As I sat down with Kirsten Marsh, President of McGill’s Alpha Tau Chapter of the Gamma Phi Beta sorority, she informed me today was a very special day: it was the 139th anniversary of Gamma Phi Beta. Sororities don’t have the same clout in Canada as they do in the US, but I asked Marsh all about the perks of Greek life and how to get involved.
About Gamma Phi Beta
The McGill chapter of Gamma Phi Beta has been active since 1931. Its four core values are love, labor, learning and loyalty and it aims to promote the “highest type of womanhood”. Gamma Phi Beta supports charities Girls on the Run, Girl Guides of Canada and, the McGill chapter supports the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation. The ladies call it a ‘superclub’, as it combines what many other clubs do separately – educational programming, social events, and philanthropy.
The Application Process
Most applications for Greek life at McGill are accepted during September’s recruitment, though you can get involved at other times in the year. In the second week of September, you can find neon-clad members of the McGill Panhellenic Council handing out pertinent information. You can then get to know the individual sororities at SSMU’s activities night and at parties organized by Panhellenic. After visiting the sororities’ houses, interested persons rank them, cutting their last-choice off their list. This process happens again until there are two top choices. After this, fate is in the hands of the sororities themselves, who bid for the ladies they want in their chapters. This bid is based on who most upholds their mission statement. Gamma Phi Beta chooses their ladies based on their four core values and five standards of membership, which include a solid GPA, financial responsibility and good character. After the mutual selection process (you choose the sorority, they choose you), the confidential initiation process ensues. Have no fear; Marsh assures me there is a no-hazing policy. If accepted, members must pay a membership fee each semester. For Gamma Phi Beta, this is $580 for your first semester and $350 every subsequent semester; other sororities on campus have slightly different rates.
Why Gamma Phi Beta?
Kirsten Marsh decided on McGill partly because of its inclusive Greek life. She had a family friend involved in a different sorority at McGill and loved what she heard about it. When it came time to decide which sorority to join, Marsh chose Gamma Phi Beta because of its emphasis on philanthropic work. As she was involved in Girl Guides when young, Gamma Phi Beta’s work with this charity was icing on the cake. Throughout her time at McGill, Marsh has participated in the sorority – and loves it! Her involvement includes a 2012 attendance at an international conference in Denver, Colorado, home of Gamma Phi Beta headquarters. The ability to connect with people internationally – not just current students but also Gamma Phi Beta alum – is one of Marsh’s favorite parts of sorority life. Indeed, membership in a sorority is a lifelong experience, she explains. Alumni come to recruitment and continue to donate funds for events. They even provided furniture for the Gamma Phi Beta house, where Marsh lives with three other members.
Among the benefits of Greek life, Marsh touts the community feel of a sorority, which helps make McGill feel a bit smaller. She loves that this community includes a broad network of alumni, who enjoy networking with the current members.
For more information about sororities, check out the McGill Panhellenic Council’s website here.