two groups with the same name

There's a lot of this going on in the Philipines. I find all of this lame. There's a Phi Kappa Sigma over there as well (as well as numerous other copycats). I think there are actually a couple of that have affialted with the nationals in the US (I mean like one or two).

On another note though, I heard from one of our advisor once, that some Phi Kap alums in Asia actually statred chapters over there and natioanls were aware but didn't make them official chapters due to the costs that would be incurred with monitoring them over there. I wonder if something similar is how some of these copycat "orgs/chapters" started?

Personaly, I find it irresponsible of any alum to start a chapter without a the consent of nationals particularly in a foregin country where costs would be prohbitive from nationals being able to montior them and make them an offical chapter.

Putting the Philipine crap aside. There's a local at my alma mater called Zeta Chi (a former Delta Chi chapter). Back in college I remember finding another fraternity and a sorority with the same name. The odd thing is they all had the same colors. I just searched to double check my facts and found a third Zeta Chi fraternity out there. I remebr one of the brothers at my school said they had contacted another Zeta Chi (don't know which one) about forming a nationals but that went no where. So, there's at least 4 different Zeta Chi's out there.

[jon1856]

Originally Posted by SAEalumnus

Ya this has been going on for about four decades now. You're probably right on the money (literally) with your the cost-benefit analysis theory. I'm sure it'd cost a fair bit of change to pursue a copyright infringement case across international borders. Our national laws used to contain official position statements with respect to certain specific topics, but those were removed beginning with the 2005 edition of the Fraternity Laws. I don't recall any of those statements pertaining to the Philippine organization, so I'd venture to say NHQ has probably never made any formal, official statement one way or another. I do know they've been commented upon in our quarterly magazine, The Record, and in private conversations between brothers, but that's about it.

There just maybe a cost-benefit analysis going on.
Just found this on the open side of our National site:
Fraternities File for Infringement

SAN DIEGO, CA – More than 30 national and international Greek-letter organizations today filed a joint lawsuit in Southern Florida Federal Court against Greek product manufacturers and marketers Paddle Tramps Mfg. Co, The Brown Bag, joeToga, Taymark, Inc., Tervis Tumbler Company and Rah Rah Company, on charges of trademark infringement and both federal- and common-law unfair competition. The lawsuit was filed as a result of continued, unauthorized use of the Greek organizations’ protected trademarks by the six defendants. Stites & Harbison’s intellectual property group in Louisville, Kentucky, has been retained as legal counsel by the Greek organizations...........
http://www.sae.net/index.asp?r=newsr...=147&art_cat=2

[FirstAndFinest]

Originally Posted by NutBrnHair

When I was an undergrad (back in the day!) I remember hearing of a local group at Furman Univ. (SC) that was called the Chios. We were told that Chi Omega never challenged their use of the name because eventually, it might be possible to have them as a part of Chi Omega when/if the campus decided to allow NPC groups.

In 1995, the Chios Society became the Epsilon Lambda Chapter of Chi Omega Fraternity.

Where I used to advise, one girl started wearing letters from her biological sister's sorority, Sigma Gamma Gamma.* She then got her friends wearing them. Then they started holding meetings, having socials, recruiting members and having some sort of ritual- and all wore Greek letters! They supposedly petitioned Sigma Gamma Gamma Nationals to become a colony.... but we all know that is not exactly how expansion works! (and neither the formal recruitment numbers, nor the Adminstration, supported expansion)

The 3 NPC groups complained to the school's administration, who decided the rogue group could become a club, recognized by the college but that would not be part of the school's panhellenic org (which included the 3 NPC, 1 local and 1 NPHC).

The group chose to become the "Students Going Gaga"* and wore "SGG" (Roman letters, not Greek letters). However, SGG was allowed to function as a sorority socially, including having only female members - even though their name indicated "students" and their charter indicated nothing about being a women's society. The group had none of the restictions of a sorority (like, quota/total, min GPA, required service hours, etc) so they were major competitor for PNM's for all of the sororities. Administration saw nothing wrong with this competitition, although 1 NPC & the local were lagging behind total - and the NPHC closed due to low membership)

The local and one NPC made significant membership gains. The SGG's declined in popularity my last year (2006) on campus.

