How to make our local sorority legitimate?

[preciousjeni]

Originally Posted by 33girl

I think usually when that happens, the locals have been around longer and the nationals are looked on as Johnny-come-latelies/carpetbaggers. Not that an 18 year old girl going through rush would put it that way.

Right. Personally, I find it amazing that some locals have been around for over 100 years and they're still going strong. It's very cool.

I'm one of those people who was always interested in national organizations. I imagine my perception would be totally different if I'd been on a campus where the locals had more recruiting "strength."

[als463]

Originally Posted by preciousjeni

Right. Personally, I find it amazing that some locals have been around for over 100 years and they're still going strong. It's very cool.

I'm one of those people who was always interested in national organizations. I imagine my perception would be totally different if I'd been on a campus where the locals had more recruiting "strength."

Are you in a local?

Yes, I see your point-to an extent. In all honesty, though-I still never got the reason behind it. No offense (so I hope no one gets upset with this statement)-when you leave campus "State U" and you say, "I'm an XYZ" it is good to know that people have actually heard of your organization. Now, in some areas-that is not always true, however, just knowing you are part of a big organization with many chapters is something to have pride in.

I know many people who don't consider locals to even be "real" sororities. I remember one of the girls in charge of our Panhellenic that made the comment that local sororities are just clubs with letters. If you are on a campus (like some campuses of Pitt) where there are only locals-I get why you would join a local. If you are on a campus with a couple of nationals-even if they aren't exactly #1 on campus or thriving-why would you go local? I never really wanted to join a local for that reason. When you say to people, "I'm an XYZ" and they look at you funny because they have never heard of it because it only exists on like ONE campus-that has suck (I can't find a better word for it-sorry) to some degree.

Thoughts?

[MysticCat]

Originally Posted by als463

Are you in a local?

Jeni's a member of Theta Nu Xi.

I see what you're saying about liking being part of a national organization that people have heard of -- I wouldn't want to be in a local because I value the national connections. But in all honesty, I've known plenty of Greeks who weren't familiar with lots of national organizations -- they only knew the ones they interacted with on their own campus.

[preciousjeni]

Originally Posted by als463

Are you in a local?

Thanks MysticCat! There was a local at my alma mater (in fact, a member of that org is on GC), but I wasn't interested in going local so I didn't give them a chance. Now that I'm some years out, I look back and think it might have been interesting to go to some recruitment events and find out more about the org. I probably wouldn't have joined regardless, but it would have been a great chance to meet other women on campus.

I know many people who don't consider locals to even be "real" sororities. I remember one of the girls in charge of our Panhellenic that made the comment that local sororities are just clubs with letters.

This is the attitude that I was alluding to in my first response. My question is how does it hurt the national org member to show respect to the locals? It just seems petty and unbecoming to me to say that another organization isn't a "real sorority."

And, it's downhill from there. If a local isn't a real sorority, then who's to say a service org, a Latino fraternity or a sorority for stud women isn't a real Greek organization? The further you get from mainstream, the less people are willing to accept other members of the Greek community.

Greek unity is absolutely crucial for the survival of ALL Greek orgs. There are far too many people out there who have a dim view of us already, plus some people who want to bring the entire community down to its knees.

When you say to people, "I'm an XYZ" and they look at you funny because they have never heard of it...

Alpha Sigma Alpha and Alpha Sigma Tau come to mind. I had never in my life interacted with a member of either org until I came to Greek Chat. I knew they existed, but only because I made the effort to learn about all the NPC sororities. Obviously, they are both national orgs and part of a national conference. But, as with any Greek org, proximity impacts a person's knowledge of an organization.

[ASTalumna06]

Originally Posted by preciousjeni

Alpha Sigma Alpha and Alpha Sigma Tau come to mind. I had never in my life interacted with a member of either org until I came to Greek Chat. I knew they existed, but only because I made the effort to learn about all the NPC sororities. Obviously, they are both national orgs and part of a national conference. But, as with any Greek org, proximity impacts a person's knowledge of an organization.

