty. We did it with honor and it was for our
country," said Robert Murphy, a former Marine and president of the
Omicron Delta Gamma fraternity. "That's what we want to employ as a
fraternity that's dedicated to military veterans," Murphy said.

Twenty-nine veterans have applied to join and as many as a hundred
more have expressed interest, said Murphy.

The university gave the fraternity a charter in September, and
organizers hope to begin the lengthy process of getting a national
charter soon. "Right now, we are the only Omicron Delta Gamma
fraternity that I know of," Murphy said. "But we're hoping that some
day, we'll have chapters all over the country."

Murphy, who recently transferred to CSU-Pueblo from Pueblo Community
College, had started a successful veterans club at the community
college. Told that no such club existed at CSU-Pueblo he set about
creating one.

"I was a little surprised when they told me they didn't have one,"
said Murphy. His focus quickly changed to starting a new fraternity
because three existing military fraternities had problems of one kind
or another.

"We're not 18-year-olds and we're not out looking to drink beer," he
said. "What we were looking for was more of a service-oriented
fraternity."

Members wanted to focus on helping veterans on campus, said Steve
Nichols, vice president of the fraternity.

"Many times when a veteran walks on a campus for the first time, they
are very lost. Even a 24-year-old who has spent four years in the
Army and has been in combat, they don't know what a college campus is
all about. We are here to help them," Nichols said.

(c) 2005 The Associated Press.