*Names have been fictionalized for this post.

[SigmaSoror1997]

Try belonging to a female fraternity! Most people think I am ignorant when I say I belong to a fraternity. I am soror of Sigma Alpha Iota, Theta Pi Chapter, Newport News Virginia. We were founded in 1911 - a bonafide female fraternity. No homo jokes.

[AnchorAlumna]

Originally Posted by SigmaSoror1997

Try belonging to a female fraternity! Most people think I am ignorant when I say I belong to a fraternity. I am soror of Sigma Alpha Iota, Theta Pi Chapter, Newport News Virginia. We were founded in 1911 - a bonafide female fraternity. No homo jokes.

Many of us do.

Yep, a lot of the sororities were founded as female fraternities.

[DallasDelta]

whats the story behind Alpha Chi Omega and Chi Omega??

why are the names so similar?

[AlwaysSAI]

Originally Posted by DallasDelta

whats the story behind Alpha Chi Omega and Chi Omega??

why are the names so similar?

From what I understand, Chi Omega founders chose the letters randomly. And, Alpha Chi Omega was founded as the first musical sorority in 1885 (right?). The chose Alpha & Omega because they thought they were going to be the first and last musical sorority founded. "Kai" was later added to mean "and" (First and last). Kai was later changed to Chi--making Alpha Chi Omega.

[Tom Earp]

Thank you for your post!

Informative.

[SAEalumnus]

Originally Posted by AlwaysSAI

From what I understand, Chi Omega founders chose the letters randomly. And, Alpha Chi Omega was founded as the first musical sorority in 1885 (right?). The chose Alpha & Omega because they thought they were going to be the first and last musical sorority founded. "Kai" was later added to mean "and" (First and last). Kai was later changed to Chi--making Alpha Chi Omega.

I would take such information with a grain of salt. Without knowing the ritual of both organizations, it is impossible to know for sure whether any similarities exist, and if so, whether by coincidence or design. Sigma Alpha Epsilon and Sigma Phi Epsilon have similar names, but that's not necessarily an indication of any connection between the two.

[LucyKKG]

Originally Posted by AlwaysSAI

From what I understand, Chi Omega founders chose the letters randomly. And, Alpha Chi Omega was founded as the first musical sorority in 1885 (right?). The chose Alpha & Omega because they thought they were going to be the first and last musical sorority founded. "Kai" was later added to mean "and" (First and last). Kai was later changed to Chi--making Alpha Chi Omega.

I read that thing about Alpha + Kai + Omega on AXO's national website, so I'm sure that's true. I don't know about Chi Omega, though. Probably just a coincidence.

[MysticCat]

Originally Posted by SAEalumnus

I would take such information with a grain of salt.

That is, however, the official public story given by Alpha Chi Omega for their name. Whether there's more to the story, only Alpha Chi Omega's sisters know, and I'm sure none of us expect them to tell.

Originally Posted by LucyKKG

I don't know about Chi Omega, though. Probably just a coincidence.

Like Kappa Alpha (Society or Order) and Kappa Alpha Theta? Or Kappa Alpha Psi? Or Alpha Kappa Alpha? Or Pi Kappa Alpha?

Sigma Phi and Sigma Phi Epsilon?

Delta Phi and Delta Phi Epsilon? Or Alpha Delta Phi?

Kappa Sigma and Phi Kappa Sigma?

Sigma Kappa and Phi Sigma Kappa?

Phi Mu, Phi Mu Delta and Phi Mu Alpha?

There are lots of these coincidences. I wouldn't read too much into them.

[NutBrnHair]

I can pretty much guarantee that 4 teenage girls in Fayetteville, Arkansas in 1895 had not heard of Alpha Chi Omega.

[OleMissGlitter]

Originally Posted by NutBrnHair

I can pretty much guarantee that 4 teenage girls in Fayetteville, Arkansas in 1895 had not heard of Alpha Chi Omega.

I'm going to second that (granted I'm not a Chi Omega) considering that the first chapters of ACW were no where near Fayetteville, AR!
1885--Alpha, DePauw
1887--Beta, Albion
1890--Gamma, Northwestern
1891--Delta, Allegheny
1895--Epsilon, Southern California
1895--Zeta, New England Conservatory of Music