Definition of "Chapter"

[FΔithHΩpeLoΛe]

Hi there, I'm a total newbie to the Greek Life so please excuse my ignorance regarding my question:

What is a "chapter" of a Sorority and why do they have different names to the Sorority? Example, Sigma Sigma Sigma had a Delta Nu Chapter...

Also why do some Sororites have only 2 greek letters instead of three? Example, Chi Omega.

Thanks!

[SydneyK]

Using your example, the Delta Nu chapter of Sigma Sigma Sigma might be at State University, whereas the Delta Xi chapter of Sigma Sigma Sigma might be at State Tech. The national group (Sigma Sigma Sigma) is broken down into university-tied groups (chapters). This is the case for all national sororities. The chapter name designates the university with which the national sorority is affiliated.

(I was never a Rho Chi and boy am I glad! It's hard to define chapter!)

Some sororities have two letters because that's what their founders chose. Others have three letters because, you guessed it, that's what their founders chose.

Are you a PNM? A new member somewhere? (Just asking because of the Greek letters in your username.)

[Zillini]

Each organization's founders selected their 2-3 Greek letter name. Some group's reasons for their name are confidential, some are publicly known. A "chapter" is the term used for each chartered group on each University campus of an Inter/national org.

Typically orgs give each chapter an identifying name when it is chartered and that is often based on the Greek alphabet. The founding/first chapter would be Alpha, the next Beta, all the way through Omega. After that they started with Alpha Alpha through Alpha Omega, then on to Beta Alpha through Beta Omega, and so on.

[FΔithHΩpeLoΛe]

Originally Posted by Zillini

The founding/first chapter would be Alpha, the next Beta, all the way through Omega. After that they started with Alpha Alpha through Alpha Omega, then on to Beta Alpha through Beta Omega, and so on.

Oh ok, I see - but not all organisations follow that system, right?

If I was starting a new Sorority could I just randomly pick three Greek letters based solely on the fact that a Sorority does not exist with that name? Especially if it's the founding chapter?

And Sydney: No, I'm not a member of any Sorority, I'm still trying to understand the system before I weigh up any options.

[ASTalumna06]

Originally Posted by FΔithHΩpeLoΛe

Oh ok, I see - but not all organisations follow that system, right?

If I was starting a new Sorority could I just randomly pick three Greek letters based solely on the fact that a Sorority does not exist with that name? Especially if it's the founding chapter?

And Sydney: No, I'm not a member of any Sorority, I'm still trying to understand the system before I weigh up any options.

If you're starting a new sorority, then it would start as a local sorority, and there would only be one chapter. Therefore, you wouldn't necessarily need to give it a Greek letter chapter designation. As for the name of the actual sorority, if you're starting the whole thing from scratch (A HUGE UNDERTAKING!!), then you can name it anything you want, for whatever reason you wish.

And actually, Delta Chi, a national fraternity, doesn't even use Greek letters for individual chapters. Their chapter here at Penn State Behrend is simply known as the "Behrend Chapter".

[pshsx1]

Originally Posted by ASTalumna06

If you're starting a new sorority, then it would start as a local sorority, and there would only be one chapter. Therefore, you wouldn't necessarily need to give it a Greek letter chapter designation.

BUT, if you were to give a chapter designation, it'd the Alpha chapter (or Nevada Alpha or Evansville Chapter or whatever).

Example: Two of the locals on my campus go by a chapter designation. One calls itself the Alpha Chapter and the other calls itself the Delta chapter b/c of things that have happened in its history.

I too am curious, though... Why the Delta Omega Lambda in your user name?

[knight_shadow]

Originally Posted by pshsx1

I too am curious, though... Why the Delta Omega Lambda in your user name?

Looks like she just picked Greek letters that looked like the English letters.

[Gusteau]

Originally Posted by ASTalumna06

And actually, Delta Chi, a national fraternity, doesn't even use Greek letters for individual chapters. Their chapter here at Penn State Behrend is simply known as the "Behrend Chapter".

