Wake Forest Chi Omegas Relinquish their charter

[33girl]

Meghan deleted the entry from her journal.

If you go to the Wake Forest newspaper site and search under Chi Omega you should find the articles concerning the situation.

[PhiMuLady150]

Chi Omegas vote on fate
By Stephanie Bennett and Elizabeth Bland
Editorials Editor and Editor in Chief

September 18, 2003




Chi Omega sorority members voted this week to determine the fate of their organization—a move prompted by questions over whether the group’s national executives followed procedure when the sorority returned its charter Sept.4 for alleged hazing violations.

Each member of the sorority, both on campus and abroad, must vote on whether or not to remain a chartered organization by Sept. 20, said senior Michelle Gallagher, president of the Panhellenic Council.

Gallagher said a final decision should be reached within the next two weeks.

Though the sorority is not currently a chartered organization, the vote could reverse the earlier decision.

A press release from Mary Ann Frugé, the Chi Omega National President, and senior Kelly Mahan, former president of the university’s Chi Omega chapter, Zeta Lambda, said “Upon relinquishing its charter, the chapter assumed a status in which its operations have ceased until a definitive decision regarding its future is made.”

Mahan and the Chi Omega national executive board would not confirm what the alleged violations of the organization’s national “Policy on Human Dignity and Hazing” included.

Rather than exist under social probation restrictions that included educational rehabilitation classes and limited social functions, sorority members returned their charter at a meeting with representatives from the sorority’s national executive board Sept. 4.

But some questioned the way in which the sorority members were asked to make a decision.

In a letter obtained by the Old Gold and Black and e-mailed to members of the sorority Sept. 7, parents of some of the Chi Omega members said they were “appalled and outraged,” at the process that led to the dissolution of the sorority.

The letter said, “We understand that you felt you had no choice but to surrender your charter, as the rules imposed were such that you could not bind yourselves or your sisters to the probable consequences of obvious non-compliance.”

Frugé returned to campus Sept. 9 to facilitate a meeting between sorority members, national executive board members and university administrators in the wake of complaints about the process in which the hazing allegations were investigated.

In a press release, Frugé said the Sept. 9 meeting was an informational and question and answer period for the sorority members.

No explanantion of the Chi Omega national “Policy on Human Dignity and Hazing” was provided.

Members of the Chi Omega sorority refused to comment on the vote or decision.

Frugé and members of the Chi Omega national executive board did not return phone calls.

[PhiMuLady150]

Chi Omega: Gone for good?
By Stephanie Bennett
Editorials Editor

September 11, 2003


In a shocking move last Thursday Sept. 4, the university’s Chi Omega chapter, Zeta Lambda, returned their charter to the sorority’s national organization instead of existing with social probation restrictions.

In a show of support, former brothers of the Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity and some of the sorority sister’s boyfriends wore Chi-O shirts the next day.

Mary Ann Frugé, the national president of Chi Omega, met with the sisters Sept. 9 to clarify and respond to a decision made at a group-wide meeting with other national delegates last week. Frugé herself was not present at that meeting.

Anne Emmerth, executive director of Chi Omega National, came to campus Aug. 31, along with other delegates, to investigate the alleged violations. Senior Michelle Gallagher, president of the Panhellenic Council, said the Chi Omega national organization received the allegation in July.

Last week, national delegates interviewed individual members of the sorority and presented the women with two options: they could either accept social probation restrictions or return their charter.

According to a press release posted Sept. 5 from Ken Zick, vice president for student life and instructional resources, the university did not receive notification of the national organization’s visit until Aug. 27.

After meeting with the Zeta Lambda chapter Sunday Aug. 31, according to Emmerth, the women attended individual meetings conducted with members of the delegation. After these conferences, a second group meeting was held Sept. 3.

At this meeting, according to Gallagher, the chapter was offered “social probation for an indeterminate amount of time.”

Under this probation, the sisters would have to “go through some rebuilding procedures and some workshops to have social probation lifted,” Gallagher said.

However, meetings conducted on Friday and continuing over the weekend resulted in another meeting Sept. 9 for another vote because of procedural problems the first time.

The national organization as well as the university administration “was concerned whether there was fair, deliberate, reflective process” behind the campus women’s decision to return their charter, Zick said, who has been speaking with Chi Omega Nationals.

At the Sept. 9 meeting, representatives from Chi Omega Nationals defined the “national practices regarding returning the charter,” said Zick.

When the members of Zeta Lambda turned in their charter last week, the sisters’ votes were not recorded and overseas members were not consulted. Measures are now being taken to correct those oversights, said Zick.

Representatives present at the Sept. 9 meeting included Mary Ann Frugé, the national president of Chi Omega, and Emmerth.

A press release issued Wednesday jointly by Frugé and senior Kelly Mahan, former Zeta Lambda chapter president, stated that the meeting was “informational in nature and provided the opportunity for members to ask questions.”

The university and Chi Omega Nationals both “wanted to make sure everyone was informed” on the implications of returning the charter and its residual effects, said Zick.

At the two-hour long meeting, “the women asked very good questions, expressed very frank opinions, and asked questions that clarified the process.”

