Greek Organization Houses

[+biosearch]

I live near and work at a major state university (Western Kentucky University). The edges of the campus, as well as some downtown areas, are dotted with Fraternities and Sororities. I think that they would be good to mark and may even be helpful to those Greek organizations. There have to be enough of them to make it a worthwhile category.

 

What think you? Any comments would be helpful...

[+EScout]

I just moved my son (Junior year in fall) into his fraternity house 2 weeks ago. I have photos and took GPS coord, so I am ready to go. Words are hard to describe this house. My wife gasped. Picture the movie Animal House. Just past the paved road, there are no nearby neighbors (other than corrals with donkeys and horses). Unusual location for So California and the advantage (as explained to me) is that no one calls the police during parties. The main room as well as other rooms and outside seemed to be mostly surfboards, sofas, trash, empty liquor and beer bottles and cans. As long as he keeps getting A grades.....

 

So, yes, I like the category.

[+biosearch]

Any suggestions for the actual name of the catagory? I'm tossing around a couple of ideas, will ask some of the Greeks in my area. Don't want to put any ideas into your head so I'll keep these to myself and wait to see what others come up with.

[+Black Dog Trackers]

biosearch -

 

Remember that Waymarking is international. Someone in Greece might wonder what you're talking about. Being in the U.S., I have no idea whether universities in Albania, Argentina, or Austria call their fraternity houses (if they even have such a thing) "Greek".

 

If you are considering a U.S. - only category (I think you are), then you should include "U.S." in its name.

[+biosearch]

Black Dog...

 

biosearch -

 

Remember that Waymarking is international. Someone in Greece might wonder what you're talking about. Being in the U.S., I have no idea whether universities in Albania, Argentina, or Austria call their fraternity houses (if they even have such a thing) "Greek".

 

If you are considering a U.S. - only category (I think you are), then you should include "U.S." in its name.

 

Thanks, that is a good suggestion. I've gotten two replies on this. Don't know, as I've just started Waymarking, how many I should wait for before I go ahead and create/propose the catagory. I'm also wondering if there should be group for each state as with the Historical Markers catagory.

 

rhn

[+Black Dog Trackers]

biosearch -

 

You can wait as long as you want for suggestions to appear here. The only time limit will be when someone else steals your idea and creates a category before you do. When you create a category it goes through the Peer Review process, which is a formal comments procedure that is not based on these forums. I would advise moving on to this step within a few more days.

 

For this kind of category, I would definitely suggest U.S. only, but to include all 50 states since the fraternaties themselves are national. The historical markers categories were by state instead of nationwide by a subjective decision. It could've been either way.

[OpinioNate]

While fraternities are rarely seen outside of North America, it is not unheard of - especially in countries like Germany and the Netherlands. Therefore, you cannot just add U.S. to the name and restrict the waymarks posted. It would have to an inherently North American organization.

 

My suggestion would be to create a category called "Greek System Houses", and have a variable for "fraternity" or "sorority".

 

Or...

 

Make the category a little broader and call it "Fraternal Organization Houses". Then you could create a variable for "greek" and still allow international orgs that are listed on this page.

[+Black Dog Trackers]

OpinioNate -

 

If a group wanted to make a category U.S. specific can they not do that?

 

There are several categories that are U.S. specific, and some are even State specific.

 

I can see your point in wanting to get more categories to be international, but if someone wants theirs to be U.S. specific, is that against the rules of Waymarking?

[+Jake39]

If a group wanted to make a category U.S. specific can they not do that?

Nooooooooooooooo !!!

 

[+Black Dog Trackers]

LOL

 

Well that leaves another 188 countries to wonder about.

 

The name Pan-hellenic is sorta cool though.

Edited August 15, 2006 by Black Dog Trackers

[OpinioNate]

OpinioNate -

 

If a group wanted to make a category U.S. specific can they not do that?

 

 

No, they can't do that. The website has search tools that restrict results by location, so location specific categories are completely redundent and overly restrictive. It's the difference between historic markers found in Pennsylvania, and Pennsylvania Historic Markers. The latter is managed by an organization that happens to be based in PA. In theory, that organization could place a marker outside of PA and still be included in the category.

 

EDIT: for clarity

Edited August 15, 2006 by OpinioNate

[+Black Dog Trackers]

OpinioNate -

 

That sounds like a good general rule. I like the idea of making as many categories as possible to be international.

 

Occasionally it could lead to some confusing situations. Here is a U.S. Forest Service marker in Oregon. The U.S. Forest Service is based in Washington DC, not Oregon, although arguably the local branch might've installed the marker, although for all I know, that local branch of the USFS might be in a neighboring state. It just seems to make more sense to put such a waymark in the Oregon Historic Markers category even if perhaps one could put it in a Washington DC Historical Markers category and someone could use the website's search tools to look in the Washington DC Historical Markers category to see if any were actually in Oregon.

[+ChapterhouseInc]

i am on to help him facilitate the category--it is deserving of being waymarked.

 

i would attempt to remain at global as possible--as in the fraternal organization title, but would this not also lead the marker to submit 'Elks' clubs? they are fraternal, arent they? not being a 'greek' myself i have little knowledge of their operations; generally, most have to 'do community service' and have a 'theme' (the 'future dentists' house) among other things......how would an unknowing person find these things out?

 

as for variables:

-frat/sorority

-name of 'house'/group; using both the greek letters (can i make 3 triangles to insret here?) and 'written' name (delta delta delta) -> i do know that from highschool chemestry class.

-UNIVERSITY (each school would 'have their own house')

-and more i havent thought of......

 

edited to add:

i bet we can get some crazy logs from these marks as well, but it would need some monitoring to remain a 'friendly' website.....

Edited August 16, 2006 by ChapterhouseInc

[+biosearch]

Been very busy for awhile and have not been able to get back to this.

 

Have just about all of the information for this compiled and ready to set up.

 

Only thing left is to see if it is possible to have greek characters input, or is this impossible. Am guessing the Opinionate may know, or perhaps someone else?

 

biosearch