colonization

[sdbeta1]

Originally Posted by ktsnake

As for your proposal that being initiated would put a damper in our efforts at building a chapter, I completely agree. In Sigma Nu, when we are initiated, we are given a badge number. Our badge number is designated by our chapter name (mine is Mu Tau), and then our badge number (I'm #5). If there's no chapter, I have a hard time understanding how they're going to be able to claim initiates and award badge numbers. I can't really get any more in-depth than that.

The colony experience for me was really enhanced by finally being initiated into my own chapter. Being initiated by someone else's chapter seems to defeat the purpose a little. This goes back to my feeling that colony members are not owed anything -- they need to prove themselves to IHQ first.

I am going to disagree on this thought. The chapter exists without a greek lettered designation if it is a new colonization. Re-colonizations obviously have the old chapter designation. So the chapter designation until a charter arrives is simply the name of your school. Once a colony charters, all previously initiated members are still a part of that chapter. For the time being, my badge doesn't have greek letters indicating a chapter but it has my roll number for the chapter I joined. I don't look at it as being initiated into another chapter, but rather as being initiated by another chapter. The normal pledge period is performed but with a lot more responsibility. At the end of the semester, a visiting chapter will conduct the initiation. Not initiating the class is unjust to older members (Seniors, and Juniors) who move far away after graduation or go into active duty. The enhancement of the colony experience is completed upon chartering.

[Kevin]

Originally Posted by sdbeta1

I am going to disagree on this thought. The chapter exists without a greek lettered designation if it is a new colonization. Re-colonizations obviously have the old chapter designation. So the chapter designation until a charter arrives is simply the name of your school. Once a colony charters, all previously initiated members are still a part of that chapter. For the time being, my badge doesn't have greek letters indicating a chapter but it has my roll number for the chapter I joined. I don't look at it as being initiated into another chapter, but rather as being initiated by another chapter. The normal pledge period is performed but with a lot more responsibility. At the end of the semester, a visiting chapter will conduct the initiation. Not initiating the class is unjust to older members (Seniors, and Juniors) who move far away after graduation or go into active duty. The enhancement of the colony experience is completed upon chartering.

Different strokes for different folks I guess. Our alums had no trouble coming back to be initiated. Some were not initiated when we received our charter. One was on active military duty in Alaska and didn't make it back for at least a year. No problem initiating him though. We reserved his badge number and everything.

Also, your organization's scroll number probably works different than ours. My younger brother is an ATO (yes, I know). His scroll number was not from his chapter, but from his national. He was like the 112415th person initiated (or something like that, I have no idea). That would work for colonies.

I also philosophically believe that we ought to treat recharters and colonizations in exactly the same way. Awarding a scroll/badge number to a recharter while not doing so for a colony is unjust in my opinion.

Beta, don't get me wrong, I'm not here to tell you that I think Beta is doing it wrong. There's no doubt that a lot of thought and planning goes into the colonization process for any group. I'm just telling you that I'm glad Sigma Nu does it the way I described for the reasons above.

[JonoBN41]

This is an interesting topic because I didn't realize (or even consider) that various groups do it differently until last week when a senior member of Phi Sigma Kappa told me he recently helped install a colony and it took all weekend. It was then that I realized their colony members are not initiated until installation (and there were a bunch!).

In Lambda Chi Alpha, a nearby chapter initiates all members of a local fraternity or interest group immediately upon colonization, who are then numbered beginning with 1. Thereafter, the colony initiates its own new members. Installation as a chapter is essentially just a banquet to celebrate the satisfaction of requirements and the new chapter's Greek-letter designation.

I was initiated simply as #41 in the colony and only became BN 41 a few weeks later.

Tom Earp once gave me a badge marked "2". Undoubtedly it belonged to a chapter founder, but from where I will never know.

Jono

[AUDeltaGam]

Fraternities seem to do colonizations differently than sororities. I was a charter member of my sorority and from pledging to initiation/installation of the chapter took 2 months.

[Tom Earp]

Originally Posted by JonoBN41

This is an interesting topic because I didn't realize (or even consider) that various groups do it differently until last week when a senior member of Phi Sigma Kappa told me he recently helped install a colony and it took all weekend. It was then that I realized their colony members are not initiated until installation (and there were a bunch!).

In Lambda Chi Alpha, a nearby chapter initiates all members of a local fraternity or interest group immediately upon colonization, who are then numbered beginning with 1. Thereafter, the colony initiates its own new members. Installation as a chapter is essentially just a banquet to celebrate the satisfaction of requirements and the new chapter's Greek-letter designation.

I was initiated simply as #41 in the colony and only became BN 41 a few weeks later.

Tom Earp once gave me a badge marked "2". Undoubtedly it belonged to a chapter founder, but from where I will never know.

Jono

Jono is correct in so many ways but times do change even within LXA!

The Colonys were supposedly not given letter designations at the time my local was colonized. They were stored some where, who knows where?

It is a long story but not for here.

Today, Colonys are given numbers and given Chapter designations upon full filling the requiremnents to be Chartered.

But, if a member was a member of the local who had graduated or left school still was able to be Initiated into LXA.

I was privilaged enough to be at the Initiation of one Hank W who was one of the two Founders of EKD which was then affiliated with LXA as BN after he graduated from FTI.

It was a high point in my life as a LXA and am very near and dear in my heart to BN of LXA!

As ktsnake said, each GLO has their way of doing things and that is why We are all different, we still have a common thread.


Good luck on the main quest!

Interfraternily Yours,