Just an Idea

theta sig agd · #1 04-20-2002, 02:18 AM

Okay.....

I have been thinking of this idea for a while, I thought I would run it by everyone here and they can tell me to run with it or trash it!

My idea: I was wondering if anyone had ever thought of organizing high school sororities??

In Valdosta I know of two, i dont know the letters they use exactly, but I do know there are at least two.

My problem is they are one chapter sororities which openly haze there members in front of their parents. Some of their parents even participate in the preparing for the hazing events!!! This to me gives a bad view of greek life in not only this way. I am just too tired to go into great detail, but at this point what do you think?

Is this a stupid idea or not?????

VSUPhiMu · #2 04-20-2002, 11:44 AM

In Valdosta, one of the two is Sigam Delta Theta (Sigma). I was in it when I was in high school, and once I got to college, I realized that it was pretty much a joke. There is a lot of "hazing" during Ratt Week, but it's a lot of fun things like dressing up funny and things like that.

The bad thing is that most high school sororities don't have rituals or anything that means something to them. Sigma didn't have a motto, letter meanings, or anything special. We all just stayed in because of a Christmas dance, and when we were Seniors we could go on the beach trip to PC. There's not even a close sisterhood.

If it were me, I wouldn't do it unless there was some meaning to it. Looking back, I probably wouldn't participate again.

-VSUPhiMu

Kevin · #3 04-20-2002, 12:41 PM

I went to a Catholic HS in Oklahoma City, we had the 'pep club' and for men, the 'mens club'. Those two organizations hazed more than ANY college organization I've seen. The pep club even had a hell week. Freshman girls (everyone did it) had to wear I think it was 6 pigtails, paint their faces like dogs and get 20 seniors to sign a white t-shirt when they did whatever the seniors told them to do.
The men's club was suspended my sophomore year after an incedent where they got a lot of freshman guys very drunk and made them run naked in a circle (or something to that effect). Many of your freshman men could be seen walking around with no eyebrows, hair on their heads, etc... I didn't opt for men's club (and was one of a very few that didn't). I was never much into the HS social scene like that.. Looking back on it I made the right decision.

(those are some of the activities that I heard of.. I'm sure there's more but since I wasn't part of either one I don't know what happened behind closed doors =) ).

And what's funny about all this is the school actually SPONSORED it.

LHT
Kevin
MT #5
University of Central Oklahoma

33girl · #4 04-20-2002, 01:01 PM

tcsparky (I think) was talking one time about a national high school sorority - was that you tc?

It could be beneficial, but only if it is done correctly and doesn't turn into something that is just a popularity contest.

theta sig agd · #5 04-20-2002, 03:01 PM

Ok so from what I am reading alot of them haze like mad...right?

So what I was wanting to do is create a national high school org that promoted greek life in a POSITIVE way. Fashioned like the NPC groups. I dont know much about ritual for NIC due to me being NPC but anyway. I would offer ritual and sisterhood, or bonding at the same time promoing a "no haze" stance.

I had a friend in one who is now a sister of mine and it really did a number on her self confidence!! She was a legacy when she rushed our sorority, otherwise I dont think she would have rushed. She tought it would be the same way !!

Do we really want to have groups out there like that? I mean they do look at those groups as models of greek life. so to me this sounds like a good idea......the more I think about it the more I want to do it!!

If anyone has any pointers or anything let me know!!

TrojanGirl · #6 04-20-2002, 04:09 PM

Having a high school fraternity or sorority here in Arkansas is illegal. It falls under no tollerence gang laws. There are still some groups that fall into other categories, like band, Letterman's club, junior jaycees, ect. that haze BADLY

TG

Kevin · #7 04-20-2002, 05:17 PM

I agree that it'd be great to get some GLO interest organizations into highschools. That would be greatly beneficial to the entire movement.

The program I would envision would be sponsored by ALL GLO's. It would be co-ed and it would not only promote the positive aspects of Greek Life, it would prepare prospectives to ask the right questions when going through recruitment, let them know what to expect, etc. I see too many clueless freshman wander through recruitment every year and get taken advantage of by illegal recruitment activities, etc...

I would also think that the program should offer leadership training much like many of our national HQ's have been implementing on the national level.

The program would be great, for the HS students and ESPECIALLY the GLO's that participated.

LHT
Kevin
MT #5
University of Central Oklahoma

PsychTau · #8 04-20-2002, 08:31 PM

Trojan Girl,
I graduated HS in 1993 here in Arkansas. When I joined AST, I had 2 sisters who were in a HS sorority (Delta Beta Sigma), both were from different towns (West Memphis, and Stuttgart?). I have also heard of a DBS chapter in Conway. However, that was before Arkansas cracked down on the gang situation, so they may no longer exist. However, both of my AST sisters said that DBS was a "National" Sorority (don't know how widespread, but it was outside of AR).

I have been in the Greek Store in Conway, and I have seen DBS greek items (keychains, stickers, letters, etc). So DBS has existed at some point in AR, but I don't know if it still does.

