Reactivating the University of Arkansas chapter

[Sophie22]

Hi everyone! My school used to have a Gamma Sigma Sigma chapter, but it was deactivated 4 years ago. I want to bring this chapter back to life because I love what GSS stands for and feel that we need an organization like that in our community.

I have a solid understanding of how sororities operate. In addition, I have spoken with several girls who seem interested in helping me. I am very passionate about reactivating our chapter and I feel as though it will be a great success. I welcome any words of wisdom or advice from current members. I hope to hear from you all soon!

[Elephant Walk]

Four years ago???

I just graduated and I've never heard of a chapter here at the UofA. And not any well before it. Who knows.

[Sophie22]

Four years ago???

I just graduated and I've never heard of a chapter here at the UofA. And not any well before it. Who knows.

I looked at the national GSS website and they have the U of A on their list of inactive chapters. The U of A was the delta gamma chapter. I spoke with someone who works in the RSO department at our school and she told me that the delta gamma chapter closed 4 years ago. It could have been longer though, who knows.

[carnation]

I'm checking my seventies yearbooks but if GSS was there then, they didn't have a yearbook picture.

[naraht]

The APO chapter at UofA might have some historical information, but the chapter history probably has gaps. According to http://www.uark.edu/~alphiom/about_history.php , the APO chapter was active from 1932 to the late 1970s, it rechartered in 1980 and then dropped to nonexistant in the late 1980s and just barely (down to 0 at one point) avoided going inactive again around 1989. So I'm not sure how much of their pre 1990 history they have, but if they have it, especially in the 1960s and 1970s, it probably will include info on Gamma Sigma Sigma.

[gamma_girl52]

Delta Gamma has been gone a bit longer than 4 years...

Sophie22 and I have been emailing already. I just got elected National Membership Director last week :D so now I'm overseeing all of the sorority's interest groups, colonies and RC's.

[naraht]

Delta Gamma has been gone a bit longer than 4 years...

Sophie22 and I have been emailing already. I just got elected National Membership Director last week :D so now I'm overseeing all of the sorority's interest groups, colonies and RC's.

I think Sophie22 *officially* found the right person. :)

Congrats Gamma_girl52!

What does RC mean (Rechartering Chapter??), and how is it different from a Colony?

Do the requirements in GSS for rechartering a inactive chapter differ from those for chartering a chapter at a new school?

(For APO, the only differences are that for a petitioning group (our term for colony) at a school that has previously had a chapter, the group should make an effort to find its previous history and an effort to contact alumni of the chapter and include information on those efforts in its charter application)

[gamma_girl52]

I think Sophie22 *officially* found the right person. :)

Congrats Gamma_girl52!

What does RC mean (Rechartering Chapter??), and how is it different from a Colony?

Do the requirements in GSS for rechartering a inactive chapter differ from those for chartering a chapter at a new school?

(For APO, the only differences are that for a petitioning group (our term for colony) at a school that has previously had a chapter, the group should make an effort to find its previous history and an effort to contact alumni of the chapter and include information on those efforts in its charter application)

Thanks so much!! :D It's been nonstop already since I started!

To answer, an RC means "Reactivating Chapter" and the requirements for an RC are no different from a colony. They still have the same time limits to charter and still have the same expectations as everyone else as far as service hours, dues, and filing reports. The ONLY difference is that an RC already has a chapter designation assigned and can use those letters during the process.

[blessed_1]

Good Luck!!!!

[naraht]

Thanks so much!! :D It's been nonstop already since I started!

To answer, an RC means "Reactivating Chapter" and the requirements for an RC are no different from a colony. They still have the same time limits to charter and still have the same expectations as everyone else as far as service hours, dues, and filing reports. The ONLY difference is that an RC already has a chapter designation assigned and can use those letters during the process.

The bizarre thing is with APO, rechartering petitioning groups are discouraged from using their chapter letters until they have their chartering application approved. As far as I know, the incident that caused the change in policy to that was the Petitioning Group members attempting to recharter Rho Omicron chapter had jackets made as if they were active brothers and tried telling the Regional Director (equivalent to the GSS District Directors) that they were showing that they were a Petitioning Group because they had PO on the sleeve standing for "Petitioning Organization" (and things went downhill from there). This has also become the standard question in "How dumb do you think the Regional Director is?"

