Another Newbie!

[DelGammaZoo]

Hey! I just found this site when I was doing some online research and I AM SO EXCITED! I'm the president of Delta Gamma Zeta, a local sorority that myself and 6 other girls started over a year ago. We've since grown to 23 and we're the only sorority on my small, catholic college's campus. It's so great to know there are so many other people out there for help and support! We have high hopes to start offering charters to girls at other schools by next semester! I just wanted to say how great it is to know how many other girls were in situations like mine (with no greek life at all). So thanks!

[FSUZeta]

congratulations. looks like a nice bunch of girls. i liked the variety of your service projects.

i do have a few questions:

when you were forming your sorority, were you thinking that you might try to affiliate with either delta gamma or delta zeta?

in your photos you are wearing and making t-shirts which say delta gamma in greek. if i had not read about your sorority, i would have thought that i was viewing a delta gamma website.
is there some reason that you don't include the "zeta" on your shirts?

is your sorority recognized by your college's administration? if not, do you think that recognition might be granted in the near future?

on your website it was stated that delta gamma zeta intended to try to affiliate with a national panhellenic conference sorority-then i read that your sorority might expand to other campuses. have you decided to remain independent and try to expand?

[DelGammaZoo]

So here's our deal:
Originally we were a local sorority with the name Delta Gamma and actually in the process of NPC affiliation. However, we ran into some problems with our administration. Things they were previously willing to help us out with, they took off the table and virtually made NPC expansion impossible. Therefore we were forced to continue independently. However, we do plan on starting our own national sorority by training and pledging girls from other schools and chartering new chapters. Just because we can't go the NPC way doesn't mean we can't go our own So that's where we're at now. When we had to stop NPC affiliation we voted and added the Zeta. Our website does need some changes and those are expected to happen soon, so you should check back if you want to see more!

[jubilance1922]

Ok, so you guys were wearing Delta Gamma letters even though you weren't Delta Gamma's? Wow.

[WhiteDaisy128]

I'm flattered at the whole thing, but the pictures with the letters DG in them need to be taken down if you are not a DG chapter. Even if you were TRYING to expand, you were not an official colony and therefor should not be wearing Delta Gamma letters. In one of the pictures, there is an anchor on one of the shirts...did you just take all the DG symbols and start calling them your own?

I understand the difficulties that administrations can cause, but I would encourage you to make your sorority your own by selecting novel colors, symbols, etc.

Good luck in your endevors!

[FSUZeta]

thanks for your reply. it is truly unfortunate when administrations will not work with groups either wishing to become a new chapter of an npc, nphc, multicultural or ifc sorority or fraternity or trying to establish their own. i wish you the very best of luck .

i hope that you and your sisters will rethink your name and your symbols and colors , as they appear to mimic those of delta gamma. with your original hope of affiliation with an npc org(and i would guess your first chioce was delta gamma) i can sort of understand why you made the choices you did. however, since that did not work out, it would be respectful of all delta gammas to come up with original colors, symbols and a name that sounds less like an already established organization.

[DelGammaZoo]

Thanks for all your concerns. We DO have different letters, colors, symbols, flower, jewel, etc. than anyone else. They just aren't listed on the site.

[kddani]

Originally posted by DelGammaZoo
Thanks for all your concerns. We DO have different letters, colors, symbols, flower, jewel, etc. than anyone else. They just aren't listed on the site.

Then you really need to update your website, it is very misleading.

[Greekopedia]

in all fairness, starting an organization from the ground up is truly a challenge. good luck with your endeavors!!!

[WhiteDaisy128]

It's great that you've developed your own symbols, colors, etc...but that should be reflected in your site like Dani said. All I see are Delta Gamma letters, colors (pink and blue clothes, balloons, etc.), and symbols (anchors on the t-shirts). Be public with your own symbols and I'm sure you'll get more support from Greek Chat.

In the past, people have come to Greek Chat trying to form locals that take MANY symbols from particular existing sororities - some people are even trying to FORM chapters of existing sororities on campuses that are not open for expansion...so I'm sure you can understand all of the concern.

Since you do not know the meanings behind our letters and symbols, it's disrespectful to appear to be using them (I say appear since you say you have your own symbols, etc - and I don't doubt that you do - ...but on your site, they are our symbols).

[AlphaFrog]

This is not necessarily to the OP, but:

Can I just take this opportunity to point out that starting a local that is hoping to go national, using an existing NPC's anything (letters, colors, mascots, symbols, flowers, jewels, etc) is probably NOT a good idea. The group you are imitating may not see it as flattery, and you hurt your chance of getting any other NPCs to consider you. I'm not saying not to use violets (for example) because SigKap, Tri-Sigma, ADPi, etc use them - BUT don't use violets, sailboats, skulls, purple & white and call yourselves Sigma Sigma. If you're going to use something of an existing NPC - make it only that one (or maybe two) things. And if it seems to you like WAY too much research to find out what's already "in use", then you're not ready to put in the work it takes to start a sorority.

[kddani]

Originally posted by WhiteDaisy128
Since you do not know the meanings behind our letters and symbols, it's disrespectful to appear to be using them (I say appear since you say you have your own symbols, etc - and I don't doubt that you do - ...but on your site, they are our symbols).

Not only disrespectful, but potentially a violation of trademark and/or copyright law.

[WhiteDaisy128]

Since the site was just updated today, perhaps you could update the pictures and clarrify your symbols, etc.

Congrats on getting 9 new sisters.

[Denise_DPhiE]

Originally posted by AlphaFrog
And if it seems to you like WAY too much research to find out what's already "in use", then you're not ready to put in the work it takes to start a sorority.

Amen sista!

[Buttonz]

Originally posted by WhiteDaisy128
Since the site was just updated today, perhaps you could update the pictures and clarrify your symbols, etc.

Congrats on getting 9 new sisters.

Can someone please link to the site?