Documenting history

[toniwhitaker]

I was contacted this morning from a member of Xi Psi Chapter of Omega Psi Phi. We had a wonderful chat. The chapter is trying to document some lost history during the 1930's. My father pledged at SC state during that time. I was able to furnish some photos and names. While I didn't attend SC State, I went to every homecoming and Thanksgiving game, sat in the stands with the kids of Felton Laboratory School, and sat in on many of Dr. Webber's chemistry classes while visiting her daughter on breaks. Clemmie Webber was a founding member of DST at SC State. I'm also a Delta, 1975 Syracuse University. My point is that our connections are far and wide. We need some mechanism in place to document this fabulous college life of our parents and grandparents before it does get lost.

[Senusret I]

Welcome to GreekChat!

You sound like you have many interesting stories to share about Greek Life.

You will find it very helpful to go to this thread in the Delta Sigma Theta forum and introduce yourself. Without that introduction, most of us will find you suspicious. It's not personal, trust me. We just have problems with people saying that they are members, but it's not necessarily true.

As an Alpha who is only five years old in greek life, I'm looking forward to seeing a seasoned Greek around the boards!

(In fact, one of the Ques who used to frequent this board is actually from Xi Psi!)

[toniwhitaker]

I will visit the thread and introduce myself. Nice choice of words, especially "seasoned"

[DSTCHAOS]

Yes, chapters should document their history. Some are doing this quite well.

Yes, those of us with parents and grandparents in BGLOs should get whatever information we can from them. I can say that I enjoy seeing my family members' BGLO photos from the 1950s and hearing their pledge and campus life stories. Getting more details than that is difficult.

Apparently it's difficult for the chapters too since a lot of old chapters don't have the lineage and other info for their earliest lines. Part of that has to do with record keeping and the fact that many members from that long ago don't go back to the university and/or their home chapter.

[Senusret I]

^^^ I agree with that, most definitely.

Two quick stories:

First, I'm writing a book-length history of my APO chapter (with the research assistance of some undergrads). I've learned it's easier to collect strands of info when I put a random topic on our listserv for alumni to talk about rather than the open-ended "So what was it like back then?"

A good question is to take a chapter tradition and ask alums if they were doing it in their era.

Another thing that helped us was that the only other fraternity on campus in 1956 which is still active shared a lot of members with us, so we can help fill in gaps that way.

Second story:

I have a lot of friends in one particular chapter of AKA and they are celebrating 72 years of ininterrupted service. I didn't have an appreciation of what that exactly meant until I saw their web listing of ALL their chapter presidents since 1936.

I thought that was cool that they could collect that data.