According to Gallagher, the probationary terms described at Tuesday’s meeting were the “exact same thing” as initially offered Sept. 3, but that “the emphasis was more on an individual level.”

“As far as I know … each sister makes her own decision on whether or not she decides to rejoin or take alumni status,” said Gallagher Wednesday.

“The chapter is now in a position to make a decision based upon this session,” said Zick.

According to the joint Frugé-Mahan statement, Tuesday’s meeting was “attended also by alumnae advisors and several university representatives.”

There was some question around campus as to whether Zeta Lambda’s Fideles roots were negatively affecting the chapter’s relationship with Chi Omega National.

When the University first began, in place of nationally organized sororities, girls rushed local societies: Lynks, which became Kappa Delta; SOPH, which became Kappa Kappa Gamma; Strings, which became Pi Beta Phi; Delphi, which became Delta Gamma; Thymes, which became the now-disbanded Kappa Alpha Thetas; and Fideles, which became Chi Omega.

When the state Supreme Court increased social host liability standards in 1993, the university required the campus Greek organizations to get group liability insurance and have a risk-management policy, according to the September 2, 1993 issue of the Old Gold & Black.

Policy costs were much too high to maintain local sororities, so the societies hosted a gathering of many National Panhellenic Conference sororities and individually picked the organization with which each society felt most comfortable.

“When the transition was made… some national organizations, from what I understand, were less enthusiastic about incorporating the socities,” said Samantha Rogers, president of the Kappa Delta local chapter, Zeta Omicron.

Perhaps for this reason, other sororities on campus do not seem to be concerned about similar events taking place within their chapters.

The Zeta Omicron chapter, for example, “are very open that Lynks is part of our history,” said Rogers.

“They [National Kappa Delta] recognize Lynks as this campus’s KD heritage,” said Rogers. “But we don’t identify ourselves as Lynks. We are KDs.”

Nor has anything been set in stone for the upcoming 2004 Rush, according to Gallagher.

“We can’t make any decisions and can’t anticipate anything until we know whether Chi Omega will be participating,” said Gallagher.

Last year there were some concerns about pledge class with sororities. While fraternity pledges tend to number in the teens, the largest sorority pldge class last year hit 55.

Again, however, “a number of things could happen because we have Delta Zeta on campus and Chi Omega could be coming back,” said Gallagher.

“So before we make any decisions about pledge class size, we need to know how many organizations we are working with.”

Though most sisters received their ballots Sept. 10, the earliest an official tally can be released is 10 days. The national organization wants to make a decision regarding the charter of Zeta Lambda “as expeditiously as possible,” according to the joint release of Frugé and Mahan.

[mommag2]

I went to the Wake Forest website and found this article about XO and thought you all should know what has happened since the last post ......

WFU News Service


Zeta Lambda Chapter of Chi Omega to remain at WFU

By Kevin Cox
336.758.5237
September 30, 2003

Wake Forest University administrators and officials with the national office of Chi Omega have announced that the Zeta Lambda Chapter of Chi Omega will continue at the university, following a vote by individual chapter members.

A majority of members voted in favor of keeping the chapter on campus, according to Wake Forest and Chi Omega officials. The chapter has more than 100 members.

The vote took place only weeks after a chapter leader told university student life officials that the group surrendered its charter to the Chi Omega national office. Afterward, the university and Chi Omega national office scheduled a vote open to all individual chapter members, including those studying abroad this semester.

“Chi Omega Fraternity is pleased to announce that the Zeta Lambda Chapter is a recognized and re-established chapter of Chi Omega,” said Mary Ann Fruge, national president of Chi Omega. “Members of Zeta Lambda Chapter have been given the opportunity to consider their membership in Chi Omega, and it is with pride that Chi Omega announces that more than 100 members of Zeta Lambda will continue this chapter’s tradition of excellence.”

Fruge added that the decision to continue the chapter was made “by the collegiate members, the advisors and Chi Omega’s national leadership, all with the support of the Wake Forest administration.”

Tricia L. Richerson, associate director of Greek affairs and conference programs at Wake Forest, said Wake Forest and the national organization “are fully committed to working together to help provide these women the opportunity to have a very positive experience with Chi Omega at Wake Forest.”

“The Wake Forest Panhellenic Council is continuing its support of Chi Omega, as always,” Richerson added. “The council looks forward to the chapter’s continued involvement on this campus.”

The chapter elected officers on Sept. 29. The new president is Carolyn Gabbert, a sophomore from Lexington, Ky.

“As president of the Chi Omega chapter at Wake Forest, I am confident in the Chi Omega sisterhood,” Gabbert said. “These past few weeks have given us time to think about our friendships and all that Chi Omega means to us.”

“We are proud of Chi Omega and all of our achievements on this campus,” Gabbert added. “We look forward with excitement to the rest of this school year and Chi Omega being involved in campus activities.”

A board of advisors for the chapter has also been established by the national Chi Omega office.

[KillarneyRose]

Thanks for posting the article, mommag2! Best of luck to the sisters of Chi Omega

[NutBrnHair]

Originally posted by BrownEyedGirl
...it made me really happy to know they were back and doing well at WFU. So the players and the fans all got to see a little Chi O spirit during the game. Good luck to their chapter!

They're a great group with a tradition of excellence -- they'll be fine.