What old tradition would you like to see revived?

[DGTess]

Originally Posted by bejazd

Wow, that's kind of an extreme view DGTess. I'll agree with you that some of the PNM vs rushee stuff is pretty lame...I mean, it is what it is. Sorority RUSH. Pledging. Initiation. Lifetime Membership. But in the big picture, all the NPC groups are pretty much the same at the national/international level, and they all offer very similar programming and membership opportunities. Each individual chapter and the individual members are unique and create their own chapter culture at any given time. I don't think there's any less opportunities for leadership or an expectation to conform particularly. just curious why you feel that way!

You can check out this post on my blog for a fuller explanation. It's not complete - I could probably write a book. The issue is indicative of the larger society. Look at the people crying "We can't use real candles" when in fact one person says they used candles, had a fire, and dealt. These are people who learn lessons, and the lesson isn't "don't use candles", it's "be careful with fire." Those are leadership lessons.

When my daughter when to University of Texas at Austin, rushees were required to PAY for the privilege of attending SIXTEEN houses on one day. Tell me she's going to remember squat? She and I decided it was an asinine system, and she's happily GDI.

[Drolefille]

Originally Posted by DGTess

You can check out this post on my blog for a fuller explanation. It's not complete - I could probably write a book. The issue is indicative of the larger society. Look at the people crying "We can't use real candles" when in fact one person says they used candles, had a fire, and dealt. These are people who learn lessons, and the lesson isn't "don't use candles", it's "be careful with fire." Those are leadership lessons.

I think these days it's more - multiple chapters had incidents with fire and their insurance companies said they require a no-fire policy as part of their coverage. Same thing with many of the other restrictions.

[bejazd]

NutBrn, I meant all our groups are similar in the general sense that all of our National/Int'l officers share the same challenges in promoting scholarship, leadership, service and sisterhood among their membership and dealing with practical matters such as finances, liability, litigation, anti-Greek administrations, etc. Obviously each NPC group has a unique, rich and wonderful tradition and history loved and cherished by her own sisters.

Did you mean something different?

[33girl]

First off, as for the candles, several schools/landlords are the ones that have the policies - I know we rented from a regular landlord, and we weren't supposed to have any open flames at all. It was in our lease. Some chapters that aren't housed hold rituals in classrooms or all purpose rooms - these buildings are usually nonsmoking and any flame at all would have the sprinklers going off.

In other words, sometimes it isn't the sorority making the no-candle rules.

Originally Posted by DGTess

You can check out this post on my blog for a fuller explanation. It's not complete - I could probably write a book. The issue is indicative of the larger society. Look at the people crying "We can't use real candles" when in fact one person says they used candles, had a fire, and dealt. These are people who learn lessons, and the lesson isn't "don't use candles", it's "be careful with fire." Those are leadership lessons.

When my daughter when to University of Texas at Austin, rushees were required to PAY for the privilege of attending SIXTEEN houses on one day. Tell me she's going to remember squat? She and I decided it was an asinine system, and she's happily GDI.

Tess, I read your post, and while I understand your frustration with people not taking responsibility for their own actions, I really don't understand your railing at some of the things you are. Dancing With the Stars? It's a silly TV show. I don't think anyone feels they are being "mind controlled" if there's a reminder to vote for Marie Osmond because she's a Mu Nu. Would I vote for a sister who was running for homecoming queen? Yes, because she's not just a sister, she's my friend. I want my friend to win a contest she enters. There are several discussions on here about "the Machine" but that is most assuredly the exception, not the rule.

There was a large discussion on here about a sorority member (I think she was a KD) running for political office in Washington, and several of her sisters said that while they supported the fact that she was active politically, they didn't agree with her politics.

Several of my sisters are members of the Fraternal Caucus group - it's a lobbying organization. They certainly do not want everyone to think the same way. If that was the case, the sisters I know wouldn't be involved with it.

And I am sorry that you feel that meeting all the sororities is an "asinine system." Many women go through this process, and they DO remember who they liked and who they didn't. I realize that coming from a very small chapter this is a bit mind-boggling, but every school is different. If you wanted your daughter to have the kind of Greek experience you did, you shouldn't have sent her to UT.

Political activism isn't always a sign of leadership. I think (and I think DA would probably back me up on this) that in the "good old days" of protests and marching, there were just as many people there trying to hook up as there were people devoted to the cause..."what's your phone number?" in between "power to the people!" Sadly, a lot of women who are involved in feminist groups in college are told - NOT by the sororities, but by the "feminist" groups - that involvement in both is not possible.

[skylark]

Originally Posted by 33girl

In other words, sometimes it isn't the sorority making the no-candle rules.

And sometimes it is the sorority... my GLO's policy on candles comes directly from nationals and applies to chapters that are both housed and unhoused. It is even part of the risk management chairman's materials direct from the GLO to make sure every chapter complies...

[33girl]

Originally Posted by skylark

And sometimes it is the sorority... my GLO's policy on candles comes directly from nationals and applies to chapters that are both housed and unhoused. It is even part of the risk management chairman's materials direct from the GLO to make sure every chapter complies...

I'm not denying that.

