Chapter naming

[DeltaBetaBaby]

Can someone please explain what an on-line chapter is?

[Jen]

.

[BrianMUDU]

DU does it differently. Out of respect to the school (I believe is what I read), each chapter is named after the educational institution it is at. We are the Miami Chapter (Miami of Ohio).

[Tom Earp]

Lambda Chi Alpha goes by the Greek Alphabet.

Alpha Zeta being the founding chapter, (Zeta is our term for chapter)

That is one reason I am so Proud of being the Lambda Chi Zeta, it was between 2 other colonys and we got it!

At a National Conference, Our President was sitting with several other Brothers from other chapters and was asked what Zeta he was. He told them LX and they told him know we know what Fraternity as you are here but what chapter, he said no I am LX chapter!

He felt higher than a good kite when thay went nuts saying how great that was!!!

Well my lips are getting sore from tooting my horn!!!!!!

[KSig RC]

Originally posted by Optimist Prime


Can you explain why that is or no?

No.

The first six letters were initially skipped for various reasons, but some were re-visted (Gamma at LSU, for example) again for varying reasons. Thus, our founding chapter is known as Zeta chapter, at UVA, chartered in December of 1869.

When a chapter is re-opened, the school changes, etc, a 'prime' is generally added to the end, ie Eta Prime at Duke (which was initially chartered at Trinity, before they joined.)

Other than that, generally it's "A-A, A-B, A-G, A-D" etc through the alphabet, with exceptions for single letters (ie Phi chapter exists).

[SilverTurtle]

Originally posted by DeltaBetaBaby
Can someone please explain what an on-line chapter is?

For Phi Beta, our online chapter is just that: a chapter that meets online. We have lots of alumni chapters, but only in large cities. For those of us who wish to participate in chapter life post-college, but don't live close to a "real life" chapter, we have the option to joing our Internet chapter.

We meet twice a month in a chat room.. we are working on by-laws, pay dues, complete individual service projects, etc. We are going to have a real-life meeting next summer at our National Convention.

The online meeting is a fairly new concept, and it's really kewl to be active in forming how it works. (One of our alumnae in a "real life" chapter is also a communications professor who is quite interested in how things go for us because online business meetings are quite cutting edge still).

This is only our second year and we just kicked off (following an academic calendar since many members are teachers), but it's really fun to be involved with a chapter.

[Optimist Prime]

KSig, thanks for the info. I appreciate that.

[TechAPhi]

Like many Greek groups Alpha Phi has an Alum Initiate program, whereby an unaffiliated woman who has made significant contributions to Alpha Phi may be asked to join as an Alum Initiate. Women who join in this manner become members of the "Alpha Lambda" chapter.

There is some significance to this chapter designation, but I cannot remember what it is off hand.

It is of note, however, because, besides the "Alpha" chapter (our first, which was founded at Syracuse University in 1872), there is no other chapter whose name begins with "Alpha."

[Dragon92]

Our first few chapters were named by geographic location, then at a convention they were renamed and the system of Alpha, Beta, ect. was started, this kept up until the alliance with Alpha Sigma Chi in 1879. What should be our Beta Epsilon Chapter is actually called Sigma for various reasons.

[SigmaChiCard]

As GMU skips eta, not nationals, but our chapter in terms of pledge classes skips beta because of the incident of our founding

[wptw]

As GMU skips eta, not nationals, but our chapter in terms of pledge classes skips beta because of the incident of our founding

SigmaChiCard,

The founders of Sigma Chi initially skipped beta as well, jumping right from Alpha at Miami to Gamma at Ohio Wesleyan. I guess by 1873 they had had a couple decades to stop being angry with Beta Theta Pi, so they made the Wooster chapter beta.

But as I understand it, there is debate whether beta was skipped because of Beta Theta Pi, or simply because they were trying to impress potential charter groups with a seemingly larger chapter roll. The Gamma charter was granted in December 1855, just prior to the Betas stealing the original ritual in January 1856, so personally I believe the latter.

Fraternally,
wptw

[33girl]

What's up with Sigma Chi and Beta?? I thought Sigma Chi broke off from DKE. If I am wrong please fill me in (without the secret stuff, of course).

[IotaNet]

Iota Phi Theta names chapters pretty much the way everyone else does (Alpha ~~~> Omega, Alpha Alpha~~~> Alpha Psi, etc.) with a couple of exceptions.

As regular members of the board know, NPHC organizations have Graduate (alumni) chapters as well as collegiate chapters. In order to differentiate between them, the letter "Omega" is added. for example ...

Our first Graduate Chapter was Alpha Omega, the next was Beta Omega. After Omega Omega was chatered, the next Graduate chapter was named Alpha Alpha Omega ... and it continues from there.

Alpha Kappa Alpha does it the exact same way.
Alpha Phi Alpha appends "Lambda" to designate Grad Chapters
Zeta Phi Beta appends "Zeta"
Phi Beta Sigma appends "Sigma"
Sigma Gappa Rho appends "Sigma"


Regarding deceased members, members of Iota Phi Theta who pass away are entered into "Alpha Iota Omega" Chapter. Other NPHC Organizations do it this way ...

Alpha Phi Alpha - "Omega Chapter"
Kappa Alpha Psi - "The Chapter Invisible"
Alpha Kappa Alpha - "Ivies Beyond the Wall"

... and thats all I can remember offhand!

[wptw]

Originally posted by 33girl
What's up with Sigma Chi and Beta?? I thought Sigma Chi broke off from DKE. If I am wrong please fill me in (without the secret stuff, of course).

Hi 33girl,

It's in my earlier post...
The Betas were suspected of stealing the original Sigma Chi (actually, Sigma Phi) ritual. There was also a reported altercation in chapel when a Beta poked fun at the new society badge Founder Runkle was wearing. But mainly it was just a simple rivalry - Sigma Chi and Beta were competing for the same limited number of good men on campus. Some sparks are not surprising.

This is all basically pulled out of Sigma Chi's "Norman Shield" and other histories, and of course "Baird's Manual".

wptw