Historical connections to other orgs?

[exlurker]

Originally Posted by KLPDaisy

I've always wondered if there is any connection between Kappa Alpha Theta and Kappa Kappa Gamma because they both have the letters alpha omega omicron on their badges.

In one of the ancient Greek systems for representing numbers, alpha omega omicron would represent 1870 -- the founding year that both Theta and Kappa share. See the discussion of the alphabetic numbering system at

http://www-history.mcs.st-andrews.ac...k_numbers.html

Obviously, I have no way of knowing what meaning(s) are actually given to anything on the badge of either fraternity.

[Drolefille]

Originally Posted by exlurker

In one of the ancient Greek systems for representing numbers, alpha omega omicron would represent 1870 -- the founding year that both Theta and Kappa share. See the discussion of the alphabetic numbering system at

http://www-history.mcs.st-andrews.ac...k_numbers.html

Obviously, I have no way of knowing what meaning(s) are actually given to anything on the badge of either fraternity.

That's really cool!

[irishpipes]

AOII has a connection to Kappa Kappa Gamma. Barnard College (of Columbia University) was founded in 1889. Kappa chartered a chapter there in 1891. The classes were very small, and because the entrance requirements included knowledge of Latin and Greek, in addition to may other rigorous subjects, most students were slightly older than the traditional college students because they had to study after prep school in order to pass the entrance examinations. Since the classes were small, Kappa traditionally admitted to membership the entirety of each class. The class preceding the class of our founders was significantly larger and Kappa could not take everyone. As a result, the College needed a new fraternity. This need, along with other conditions, led to the founding of AOII. Our founders pledged themselves in December 1896 and officially became Alpha chapter of AOII on January 2, 1897.

Alpha Epsilon Phi was also founded at Barnard, in 1909. By that time Barnard had chapters of Kappa Alpha Theta (1898), Gamma Phi Beta (1901), Alpha Phi(1903), Delta Delta Delta (1903), and Chi Omega (1907). Unfortunately Greek life was later banned at Barnard and by 1917 all fraternities had closed their chapters, since recruitment of new members was prohibited.

[Kevin]

Sigma Nu was more or less founded in opposition to hazing and other ill-thought-of practices of Alpha Tau Omega's first chapter at the Virginia Military Institute.

To see more, click here for a thread on the legend of the "Blackfoot/Whitefoot":http://www.greekchat.com/gcforums/sh...ad.php?t=38908

To be fair, ATO's version doesn't discuss much about the fact that they were the bad guys in all of this, but they were. Take my word for it because I'm completely unbiased.

[UNLDelt]

Beta poster

I agree with my fellow Delt that sometimes as orgs grow the tall tales do as well. Here are a few items to consider:

Beta Theta Pi's Psi chapter was founded at Bethany in 1860. Delta Tau Delta was founded in 1858, two years earlier in response to the Phi Kappa Psi's Bethany Chapter being founded the same year and taking control of the Neotrophian Literary Society.

The story that appears on the Beta's Psi chapter website was written in 1927 (a clue to its accuracy) and contains many conflicting bits of information with what Delta Tau Delta has in very early documentation (earlier than 1927) and actual accounts by the founders documented at Karneas. The Psi chapter claims that in 1959 the Adelphian Literary Society divided into two groups one being a new fraternity in Delt, the other being a group of students that went to W & J to become Betas. But as you will see this claim is unsubstantiated.

As I mentioned above, Delta Tau Delta was formed when a corruption of the Neotrophian Society by Phi Kappa Psi occurred on campus in 1858 and the society's top honors were being awarded to only Phi Psi's and not based on merit. The secret society of Delta Tau Delta formed when our eight founders (we know eight to be true not 15, from early founding documents say who was present and even what assignment they had- badge, motto, ritual, constitution) met to discuss how to bring the Neotrophian Society back to a merit based and general student control. This first meeting took place in the spring of 1858 again, before Beta was even present on campus. This is when the Fraternity was roughly put together as it existed with only one primary goal in mind and there was no need for a grand system at that point. Once the first Delts successfully completed their initial task and ousted the Phi Kappa Psi chapter by beating them in competition the drive to continue the organization spread at which it was more formally organized in 1859. But due to the privilege of having founders who attended our early Karneas (general conventions), as well as early documents and rituals, we know the year it all began was 1858 and that's why we officially claim it as our founding year.

