Historical connections to other orgs?

[ZTAngel]

Originally posted by Dianne
The founders of ZTA solicited the help of a couple of brothers (biological, that is). Our first president's older brother was a KA at William & Mary. He helped write some of our rituals and design our badge. Our badge and KA's badge have a lot of similarities.

Yup. Also, another one of our founder's brothers was in another fraternity which I believe no longer exists. But, he helped to write our rituals and design our badges as well.

[KABillyMac]

Was the man that composed our ritual. I have read alot of history on Ammen, but I have never seen it officially noted that Ammen wrote, or helped write, the ritual of ZTA. We dont have ZTA at Eastern but I would love to know the official word on this.

[ZTAngel]

It wasn't Ammen. It was our first president's brother who was a KA. He helped to write our ritual. His name is Plummer Jones. He was also a member of Phi Beta Kappa. There was another one of our founder's brothers who helped write the ritual. His name was Giles Mebane Smith and he was a member of Phi Theta Psi.

[mrblonde]

Miami1839,

Actually, both Beta and FIJI had a part in helping to found Theta. Here is an excerpt from the MIT Theta website:

"Her(Bettie Locke Hamilton) father was a Beta Theta Pi and her brother was a member of Phi Gamma Delta, so she'd been exposed to the fraternity lifestyle. Bettie had many friends at Asbury's Phi Gamma Delta, and when one asked her to wear his badge as a token of friendship, Bettie declined. Because she did not know the secrets and purposes which the letters represented, she replied, she could not wear them. There was even some thought of initiating Bettie into the fraternity, but, fortunately for Kappa Alpha Theta, they decided instead to present her with a handsome silver fruit basket engraved with the Phi Gamma Delta letters.

Bettie was impressed with the fraternity ideal and searched for its women's counterpart from which to form a chapter at Asbury. Finding none, her father suggested she create her own women's fraternity..."

Just an interesting tidbit

[Miami1839]

Mr. Blonde,

Thanks for refreshing my memory I remember that story now from my pledge education. Awesome story.

Kevin

[G8Ralphaxi]

The brothers of Sigma Nu at Lombard College in Illinois were very involved in the founding of my sorority, Alpha Xi Delta. Our pink killarney rose was chosen to complement their white rose, and some aspects of our traditions and ritual are the same. Five of our ten founding sisters married Sigma Nus. A local attorney who was an alumnus of the Sigma Nu chapter at Lombard helped our founders draw up the chapter's constitution and obtain legal status as a greek-lettered fraternity for women. Also, when the decision was made to go national, Sigma Nus again helped, with legal advice and other support. For all these reasons, and many more, Sigma Nu is recognized as Alpha Xi Delta's official brother fraternity.

G8Ralphaxi

[hilbilymel]

Ceres Women's International Fraternity was formed at the 1984 Farmhouse fraternity conclave. 3 interest groups were then formed out of existing little sister groups and little sister groups were "officially" done away with. Ceres was also formed to recognize the increasing number of women in agriculture. We still have our regional leadership conferences and international conclaves with Farmhouse. We have also modled our constitution, officer structure, and other things after FarmHouse.

Farmhouse International website

It is important for us to be close to Farmhouse and the ag dept or college on our campus but sometimes it backfires because the other fraternities and sororities don't think of us as a "real sorority" and don't think of inviting us to things.

[ZZ-kai-]

Fellow Beta Brothers and other Greeks,

Beta Theta Pi had much to do with the creation of the Greek world today. Not only was Beta the first Fraternity founded west of the Allegheny Mountains, they were the first of three fraternities founded at Miami University. Beta Theta Pi - 1839, Phi Delta Theta - 1848 and Sigma Chi - 1855. (The ever-infamous Miami Triad that is in some many pledge manuals)

Sigma Chi was a 'spin off' of the Delta Kappa Epsilon after six of their members had a disagreement and ended up forming 'Sigma Phi', later to be Sigma Chi.

Phi Delta Theta had decided not to grant a charter to local fraternity, and because of that, the local fraternity went on to form the TKE Fraternity.

Beta Theta Pi almost lost its Michigan chapter (Lambda) back in 1865 when all but one of its members disbanded and joined another fraternity - Psi Upsilon. Brother Edward C. Boudinot was not enlisted in the Civil War, and was the sole Beta not to disband and join Psi Upsilon. Because of that, Beta succeeded at Michigan and still exists today.

Beta has never merged into another fraternity, however other fraternities have merged into Beta. 1880 Beta accepted the Brown Chapter of Phi Kappa Alpha, the Denison Chapter of Alpha Kappa Phi, Dartmouth was the last chapter of Sigma Delta Pi and Missouri was the last chapter of Zeta Phi. One of Betas most well known acquisition was in 1879 with Alpha Sigma Chi (William Raymond Baird - Bairds Manual!!!!) The other well-known acquisition was with the Mystical Seven in the late 1800's.

Beta has also influenced a few sororities. As mentioned before, Bettie Locke’s (Kappa Alpha Theta Founder) dad was a Beta, and her brother a FIJI. If you look closely at the KAT badge, it is a combo of the Beta Badge and FIJI pin.

+ =


Alpha Chi Omega sorority was also helped with its founding by Beta Brother Dr. James G. Campbell.

Any way you look at it, fraternities as old as Beta have influenced the Greek system in some way. I could make this list go on for a long time. I don't know how many Crests/Coat of Arms are based off of Betas....

-kai-

ZZ-kai-

[Miami1839]

Wow, thats awesome about the KAT Badge and I never knew about AXO either. We didnt have either at my school. Its so awesome how we've influenced everyone.

Kevin

[MoxieGrrl]

HAHAHA......I know this is an old thread, but whatever....

Every year, the KA pledges come to all of the houses and ask who Plummer Jones is. We always just thought that they were nuts and asking about one of their dogs or something.

My boyfriend used to be their pledge ed and would get mad b/c he'd want the pledges to find the answer. They would go down to Zeta and none of the Zetas knew the answer. This year, the ditziest girl in ZTA (one of my friends, I'm allowed!) was like "Oh yeah..." and told the story.

Just thought I'd share.

[KappaStargirl]

Why did I always think that Phi Kappa Tau was a member of the Miami Triad? I know they were founded at Miami, was it just that they were established later??? Anyone know?

I know I've written this before on another thread, but in case anyone didn't see it...George Banta, Delta Gamma's male initiate, initiated at Alpha Zeta (I think) chapter, Lawrence University, Appleton, WI. News for you trivia buffs from a Lawrence grad.

[KillarneyRose]

Originally posted by KappaStargirl
Why did I always think that Phi Kappa Tau was a member of the Miami Triad? I know they were founded at Miami, was it just that they were established later??? Anyone know?

Phi Kappa Tau was founded at Miami University in 1904 but you're right, it's not one of the Miami Triad. The Triad consists of fraternities founded in the mid 1800's...

Beta Theta Pi - 1839
Phi Delta Theta - 1848
Sigma Chi - 1855

My sorority, Delta Zeta, was also founded at Miami in 1902

Haha, just a little more information than you asked for - sorry!

[BrianMUDU]

Heck yeah, Mother of Fraternities

[a.e.B.O.T.]

this was a cool thread... BUMP

[honeychile]

Then I'll throw in the "Macon Magnolia" connection: Alpha Delta Pi and Phi Mu, founded in 1851 and 1852, respectively, were both founded at Georgia Wesleyan College for Females. GWCFF was also the first college for women in the United States.