"Southern" Sororities?

[KSUViolet06]

Originally posted by Little E
I had a friend who was a debutante. My cousin was too (later she walked out in the middle of her pinning ceremony then laughed when i joined a sorority) I'm further convinced by Jocelyn's post that the South is an entirely different contry than the mid-west.

I just wish I could explain the mid-west...prom in our gym, and our parents paid to watch it ...yep that was the highlight.

I'm actually NOT southern. I'm from CA and was a debutante my junior year of HS when I moved to Ohio. So, I'm a pretty big Yankee. Debutante balls originated in the south and are gaining popularity elsewhere.

But yes, the South is very different. I came to GC and was totally baffled by talk of Lily Pulitzer dresses, rush resume's, recommendations for EVERY sorority, and 1,000 pnm's. Kent is so much more laid back.

[roqueemae]

In Louisiana, most of our debutante activities are organized around a Mardi Gras Krewe. The woman's parents are members of the Krewe and when they are of age, they are presented at the Ball close to Mardi Gras. Sometimes there are a few ceremonies and/or costumes to wear for the ball. Every girl I have every known to be presented are members of sororities. These are generally the society events of the town.

[KSUViolet06]

Originally posted by roqueemae
Every girl I have every known to be presented are members of sororities.

Strangely enough, same here. I was presented with 11 other women. I am now a Tri Sigma, 4 of them are Delta's, 2 are AKA's, 2 are Sigma Gamma Rho, one is a Zeta Phi Beta, another is a Delta Gamma. The ball was given by mom's alumnae chapter of Delta Sigma Theta.

[ZTAngel]

ZTA has most of its chapters in the South. We have chapters at these SEC schools:
Alabama
Arkansas
Auburn
Florida
Georgia
Louisiana State
Mississippi State
South Carolina
Tennessee

Chapters by State:
Alabama- 7
Arkansas- 2
Florida- 9
Georgia- 9
Louisiana- 4
Mississippi- 1
North Carolina- 9
South Carolina- 10
Tennessee- 6
Texas- 15
Virginia- 8

[Taualumna]

Originally posted by JocelynC
Debutante balls originated in the south and are gaining popularity elsewhere.

.

I'm pretty sure debutante balls originated in Europe, not the south. Perhaps the word "debutante" is southern, though. In Jane Austen's books, she uses "coming-out" rather than debutante. It's basically the same thing.

[NutBrnHair]

I posted this in a Chi Omega forum a few months ago -- thought I'd add it here too:

Representation in Top Athletic Conferences
I found the recent threads on NPC representation in many of the athletic conferences very interesting. It made me very proud to see Chi Omega at (or near) the top of the lists!

SEC: 12/12

Big 12: 12/12

Pac 10: 9/10

Big 10: 10/11

ACC: 7/9

Big East (after this year's reallignment): 6/17 (tied for #1)

With collegiate chapters at 170ish campuses -- we are on large state schools, small private schools, commuter campuses, etc. We are in all regions of the country. The variety is important...and good.

[CutiePie2000]

Originally posted by Taualumna
I'm pretty sure debutante balls originated in Europe, not the south. Perhaps the word "debutante" is southern, though. In Jane Austen's books, she uses "coming-out" rather than
debutante. It's basically the same thing.

It's a French word in origin....if it came out of the South, it's probably from all the French people who hightailed it down there from (what is now) French-Canada.

Main Entry: 1de·but
Variant(s): also dé·but /'dA-"byü, dA-'/
Function: noun
Etymology: French début, from débuter to begin, from Middle French desbuter to play first, from des- de- + but starting point, goal -- more at BUTT
1 : a first appearance <made her singing debut>
2 : a formal entrance into society

[Taualumna]

Originally posted by CutiePie2000
It's a French word in origin....if it came out of the South, it's probably from all the French people who hightailed it down there from (what is now) French-Canada.

Main Entry: 1de·but
Variant(s): also dé·but /'dA-"byü, dA-'/
Function: noun
Etymology: French début, from débuter to begin, from Middle French desbuter to play first, from des- de- + but starting point, goal -- more at BUTT
1 : a first appearance <made her singing debut>
2 : a formal entrance into society

But did the French refer to their daughters' coming-out as "debutantes"?

[MysticCat]

Originally posted by Taualumna
But did the French refer to their daughters' coming-out as "debutantes"?