The Beta's Psi chapter document also claims that the motto of Delta Tau Delta was "Damn Those Delts" (somehow claiming it as referring to the Adelphian Society, or even the Phi Psi's somehow?) to which I laugh as does this not only doesn't make sense b/c it was the Neotrophian Society, not the Adelphian, but I can also assure you that this was not and is not the motto of our fraternity.

So I'm going to go a head and have to say that based on the conflict of information from the supposed Beta document (again, written in 1927, long after accurate accounts by multiple Delt founders themselves at Karneas long before 1927) that lays claim on being a part of Delt's founding I would have to disagree with Beta's claim of their involvment in the founding of Delta Tau Delta.

Just to add to the general topic. Monroe Marsh Sweetland, a member of Delta Tau Delta, was a founder of Delta Chi, originally a law fraternity founded at Cornell, he is actuall listed by them as a founder.

[FSUblondeAST07]

I learned actually a few weeks ago of AST's connection with some other organizations. Evidently there was an NPC-ish organization that was formed around the same time called Assoication of Education Sororities (AES). "As the name states it was targeted towards groups who's members were entering the education field. It was formed in 1915 by Sigma Sigma Sigma and Alpha Sigma Alpha. Four other groups Pi Kappa Sigma, Delta Sigma Epsilon, Theta Sigma Upsilon, Alpha Sigma Tau, Pi Delta Theta also joined the organization".

"In 1947 the six groups were accepted into NPC as associate members and became full members in 1951. Since then three of the original members of AES have merged with other groups. Leaving Alpha Sigma Alpha, Alpha Sigma Tau, and Sigma Sigma Sigma as the only remaining former AES members."

I was googling NPC and clicked on the Wikipedia link for NPC. I got the information from that. I'm not sure how reliable this is because honestly I do not remember learning this during my New Member Period but then again that was four years ago, lol!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nationa...nic_Conference

[dakareng]

The information about the merger of AES sororities into NPC is mentioned in the green book and was something I learned in my new member education back in the dark ages (just kidding there but suffice to say it was MORE than 4 years ago).

The passage in the Green Book states that the AES was formed in 1915, and served teacher education colleges exclusively. "The growing trend toward general liberal arts institutions resulted in extensive overlapping and led to the merger." (quote from the Green Book, 13th edition)

[Stef the Pef]

The only one I know of that hasn't been added is BYX and Phi Lamb--they're sibling GLOs because a Beta Upsilon Chi brother helped establish Sigma Phi Lambda.

There's one KD chapter that has a connection to Kappa Alpha Order, but I don't remember which chapter that was. Somewhere in Florida, I think--KA brothers helped established their chapter, so they're our Kappa Alpha Chapter.

[PhoenixAzul]

Originally Posted by UNLDelt

Beta poster

I agree with my fellow Delt that sometimes as orgs grow the tall tales do as well. Here are a few items to consider:

Beta Theta Pi's Psi chapter was founded at Bethany in 1860. Delta Tau Delta was founded in 1858, two years earlier in response to the Phi Kappa Psi's Bethany Chapter being founded the same year and taking control of the Neotrophian Literary Society.

The story that appears on the Beta's Psi chapter website was written in 1927 (a clue to its accuracy) and contains many conflicting bits of information with what Delta Tau Delta has in very early documentation (earlier than 1927) and actual accounts by the founders documented at Karneas. The Psi chapter claims that in 1959 the Adelphian Literary Society divided into two groups one being a new fraternity in Delt, the other being a group of students that went to W & J to become Betas. But as you will see this claim is unsubstantiated.

As I mentioned above, Delta Tau Delta was formed when a corruption of the Neotrophian Society by Phi Kappa Psi occurred on campus in 1858 and the society's top honors were being awarded to only Phi Psi's and not based on merit. The secret society of Delta Tau Delta formed when our eight founders (we know eight to be true not 15, from early founding documents say who was present and even what assignment they had- badge, motto, ritual, constitution) met to discuss how to bring the Neotrophian Society back to a merit based and general student control. This first meeting took place in the spring of 1858 again, before Beta was even present on campus. This is when the Fraternity was roughly put together as it existed with only one primary goal in mind and there was no need for a grand system at that point. Once the first Delts successfully completed their initial task and ousted the Phi Kappa Psi chapter by beating them in competition the drive to continue the organization spread at which it was more formally organized in 1859. But due to the privilege of having founders who attended our early Karneas (general conventions), as well as early documents and rituals, we know the year it all began was 1858 and that's why we officially claim it as our founding year.

