Can you enlighten me on your sorority/fraternity across the U.S.?

[baci]

I would love to learn more about all of the sororities and fraternities that I can. I remember ages ago only really knowing about the various ones at my university and possibly a few others. We were never taught or expected to have knowledge about the other groups. I am ashamed to admit that until my membership on GC, there were so many wonderful groups I knew absolutely nothing about. (Some I had never even heard of)

I have since taken the time to visit websites and read as much as I can on GC.

What I would like to know, where are your strongest chapters across the United States? (maybe list your top 5)
Also, is your sorority/fraternity more recognized in a certain state(s) or in one specific region of the United States?

**Please note, I am not looking to cause drama here or to debate what "strongest" chapter means. Please use your personal judgement or possibly the way your groups are recognized nationally.**

[nittanyalum]

[knight_shadow]

Originally Posted by baci

I would love to learn more about all of the sororities and fraternities that I can. I remember ages ago only really knowing about the various ones at my university and possibly a few others. We were never taught or expected to have knowledge about the other groups. I am ashamed to admit that until my membership on GC, there were so many wonderful groups I knew absolutely nothing about. (Some I had never even heard of)

I have since taken the time to visit websites and read as much as I can on GC.

What I would like to know, where are your strongest chapters across the United States? (maybe list your top 5)
Also, is your sorority/fraternity more recognized in a certain state(s) or in one specific region of the United States?

**Please note, I am not looking to cause drama here or to debate what "strongest" chapter means. Please use your personal judgement or possibly the way your groups are recognized nationally.**

How is knowing each organization's "strongest chapter" going to help you learn anything?

[violetpretty]

Sigma Kappa's 3 star chapters

[Xidelt]

Just PM oldu. Baci what sorority are you in?

[Senusret I]

Alpha Phi Alpha is nationwide and probably has the most self-contained collegiate chapters in the South. Alpha may very well reach more campuses in the Eastern region though (Virginia to Maine) due to city-wide chapters.

Our 2007 College Chapter of the Year was Norfolk State University, in 2008 it is Florida A&M University.

Our largest collegiate chapter is typically Morehouse College.

The only standards by which I judge chapters are whatever the fraternity uses to judge its "Chapters of the Year" -- and that's always by the quality of the total program, not just numbers.

I personally am excited hearing about our newer college chapters, such as the one at Davidson College in North Carolina, which is a very diverse chapter doing good things.

With expansion standards becoming more stringent these days, I don't expect that we will have very many new collegiate chapters in the near future unless the black male populations of some schools expand and justify the need for a city-wide chapter to splinter.

[baci]

I have had the pleasure of knowing an amazing Alpha Phi Alpha fo countless years now. I can't say enough about what an amazing man he is.

[Benzgirl]

Originally Posted by nittanyalum

Pass some to me too. Threads like this give Greeks a bad name.

[summer_gphib]

This is public information from the Crescent--I'm only posting it because you want to know where the strong chapters are-- not a compare this house to that house type deal. I looked it up online without logging in, therefore this information is not hidden. I'm also really proud that my chapter is an Order of the Crescent Chapter.

The Order of the Crescent recognizes chapters for excellence in the five areas of recruitment, risk management, member education, finance and efficiency, and scholarship. Chapters receive a crescent for each area in which they excel. This list is from the 06-07 scholastic year.

Order of the Crescent
Five crescents signifying excellence in all five areas
Epsilon, Northwestern University
Xi, University of Idaho
Omicron, University of Illinois
Pi, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Sigma, University of Kansas
Alpha Nu, Wittenberg University
Alpha Chi, College of William & Mary
Beta Alpha, University of Southern California
Beta Lambda, San Diego State University
Beta Omicron, Oklahoma City University
Beta Upsilon, Kansas State University
Beta Phi, Indiana University
Gamma Gamma, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
Gamma Tau, St. Louis University
Delta Delta, California State University-Fullerton
Delta Tau, Colgate University
Delta Omega, Oakland University
Epsilon Delta, Creighton University
Epsilon Eta, Bridgewater State College
Zeta Delta, Southeast Missouri State University
Zeta Iota, Valparaiso University
Zeta Kappa, University of Southern Indiana
Zeta Mu, St. John’s University
Zeta Omicron, John Carroll University
Zeta Phi, University of Arkansas-Fort Smith

Loyalty Level
Four crescents signifying excellence in four areas
Gamma, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Delta, Boston University
Psi, University of Oklahoma
Alpha Delta, University of Missouri-Columbia
Beta Epsilon, Miami University
Beta Psi, Oklahoma State University
Gamma Eta, California State University-Long Beach
Gamma Psi, University of Northern Iowa
Delta Eta, University of California-Irvine
Delta Iota, Purdue University
Delta Pi, Illinois State University
Delta Phi, California State University-Bakersfield
Delta Psi, University of California-Santa Barbara
Epsilon Gamma, University of San Diego
Epsilon Iota, Christopher Newport University
Epsilon Nu, Chapman University
Epsilon Omicron, University of California-Santa Cruz
Epsilon Sigma, Morehead State University
Epsilon Tau, University of Rochester
Zeta Rho, Texas A&M University-College Station

