Female Soldiers Start Exclusive Military Sorority

An anomaly - an interesting and worthwhile posting on TSM (sister to TFM).

Total Sorority Move | Female Soldiers Start Exclusive Military Sorority:

The exclusiveness of the Greek system is something scorned by many, but mostly celebrated by those who are a part of it. My letters are special, because not everyone can wear them. I was chosen to be a member of this organization, and then I earned my spot as a sister. It’s a sentiment that many of us share.

We tend to believe that anyone who didn’t go Greek either made a poor decision or didn’t belong. Then we remember our members of the military, many of whom are unable to attend college full-time because of their duties to this amazing country. And as we all know, part-time students are ineligible for membership within our community. That sucks. My ability to access and connect with other women is of the utmost importance to me. My sorority was a part of my college experience so significant, that I can’t imagine my life without it. And not even having the option to join? It would have been rough.

That’s no longer an issue for military woman.

On April 4, 2011, YaShica Hill and Moneka Smith-Daily served as the first national president and national vice president, respectively to our country’s first ever military sorority, Kappa Epsilon Psi. Two years later, the first chapter of KEΨ was chartered in Baltimore. Now, the organization is expanding.

From KEΨ’s national website:

Kappa Epsilon Psi has three objectives: 

Honor our Past – Annually each active chapter will honor a female veteran (over the age of 65). The female service member is inducted as an honorary K.E.Y. member, and her legacy/military service is documented.

Unite service members – We aspire to unite female service members of all branches of the U.S. Armed Forces. Membership is open to all female service members who are or have served honorably. Our goal is to have a member or active chapter on every military installation – stateside & abroad.

Mentor future leadership – Candidates with less than 2 years of military service are paired with a Big Sister that has more time in service & wisdom to share. Members that are retired from military service are paired with new members who wish to seek similar career paths in the civilian sector.

After seeing the positive reaction to the military sorority, male service members followed suit and created a military fraternity, Kappa Lambda Chi, which — you guessed it — was founded on July 4 of last year.

'via Blog this'

Restored chapters - News from around the country

This post is different from our usual fare for two reasons:

First, rather than only one item we have several related items. Several chapters which had been suspended, closed, or under reorganization are making a new start embracing the Cardinal Principles, Balanced Man concept, and a full four year development program.

• (Note from Tom Barton) SigEp storms back to Loras College!!!
  SigEp is back at Loras College in Dubuque, IA. After 10 years of dormancy, IA Eta lives again. In just a month, on a campus with only 1600 students and no other fraternities, the IA Eta colony has landed 24 new members with a combined GPA of 3.2. This includes class presidents, campus leaders, and members of nationally ranked sports teams. Brother Tom Barton, Loras '89, is leading the charge from the alumni volunteer side.  Brother Jim Collins, Loras '84, is now the college president and has also been extremely instrumental in the return of IA Eta.  Originally founded in 1974, IA Eta at one point had won 7 straight Buchanan Cups from 1975-1989 under the mentoring of Order of the Golden Heart recipient Bob McCune.  Stay tuned!

• The State News :: Sigma Phi Epsilon MSU chapter restored
  After losing its charter last winter, the MSU chapter of Sigma Phi Epsilon ... “Sig- Ep is alive and well, and we have full intention of keeping it that way,” Price said.
• EIU SigEp - Eastern Illinois University
  The Sigma Phi Epsilon colony has established itself in East Hall as part of Greek ... Lou Hencken in reserving the first floor of East Hall for Sig Ep members.
• ...and one chapter on the brink...
  The Daily Northwestern : Sig Ep
  Future of Sig Ep uncertain after national suspension ... Northwestern's chapter of Sigma Phi Epsilon will not host social events or participate in rush pending a ...

Second, we have begun a more active presence on Google+.  In addition to making posts available on the S&P Facebook page, we now will be sending them to the S&P page on Google+. 
If you have a Google+ account be sure to add S&P to your circles. (Notice the handy widget at the top of the sidebar.) If you don't have one - Here is how to set it up.

Sigma Phi Epsilon MSU (Michigan State) chapter restored

The State News :: Sigma Phi Epsilon MSU chapter restored
After losing its charter last winter, the MSU chapter of Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity recently won the right to reorganize.

Natalie Kolb · The State News

A newly recolonized Sigma Phi Epsilon located at 1148 E. 

Grand River Ave., sits on Thursday evening, Sept. 27, 2012, 

in East Lansing. The fraternity recently won its charter back 

after having it revoked last winter. 