I'm just saying that there ARE times when the national sorority has nothing to do with it. There are lots of instances on here where collegians or alums say "our nationals didn't let us do so and so" and nationals had nothing to do with it...it was a chapter bylaw, or a tradition, or something the school didn't allow. Kind of along the same lines of blaming the "brothel law" for the lack of sorority houses when no such law exists. Everyone seemed to be piling on nationals for not "letting" them do things whether or not the national was really the one who made the rule.

[PsychTau2]

Originally Posted by 33girl

I'm not denying that.
There are lots of instances on here where collegians or alums say "our nationals didn't let us do so and so" and nationals had nothing to do with it...it was a chapter bylaw, or a tradition, or something the school didn't allow.

As a campus Greek Advisor I get that ALL THE TIME! Except in my case, it's "the college won't let us..." Actually, if they were familiar with their organization's policies and governing documents, they'd know that the school had nothing to do with the rule (whatever it is). I call chapter officers out on that all the time! (there are times when sorority members complain to me about a rule that I've never heard of before...come to find out, the rule is in the chapter bylaws and the chapter leadership blames it on ME when they are reviewing bylaws with the chapter members).

Our campus DOES have the "no candles" rule..but it applies to everyone in any campus property. The sorority chapters have found places off campus to do initiation instead (which gives them a better room in my opinion).

PsychTau

[ISUKappa]

Originally Posted by skylark

And sometimes it is the sorority... my GLO's policy on candles comes directly from nationals and applies to chapters that are both housed and unhoused. It is even part of the risk management chairman's materials direct from the GLO to make sure every chapter complies...

Yes, the no flame mandate is straight from Headquarters but it was set with insurance and safety in mind. Sure I miss the ambiance of real candles during recruitment and ritual, but I'd much rather have a standing house and all the members safe than a little ambiance.

[skylark]

Originally Posted by ISUKappa

Yes, the no flame mandate is straight from Headquarters but it was set with insurance and safety in mind. Sure I miss the ambiance of real candles during recruitment and ritual, but I'd much rather have a standing house and all the members safe than a little ambiance.

Yeah, I understand the logic and liability-avoiding reasons (just like with many of the restrictions that inevitably have to exist)... I'm just saying that I miss it and it is too bad that we couldn't just solve the problem some other way than a complete ban. I have no ideas as far as what that would be, but I'm definitely jealous of the GPBs' real candles!

[Drolefille]

Originally Posted by skylark

And sometimes it is the sorority... my GLO's policy on candles comes directly from nationals and applies to chapters that are both housed and unhoused. It is even part of the risk management chairman's materials direct from the GLO to make sure every chapter complies...

See my post on insurance above. It's not just housed members who are covered in the insurance policy.

[DGTess]

"And I am sorry that you feel that meeting all the sororities is an "asinine system." Many women go through this process, and they DO remember who they liked and who they didn't. I realize that coming from a very small chapter this is a bit mind-boggling, but every school is different. If you wanted your daughter to have the kind of Greek experience you did, you shouldn't have sent her to UT."

I didn't SEND her to UT. She CHOSE UT. I raised her to make choices and live with her decisions.

[bejazd]

Do the Theta Chis (or anyone else) still host Toilet Races? (go carts built out of toilets)

That was one of my favorite events. They usually had a concert tied to the event- the first time I went to a punk rock concert it was X in the parking lot at Long Beach State! and I'm pretty sure that Gwen Stefani sang at one of those concerts before she was famous. maybe someone else will remember that one....

[seraphimsprite]

When I left my chapter we still had the tradition of standing when alumnae walked into the room and I always thought it was a really nice show of respect, but since graduating I haven't found another chapter where they still do that.

I also miss the rush skits, sneaking into fraternity houses to steal their composites and scavenger hunts (which weren't allowed when I was a member but we did them anyway.) We also had a really fun tradition in my chapter where the seniors would take the juniors out at the end of the year for a sort of "senior initiation" night. The senior initiation "ritual" was probably the best kept secret in our chapter because no one wanted to spoil it for the younger classes, but it was always a ton of fun.

The year after I graduated, my sisters had a chapter consultant come in who basically threw out all of our chapter traditions because they were "hazing." We used to have a tradition for big sis revealing where the big sis would buy two sets of matching pajamas, one for herself, one for her little and the little would have to search the house to find her new big. Apparently that was too much like a scavenger hunt. My friend was the pledge mom that term and came up with a number of alternate ideas that were all rejected by the CC so the only thing they were allowed to do was a sort of candle passing.

The CC also banned study table hours because apparently it was hazing that we had a system where the number of hours you had to do was determined by your previous term's grades instead of making everyone do the same number of hours (really you'd think it'd make sense to have the girl with a 2.2 do more hours than the one with a 4.0 but apparently not... )

And we had a system of priority points that determined room assignments and parking, based on involvement in the chapter, campus activities and grades. If you had enough points, you could use them for something we called "priviledged absences" where you could opt out of informal chapter meetings and minor events, which we thought was a fabulous reward for people who had put a lot of time and effort into the chapter. Apparently that wasn't allowed either. I'm not bitter, not at all...

[AlphaFrog]

Originally Posted by seraphimsprite

When I left my chapter we still had the tradition of standing when alumnae walked into the room and I always thought it was a really nice show of respect, but since graduating I haven't found another chapter where they still do that.

Your WIU Chapter (Delta Sigma, I think) stood for Alum when I was there a few years ago. I'm pretty sure they still do.