lil sis rush

[baci]

To be quite frank - many years ago "little sisters" were a huge part of Greek Life on many campuses (from what I recall). People were mature and handled it all appropriately. It was just as exciting to take part in little sister rush/ceremonies etc. and watch people go through the process as it was to go through actual sorority recruitment. It was not degrading and there was not a ton of drama or issues to my knowledge.

I am well aware that time has changed this whole idea and new rules are in place, but at one time it was done and from what I know it was quite positive. I was not a little sister, but many of my friends were and spoke highly about the entire process, the respect they felt from the fraternity brothers, and also the respect of others on campus. At one time, it was a really nice thing. I suppose it is all in how it was monitored and viewed by the university as well.

One more thing, many sororities also chose "little brothers" and one "main brother". I know several sororities had placed the "main brother" on their sorority composite each year. I remember Alpha Xi's called their brothers "fuzzy brothers" and their main brother their "rosethorn". For some reason that stuck in my head. Time just changes things for numerous reasons.

[exlurker]

Originally Posted by BaltoAlphaPsi

. . . _ {name omitted for this quote} __ on our campus still has a sweet heart, she is the only non girlfriend girl who is allowed to wear the letters ___{omitted}___. She is a non sorority girl. and even after becomming sweetheart does not join a sorority.
. . . .

Huh ? Do you mean that as a condition of being that fraternity's sweetheart, a woman has to agree not to become
a sorority member? Sounds overly restrictive to me.

[KD4Me]

The member sororities of the NPC passed a resolution in 1988 (WHY are we still talking about this 20 years later???) that they would all strongly discourage their members from creating or participating in auxiliary groups (i.e., big and little sister groups). Consequently, they all have forbidden their members from joining. (I say "all" with confidence, because I heard it straight from the mouth of our former National President two years ago.)

Besides the possibility of threatening the right of all of our organizations to remain single-sex, they just don't make any sense. When I was in college, sorority women looked at it as a great honor to be a fraternity's little sister, but why should a woman spend her time and energy "supporting" the fraternity's rush, homecoming, parent's weekend events, etc., and not her own sorority's? (Yes, my sisters who were little sisters to fraternities women did attend our required functions, but wouldn't it have been better to focus all of their energy on the organization to which they have taken life-long vows?

Also, why should a woman (or man, for that matter), decide to "affiliate" with one other organization? It seems that it would be much better to remain neutral and have friends in ALL of the other organizations.

[BaltoAlphaPsi]

Originally Posted by exlurker

Huh ? Do you mean that as a condition of being that fraternity's sweetheart, a woman has to agree not to become
a sorority member? Sounds overly restrictive to me.

No, I was saying that she has never joined a sorority, nor does she have interest. I didn't mean she cant, so much as she hasn't.



Now I can't speak for all small schools, but with my school being so small, and greek life being respectfully as small, (maybe 60 females, and 180 males in the whole Greek life) I find the big little process can equally pull us together and break us apart.
We always have a good time at big little parties, and hang out, girls enjoy getting little brothers, guys enjoy getting little sisters. BUT the issue comes when you don't care (on a personal level) for the fraternity/sorority you get paird up with that particular semester. Perhaps you didnt get your boyfriends/girlfriends orginization, perhaps you got an ex. But in the end, those who find it fun and exciting keep it fun and exciting, those, like me who could care less, never talk to their big brother cause they're not fond of him. Also, being a small campus, big/little parties make the campus EVEN smaller. By your second year in greek life, who don't you know. Because by that point, party rotation has put you with everyone. Is that good or bad? Depends on the person. I dont look at Big Littles here as -- here go find your husband -- I see it as another reason to hang out, get to know eachother and have fun. I just got stuck with a big brother I can't tolerate. But I love my little brother, he's awesome!

[pshsx1]

Originally Posted by BaltoAlphaPsi

On my campus we have the sigeps, who (this is what i've HEARD so it may just be our Sig Ep chapter-- it may be national IDK) have Golden Heart Girls, they were like little sisters, but they were basically classy ladies who the sig eps felt were to be honerd for their classyness. One of our local sororitys was founded by a group of golden heart girls, since then GHG are no more, at least for sure in our chapter. It was much like being a sweet heart... but you could NOT wear the letters Sigma Phi Epsilon. (Girlfriends could always wear shirts like I <3 my sig ep, or what not)

Girls are no longer joining sororities to find their husbands ... (well, i'm sure some are- but not the norm) ... so there is no big reason I can see for big/little mixers. The idea of being handcuffed for the night to some frat boy who's getting drunk that I just met... is kinda lame.

The Golden Heart Girls were the ladies of our our Little Sister chapter a long time ago. So basically, they were female SigEps. When Nationals outlawed all Little Sister chapters, the ones at LTU became the O'Rhos (which you stated). We still do pin girls, though (and they can wear letters), and have two sweethearts right now.

But still, Big/Little would have nothing to do with the Golden Heart Girls b/c that was within the fraternity.

And I think the reason we do Big/Little here is to promote good relations between each organization. I mean, it doesn't really change anything b/c either you get a random Big/Little that you don't care about or you get someone who you're already friends with. Also, a lot of people here are really big on Greek Families. So whatever.. I forgot everything else I was going to write.. but it wouldn't have been too important anyway.

Personally, I like doing Big/Little.

[33girl]

Originally Posted by KD4Me

Also, why should a woman (or man, for that matter), decide to "affiliate" with one other organization? It seems that it would be much better to remain neutral and have friends in ALL of the other organizations.

Well, as people have described it on here, that isn't the case - just because Kathy Kappa is Stan Sig Ep's little sister, she has no particular loyalty to Sig Ep, just to Stan. BUT he still gives her letters.

This is another thing that makes it stupid.

As far as the old LS orgs, just because you were a TKE little sister didn't mean you weren't allowed to go to a Sigma Chi party. That's how my school was, anyway. Bigger schools might have been different, but I honestly think that sometimes the bigger the school is the smaller group you self-select to be in, regardless of any affiliation.