Beta Sigma Phi Members....I have a question for you....

[erica812]

I just saw this thread, so I'm a little late to the game.

I have been a member of Beta Sigma Phi since 2002, and the most important thing I can add to what has already been said is that the HEART of Beta Sigma Phi--the essence of what makes the sorority what it is--happens inside the chapters themselves and in the communities that the chapters serve. The website is not the full picture, and I doubt that any sorority can say that everything that they are can be gleaned from their homepage. I have to agree with ThetaPrincess2004: I wish the International site was A LOT better. It is vague, impersonal, and difficult to navigate.

The Walter W. Ross company can be confusing. Simply put, Beta Sigma Phi does not run like the NPC organizations or any of the other college GLOs with which I am familiar. Unlike NPC organizations, chapters of Beta Sigma Phi are very independent from one another. They operate under The Book of Beta Sigma Phi (our governing document), but like I said, they largely make decisions within themselves. Some chapters fall under a City Council. Others do not. The International organization does not have the same legislative role over chapters as the national or international NPC sororities do. Because of the independent nature of the chapters, the International office serves are more business-like role than a governing role. While an NPC national office provides many regulations, materials, required events/dates, and hands-on help through traveling consultants and the like, the International office of Beta Sigma Phi serves more as a base for record keeping and the distribution of merchandise. That's probably why you got that sort of "merchandized" feeling. At the International level, it is sort of a business--they are selling the things needed to help the chapters move along in their activities, but in the actual life of a chapter, I assure you that BSP is quite personal. The rituals are lovely, and the traditions are rich. When a women really dives into her organization, Beta Sigma Phi can be wonderfully rewarding!