Sigma Phi Epsilon’s National Board of Directors revoked the MSU chapter’s charter Jan. 17, citing “poor operations” and risky behavior as reasons. This past summer, the MSU chapter as a whole removed about half of its members, appealed the national board’s decision and won the case.

“We did an internal membership review and changed some of our operations,” said Noah Berger, MSU’s Sigma Phi Epsilon chapter president.

The MSU chapter was forced to move out of its house at 225 N. Harrison Road following the end of the 2012 spring semester. Berger said many of its members have purchased the lease and moved into the old Alpha Epsilon Pi house at 1148 E. Grand River Ave.

Berger said Alpha Epsilon Pi members previously living at that location have, in turn, purchased the 225 N. Harrison Road lease and moved into the MSU Sigma Epsilon Pi chapter’s old house.

“(Sigma Epsilon Pi’s) nationals, when they revoked their charter, cited some general management issues inside the house,” said Devin Cudnohufsky, MSU Interfraternity Council, or IFC, president.

In a previous State News article, Cudnohufsky said the IFC was revising its constitution with regard to recolonization of banned fraternities.

Although he did not specify what the revisions were, Cudnohufsky said the IFC is “still in the progress of it.”

“We’re getting close, and the goal is to have it passed soon,” he said.

Jason Price, a current Sigma Phi Epsilon member, said the remaining members worked hard to be where they are now.

“I’m extremely happy with the progress our house has made since January, when we thought it was all over,” Price said. “Since the beginning of the spring (2012) semester, not only has the actual status of our chapter changed for the better, but attitudes in the house have immensely improved.”

This is the second time in the past 12 years MSU’s Sigma Phi Epsilon chapter has instantaneously lost a substantial portion of its members.

According to a previous State News article, In December 2000, 31 of the 77 members at the time were resigned, expelled or given alumni status after interviews by alumni members who said they had failed to adhere to university and chapter guidelines.

“Sig-Ep is alive and well, and we have full intention of keeping it that way,” Price said. “We plan to be bigger and better than ever before.”

Sig Ep Returns to William and Mary

Sigma Phi Epsilon returns to campus after losing charter

By Ben Hubert February 12, 2010

Sigma Phi Epsilon, returning to the College of William and Mary after a six-year hiatus following the loss of its charter, will begin recruitment Feb. 20, after all other fraternities’s Bid Signing Days. It will be the 19th fraternity on campus.

While re-establishing itself on campus, representatives of Sigma Phi Epsilon said the organization hopes to change the recruitment process by discarding recruitment tactics.

Now, after a member joins, he will go through a self-paced, four-step advancement through the organization. Sigma Phi Epsilon created this new program to encourage member retention.

The program is credited with improving Sigma Phi Epsilon’s national GPA and giving Sigma Phi Epsilon the largest undergraduate membership of any fraternity nationally. Other fraternities have introduced similar programs at the College.

Along with this program, the Sigma Phi Epsilon national organization created a voluntary board of nine members to nurture the chapter at its inception and pledge support to the growth of the new chapter.

Representatives from Sigma Phi Epsilon said they were excited to re-establish the organization on campus.

“We are confident that this college has many outstanding students who are currently not involved with the Greek community and [who] have the potential to be great leaders,” Sigma Phi Epsilon Director of New Chapter Development Ryan Dressler said.

To ensure that Sigma Phi Epsilon does not take students bound for other fraternities this semester, the Council for Fraternity Affairs barred it from recruiting until the pledge classes of this semester have already committed.

Another fraternity — Sigma Alpha Epsilon — came to campus last fall.

Sigma Alpha Epsilon is the largest fraternity nationally, but has had considerable difficulty in recruiting at the College, garnering only four total brothers.

“I think when you’re starting an organization from the ground up, challenges arise where you’re trying to establish a working process,” Sigma Alpha Epsilon President Andrew Tran ’11 said. “Nothing is set up for you and getting everything created and organized takes time and a lot of energy.”

A number of current brothers and alumni have since developed an organizational foundation, giving Sigma Alpha Epsilon the ability to focus on recruitment. Tran acknowledged this as a difficult task in a school with 19 fraternities.

Although Sigma Alpha Epsilon still lacks the manpower to launch events that larger Greek organizations are able to host, the organization has contributed philanthropically including hosting a poker tournament to support William and Mary Supports Haiti.

The organization also plans to send as many brothers as possible to Sigma Alpha Epsilon’s leadership school over the summer.