The Beta's Psi chapter document also claims that the motto of Delta Tau Delta was "Damn Those Delts" (somehow claiming it as referring to the Adelphian Society, or even the Phi Psi's somehow?) to which I laugh as does this not only doesn't make sense b/c it was the Neotrophian Society, not the Adelphian, but I can also assure you that this was not and is not the motto of our fraternity.

So I'm going to go a head and have to say that based on the conflict of information from the supposed Beta document (again, written in 1927, long after accurate accounts by multiple Delt founders themselves at Karneas long before 1927) that lays claim on being a part of Delt's founding I would have to disagree with Beta's claim of their involvment in the founding of Delta Tau Delta.

Just to add to the general topic. Monroe Marsh Sweetland, a member of Delta Tau Delta, was a founder of Delta Chi, originally a law fraternity founded at Cornell, he is actuall listed by them as a founder.

Hehe, good ol' Bethany (my bro and grandfather are Phi Tau chapter brothers there...neighbors to the Delts!). The founding stories are something that everyone who remotely knows a Bethany Greek gets to hear!

Incidentally, Beta Theta Pi re-colonized their Psi chapter at Bethany this year. http://www.psibeta.net/default.asp. Seems to be going pretty well for them .

[sigkappanda]

it could be just a rumor around my campus, but are Theta Chi and Sigma Kappa related at all? I know NHQ are both in Indianapolis, but that's about all the connection I know of - other than being told this was true by some Theta Chi brothers.

[Drolefille]

A ton of HQs are in Indianapolis. There's some sort of tax break there.

I don't know of any connection to Theta Chi, and I don't think they were on Colby's campus at the time.

ETA: i looked at Theta Chi's website and they only had an Alpha Chapter until 1902, by which point we had Alpha, Beta, and Gamma at Colby. Thei Alpha chapter was in Vermont and Beta was in Massachusetts.

So, it certainly doesn't seem likely and there's no mention of it in our history.

[sigkappanda]

yeah... the connection didn't make too much sense to me. thanks for clarifying!

[Drolefille]

Originally Posted by sigkappanda

yeah... the connection didn't make too much sense to me. thanks for clarifying!

No problem, it's just one of those things that someone start somewhere (OMG we both have a SNAKE on our sheilds!!! We're like CONNECTED man..)
and builds into something. Kind of like the Tri Sigma/Sigma Kappa thing, equally falacious.. just one of those things that happens.

[VandyGirl]

Hey guys! I've been wondering about this for a while-

I was told once that DG and Chi Omega were (sort of) connected. Supposedly Chi Omega's founders approached DG and asked to start a chapter at U Arkansas (I think it's Arkansas, please forgive me if that's wrong). DG rejected their request, so the women started their own fraternity. Does anyone know whether or not this is true? I'm really curious, because it would a be a humorous story (since both fraternities are fabulous). I guess it's not the kind of thing that's likely to be acknowledged by either fraternity. Sigh.
Note: I did hear this story from someone I consider a reliable source (a woman who used to be a member of the Delta Gamma council), but she could certainly be mistaken. I only mention it since she's not mean-spirited and wouldn't make it up. Um. Yeah.

[Drolefille]

Originally Posted by VandyGirl

Hey guys! I've been wondering about this for a while-

I was told once that DG and Chi Omega were (sort of) connected. Supposedly Chi Omega's founders approached DG and asked to start a chapter at U Arkansas (I think it's Arkansas, please forgive me if that's wrong). DG rejected their request, so the women started their own fraternity. Does anyone know whether or not this is true? I'm really curious, because it would a be a humorous story (since both fraternities are fabulous). I guess it's not the kind of thing that's likely to be acknowledged by either fraternity. Sigh.
Note: I did hear this story from someone I consider a reliable source (a woman who used to be a member of the Delta Gamma council), but she could certainly be mistaken. I only mention it since she's not mean-spirited and wouldn't make it up. Um. Yeah.

Hadn't heard that one, I hope a ChiO can give us her perspective.

These things fascinate me, both false and true.