honor societies

[DSTCHAOS]

Originally Posted by Tom Earp

Loved the analogy!

Honor groups will have social parties and may try to emulate Social Greeks, but, they still are not the same.

There is a difference of course, but heck dont they like to party and get stupid like we do?

Good question.

I would never go to a social event sponsored by an honor society, a professional fraternity, a music fraternity, or a service fraternity and actually expect to have fun. Events sponsored by such groups are networking opportunities and nothing more.

Now if the event is actually FUN it is probably because the organization takes a back seat to the fun nature of the people at the event and/or the members of the organization are members of popular social fraternities and sororities.

[AlexMack]

Originally Posted by DSTCHAOS

Good question.

I would never go to a social event sponsored by an honor society, a professional fraternity, a music fraternity, or a service fraternity and actually expect to have fun. Events sponsored by such groups are networking opportunities and nothing more.

Now if the event is actually FUN it is probably because the organization takes a back seat to the fun nature of the people at the event and/or the members of the organization are members of popular social fraternities and sororities.

Sorry, but this is untrue. I have partied with both Kappa Kappa Psi and Tau Beta Sigmas. I had an insane amount of fun. They work hard AND play hard. They weren't members of social orgs either.

[DSTCHAOS]

Originally Posted by centaur532

Sorry, but this is untrue. I have partied with both Kappa Kappa Psi and Tau Beta Sigmas. I had an insane amount of fun. They work hard AND play hard. They weren't members of social orgs either.

Sure.

[AlexMack]

Originally Posted by DSTCHAOS

Sure.

Very true actually. I believe I have a journal entry from sometime last summer lamenting the fact that I did not spend that night drinking with KKYs. This was after a giant blackout and 3 hours puking.
I never knew bandos could drink the way they do.

[DSTCHAOS]

Originally Posted by centaur532

Very true actually. I believe I have a journal entry from sometime last summer lamenting the fact that I did not spend that night drinking with KKYs. This was after a giant blackout and 3 hours puking.
I never knew bandos could drink the way they do.

Can't imagine.

Were your KKYs also not members of social fraternities?

[AlexMack]

Originally Posted by DSTCHAOS

Can't imagine.

Were your KKYs also not members of social fraternities?

No, that was the funny part. I'll say this right now, I don't actually know any frat boys at my school. I've never desired to go to a frat party.

I'm good friends with the former Northeast District President which is how I got sucked into bando world to begin with.

[KSUViolet06]

The Phi Sigma Pi chapter here is actually pretty anti-greek. Their rush posters this year said "RUSH Phi Sigma Pi...we're smarter than the average greeks!" All of their rush publicity centered around the stereotype of Greeks as dumb and elitist. They discourage current Greeks from pledging if they show up to rush events.

One of our new members pledged Phi Sig before recruitment. After she went Greek, her Big Bro sat her down with a bunch of officers and basically said "You really should quit Phi Sig now because we don't initiate people who are Greek because they don't participate in events."

It's ironic because while they don't like Greeks, they have big/little and other things that are reminiscent of Greek traditions.

[Senusret I]

Originally Posted by KSUViolet06

The Phi Sigma Pi chapter here is actually pretty anti-greek. Their rush posters this year said "RUSH Phi Sigma Pi...we're smarter than the average greeks!" All of their rush publicity centered around the stereotype of Greeks as dumb and elitist. They discourage current Greeks from pledging if they show up to rush events.

One of our new members pledged Phi Sig before recruitment. After she went Greek, her Big Bro sat her down with a bunch of officers and basically said "You really should quit Phi Sig now because we don't initiate people who are Greek because they don't participate in events."

It's ironic because while they don't like Greeks, they have big/little and other things that are reminiscent of Greek traditions.

If I were your new member, I would complain about that to Phi Sig headquarters. Seriously.

[ASAlady]

I agree that there is a huge difference between an honor / business society and an honor / business fraternity. I am a member of Phi Kappa Phi (National Honor Society) and I paid $50, showed up for a public initiation and that was that. We had one meeting a semester. It was not social. Professors and students alike were inducted. I have a badge with letters and a pen but that is it. I would never run out and get a sweatshirt but I receive the catalog and they do sell them.
I am a member of Alpha Psi Omega, Dramatic Fraternity and it operated similar to a social GLO. We followed national procedure with the new member process. The ritual is secret, secret handshake, all that jazz. PNM's must receive a "bid" and there is a "pledge" period.
So they were complete opposites. Did APO try to act like a social GLO? Not at all. We knew our place so to say.
My boyfriend pledged a business fraternity and they hazed. Imagine that. He quit because he was looking for a professional network, not a social org.
So yeah, it depends on what the organization is really, and what it stands for.