Learning Level
Three crescents signifying excellence in three areas
Alpha, Syracuse University
Theta, University of Denver
Lambda, University of Washington
Alpha Alpha, University of Toronto
Alpha Beta, University of North Dakota
Alpha Iota, University of California-Los Angeles
Alpha Lambda, University of British Columbia
Alpha Xi, Southern Methodist University
Alpha Tau, McGill University
Alpha Upsilon, Pennsylvania State University
Beta Eta, Bradley University
Beta Omega, Northern Arizona University
Gamma Beta, Gettysburg College
Gamma Iota, Midwestern State University
Gamma Kappa, University of Nebraska-Kearney
Gamma Pi, Minnesota State University-Mankato
Gamma Rho, University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh
Gamma Phi, Auburn University
Gamma Omega, University of Wisconsin-Platteville
Delta Mu, Rutgers University
Delta Omicron, Southern Polytechnic State University
Delta Upsilon, University of Georgia
Delta Chi, California State University-Sacramento
Epsilon Beta, Alma College
Epsilon Zeta, Jacksonville University
Epsilon Psi, University of North Carolina-Asheville
Zeta Theta, Pepperdine University
Zeta Lambda, Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi
Zeta Xi, Albertson College of Idaho
Zeta Pi, Pennsylvania State University-Altoona

Labor Level
Two crescents signifying excellence in two areas
Eta, University of California-Berkeley
Kappa, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities
Rho, University of Iowa
Omega, Iowa State University
Alpha Epsilon, University of Arizona
Beta Delta, Michigan State University
Beta Kappa, Arizona State University
Beta Rho, University of Colorado-Boulder
Beta Sigma, Washington State University
Beta Chi, Wichita State University
Gamma Epsilon, University of Puget Sound
Gamma Mu, Minnesota State University-Moorhead
Delta Epsilon, Texas Wesleyan University
Delta Kappa, Lehigh University
Delta Lambda, University of California-Riverside
Epsilon Theta, Clemson University
Epsilon Mu, Loyola University New Orleans
Epsilon Pi, George Mason University
Zeta Alpha, Eastern Washington University
Zeta Beta, University of Virginia
Zeta Eta, Lander University
Zeta Nu, University of Detroit-Mercy
Zeta Tau, Emory University

Love Level
One crescent signifying excellence in one area
Tau, Colorado State University
Beta Gamma, Bowling Green State University
Beta Pi, Indiana State University
Gamma Zeta, Texas A&M University-Commerce
Delta Theta, California Polytech State University
Epsilon Alpha, La Salle University
Epsilon Epsilon, Union College
Epsilon Kappa, California State University-Chico
Epsilon Lambda, University of Alabama
Epsilon Phi, Bentley College
Zeta Gamma, Sonoma State University
Zeta Epsilon, Duquesne University
Zeta Zeta, Coastal Carolina University
Zeta Sigma, University of South Carolina
Zeta Upsilon, University of Texas-Tyler

[nittanyalum]

Originally Posted by Xidelt

Just PM oldu. Baci what sorority are you in?

I believe she's a DG.

[DSTRen13]

I'm not touching the chapter thing, but I'll bite on the region bit.

For Delta, from our national website:
"Alumnae Deltas comprise the largest proportion (76%) of the membership. The largest segments of alumnae Deltas are almost equally divided among three of the seven regions, Eastern (21.8%), Southern (21%), and South Atlantic (20.5%).

Undergraduate Deltas comprise 24% of the membership and have the largest segments of their members in the Southern (23.6%) and South Atlantic (22.7%) regions."

For OPhiA, you can look here on our national site and see that we have the bulk of our chapters in the South.

[AGDee]

Originally Posted by summer_gphib

This is public information from the Crescent--I'm only posting it because you want to know where the strong chapters are-- not a compare this house to that house type deal. I looked it up online without logging in, therefore this information is not hidden. I'm also really proud that my chapter is an Order of the Crescent Chapter.

The Order of the Crescent recognizes chapters for excellence in the five areas of recruitment, risk management, member education, finance and efficiency, and scholarship. Chapters receive a crescent for each area in which they excel. This list is from the 06-07 scholastic year.

[

Even this type of list doesn't really denote which chapters are truly excelling. We have a similar 5 Star program. I am responsible for determining the number of stars that the chapters in my area receive. I have had chapters who DID do everything required to be a 5 Star chapter but who had a VP Operations (like the Secretary) who never sent the reports that the officers were doing, so the chapter couldn't get credit for anything they did and ended up with only 1 star because we simply didn't know about it. Does one officer neglecting her duties mean the chapter isn't strong? Nope! Does it mean that the members are not having a good collegiate experience? Nope!

ETA: I will say a few things about Alpha Gam in general that I'm very excited about. At the International level, they are piloting/implementing some really good programs! We are working on an all online reporting system (can't wait to get rid of my file cabinets!), a new "new member" program, a new program for seniors and a new program for sophs/jrs to gear things more toward the collegians' needs at each level of their own collegiate experience. The acknowledgment that each of these groups has different goals is, in and of itself, a huge improvement in how we look at collegiate chapters. I can't wait to see if our program for seniors helps keep them involved during those last semesters while they're applying for jobs or grad school and wrapping up their college days. I think the online reporting is going to be extremely helpful in avoiding situations like I outlined in the first paragraph. Last year, we completely re-vamped our volunteer structure and that has been a wonderful change too. Our communications department has been winning awards in the Greek community, beating out other groups who contract out their web services and publications! Our Archives Committee has made some wonderful DVDs about our history with regards to philanthropy, conventions, etc. They are really fun to watch and very informative as well. Our volunteers at all levels are the most dedicated women I've ever met and constantly inspire me to keep excelling within my own position.I thought that as I moved up "the ranks" I would become more disillusioned but instead, I just keep finding myself more exposed to more amazing women who love Alpha Gam as I do and want to put their heart and soul into making it the best it can be. I'm really proud of where we're going.

[Senusret I]

^^^ I don't know about that.... fundamentally, I agree that strong chapters might not make the list. But at the same time, I believe that strong reporting is a sign of a strong chapter as well.