Your fraternity/sorority's greatest strength

[fense]

In your opinion, what does your fraternity or sorority do best? What makes it stand out from the other Greek organizations on your campus? What do your officers do that really makes things run smoothly?

Since it's now summer and we have a chance to step back and think a bit, it seems like many fraternities and sororities (at least on my campus) are content to just do the same thing as every other one. So if you've got an example of your fraternity/sorority doing something above and beyond the normal - no matter how small it is - please share! It would be great to get some ideas!

[PhoenixAzul]

Our greatest strength is the ability to recognize and utilize the individuality of each and every member. Our motto is "To thine own self be true." We don't scout for 4.0 Rhoades Scholar pageant queens or any other "type", we don't have a "type" at all...we scout for girls who stand out in recruitment, who would "ruffle feathers" in other chapters. We're a house full of feather rufflers.Our girls contribute some wacky and wonderful ideas and talents (example...one of our girls is a semi-pro Hula dancer...from Dayton OH). Our girls have belching contests, farting contests, they comein all shapes and sizes and hair colors, they speak different languages, they go to different churches or no church at all, they speak different, act different, and ARE different. The common ground that binds us though is Tau Delta.

We may not take quota every year or any year in recent history, but the 8, 9, 10 girls we take, are QUALITY members and pull way more than their own weight. With a small chapter, we know that our contribution really counts, and that we can't afford to have anyone drop the ball, thinking that someone else will take care of it. Our attrition is very low. What some people may see as a membership "Struggle", we don't see as a struggle at all. We complete all the functions of all the other chapters with sometimes half or a quarter of the members. Example...during recruitment, when we had 16 girls active, we never once missed a recruitment sign up table shift. Most of those shifts, the other sorority would forget to send someone. We do what we have to do with what we have.

What else do we do well, aside from having a kick-ass sisterhood?

Uhh...even with 24 members, we still have never been in the red. EVER.

[Coramoor]

Diversity.

My chapter has people that follow every interest in life. College athletes, military, hippies, artists, stoners, shy kids, ladies men, everything. We as a chapter don't have a label that all the sororities know other frats by.

[PSUSigKap]

I'm going to brag a bit about the Penn State Greek system as a whole. The fact that we can all work together along with various other student organizations to put together the largest student run philanthropy is an amazing feat. The IFC/Panhellenic Dance Marathon raised over $4 million this year for the 4 Diamonds Fund. The 4 Diamonds Fund provides money to help families whose children are treated at the Hershey Medical Center Cancer ward. The money also goes toward cancer research at Hershey. It makes me proud to say that I was part of it for 4 years.

[ARADPi]

Diversity is definately our greatest strength. But our strength comes not from our differences, instead it comes from our acceptance of the uniqueness of each individual sister. Our individual strengths are embraced, and this makes us strong as a sisterhood.

[a.e.B.O.T.]

our officers are fantastic... they are men that so go above and beyond the call of duty and it benifits us in so many ways

[luminarysoul]

Originally posted by PSUSigKap
I'm going to brag a bit about the Penn State Greek system as a whole. The fact that we can all work together along with various other student organizations to put together the largest student run philanthropy is an amazing feat. The IFC/Panhellenic Dance Marathon raised over $4 million this year for the 4 Diamonds Fund. The 4 Diamonds Fund provides money to help families whose children are treated at the Hershey Medical Center Cancer ward. The money also goes toward cancer research at Hershey. It makes me proud to say that I was part of it for 4 years.

I read somewhere that Penn State had about 87greek orgs on campus is that true?
if so i can imagine that greek life at Penn State is a special experience in addition to being greek

[fense]

Wow, 87 Greek organizations? I had no idea. It begs the question: Are there any campuses with a higher number? I certainly don't think I've heard of any.

[KillarneyRose]

Originally posted by PSUSigKap
I'm going to brag a bit about the Penn State Greek system as a whole. The fact that we can all work together along with various other student organizations to put together the largest student run philanthropy is an amazing feat. The IFC/Panhellenic Dance Marathon raised over $4 million this year for the 4 Diamonds Fund. The 4 Diamonds Fund provides money to help families whose children are treated at the Hershey Medical Center Cancer ward. The money also goes toward cancer research at Hershey. It makes me proud to say that I was part of it for 4 years.