Randy

[Quala67]

Not just "discouraged from using their chapter letters until they have their chartering application," but per a revision in the Board Policy Manual in 2008, they are PROHIBITED from using chapter designations until chartering.

Exact wording is such: 'Groups which are rechartering shall refrain from using the greek-letter chapter designation until chartering. (example: Joe Schmo Interest or Petitioning Group is permissible; Beta Sigma Sigma Interest or Petitioning Group is not permissable)'

[Blu-Scholar]

This is all a case of persons trying to jump the gun a bit. Thats all. Excitement.

[ECUGSS]

Delta Gamma has been gone a bit longer than 4 years...

Sophie22 and I have been emailing already. I just got elected National Membership Director last week :D so now I'm overseeing all of the sorority's interest groups, colonies and RC's.

Delta Gamma has been inactive for over 12 years because they weren't there back in 97 when I joined....

[Empress0105]

ok not trying to have an attitude...but HOW does apo not letting their reactivating chapters use their former chapter designations a) pertain to this discussion and b) matter to GSS and the way we decide to run things?????

i swear i learn more about apo reading gss topics.....

just an observation...

[33girl]

Not just "discouraged from using their chapter letters until they have their chartering application," but per a revision in the Board Policy Manual in 2008, they are PROHIBITED from using chapter designations until chartering.

Exact wording is such: 'Groups which are rechartering shall refrain from using the greek-letter chapter designation until chartering. (example: Joe Schmo Interest or Petitioning Group is permissible; Beta Sigma Sigma Interest or Petitioning Group is not permissable)'

This makes perfect sense to me. ASA used to give chapter letter designations to colonies, until one too many colonies flopped and we had gaps in our alphabet. "Walla Walla State Colony" is perfectly sufficient, IMO.

[naraht]

This makes perfect sense to me. ASA used to give chapter letter designations to colonies, until one too many colonies flopped and we had gaps in our alphabet. "Walla Walla State Colony" is perfectly sufficient, IMO.

I think there are two somewhat different situations being dealt with here.

1) Rho Rho Rho chapter used to be at Walla Walla State U. Can a group attempting to restart the chapter at Walla Walla refer to themselves by Rho Rho Rho in any way until the chapter is officially restarted?

2) There has never been a chapter at U of Alaska - Cicely, and the group trying to start a chapter will be given Phi Phi Phi chapter designation since that is the next chapter in sequence. Should they use Phi Phi Phi at all?

For APO the answer to both is no. For GSS, I think the answer to both is yes, but I'm not sure. other groups may have different combinations.

And I think I've seen at least one social fraternity that doesn't have letters at all for chapters. The chapter at U of Alaska - Cicely would simply be University of Alaska - Cicely chapter.

Randy

[gamma_girl52]

I think there are two somewhat different situations being dealt with here.

1) Rho Rho Rho chapter used to be at Walla Walla State U. Can a group attempting to restart the chapter at Walla Walla refer to themselves by Rho Rho Rho in any way until the chapter is officially restarted?

2) There has never been a chapter at U of Alaska - Cicely, and the group trying to start a chapter will be given Phi Phi Phi chapter designation since that is the next chapter in sequence. Should they use Phi Phi Phi at all?

For APO the answer to both is no. For GSS, I think the answer to both is yes, but I'm not sure. other groups may have different combinations.

And I think I've seen at least one social fraternity that doesn't have letters at all for chapters. The chapter at U of Alaska - Cicely would simply be University of Alaska - Cicely chapter.

Randy

For Gamma Sig, #1 is yes. If there was a chapter there previously, we allow them to use that chapter name even as they proceed thorough the colonization process. We call them "(insert chapter name here) Reactivating Chapter of Gamma Sigma Sigma."

#2 is no. When we have a totally new group we refer to them as "(insert school name here) Colony of Gamma Sigma Sigma". When the colonization process is finish we assign them a chapter name in whatever order we're in (we're currently in the Etas)

[naraht]

For Gamma Sig, #1 is yes. If there was a chapter there previously, we allow them to use that chapter name even as they proceed thorough the colonization process. We call them "(insert chapter name here) Reactivating Chapter of Gamma Sigma Sigma."

#2 is no. When we have a totally new group we refer to them as "(insert school name here) Colony of Gamma Sigma Sigma". When the colonization process is finish we assign them a chapter name in whatever order we're in (we're currently in the Etas)

For #2, I stand corrected.