are you a fraternity, or a sorority?

[Optimist Prime]

who cares as long as have mixers

[nyrdrms]

Just to clarify, Gamma Phi Beta was founded as a women's fraternity. Dr. Frank Smalley didn't coin the word "sorority" until our Beta chapter was installed in 1888.

[KSUViolet06]

We are Sigma Sigma Sigma sorority. Just an interesting note-all the other groups on our campus are fraternities. I think it's interesting how some of us are different.

[LAKDgirl]

Kappa Delta started out as a Fraternity. It was later changed to a sorority.

[bekibug]

Originally posted by greeklawgirl
I agree. Alpha Gam emphasizes "International" out of respect to our Canadian sisters. We're proud of them--we want EVERYONE to know they are there and they are just as important as the rest of their sisters in the lower 48!

Plus, I would say that "most" NPCs being international is somewhat of a misnomer--AFAIK, only 12 NPCs have active chapters outside of the US. I think that's something to toot our horns about!

Question-
Have there ever been groups to have chapters in countries other than the US and Canada? I seem to remember something about a SSS chapter being in Germany, I think, at a college somehow associated with an Air Force base that was closing down.

Although, I could in all likelihood be wrong. It happens.

[ragtimerose]

Beta Sigma Phi is an "international women's friendship network", but we use the term sorority.

And we are truly international, with chapters in 30 countries!

[RedRoseSAI]

We were founded as a sorority, but they changed our name to "fraternity" in the 1920s.

[doves95]

Originally posted by breathesgelatin
I figured this out a while ago:

Here is a list. If there are any corrections let me know.

In sum:
Sigma Kappa Sorority, 1874 (November 9) (Founded as a Fraternity)

Sigma Kappa Sorority was never a fraternity.

According to our history we were founded at Colby COllege (Maine) on November 9, 1874 and JOINED NPC in 1904. BUT we have always been a sorority


Also in terms of "Nationals" that is SUCH a pet peeve of our national headquarters and Nationals does not exsit. we have a national council, national officers, and a headquarters

[SmartBlondeGPhB]

Originally posted by doves95
Sigma Kappa Sorority was never a fraternity.

According to our history we were founded at Colby COllege (Maine) on November 9, 1874 and JOINED NPC in 1904. BUT we have always been a sorority


Also in terms of "Nationals" that is SUCH a pet peeve of our national headquarters and Nationals does not exsit. we have a national council, national officers, and a headquarters

As has already been stated, the term "sorority" was not coined until AFTER you were founded. Therefore, at some point you were a fraternity.......

[CutiePie2000]

Originally posted by bekibug
Question-
Have there ever been groups to have chapters in countries other than the US and Canada? I seem to remember something about a SSS chapter being in Germany, I think, at a college somehow associated with an Air Force base that was closing down.

That was the U of Maryland in Mannheim, Germany (the Tri-Sigma chapter).
I've never heard of any other NPC chapter, other than USA or Canada locales.

I've heard of Kappa Sigma having Italy ties, and of NPHC GLOs having ties to Liberia, but that's about it.

Originally posted by greeklawgirl
I agree. Alpha Gam emphasizes "International" out of respect to our Canadian sisters. We're proud of them--we want EVERYONE to know they are there and they are just as important as the rest of their sisters in the lower 48!

Plus, I would say that "most" NPCs being international is somewhat of a misnomer--AFAIK, only 12 NPCs have active chapters outside of the US. I think that's something to toot our horns about!

The lower 48 and Delta Sigma Hawaii! The NPC is alive and going strong with the Hawaii Alpha Gams!

[jubilance1922]

Originally posted by CutiePie2000
That was the U of Maryland in Mannheim, Germany (the Tri-Sigma chapter).
I've never heard of any other NPC chapter, other than USA or Canada locales.

I've heard of Kappa Sigma having Italy ties, and of NPHC GLOs having ties to Liberia, but that's about it.

Sigma Gamma Rho has chapters in Bermuda, the Virgin Islands, the Bahamas, and Germany.

[ADPi Conniebama]

I thought we were Alpha Delta Pi Secret Society for Women. But, whatever, I guess I need to do my homework too.

[33girl]

Originally posted by CutiePie2000
That was the U of Maryland in Mannheim, Germany (the Tri-Sigma chapter).
I've never heard of any other NPC chapter, other than USA or Canada locales.

I've heard of Kappa Sigma having Italy ties, and of NPHC GLOs having ties to Liberia, but that's about it.

DKE has/had some sort of partner chapter at a school in the UK.

[doves95]

Originally posted by SmartBlondeGPhB
As has already been stated, the term "sorority" was not coined until AFTER you were founded. Therefore, at some point you were a fraternity.......

OK not to be long winded but I did research to make sure we had the correct information. SInce I am a SK and I have asked NHQ about our terminology we were NEVER a fraternity. We were called Sigma Kappa and considered a society BUT since Gamma Phi Beta was the first to use the term they were founded 2 days after us (we November 9, 1874 and GPB November 11,1874, and we also adopted the word sorority and Sigma Kappa was incorportated in the State of Maine officially as Sigma Kappa Sorority.

OK here is some Greek history about the phrases Sorority and Fraternity I found on a document called American College Fraternities and Sororities.
On May 15, 1851 at Wesleyan Female College in Macon, Georgia, a group of women founded the Adelphean Society, which later adopted the Greek letters Alpha Delta Pi. 1852 saw the founding of the Philomathean Society at the same college, which adopted the letters Phi Mu. In 1870, Kappa Alpha Theta became the first Greek-letter women's fraternity and was founded at DePauw University, Greencastle, Indiana. The term "sorority" actually was first used by Gamma Phi Beta, founded in 1874 ant Syracuse University, New York and is used to describe women's Greek-letter societies, though many of the earlier women's societies use the term "fraternity" in their name. Today there are over 25 national sororities in existence, all members of the National Panhellenic Council (NPC).

The development of “sororities,” as they are more commonly called, has followed a course parallel to the chartered by men’s organization. Gamma Phi Beta, Founded on November 11, 1874, the word “sorority” being based on Latin for “sister.” All the other groups are “fraternities,” the word being based on greek, “phratar,” meaning member of a group.