“Last created, Best Designed” is the saying that this organization, founded in 1922, stands by. Founded at Butler University located in Indianapolis, Indiana, seven women created a sorority that 87 years later still stands strong. With over 85,000 members in different regions, and ladies ranging in all different races; the members of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority Incorporated all equally stand by their national motto “Greater Service, Greater Progress.” In 2002, the ladies of Sigma Gamma Rho prevailed on the campus of SUNY Old Westbury. Unfortunately they all graduated leaving no members behind to maintain the chapter. It eventually died out. Fortunately, in the spring of 2009 ten women became very interested in what the organization had to offer and sought membership- this became the reactivation of the Kappa Xi undergraduate chapter. Since then, four new members were inducted in the fall of 2010 and the the chapter has made phenomenal progress.
Sigma Gamma Rho sorority incorporated, is one amongst nine fraternities and sororities known as “The Divine Nine” which are the nine historically black organizations that make up the National Pan-Hellenic Council– this council includes Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Incorporated, Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity Incorporated, Omega Psi Phi Fraternity Incorporated, Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity Incorporated, Iota Phi Theta Fraternity Incorporated, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Incorporated, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Incorporated, Zeta Phi Beta Sorority Incorporated, and Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority Incorporated. All of which (except Iota Phi Theta) are located on Old Westbury’s campus.
Since the reactivation of the chapter in 2009 the women have made a huge impact on the campus. Following through with many of their national projects, such as Project Reassurance which provides health education and support for teen mothers- the members (of the organization) take trips to shelters and assist the mothers in whatever tasks they need. Another national project they implement is Operation Big Book Bag which provides children who are less fortunate with school supplies: Pencils, notebooks, dictionaries, etc. Aside from national programs, other activities include community services such as feeding the homeless, and participating in walks (AIDS walk, March of Dimes), and programs on campus as well.
When one of the members was asked, what made her choose this sorority as opposed to the others, member Jazmin Hill responded, “The fact that we were founded during the time of the woman’s suffrage movement, and that we were the only organization that was not founded at an historically black college which made the struggle a bit harder, and as far as the chapter at Old Westbury, I saw a true sisterhood bond that I had to become a part of.”
For more information on upcoming events of the Kappa Xi undergraduate chapter of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority Incorporated feel free to email them to sgrhokappaxi@gmail.com