Differing customs between chapters

[gammazetagrl]

Hey, I was just wondering whether you guys met up with a different chapter of your org and learned that they did some stuff differently than your chapter does?

For example, one of our WI chapters lets the parents give their female "kid" a lavaliere as one of the welcome home presents (like picture frames,mugs,candy etc)--which welcomes them as a pledge-- but in ours, we wait till after initiation to let them wear lavalieres.

My ex visited me in school and met one of my neighbors in the dorm. they were pledging the same fraternity at the time, but my ex was from a diff chapter. He was about to do the handshake with my friend but my friend told him that although the actives already taught them the handshake, they cannot do it yet until after being initiated. However, in my ex's chapter, pledges are welcome to do it w/ the other pledges and actives.

I just looked back on this and thought it was interesting how diff chapters can have diff customs. What do u think causes it? Campus atmosphere, region, or maybe history of the chapter?

[SilverTurtle]

Different chapters sometimes have entirely different customs. I think the biggest factor is the campus greek community. Your chapter is going to take on similar aspects to the other chapters around it.

My chapter (when I was an active) functioned very closely to the way our social GLOs did. I met some actives of a chapter that functions almost like an honorary (because their campus doesn't recognize anyone GLO's as tradidtional fraternities/sororities unless they are members of NIC/NPC/NPHC).

Our chapters are like two different worlds, but we manage to accomplish the same things.

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SilverTurtle

Phi Beta Fraternity: National Professional Association for the Creative & Performing Arts

[KSigkid]

For Kappa Sigma, there are definitely some differences between chapters. One is mentioned in the Kappa Sig discussion board -some call the brother/pledge pairing as big/little brother, and some (like my chapter) call it pledge father/pledge son. Some chapters allow their pledges to wear letters, while some only allow the wearing of pledge pins. There are probably other differences I'm forgetting, but those are the ones that come to mind at this moment.

[Dianne]

I'm a ZTA, and I have also noticed slight differences. At Zeta Day, when all the chapters in the state get together, we were singing a song, and my chapter sang it differently. Also, our chapter is 30 years old, and by now we have developed some of our own traditions. One of the sisters is an affiliate from Univ of Wisconsin, where the Zeta chapter is only a few years old. They do everything by the book, and she is dumbfounded by some of the stuff we do here.

Off the subject (kinda), I think it's really weird that in your (ex?)boyfriend's fraternity, they teach the pledges the handshake! No one I know in any greek organization learns that before initiation. And pledges would get in trouble for knowing that kind of stuff. Maybe it's a regional thing. Who knows?

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"Seek the noblest."
Zeta Love! <3

[gammazetagrl]

Yeah Dianne, the handshake thingie is the biggest difference i've been aware of. I dunno if it's a regional thing really because our campuses are only an hour and a half away.

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"To supress our feelings only makes them stronger"--from Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon

[33girl]

I think it definitely has to do with your campus's customs, with regional things following a close second. If you ever go to a national convention you'll see this. I went to one and the sisters from the midwest & south were singing sorority songs I had never even HEARD of.

[UNFSigmaChi]

Ya around here we call our new initiates NIBS..newly initiated brothers. Out west the sigs call them JI's...just initiated. Another chapter I visited called them shiny badges.

[SLOTheta]

Originally posted by KSigkid:
-some call the brother/pledge pairing as big/little brother, and some (like my chapter) call it pledge father/pledge son. Some chapters allow their pledges to wear letters, while some only allow the wearing of pledge pins.

KSigkid:
At Cal Poly, they use big/lil and only allow their pledges to wear pins, and Kappa Sigma spelled out...during I-week, the big bros dress up their littles and make them carry crazy stuff all week.

[pirate00]

Kappa Upsilon chapter of APO has many customs that differ from other chapters:

1)Paddle/Letter Exchange after initiation
2)Pledges wear screen printed letters only
3)A "special week" occurring the last week of pledgeship
4)Brothers/pledges are STRICTLY prohibited from wearing letters/APO pins when downtown or drinking
5)Handshake and meaning of symbols learned after pledgeship
6)Neophytes(new brothers) may not vote until final pledge dues have been paid

[BlueandBlue]

Originally posted by pirate00:
Kappa Upsilon chapter of APO has many customs that differ from other chapters:

4)Brothers/pledges are STRICTLY prohibited from wearing letters/APO pins when downtown or drinking

I'm kind of surprised this rule is unique to your chapter...do you really not have a national policy on that? Just curious

[BrianMUDU]

Our Chapter of DU has that rule as well -- no wearing of letters uptown (or downtown for you, whichever direction your bars are!)

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Brian Sejas
The Miami Chapter of Delta Upsilon, Est. May 13, 1868.