Has there ever been a sorority system started from scratch?

[adpi*violet]

The story of Valpo
In the '97-'98 school year, the Valpo sorority system went from 8 local sororities to 8 (inter)national NPC colonies and then chapters. At that time, all the fraternities on campus were already (inter)national orgs and had been so for awhile (20-30 years maybe?). All but one of the 8 new NPC colonies became full fledged chapters by the end of that school year.

Although the chapters were all local, they were all long established ('20's- '40's?) with many traditions. There was also a fully functioning Panhellenic board, comprised of members from each sorority. I don't know if it was solely a Panhellenic Exec Board vote or if the entire sorority membership voted to affiliate. Either way the decision occurred in the Fall of '97 or maybe earlier, possibly that prior Spring?

I didn't rush (it WAS rush) until January '98. Those of us who rushed and pledged then, did so with the local groups. However, at least for our pledge class, (don't know about the other groups) we were never initiated into the local. We did the initial Pledge ceremony, but then were in limbo as perpetual pledges until our local affiliated with ADPi.

Affliation Process
Many NPC orgs came to present at Valpo throughout that January. I can think of 3 NPCs for sure that presented, but never affiliated. I'm thinking we had somewhere between 12-15 NPCs present (for the 8 locals). Chi Omega was the first group to affiliate (and I seem to remember they had already done so even before rush, perhaps that last November, so maybe they were the ones that started the whole "Going National" trend.)

Every sorority member and pledge was invited to attend the presentations of each NPC. Each local sorority was also given a packet to look through (stuff like the open mottos, creeds, history, etc). Then from there, each of the sororities voted on which NPC(s) they wanted to hear more from with the intent of possibly affiliating.

The NPCs that were "invited back" after the presentations, so to speak, held interviews (I'm assuming by the expansion team) with the Exec Boards of each sorority interested in pursuing affiliation with them. Since I was a lowly pledge I don't know much about what went on in those. I don't know how many NPCs my local interviewed with.

I know eventually, we held a chapter meeting to vote on our top 3 choices for affiliation. All the other locals also voted and everyone submitted their choices to the campus Greek Life coordinator. She in turn let each NPC know which (if any) of the local sororities wanted to affiliate with them. If there was more than one local interested in a particular NPC, it was up to the discretion of that NPC's expansion team to pick which local they wanted. Also, if the NPC group did not desire to affiliate with the particular local group that wanted them- or had decided that Valpo as a whole wasn't a good fit for them, they were able to say no. I know there was at least one local that was "mismatched" per se and wasn't chosen in that first round, but quickly voted on and affiliated with a different NPC (who had already presented.)

So basically it was similar to mutual selection in recruitment.

Every sorority was notified of who had picked them at the same time. Each NPC had different requirements for becoming a colony and then for initiation. I know we held our Alpha ceremony for our entire local in February, but I'm not sure when each of the other groups officially affiliated.

The whole process of presentations to affiliation only took a month and a half to two months.

Local sorority name (name prior to any reorganization) to NPC:
Chi Sigma Xi (Sigma Theta) - Chi Omega
Phi Beta Chi - Kappa Kappa Gamma
Kappa Psi Omega - Kappa Delta
Alpha Xi Epsilon - Pi Beta Phi
Gamma Phi - Gamma Phi Beta
Alpha Phi Delta - Delta Delta Delta
Delta Chi Epsilon (Phi Omega) - Alpha Delta Pi
Delta Phi Kappa (Kappa Tau Zeta) - Alpha Sigma Tau (colony disbanded)

Hope that helps answer questions. PM me if you would like more info.

[SmartBlondeGPhB]

Gamma Phi just became the first NPC at Lake Erie.

[LaneSig]

I also remember 2 years ago, Kappa Delta and Sigma Delta Tau started the Panhellenic organizations at Pace University in NYC.

Originally Posted by SmartBlondeGPhB

Gamma Phi just became the first NPC at Lake Erie.

Can this be classified as a 'system' though? I only ask because my chapter was the first NPC on campus. 16 1/2 years later, we're STILL the only NPC on campus -- which means no Campus Panhellenic, no quota system, etc.

[breathesgelatin]

Originally Posted by adpi*violet

Alpha Xi Delta - Pi Beta Phi

Interesting!

alum has already given the W&L example and is correct on her info (KD, Kappa, and Chi-O all started from scratch in 1989). I think University of Richmond also did this in the 80s... anyone?

[ValpoKD]

Originally Posted by adpi*violet

Alpha Xi Delta - Pi Beta Phi

I have a few more details that I will add when I have more time, but it is actually Alpha Xi Epsilon - Pi Beta Phi. Sorry, adpi*violet, I noticed that this morning and wanted to PM you before anyone noticed. breathesgelatin beat me!

Fun fact...adpi*violet, polarpi and I all overlapped during our time at Valpo!

[AZ-AlphaXi]

In 1993-1994 Cal. State - San Marcos opened for colonization. Alpha Xi Delta, Alpha Chi Omega, as well as (if I remember correctly) Zeta Tau Alpha, and Alpha Phi all presented to the two local sororities that had formed.

[adpi*violet]

Originally Posted by ValpoKD

I have a few more details that I will add when I have more time, but it is actually Alpha Xi Epsilon - Pi Beta Phi. Sorry, adpi*violet, I noticed that this morning and wanted to PM you before anyone noticed. breathesgelatin beat me!

Fun fact...adpi*violet, polarpi and I all overlapped during our time at Valpo!

Ooops my bad! I was trying to type all that out quickly!
Yes, the local that affiliated with Pi Beta Phi at Valpo was Alpha Xi Epsilon. (Actually that was the org my freshman roommate joined during our rush.)

[NutBrnHair]

Furman Univ. (SC) -- in the early '90s as I recall -- all of the locals went National.

Oh, and what's the engineering school in Terre Haute (eta: Rose-Hulman!)

[AGDAlum]

Texas A&M, in 1975.

I was the extension consultant assigned to recruit for Alpha Gam. It was quite a semester. Greeks were not sanctioned by the University administration at the time.

[breathesgelatin]

Originally Posted by AGDAlum

Texas A&M, in 1975.

I was the extension consultant assigned to recruit for Alpha Gam. It was quite a semester. Greeks were not sanctioned by the University administration at the time.

Wow! That's a story I'd love to hear.