Not exactly; the correct French word for the "coming out" itself is debut. Debutante (which is the feminine form; the masculine is debutant) can be either a noun or an adjective meaning "beginner." By some extension, it can mean either "one who makes a debut" (noun) or "having to do with a debut" (adjective). Thus, a woman who makes a debut is a debutante, and a ball or cotillion held for the purpose of debuts is a debutante ball or cotillion.

While these words are unquestionably French, their usage in the context of a young lady's "coming out" appears to have orginated in England and was later adopted in France.

[KSUViolet06]

Originally posted by NutBrnHair
I posted this in a Chi Omega forum a few months ago -- thought I'd add it here too:

Representation in Top Athletic Conferences
I found the recent threads on NPC representation in many of the athletic conferences very interesting. It made me very proud to see Chi Omega at (or near) the top of the lists!

SEC: 12/12

Big 12: 12/12

Pac 10: 9/10

Big 10: 10/11

ACC: 7/9

Big East (after this year's reallignment): 6/17 (tied for #1)

With collegiate chapters at 170ish campuses -- we are on large state schools, small private schools, commuter campuses, etc. We are in all regions of the country. The variety is important...and good.

Our representation in southern states:
(# of chapters)

AL- 0
TX- 3
FL-4
LA-4
GA-2
MS-0
Ark-3
TN-0
NC-9
SC-4
VA-6
KY-2

So we're no Phi Mu or Chi Omega by any means but I think we'll get there in time.

[Steeltrap]

Originally posted by JocelynC
Strangely enough, same here. I was presented with 11 other women. I am now a Tri Sigma, 4 of them are Delta's, 2 are AKA's, 2 are Sigma Gamma Rho, one is a Zeta Phi Beta, another is a Delta Gamma. The ball was given by mom's alumnae chapter of Delta Sigma Theta.

I sort of figured that the ball was from your mom's chapter. A cousin of mine was presented in a Delta ball in Charlotte, N.C. I didn't participate in the ball that my chapter presents back in 1981 or so.

[OleMissGlitter]

Originally posted by roqueemae
In Louisiana, most of our debutante activities are organized around a Mardi Gras Krewe. The woman's parents are members of the Krewe and when they are of age, they are presented at the Ball close to Mardi Gras. Sometimes there are a few ceremonies and/or costumes to wear for the ball. Every girl I have every known to be presented are members of sororities. These are generally the society events of the town.

Correct! I made my "debut" in the 1999 season back home in New Orleans. It was quite fun. I was also presented by the Pass Christian, MS Yacht Club on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Most debs in New Orleans are in sororities and I would say that Kappa Kappa Gamma, Kappa Alpha Theta, and Chi Omega are always strongly represented. However, I know most sororities have been represented in some way or another. Kappa has had the most queens of Mardi Gras (Queen of Rex.)

[NutBrnHair]

Originally posted by JocelynC
So we're no Phi Mu or Chi Omega by any means but I think we'll get there in time.

Awww Jocelyn, you edited your post so many times that now your initial compliment to Chi Omega is gone. (Just wanted you to know I saw it & I appreciated it.)

[GeekyPenguin]

Originally posted by Little E
I had a friend who was a debutante. My cousin was too (later she walked out in the middle of her pinning ceremony then laughed when i joined a sorority) I'm further convinced by Jocelyn's post that the South is an entirely different contry than the mid-west.

I just wish I could explain the mid-west...prom in our gym, and our parents paid to watch it ...yep that was the highlight.

Prom in your gym? WTF? That's not a midwestern thing at all - at least not in the urban areas. My prom was at a pavilion at the Zoo that's used for charity fundraising and the other proms I went to were at hotels or restaurants on the lake.

[TSteven]

Originally posted by roqueemae
This is so funny. I wanted to be a Phi Mu so badly BECAUSE of the alumnae I knew. They are everywhere in Louisiana. There is no way around it. There are 9 chapters in LA. Almost every college in the state has a chapter. I checked out a few other states in the South to show a comparison:
Alabama 11
Mississippi 5
Georgia 14
Florida 3 (but everyone knows that FL isn't really southern
N Carolina 9
S Carolina 4
Tennesee 5
Virginia 6

And I had wondered why we are always mentioned as Southern. I am proud of that. I am Southern and married a Southern man (Kappa Alpha Order-also a Southern Fraternity). We have a portrait of Robert E. Lee in our living room-he is historical in both as honorary member(phi mu)/spritual founder (KA). Can't have that in the north.

There are four Phi Mu chapters in Kentucky.