Kind of a sidetrack, but a FUN FACT nonetheless: The reason we believe our founders decided to name their chapter after their university was because they wanted the prestige of Cornell to rub off on their newly founded group. So from the beginning they were known as "The Cornel Chapter of The Delta Chi Fraternity."

Herff Jones, however has not gotten the memo because they only offer us Greek letter guards and not English letters (though I have seen some old badges with English guards.)

[33girl]

Originally Posted by Gusteau

Kind of a sidetrack, but a FUN FACT nonetheless: The reason we believe our founders decided to name their chapter after their university was because they wanted the prestige of Cornell to rub off on their newly founded group. So from the beginning they were known as "The Cornel Chapter of The Delta Chi Fraternity."

Herff Jones, however has not gotten the memo because they only offer us Greek letter guards and not English letters (though I have seen some old badges with English guards.)

Wow, I never knew this - interesting. How would you have a guard in English though - especially if you went to (ex) Transylvania University? Wouldn't that be a tad long?

[emb021]

Originally Posted by FΔithHΩpeLoΛe

Oh ok, I see - but not all organisations follow that system, right?

Most do.

Those that don't follow the style of 'alpha of state x', 'alpha of state z', 'beta of state x', etc.

As noted, each Chapter is given a designation. These is determined by the org's National office, and done in order of ther groups chartering. You always know what chapter you joined, and when you met other members from your org, telling them your chapter designation (Chapter XYZ) along with the school is the norm.

If I was starting a new Sorority could I just randomly pick three Greek letters based solely on the fact that a Sorority does not exist with that name? Especially if it's the founding chapter?

First off, greek letters are NOT picked randomly. And yes, you'd need to pick a set not already in use, as pretty much all national groups have trademarked their names.

And yes, if you were founding a new org, you would be founding the first chapter (Alpha Chapter of new org XYZ).

Basically, with GLOs, the greek letters are the initials of the group's *real* name, rendered in the greek language. For instance, Phi Beta Kappa is called that because the letters are the initials of a greek phrase that means "Love of learning is the guide of life".

[SydneyK]

Originally Posted by FΔithHΩpeLoΛe

Oh ok, I see - but not all organisations follow that system, right?

Right. Some organizations designate chapter name using other methods. Some fraternities, for example, designate the state where the chapter resides (Tennessee Beta, for example).

Originally Posted by FΔithHΩpeLoΛe

If I was starting a new Sorority could I just randomly pick three Greek letters based solely on the fact that a Sorority does not exist with that name? Especially if it's the founding chapter?

Correct. Only the founders choose the name of the sorority. And as Psi U MC Vito said, the name wouldn't be random letters - there's usually a reason why the chosen letters were chosen.

Originally Posted by FΔithHΩpeLoΛe

And Sydney: No, I'm not a member of any Sorority, I'm still trying to understand the system before I weigh up any options.

While that's noble and all, it isn't necessary to understand all the intricacies of Greek life before becoming active in Greek life. That's partly what the new member period is for. It sounds like you're wanting to start a new sorority - there are several threads on GC that you should read if you're really thinking about starting one.

ETA: Looks like several of us cross-posted, saying essentially the same things!

[violetpretty]

Originally Posted by FΔithHΩpeLoΛe

Oh ok, I see - but not all organisations follow that system, right?

A few exceptions in the NPC:

*Alpha Omicron Pi allows each colony to choose the chapter designation, usually based on a chapter sub-motto. For example, the colony at the University of Arkansas became the Xi Omicron chapter, for "excellence overall".
*Alpha Epsilon Phi goes Alpha to Omega, Alpha Alpha to Alpha Omega, Epsilon Alpha to Epsilon Omega, Phi Alpha to Phi Omega, and then resumes with the Betas. Delta Phi Epsilon also does this, except their first three sets after the single letter chapters are Delta, Phi and Epsilon.
*Chi Omega does the basic system, but backwards and omitting Omega. The second letter is the "set". The first chapter is Psi, then Chi, then Phi...then Psi Alpha, Chi Alpha, Phi Alpha...Alpha Alpha, then Psi Beta, Chi Beta, Phi Beta....Alpha Beta.
*Kappa Delta has many chapters not named in the conventional manner. Some designations were given to honor people, the school, or the locals that KD absorbed. See these two posts by Leslie Anne and ta kala. (Thank you Shellfish!)
*Pi Beta Phi names chapters by the state and the order it was chartered in that state. Virginia Alpha, Virginia Beta, Virginia Gamma...Ohio Alpha, Ohio Beta, etc.
*Alpha Gamma Delta names chapters by region. The first Greek letter is the region designation and the second is the order in which that chapter was chartered within the region. (Thank you VandalSquirrel!) Any Phi Mus correct me if I am wrong, but I believe Phi Mu also does this too.

[pshsx1]

Originally Posted by violetpretty

*Pi Beta Phi names chapters by the state and the order it was chartered in that state. Virginia Alpha, Virginia Beta, Virginia Gamma...Ohio Alpha, Ohio Beta, etc.

Same with SigEp (which was mentioned). But also kind of interesting, we also used to go by Alpha, Beta...Psi, Omega, Beta Alpha.. etc. But then at some point (I believe it was after our merger with Tau Upsilon Omega), the chapter designations were switched to states and Greek letters. Also, we don't have a North Carolina Alpha chapter. I think it's because of both a SPE and TUO chapter closing and rechartering? I really don't remember.

And California and Pennsylvania are the only states I believe with double letters (ex. CA Beta Gamma, PA Beta Alpha).

[VandalSquirrel]

Originally Posted by violetpretty

A few exceptions in the NPC:

*Alpha Omicron Pi allows each colony to choose the chapter designation, usually based on a chapter sub-motto. For example, the colony at the University of Arkansas became the Xi Omicron chapter, for "excellence overall".
*Alpha Epsilon Phi goes Alpha to Omega, Alpha Alpha to Alpha Omega, Epsilon Alpha to Epsilon Omega, Phi Alpha to Phi Omega, and then resumes with the Betas. Delta Phi Epsilon also does this, except their first three sets after the single letter chapters are Delta, Phi and Epsilon.
*Chi Omega does the basic system, but backwards and omitting Omega. The second letter is the "set". The first chapter is Psi, then Chi, then Phi...then Psi Alpha, Chi Alpha, Phi Alpha...Alpha Alpha, then Psi Beta, Chi Beta, Phi Beta....Alpha Beta.
*I've think Tri Delta and Kappa Delta have some chapters that appear not to be named in the conventional manner (i.e. Sigma ___ chapters that are old), but I don't know if there was a pattern or reason for it.
*Pi Beta Phi names chapters by the state and the order it was chartered in that state. Virginia Alpha, Virginia Beta, Virginia Gamma...Ohio Alpha, Ohio Beta, etc.

Alpha Gamma Delta has regions with different letters (Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta, Epsilon, Kappa, Theta, Zeta) with the second letter in alphabetical Greek order. For example our newest chapter at Roosevolet is Beta Upsilon, but my chapter is Delta Theta, and was founded 50 years before. Our first 24 chapters are Alpha - Omega, with Chapter Grand reserved for deceased sisters.

[AOII Angel]

Originally Posted by violetpretty

A few exceptions in the NPC:

*Alpha Omicron Pi allows each colony to choose the chapter designation, usually based on a chapter sub-motto. For example, the colony at the University of Arkansas became the Xi Omicron chapter, for "excellence overall".

Many chapters chose their names to honor sisters, ie. Phi Chi at Univ of Chicago was named for Peg Crawford, AOII International President, who was instrumental in getting them started as the first NPC on campus. Not all names have direct correlations from chapter designation to sub-motto either. For example, our newest chapter at Washington University in St. Louis is Delta Kappa, but their sub-motto is Kalokagathia meaning "Excellent/Beautiful and Good." There is no word signified by Delta in their sub-motto. I wonder how they come up with the ideas for chapter names...I'm glad I didn't have to!