.. which is funny, because these were two of the three sororities that I actually knew about (plus Theta Phi Alpha) because they were the ones on my campus.

Honestly, during my entire time in school, I probably couldn't have told you the names of any of the other NPC sororities (except for maybe the historically relevant ones, for example, I.C. Sororis -> Pi Beta Phi, Kappa Alpha Theta, Alpha Delta Pi being the "firsts"). I didn't even know Alpha Sigma Tau WAS an NPC sorority when I first joined. I knew nothing about Greek life, and that goes for a lot of girls who are now Greek at my school.

Do I love the fact that I'm part of an NPC, and that I have the connections and oversight that a national organization provides? Of course. At the same time that's all I've ever known. Could I have also enjoyed a sisterhood that was only offered on my campus and didn't have the national recognition? Possibly. (Well.. if we had locals.. but I'm trying to make a point!)

And if you think that I don't get weird looks and questions asked when people see my letters, you'd be wrong. Because there are a lot of people out there who don't know of every NPC sorority. Hell, my mom still asks me if I have AET stuff going on. But I enjoy when people ask questions, because then I actually get to talk with them about something that I love

[ThetaDancer]

Originally Posted by als463

I know many people who don't consider locals to even be "real" sororities. I remember one of the girls in charge of our Panhellenic that made the comment that local sororities are just clubs with letters. If you are on a campus (like some campuses of Pitt) where there are only locals-I get why you would join a local. If you are on a campus with a couple of nationals-even if they aren't exactly #1 on campus or thriving-why would you go local? I never really wanted to join a local for that reason. When you say to people, "I'm an XYZ" and they look at you funny because they have never heard of it because it only exists on like ONE campus-that has suck (I can't find a better word for it-sorry) to some degree.

Thoughts?

It makes me sad when people say things like "locals aren't even real sororities" and in my opinion, it reflects far more poorly on the people making those statements than on people in local organizations.

As to why people choose locals over nationals, perhaps its for the same reason a lot of people choose national sororities...because they feel a genuine connection to the members and would like to form a sisterhood with those women.

While I agree that it is nice to have a national structure and national recognition, I'm not sure I'd say that it "has [to] suck...to some degree," to mention that you're a member of a local. Local organizations may have their own alumni associations and other ways of supporting members after college. Moreover, there are plenty of groups that exist on only one campus (Princeton, Yale, and Harvard all have groups that come to mind) that are quite influential, and certainly don't "suck."

[KSUViolet06]

Originally Posted by als463

If you are on a campus with a couple of nationals-even if they aren't exactly #1 on campus or thriving-why would you go local? I never really wanted to join a local for that reason. When you say to people, "I'm an XYZ" and they look at you funny because they have never heard of it because it only exists on like ONE campus-that has suck (I can't find a better word for it-sorry) to some degree.

Thoughts?

The average 18-year-old freshman isn't thinking nationally though. They're thinking in terms of their campus and where they fit. If the local sororities are the top chapters, most visible on campus and they feel that's where they feel at home, that's where they're going to want to join.

I'd rather see a freshman join a local that they connected with and be happy than join an NPC they weren't happy about based on its national presence and not have a positive experience.

[33girl]

Originally Posted by als463

I remember one of the girls in charge of our Panhellenic that made the comment that local sororities are just clubs with letters.

Wow, what a bitch. I hope it wasn't one of my sisters or I'll need to go and school her on that. Nothing could be further from the truth.

Bloomsburg has 5 local and 5 national sororities and AFAIK there is no difference between the two as far as the campus is concerned - you aren't joining a "lesser" group because you join a local. We had 2 local fraternities at Clarion while I was in school and they were on the higher end of the prestige ladder.

ASTalumna put it quite well - it's not as bad as it used to be because of the internet, but if you would have said "Pi Beta Phi" at my school people would have said "WTF is that??" Because of the way NPCs and NICs rush, you are pretty much focused on what's on your campus. The only reason people knew about Tri Delta was because of the Saturday Night Live skit.

You have to remember - you are at a school with one of the biggest Greek systems in the nation. There are a lot more options than the average student ever sees.