"Southern" Sororities?

[Drolefille]

Originally Posted by AOII Angel

And just when I was thinking you'd made your own sockie, Drole!

Hey, I said that if I MADE a sock it'd be a good one.

[AOII Angel]

Originally Posted by Drolefille

Hey, I said that if I MADE a sock it'd be a good one.

Yeah... you'd better be more entertaining than that one hit wonder.

[Drolefille]

Originally Posted by AOII Angel

Yeah... you'd better be more entertaining than that one hit wonder.

Yes well, one day I'll get my inspiration and who knows...

[greekmomjo]

The Midwest has a thriving Greek system. IMO, live-in houses foster strong Greek systems, and the Midwest and South seems to have that--unless the school is too involved and keeps a lid on that option. Of course you can have a great house where only officers or a few get to live together, but living with members of your house for a couple of years can cement sisterhood.

[Drolefille]

Originally Posted by greekmomjo

The Midwest has a thriving Greek system. IMO, live-in houses foster strong Greek systems, and the Midwest and South seems to have that--unless the school is too involved and keeps a lid on that option. Of course you can have a great house where only officers or a few get to live together, but living with members of your house for a couple of years can cement sisterhood.

For quite a few universities around here it's not the school keeping there from being housing, sometimes it's location or the financial of the school or sorority itself. And once no one has a house it's hard to get a house for anyone.

I think fewer of us would have survived if we'd had to live together for extended periods of time. I love my sisters, I just wouldn't have been able to live with them for that long. (Really it's shocking my real sister and I are both alive.)

[AnchorAlum]

Originally Posted by CutiePie2000

In the Southern Belle Primer Book, the sorority chapter is a relatively short read, but the sororities that are mentioned by name in the book are:

Chi Omega
Kappa Kappa Gamma
Kappa Alpha Theta
Pi Beta Phi
Delta Delta Delta
Phi Mu

I was kind of surprised that Alpha Delta Pi and Delta Gamma aren't mentioned by name in the book, given that they were both founded in Southern locales.

Of those, only two were founded in the South - Phi Mu and Chi O. Delta Gamma and Zeta Tau Alpha were founded in the South. Mississippi and Virginia, respectively.

DG can be confusing because even though it was founded at Ole Miss, its current headquarters are in Columbus Ohio, along with Kappa Kappa Gamma.

No matter where you go to school, each chapter is different and all have amazing young women.

[honeychile]

Originally Posted by CutiePie2000

In the Southern Belle Primer Book, the sorority chapter is a relatively short read, but the sororities that are mentioned by name in the book are:

Chi Omega
Kappa Kappa Gamma
Kappa Alpha Theta
Pi Beta Phi
Delta Delta Delta
Phi Mu

I was kind of surprised that Alpha Delta Pi and Delta Gamma aren't mentioned by name in the book, given that they were both founded in Southern locales.

I wish I could remember where I read it, but the author supposedly held a grudge with certain sororities.

I can remember doing a map for Recruitment, and sticking pins in a map for our locations. That map definitely leaned southeast! I'm fairly certain that there are currently 138 chapters of Alpha Delta Pi open. Of those, 75 (yes, over half) are in Southern states. Those are mostly North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Kentucky & Tennessee. I'm confident in our place.

[OleMissGlitter]

Originally Posted by AnchorAlum

Of those, only two were founded in the South - Phi Mu and Chi O. Delta Gamma and Zeta Tau Alpha were founded in the South. Mississippi and Virginia, respectively.

DG can be confusing because even though it was founded at Ole Miss, its current headquarters are in Columbus Ohio, along with Kappa Kappa Gamma.

No matter where you go to school, each chapter is different and all have amazing young women.

I thought DG was founded at The Lewis School for Women in Oxford, MS? I swear that is what the historical marker says here in town. I guess it could be wrong?!?! The Lewis School was not associated with Ole Miss from what I know. http://www.historymarkersofms.com/La...elta_Gamma.JPG

[SWTXBelle]

Just a little aside - I dearly love The Southern Belle Primer , but it is filed under "humor" for a reason. It is decidely to be taken with a grain of salt, just like The Preppy Handbook, for example.

[UHDEEGEE]

I thought DG was founded at The Lewis School for Women in Oxford, MS? I swear that is what the historical marker says here in town. I guess it could be wrong?!?! The Lewis School was not associated with Ole Miss from what I know.

It was.....in December, 1873. http://www.deltagamma.org/content.as...us/history.xml I don't believe there is any connection between The Lewis School & Ole Miss other than the Oxford location.

[OleMissGlitter]

Originally Posted by UHDEEGEE

It was.....in December, 1873. http://www.deltagamma.org/content.as...us/history.xml I don't believe there is any connection between The Lewis School & Ole Miss other than the Oxford location.

That's what I was pointing out from the post I quoted. Not that I would know anything about Ole Miss or Oxford

[myopicsunflower]

Originally Posted by SWTXBelle

Just a little aside - I dearly love The Southern Belle Primer , but it is filed under "humor" for a reason. It is decidely to be taken with a grain of salt, just like The Preppy Handbook, for example.

And The Sloane Ranger Handboook.

[ebdelt]

Well while I'm late to the party I figured I'd add in my two cents.

ADPi, AOPi, KD, Phi Mu, and Zeta are sororities I would consider "Southern" due to the fact that while they are all strong organizations, their "best" and most historic chapters all seem to lie in the South.

Other sororities such as Tri Delta, Chi O, Kappa, Theta, DG, and Pi Phi all have some very strong chapters within the south but are not as regional in their strength and have a more national repuation, but not saying those sororities are necessarily better.

As for fraternities, which I haven't really seen discussed in this thread, I think there isn't as much of distinction. KA is the only fraternity I can think of that is known for being a "Southern" fraternity. You could probably claim SAE as southern since it was founded at Alabama and is the only Antebellum South-founded IFC fraternity. There are several other fraternities that have strong chapters at several Southern universities, but the fraternities' national reputation is not in anyway strictly linked to the South, such as KA.

[Alumiyum]

I grew up with most of my peers thinking/saying the best sororities were Kappa, KD, and Tri-Delt and the best fraternities SAE, and Sigma Nu.

[Gusteau]

Originally Posted by ebdelt

As for fraternities, which I haven't really seen discussed in this thread, I think there isn't as much of distinction. KA is the only fraternity I can think of that is known for being a "Southern" fraternity. You could probably claim SAE as southern since it was founded at Alabama and is the only Antebellum South-founded IFC fraternity. There are several other fraternities that have strong chapters at several Southern universities, but the fraternities' national reputation is not in anyway strictly linked to the South, such as KA.

That's an interesting observation. I think that a lot of times the regions fraternities are strong in are much more specific. Its easier to pick out "southern" sororities, but for fraternities it's more like XYZ is strong in South Carolina, or ABC is strong in this part of Texas, etc.

ETA: The reason is probably that there are more fraternities so its easier to categorize so many of 26 as strong in the general South.