Question about US college

[HEyHEY]

We don't have frats in Canada (That I'm aware of anyway) What is the deal with them? Does the University sponsor them? WHat is their point? Do they really behave like the ones in 80s college movies? How do they pick members and do they really initiate them? ANything else would be good to know.

[dawgman]

1. actually you do My frat has several canadian chapters

[HEyHEY]

2. Really?

My whole time in post secondary, I never saw hide nor hair of one...where are these chapters...I'm betting Ontario.

[LeftistGorilla]

3. there are frats in Ontario...

specifically U of T....

My University doesn't have any (at least I haven't heard of any)...

www.ryerson.ca

[HEyHEY]

4. Still though...what's the deal with them?

[JVS]

5. There are lots of different kinds of Fraternities and Sororities

There are the residence type, where people go to live.
There are the service type, which do lots of volunteer work.
There are the honorary type, that grant admission based on academic achievement.

[dawgman]

10. My frat had to maintain certain standards for the U of Washington

to tolerate them...Maintain a minimum Cum GPA, do X amount of volunteer/charity work, stay out of drinking/drugs trouble etc. etc. and if these conditions were met we would have the official blessing of the U.

[HEyHEY]

11. jeez..but if ya can't drink

WHy live! Just kiddin' so they are there to set a goal of the kind of person you want to be?

[dawgman]

13. mine had an ideal of "men of principle"

they essentially wanted (whatever your political afiliation) people who would be successful, upstanding members of society (meaning by this you would be wealthy and moderately powerful, and charitable)

[dawgman]

6. I will find out but I think U BC is one

[HEyHEY]

7. UBC? Shocking....

I would have figured they'd be the last school to have that

[dawgman]

8. list of Beta theta pi frats in Canada

----------- Chapters ------------
Toronto - University of, Theta Zeta
Toronto, ON



Western Ontario, University of, Delta Alpha
London, ON



Guelph - University of, Epsilon Zeta
Guelph, ON


(Inactive)

British Columbia, University of, Gamma Omicron
Vancouver, BC



McGill University, Epsilon Nu
Montreal, PQ


(Inactive)

Bishop's University, Epsilon Xi
Lennoxville, QB



Carleton University, Epsilon Upsilon
Ottawa, ON

[HEyHEY]

9. The ones in Ontario don't shock me

Because they are more like the US than most places...but UBC is a shocker and so is Mcgill...I went to the Universite Du Quebec and never heard of any. Still though what is their purpose??

[dawgman]

12. depends who you are...

some were there to party and get laid...some were there for the business contacts they would make...some were there to make friends quickly and easily...some were there because their parents had been...

[HEyHEY]

14. Cool ..thanks for the updates!

[JVS]

15. Phi Beta Kappa rules!!!!!

www.pbk.org

[HEyHEY]

17. They don't rule on my computer

I get "page cannot be displayed" when I click the link

[JVS]

19. I googled it. Right address, I guess their server is down.

[youngred]

16. Purpose?

They're a way for some people to buy a social clique. They are a place to live, they throw parties for money raising (bad beer, worse music, too hot and way too much jungle juice). At the beginning of the semester they have something called Rush, where people interested in joining go and meet the brothers (or sisters in a sorority). After Rush comes bid week where the fraternity or sorority decides which people they want to invite to join the frat. After that the pledges (those who accept the bids) go through a certain period where they learn about the frat, do work for the brothers and sisters and go through initiations (of varying degrees of intensity). Some are you can't wash for a week, carry stuff with them at all times, or wear frat clothes...or sometimes more disgusting initiations. It depends on the frat and school though.

Many have houses where some members live and the parties are thrown. They are generally loosely affiliated with the university, but sometimes they are not overseen by the university either. They're not as bad as they 80s movies, but not the scene I prefer to move in.

[HEyHEY]

18. Ahh

thnx

[Nikia]

20. My sorority experience

This is my experience. At my college, sororities did not have housing so it is not necessary for there to be a house to live in. In order to join, I had to go through Rush although this has been renamed "Recruitment". I met women from the sororities through a series of parties that were for that purpose. I preferenced the sorority of my choice and received a bid. I went to accept the bid with other women that received bids and the members all welcomed me and hugged me and stuff. It seemed a bit overwhelming to me. Then I went through a pledge (renamed"new member") period where I learned about the sorority. Initiation was a ceremony just like baptisms, bar mitzvahs, and weddings are. There was no hazing. Our sorority was rather strict about this and now our college is as well. During the ceremony, we were given secret knowledge and became united with the group. I guess the idea is that you are a group of close single sex friends who hold the common ideals of your group. I now realize that the ideals of friendship expressed in my sorority do exist but I think really it is impossible to reach the level of friendship of sisterhood or brotherhood with 20 or more people that may be your sisters or brothers. There are alum groups. You are a member for life. Alums helped with our sorority. We did a number of activities that were fun or helpful to the community or were designed to help us as young women. It also provided leadership activites. I am glad that I joined a sorority. I attended one initiation since graduating but have not activily helped in other ways or gotten involved with the local alum group. I receive the sorority newsletter and found out that I can get group short term health insurance should I need it and can apply for assistance should I have a health or personal problem that leaves me in financial need that is not my fault. Perhaps, I'll get involved more in the future. Oh, I've refered to my group as a sorority but all our official organizational documents refer to it as a fraternity and most sororities were chartered fraternities and refered to as such in their documents.