Starting a new lesbian sorority

[EE-BO]

Originally Posted by kddani

What makes your sorority different? Why should other women join it? What's in it for them? So far it seems to be all about you. You can't have a sorority with one person. Why don't you find a few other people that share your ideals to get the group started. Who the heck cares about colors, a crest, etc. if you don't have any members other than yourself?

You're putting the cart before the horse.

This is exactly right- and femm_runner this is a common flaw that comes up on this forum when people post asking advice about starting a new sorority or fraternity.

I cannot speak for all GLOs, but in the numerous instances where I am somewhat familiar with their history- there is never just one founder. It is always a group. In my case, Beta Theta Pi, there were eight.

Also, things like mottos, colors, crest and ritual are not pre-planned. Beta's official colors, still in use today, were adopted a few decades after the fraternity's founding, and there is a special story behind it. Our badge has changed over the years- as have many other things.

Right now you have the makings of a proper starting point- you have a target audience for your membership that will set it apart and give it purpose in a general sense.

Now things need to evolve. As you make friends, perhaps at some point a group of you will be minded to create a club- something loose and not terribly defined. If you try to create a full formal organization this early with rules and rituals etc. then you are more likely than not to all end up disagreeing- especially if you have already created all of the structure in advance.

If at some you, a group of you wants to proceed- your first mission is to determine what sets you apart at your campus only from other similar groups you would be competing against for members during rush. You have already established the fact it is a lesbian sorority. Now you have to figure out why potential members should chose you over other student organizations- and not just other lesbian sororities by the way. You need to consider whether people you consider good prospective members would want to be in a sorority defined primarily by sexual preference versus other qualities.

If you can successfully find that niche and start rushing people, then it will be time to look into student organization registration, setting up a 501c3 non-profit organization etc. etc. etc.

One final note- beware the temptation to plan a major national organization right away. That is a dream for many who start GLOs- but as in the business world, the founders of an entity are almost never the ones who see it "go global", if you will. They are very different skill sets and mindsets.

If you have a compelling desire to work with others to create something at your school, it can serve you well. If you are already dreaming of creating a natiowide sorority (I say this because you asked about national oversight of lesbian sororities which I take to mean you wish to go beyond your own campus with this idea), then back to what kddani said- except I would say it is the cart, luggage and kitchen sink before the horse.

[femm_runner]

Originally Posted by EE-BO

This is exactly right- and femm_runner this is a common flaw that comes up on this forum when people post asking advice about starting a new sorority or fraternity.

I cannot speak for all GLOs, but in the numerous instances where I am somewhat familiar with their history- there is never just one founder. It is always a group. In my case, Beta Theta Pi, there were eight.

Also, things like mottos, colors, crest and ritual are not pre-planned. Beta's official colors, still in use today, were adopted a few decades after the fraternity's founding, and there is a special story behind it. Our badge has changed over the years- as have many other things.

Right now you have the makings of a proper starting point- you have a target audience for your membership that will set it apart and give it purpose in a general sense.

Now things need to evolve. As you make friends, perhaps at some point a group of you will be minded to create a club- something loose and not terribly defined. If you try to create a full formal organization this early with rules and rituals etc. then you are more likely than not to all end up disagreeing- especially if you have already created all of the structure in advance.

If at some you, a group of you wants to proceed- your first mission is to determine what sets you apart at your campus only from other similar groups you would be competing against for members during rush. You have already established the fact it is a lesbian sorority. Now you have to figure out why potential members should chose you over other student organizations- and not just other lesbian sororities by the way. You need to consider whether people you consider good prospective members would want to be in a sorority defined primarily by sexual preference versus other qualities.

If you can successfully find that niche and start rushing people, then it will be time to look into student organization registration, setting up a 501c3 non-profit organization etc. etc. etc.

One final note- beware the temptation to plan a major national organization right away. That is a dream for many who start GLOs- but as in the business world, the founders of an entity are almost never the ones who see it "go global", if you will. They are very different skill sets and mindsets.

If you have a compelling desire to work with others to create something at your school, it can serve you well. If you are already dreaming of creating a natiowide sorority (I say this because you asked about national oversight of lesbian sororities which I take to mean you wish to go beyond your own campus with this idea), then back to what kddani said- except I would say it is the cart, luggage and kitchen sink before the horse.

Thanks,
That's what i'm trying to do. My point is, all of this started from somewhere. I know that it can't just be me. I'm asking a friend to help me with this process, as we both would really like to do this. I like to plan things out, know what needs to be done before i can move forward. I'm not just deciding to do this on a whim. I've been putting this together for a few months. I didnt want to start anything and then find out i'm breaking some laws/rules. I asked about the national level becasue, maybe there was someone i could talk to about this. I'm not trying to go national,yet. I just want to make sure i'm following giudelines.

[EE-BO]

Originally Posted by femm_runner

Thanks,
That's what i'm trying to do. My point is, all of this started from somewhere. I know that it can't just be me. I'm asking a friend to help me with this process, as we both would really like to do this. I like to plan things out, know what needs to be done before i can move forward. I'm not just deciding to do this on a whim. I've been putting this together for a few months. I didnt want to start anything and then find out i'm breaking some laws/rules. I asked about the national level becasue, maybe there was someone i could talk to about this. I'm not trying to go national,yet. I just want to make sure i'm following giudelines.