[AGDee]

I was a member of Pi Theta Epsilon, an honorary society for OT majors. Not all OT students were invited as there were GPA requirements and professor recommendations involved. We did have some meetings and do some community service, but it was nothing like my Alpha Gam experience. Our OT class was close though, because there were 50 of us in the same exact classes for two years straight.

[DSTCHAOS]

Originally Posted by AGDee

I was a member of Pi Theta Epsilon, an honorary society for OT majors. Not all OT students were invited as there were GPA requirements and professor recommendations involved. We did have some meetings and do some community service, but it was nothing like my Alpha Gam experience. Our OT class was close though, because there were 50 of us in the same exact classes for two years straight.

OT = ?

[valmypal]

Originally Posted by KSUViolet06

The Phi Sigma Pi chapter here is actually pretty anti-greek. Their rush posters this year said "RUSH Phi Sigma Pi...we're smarter than the average greeks!" All of their rush publicity centered around the stereotype of Greeks as dumb and elitist. They discourage current Greeks from pledging if they show up to rush events.

One of our new members pledged Phi Sig before recruitment. After she went Greek, her Big Bro sat her down with a bunch of officers and basically said "You really should quit Phi Sig now because we don't initiate people who are Greek because they don't participate in events."

It's ironic because while they don't like Greeks, they have big/little and other things that are reminiscent of Greek traditions.

That was exactly what I was talking about. The one I know of when so far as to try to put it in their by-laws that joining a social GLO was not allowed. That didn't pass but there is a very large anti-greek sentiment and all the "social" greeks feel it

[AOEforme]

In addition to my sorority (which is Social and Professional), I'm a member of Beta Beta Beta Biological Honor Society. Tri-Beta does socials, but the socials are like a pizza party or going out for ice cream before our meeting. The president is a Tri-Delt and we have a even mix of Greeks and Non-Greeks, so we all pretty much understand the distinction between Honor Societies, Social Fraternities, Professional Fraternities, and Social/Professional Fraternities.

[texas*princess]

Like others have already noted, there is a difference between "professional" GLOs and "honorary" GLOs.

There are (4) types of GLOs:

* Social - e.g. Lambda Chi Alpha, Phi Mu, etc - mainly social, though there is a component of philanthropy/education/etc in there

* Professional - your Delta Sigma Pi's & Alpha Kappa Psi's of the world. In addition to the professional aspect, there is also a social side and some chapters are more social than others. One of my favorite Deltasig chapters was on the UT campus. Fun group

* Service - Alpha Phi Omega - they focus on service projects, but from what I've heard some chapters are more social than others

* Honorary - I was never part of one, but these usually recruited people from, say the college of business or education or engineering, that had a certain GPA. There is no "new member" period there.

I've never heard of Honorary GLOs doing bigs/littles or anything like that.

[Senusret I]

Originally Posted by texas*princess

Like others have already noted, there is a difference between "professional" GLOs and "honorary" GLOs.

There are (4) types of GLOs:

* Social - e.g. Lambda Chi Alpha, Phi Mu, etc - mainly social, though there is a component of philanthropy/education/etc in there

* Professional - your Delta Sigma Pi's & Alpha Kappa Psi's of the world. In addition to the professional aspect, there is also a social side and some chapters are more social than others. One of my favorite Deltasig chapters was on the UT campus. Fun group

* Service - Alpha Phi Omega - they focus on service projects, but from what I've heard some chapters are more social than others

* Honorary - I was never part of one, but these usually recruited people from, say the college of business or education or engineering, that had a certain GPA. There is no "new member" period there.

I've never heard of Honorary GLOs doing bigs/littles or anything like that.

Phi Sigma Pi, though an Honors Fraternity, would more fall into your service category, as most service GLOs are orgs you have to pledge, possibly be voted on, and have at least some characteristics with general GLOs.

The names I prefer are (in your same order and definitions):

General (some NPHC members HATE to be labeled "social" -- I don't care because I know what people mean.)

Professional

Recognition (Baird's uses this)

Honor