I think a national greek organization would be good for high school students, if it were sponsered by NHC, NIC, etc. I think the best way to do it would set it up similar to National Honor Society (every chapter has the same procedures, similar activities, etc.). However, you would have to watch them like a HAWK, because they may take any opportunity to haze because "that's what greeks do" (their excuse, not mine!!).

(Hmm...Gamma Chi...Outreach Programming...Hmmm

Dionysus · #9 04-20-2002, 08:34 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by theta sig agd
My idea: I was wondering if anyone had ever thought of organizing high school sororities??

No, not when you have all of those cliques. There is already enough separation and segregation among high school students, having HS GLO will just be one more thing to divide them and I think that is unhealthy. College is different. I don't think high school girls (or boys) are mature enough for such a thing anyways. I can see SOOO much going wrong with that.

tcsparky · #10 04-21-2002, 10:22 AM

Hey Psych Tau! Hello from a fellow Razorback!!!!!!!

Delta Beta Sigma is a real National High School Sorority. It is true that they are illegal in the schools, but they exist all over the south outside of the schools. Delta Beta Sigma is very big in Arkansas. They currently have chapters in Conway, Forest City, West Memphis, Jonesboro, Stuttgart, and Fort Smith. They are city-wide or area-wide chapters, not affiliated with any high school. You wouldn't find the Forest City High School chapter, but you would find the Forest City chapter, containing girls from all area high schools, public and private.

DBS was founded in 1903 and is still alive and thriving!!! They do not do hazing, and are set up and run exactly like college sororities in organization, philanthropy, etc... The biggest difference is the involvment level of the parents. A girl's mom MUST agree to be actively involved. NOTHING, no event at all, ever takes place without the moms being there. Even initiation. The moms are initiated with the girls. They have Ritual with special meaning, they have elected officers, everything. It is a wonderful organization.

The annual summer convention is usually held somewhere in Arkansas. This past summer it was in Hot Springs.

Email me if anyone wants contact info about this sorority. They have a long and honorable history. I have known many girls who were involved, and would like to sponsor a chapter myself one day.

In my town we also had chapters of two national high school fraternities. Again, these are real organizations, not single chapter locals.

FuzzieAlum · #11 04-21-2002, 10:47 PM

According to NPC's "Standards of Ethical Conduct," "National Panhellenic Conference has no affiliation with any high school sorority."

That's all I can find on the topic, but I've always been under the impression for some reason that NPC frowns upon h.s. sororities.I'm not sure why.

However, I'm not sure they're necessary. High schools are generally smaller than colleges, and most of the kids have known each other for a while. There is no need for sororities for girls to get to know each other. That doesn't mean I think they're bad or wrong, I'm just not sure I see the point.

SteveHofstetter · #12 04-22-2002, 04:02 PM

KTSnake-

What you propose sounds very utopian, but is this practical? Who would join and why?

RockChalk · #13 04-22-2002, 04:10 PM

My sister's HS had a sorority. I think it was called Gamma Sigma or something like that. I don't know a whole lot about the organization because it wasn't at my HS and my sis never joined it.

Kevin · #14 04-22-2002, 11:45 PM

Steve,

It would be an entirely seperate organization that would invite participation from any fraternity/sorority that would be interested. There are all kinds of groups in HS that people join. This one's focus would be leadership, character, ethics, etc... The things that GLO's are really about. The primary purpose would not be to promote recruitment or even our individual organizations (directly) but to make contact with HS people who have not yet made up their minds about the greek system. Often times we don't get the best people because of negative stereotypes, etc. I would see this as a way to combat them directly, where it counts.

LHT
Kevin
MT #5
University of Central Oklahoma

SATX*APhi · #15 04-24-2002, 04:08 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by theta sig agd
Okay.....

I have been thinking of this idea for a while, I thought I would run it by everyone here and they can tell me to run with it or trash it!

My idea: I was wondering if anyone had ever thought of organizing high school sororities??

In Valdosta I know of two, i dont know the letters they use exactly, but I do know there are at least two.

My problem is they are one chapter sororities which openly haze there members in front of their parents. Some of their parents even participate in the preparing for the hazing events!!! This to me gives a bad view of greek life in not only this way. I am just too tired to go into great detail, but at this point what do you think?

Is this a stupid idea or not?????

Just wanted to point out that in Texas, being a part of a sorority or fraternity in a public school is a Class A or B misdemeanor, I cannot remember which, but both have sever punishments.

- Class B Misdemeanor: Fine not to exceed $2,000.00, confinement in jail for a term not to exceed 180 days or both (Tried in County Court At Law)

- Class A Misdemeanor: Fine not to exceed $4,000.00, confinement in jail for a term not to exceed one year or both. (Tried in county court At Law)

Because all college-level sororities and fraternities are private, belonging to one is not considered against the law. High school sororities and fraternities, however, are not private organizations and belonging to one is as if you are a part of a "gang."

I do not know if it is like this in all states, but this is the case in Texas. I just wanted to give you all a heads up.