PSU DOES have an awesome breek system. And coming from a Pitt alumna, that means a lot!

I've always been puzzled by the fact that, while Pitt and PSU are two of Pennsylvania's state-related schools (Temple being number 3), Pitt's greek system has been at odds with school administration and incompetently managed throughout the years while PSU's has thrived. It's a shame, really, because PSU shows how much good greeks can do if they're just allowed to do so.

PSUSigKap, I'm firing off an e mail to you.

[Drunkie679]

Our campus, I feel TKE greatest strength is the fact that campus does not have any part with us, yet we still remain a strong house with memebers that care deeply about our chapter. We have gotten rid of all the problem memebers and hopefully will have a great fall rush. Our weakness was in the past organizational problems, but we hvae taken care of that

[adpiucf]

I've been an alum for a while now, but I felt that the following factors contributed to the success of my university's greek system and the individual chapters.

1) Leadership. The Director of Greek Life never misses a Panhellenic or IFC meeting, has special sub groups like the Chapter President's Roundtable, Greek Women's Circle, etc., and ongoing trainings for Greek Leaders and new members. He leads by example and the leaders have opportunites for local, regional and national training events where they bring back ideas to their chapters and the IFC/Panhellenic. Overall, consistency and maintaining a routine and schedule are key. Also, giving people timely information and employing various means of communication (a mix of online, written, phone call and in person meetings) helps them to feel part of the process and willing to support ideas. Being organized and communicating that is key.

2) Scholarship. Greeks place a high emphasis on making good grades by requiring members to maintain a certain GPA and incentivizing good grades in the chapters through weekly awards and events with professors each semester. Greeks also join honor societies and Greek honor societies.

3) Friendship. Relations with the chapters are very open. It isn't uncommon to have best friends in more than one chapter, as oppposed to socializing only with your own GLO members. Each chapter hosts a Greek Sisterhood Supper, Dessert Night, etc.

4) New Members have special all-Greek programming to encourage them to mix and mingle with other chapters, to develop leadership skills (IE: Jr Panhellenic, Greek 101), etc. They are raised with a culture of tolerance, friendship and respect for themselves and others, which extends to responsible decision making and an understanding of what hazing is and that hazing is unacceptable.

5) Participation. Members are encouraged to participate in non-Greek orgs to encourage the individual interests, meet others and promote Greek Life by example. Greek Spirit: Greeks wear letters on Wednesdays, and some chapters have "Dress to Pin" Mondays where they dress in pin attire to attend class.

6) Open Door Policy. Ritual and chapter business are secret to the outside world, but there is an openness within the chapter to discuss personal problems or air differences of opinion. Members may attend executive board meetings and observe goings on.

7) Alumni/Alumnae. Relying on alumnae to help support chapter programming by coming to talk to the chapter for trainings, motivation, and assistance give collegiate members hope and help the chapter function. Advisers support the chapter with their wisdom of life experience and consistency, giving chapter officers the ability to know it is ok and expected to make mistakes, but knowing that there is a guide to help them make it through.

Overall, the campus encouraged collaboration and friendship between Greek groups. I think this made a big difference. The chapters with the biggest internal problems were the ones who socialized the least outside of their own chapters. Socialization and having counterparts in other chapters led to the spread of good ideas.

[honeychile]

Originally posted by KillarneyRose
PSU DOES have an awesome breek system. And coming from a Pitt alumna, that means a lot!

I've always been puzzled by the fact that, while Pitt and PSU are two of Pennsylvania's state-related schools (Temple being number 3), Pitt's greek system has been at odds with school administration and incompetently managed throughout the years while PSU's has thrived. It's a shame, really, because PSU shows how much good greeks can do if they're just allowed to do so.

PSUSigKap, I'm firing off an e mail to you.

PSU has always been Greek-friendly! I inherited my ggreat-aunt's scrapbooks, and she was in a local (which is probably a national now; I should see which one it was!). This was back in the 1920's, and you wouldn't believe the amount of press the sororities & fraternities got! As a 4-year-old child, my photo was in the PSU newspaper with a fraternity (during their ice sculpture contest - I was looking up into the mouth of a huge ice T-Rex!). I'm constantly amazed at how good the administration is with the Greeks, as opposed to the "hmmm... how can we get rid of them?" attitude that Pitt's administration has.