It isn't just you- lots of people find themselves dissatisfied with the Greek or other student organizations available to them. The question of starting a new group is where things get very difficult- but if you are firmly invested in the process then you should go for it. In defense of the other posters- they are just pointing out aspects of your presentation here that could help. Remember, we do not know you- all we know is what we read, and so the specifics of every word you say are all people have to go on, and hopefully you find some good pointers in there to keep in mind.

When a person comes here wanting to start a sorority out of disregard for all other sororities, it is problematic because that person appears to be wanting to create something they inherently dislike. I would suggest letting that go for now- when you bash we have no way of knowing if you had specific experiences or are just thinking you will redefine a concept that has existed successfully for centuries and transcends the GLO as we have known it these past 150 years.

As for your technical questions- here goes,

Once you have your founding members together, I would strongly suggest you register as a 501c3 organization with the IRS. You will need to get some assistance with this to prepare the forms and also prepare yourself for the strict rules involved. The IRS keeps close watch on non-profit organizations. You need to have a stated charitable purpose and all funds collected by the organization must be strictly controlled and used for the purpose of the organization.

At this point, your goal is to become a student organization of your school. That is a different set of rules from being a GLO that falls under the umbrella of a national organization governing GLOs.

I would contact the student organization office at your school to find out how many students are required to form an organization, and what the school's requirements are for an organization that seeks to collect and disburse funds above and beyond getting the 501c3 designation.

Those are the rules that matter right now. As long as you do not try to create a name that matches that of another existing organization or attempt to copy the mission statement of another existing organization, you can do as you please. This includes creating a name using greek letters.

Once you have all of this in place- the 501c3 and approved registration as a student organization with your school- then you can consider affiliation with a national Greek Council. Note that getting to this stage will almost certainly take far longer than the time you are in college. If you mean to do this, you are making a lifetime investment of your efforts.

Affiliation with a national Greek Council will, to the extent that Council is recognized at your school, allow your sorority privileges such as participation in formal rush. You do not need this affiliation just to be a student organization at your school that happens to have greek letters for a name.

There are many local organizations specific to schools that never go this extra step. Tejas Club is a good example at the University of Texas. No, it is not a big prestigious fraternity with all the trappings- but it is a successful organization that has recently been able to claim members who are student body president, football players and winner of Sigma Chi Fight Night.

At this stage of the game, it might be a good idea to define what you think of as a sorority as you look to your long term plans for the reasons I suggest above.

Starting a student organization is relatively easy. Creating a "sorority" in the sense most people think of the term is not. And either category could readily suit your purpose in the long run- with the former being the proper short term goal.

[femm_runner]

Originally Posted by EE-BO

It isn't just you- lots of people find themselves dissatisfied with the Greek or other student organizations available to them. The question of starting a new group is where things get very difficult- but if you are firmly invested in the process then you should go for it. In defense of the other posters- they are just pointing out aspects of your presentation here that could help. Remember, we do not know you- all we know is what we read, and so the specifics of every word you say are all people have to go on, and hopefully you find some good pointers in there to keep in mind.

When a person comes here wanting to start a sorority out of disregard for all other sororities, it is problematic because that person appears to be wanting to create something they inherently dislike. I would suggest letting that go for now- when you bash we have no way of knowing if you had specific experiences or are just thinking you will redefine a concept that has existed successfully for centuries and transcends the GLO as we have known it these past 150 years.

As for your technical questions- here goes,

Once you have your founding members together, I would strongly suggest you register as a 501c3 organization with the IRS. You will need to get some assistance with this to prepare the forms and also prepare yourself for the strict rules involved. The IRS keeps close watch on non-profit organizations. You need to have a stated charitable purpose and all funds collected by the organization must be strictly controlled and used for the purpose of the organization.

At this point, your goal is to become a student organization of your school. That is a different set of rules from being a GLO that falls under the umbrella of a national organization governing GLOs.

I would contact the student organization office at your school to find out how many students are required to form an organization, and what the school's requirements are for an organization that seeks to collect and disburse funds above and beyond getting the 501c3 designation.

Those are the rules that matter right now. As long as you do not try to create a name that matches that of another existing organization or attempt to copy the mission statement of another existing organization, you can do as you please. This includes creating a name using greek letters.

Once you have all of this in place- the 501c3 and approved registration as a student organization with your school- then you can consider affiliation with a national Greek Council. Note that getting to this stage will almost certainly take far longer than the time you are in college. If you mean to do this, you are making a lifetime investment of your efforts.

Affiliation with a national Greek Council will, to the extent that Council is recognized at your school, allow your sorority privileges such as participation in formal rush. You do not need this affiliation just to be a student organization at your school that happens to have greek letters for a name.

There are many local organizations specific to schools that never go this extra step. Tejas Club is a good example at the University of Texas. No, it is not a big prestigious fraternity with all the trappings- but it is a successful organization that has recently been able to claim members who are student body president, football players and winner of Sigma Chi Fight Night.

At this stage of the game, it might be a good idea to define what you think of as a sorority as you look to your long term plans for the reasons I suggest above.

Starting a student organization is relatively easy. Creating a "sorority" in the sense most people think of the term is not. And either category could readily suit your purpose in the long run- with the former being the proper short term goal.

You'r right. I could have said things differant. Thanks for the informaiton.