getting rid of bigs/littles?

33girl · #1 07-23-2008, 04:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nittanyalum

I don't even know what twins are. Is that 2 littles at the same time? Or just 2 littles in general?

In our terminology it was just 2 littles in general, who had the same big. This probably varies from chapter to chapter.

OleMissGlitter · #2 07-23-2008, 04:23 PM

I had 4 little sisters! One my sophomore year, one my junior year and two my senior year!

I think big/little programs are very important. My big sis was an amazing mentor and so were her friends from her pledge class.

kstar · #3 07-23-2008, 04:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 33girl

In our terminology it was just 2 littles in general, who had the same big. This probably varies from chapter to chapter.

Yeah, it varies. I had 3 littles, two that were twins, and one that was a transfer in the spring semester and I adopted her. Twins had to be in the same pledge class. (No one ever took triplets except for one year when the soph. pledge class was tiny.)

My chapter did big-little in a cool way. For the "new member period" they had "sis-mom" (sister-mother) and the older members took "sis-dots" (sister-daughters.) Then, you got your permanent big usually shortly after initiation.

Anyone of any grade could be a sis-mom, but only the sophomores took littles.

MaggieXi · #4 07-23-2008, 04:55 PM

Most of us took littles as sophmores, and most only took one little. Occassionally if we had a large fall COB class or qouta was very high, some people took a second little. Even if they weren't in the same class, they would be considered twins.

I don't remember money ever coming into play when getting a little. It was more about how active you were in the chapter and that you were in good standing. Most of the gifts littles got were from the whole family (even alums!) that would pitch in together to welcome the newest member.

BabyPiNK_FL · #5 07-23-2008, 05:00 PM

I agree, big and little is something that even if "banned" would pop up in some other form informally. If the big is a good big, it can really help integrate the new member into the chapter and can be a very positive influence.

I was blessed to have 5 little sisters, two sets of twins, senior and super senior semesters (must be from same pledge class on my campus) and one last minute blessing right before I graduated. I love them so much and couldn't imagine not having them or my big either! I also feel that it really helped me to stay involved with my chapter as well.

#6 07-23-2008, 05:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kstar

Yeah, it varies. I had 3 littles, two that were twins, and one that was a transfer in the spring semester and I adopted her. Twins had to be in the same pledge class. (No one ever took triplets except for one year when the soph. pledge class was tiny.)

My chapter did big-little in a cool way. For the "new member period" they had "sis-mom" (sister-mother) and the older members took "sis-dots" (sister-daughters.) Then, you got your permanent big usually shortly after initiation.

Anyone of any grade could be a sis-mom, but only the sophomores took littles.

The sister-mom I got at the beginning of my Pledge period is the sister-mom I still have today. In my chapter, the sister-mom you get at NM ceremony is permanent.

AOII Angel · #7 07-23-2008, 05:04 PM

I had three lil sisters during my collegiate years. My first Lil dropped out after initiation because she had a hard time keeping up with AOII while maintaining her softball scholarship. My second Lil sis was going to them be my only Lil sis, and we are still very close today. I took a third Lil sis only because we went from a pledge class of 25 one year to 36 the next when recruitment numbers shot through the roof, so obviously we needed some extra people to take a new Lil sis. No one took two at one time....we also avoided that!

kstar · #8 07-23-2008, 06:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OTW

The sister-mom I got at the beginning of my Pledge period is the sister-mom I still have today. In my chapter, the sister-mom you get at NM ceremony is permanent.

It still is permanent, but it was more of an active relationship during the new member period. It just isn't as important in my chapter as big-little. Also, in my chapter people generally weren't as close to their sis-mom, who chose them, as they were to their big, since that relationship was mutually chosen.

Also, since we didn't allow people to take more than one sis-dot a year, there were always juniors and seniors that had to take them, so there were cases of sis-moms graduating half a semester after initiation. Having a soph. as a big ensured that they would still have an older sister who was active.

My sis-mom was a good sister, but wasn't as close as my big, however, one of my littles was one my sis-dots.

VandalSquirrel · #9 07-23-2008, 07:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OTW

The sister-mom I got at the beginning of my Pledge period is the sister-mom I still have today. In my chapter, the sister-mom you get at NM ceremony is permanent.

That's how it is done here as well, though there is another woman who is referred to as a Delta.

DoubleTDG · #10 07-23-2008, 07:40 PM

I took 4 littles. Three of them are in the same new member class, but I only took two when big sis revealing came around. The other girl was adopted when her big turned in her badge. My 4th little came my senior year when we doubled our chapter size and many people took twins they asked the seniors if we would mind having one more. My last little has been "adopted", since i graduated, by her twins. In our family tree she is still under me though.

ForeverRoses · #11 07-24-2008, 08:26 AM

Wow. I guess when I was in school, our pledge class sizes were pretty stable, so pretty much everyone had one big and one little. If you wanted a second little (which was rare), you usually got them during informal recuitment in the spring. Spring pledge classes were 5-10 women versus fall which was 45-50.

We also had a rule that you had to be active for at least two quarters before you could take a little.

So a spring initiate couldn't take a little that fall, they had to wait until spring or the next fall.

AGDAlum · #12 07-24-2008, 12:48 PM

Out of curiosity--I don't think it's a rule, but rather a tradition for many groups that at initiation the big pins her badge on her little. At least it used to be that way, since it took a while for the new badges to come in. If you have two littles initiated at the same time, is it any big deal who gets to borrow your badge and what other active member lends hers?

Quote:

Originally Posted by DoubleTDG

I took 4 littles. Three of them are in the same new member class, but I only took two when big sis revealing came around. The other girl was adopted when her big turned in her badge. My 4th little came my senior year when we doubled our chapter size and many people took twins they asked the seniors if we would mind having one more. My last little has been "adopted", since i graduated, by her twins. In our family tree she is still under me though.

33girl · #13 07-24-2008, 12:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AGDAlum

Out of curiosity--I don't think it's a rule, but rather a tradition for many groups that at initiation the big pins her badge on her little. At least it used to be that way, since it took a while for the new badges to come in. If you have two littles initiated at the same time, is it any big deal who gets to borrow your badge and what other active member lends hers?

I would assume the big would go to her big or someone else in the family.

#14 07-24-2008, 04:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AGDAlum

Out of curiosity--I don't think it's a rule, but rather a tradition for many groups that at initiation the big pins her badge on her little. At least it used to be that way, since it took a while for the new badges to come in. If you have two littles initiated at the same time, is it any big deal who gets to borrow your badge and what other active member lends hers?

We've had that happen to us on more than one occasion. In the past, the sister-mom asks another collegian who doesn't have a sister-daughter to borrow her Badge for Initiation. The Badge then gets returned immediately after Initiation. Usually the President, VPMD, and NME didn't take on a sister-daughter.

fantASTic · #15 07-23-2008, 05:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 33girl

In our terminology it was just 2 littles in general, who had the same big. This probably varies from chapter to chapter.

Same. I've never heard of anyone having two littles at once..

Except in our chapter, it's always twins, no matter how many of you there are. If you have five littles, each of them has four twins