Edited because I'm at work and not thinking properly!

[LexiKD]

Sisterhood. I don't mean that in a cheesy way but b/c I was part of a colony we had to begin at the begining. Without true devotion to our new organization and each other we really couldn't have gotten off the ground. I have to say that our national organization was so easy to fall in love with that motivation never was an issue b/c we are all on the same page.
We also learned great respect for our national officers that helped along the way and without whom we wouldn't be as strong as we are now.
As an alumna now I see what we did and wonder how we did it and went to school. I have huge respect for my chapter, the women who began the journey and the ones who continue it today.

[ZTAngel]

Originally posted by adpiucf
I've been an alum for a while now, but I felt that the following factors contributed to the success of my university's greek system and the individual chapters.

1) Leadership. The Director of Greek Life never misses a Panhellenic or IFC meeting, has special sub groups like the Chapter President's Roundtable, Greek Women's Circle, etc., and ongoing trainings for Greek Leaders and new members. He leads by example and the leaders have opportunites for local, regional and national training events where they bring back ideas to their chapters and the IFC/Panhellenic. Overall, consistency and maintaining a routine and schedule are key. Also, giving people timely information and employing various means of communication (a mix of online, written, phone call and in person meetings) helps them to feel part of the process and willing to support ideas. Being organized and communicating that is key.

2) Scholarship. Greeks place a high emphasis on making good grades by requiring members to maintain a certain GPA and incentivizing good grades in the chapters through weekly awards and events with professors each semester. Greeks also join honor societies and Greek honor societies.

3) Friendship. Relations with the chapters are very open. It isn't uncommon to have best friends in more than one chapter, as oppposed to socializing only with your own GLO members. Each chapter hosts a Greek Sisterhood Supper, Dessert Night, etc.

4) New Members have special all-Greek programming to encourage them to mix and mingle with other chapters, to develop leadership skills (IE: Jr Panhellenic, Greek 101), etc. They are raised with a culture of tolerance, friendship and respect for themselves and others, which extends to responsible decision making and an understanding of what hazing is and that hazing is unacceptable.

5) Participation. Members are encouraged to participate in non-Greek orgs to encourage the individual interests, meet others and promote Greek Life by example. Greek Spirit: Greeks wear letters on Wednesdays, and some chapters have "Dress to Pin" Mondays where they dress in pin attire to attend class.

6) Open Door Policy. Ritual and chapter business are secret to the outside world, but there is an openness within the chapter to discuss personal problems or air differences of opinion. Members may attend executive board meetings and observe goings on.

7) Alumni/Alumnae. Relying on alumnae to help support chapter programming by coming to talk to the chapter for trainings, motivation, and assistance give collegiate members hope and help the chapter function. Advisers support the chapter with their wisdom of life experience and consistency, giving chapter officers the ability to know it is ok and expected to make mistakes, but knowing that there is a guide to help them make it through.

Overall, the campus encouraged collaboration and friendship between Greek groups. I think this made a big difference. The chapters with the biggest internal problems were the ones who socialized the least outside of their own chapters. Socialization and having counterparts in other chapters led to the spread of good ideas.

Very true. The UCF greek system is huge and thriving because of the great relations between all the groups. The sororities all help each other out in some way. When one group recolonized a few years back, all the sororities on campus got involved to help them find the best new members for their chapter. Most of us all have friends in other chapters. I have best friends in TriDelta, KD, and Pi Phi.
Now if only we could get all the groups houses! Then the UCF greek system would really be great!!

[KSUViolet06]

*Effort- We may not always win EVERY philanthropy event, but we contribute 110% of our time to it. We will ALWAYS participate, even if we don't win.

*Fun- Whatever we do, we try to have fun with it. Even if it's something that's not always fun (i.e. required risk management seminars before formal, rush workshop, study tables).

*Participation- We many not be the largest sorority, but there have been occasions where we had better participation than a chapter with 30 more girls than us. For Songfest, we raised $2,000 compared to XYZ's $100.

*Alumnae- We've ALL heard of chapter's who treat their alumnae like crap and NEVER invite them to certain things or welcome their help. Our chapter isn't one of them.