About Beta Sigma Phi

SO - EXACTLY WHAT IS BETA SIGMA PHI ?

  • Beta Sigma Phi (ΒΣΦ) is an International Noncollegiate Sorority with 200,000 members. It was founded in Abilene, Kansas, in 1931 by Walter W. Ross “for the social, cultural and civic enrichment of its members”.

  • Beta Sigma Phi is the largest Greek letter organization for women in the world. Most Beta Sigma Phi chapters are community-based, but the sorority also has chapters on college campuses and several online chapters. As of 2024, our sorority has 5,078 chapters in the United States, Canada, Australia, Germany and Zimbabwe.

    WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF SORORITY MEMBERSHIP ?

  • FRIENDSHIPS are the most significant benefit of being a Beta Sigma Phi! The basic unit of the sorority is the CHAPTER. Chapters are composed of varying numbers of women (usually 8-15) who live in a city, county or geographic area that permits them to assemble for meetings monthly.

  • MEETINGS can be held in the daytime or evening, based on the preferences of the chapter. Some chapters meet in member homes or apartments, some enjoy meeting at restaurants, others may have access to a clubhouse, church facility or community center.

  • LEADERSHIP is through our members. Chapters and Councils elect officers each year for the traditional roles of president, vice-president, treasurer, recording secretary (who takes minutes) and corresponding secretary (who handles any correspondence and invitations).

  • MEMBER INPUT In meetings, members plan their social activities, determine what sort of service projects they might want to undertake and simply have fun chatting. Sometimes meetings include games like bunco. Often, chapter members like to enjoy some food, beverages and desserts. Some chapters combine a brief meeting in combination with a social such as Top Golf.

  • SOCIALS areset up by the chapter and are often held separately when they require more time. Examples might be visiting a museum, touring a historic home, a fun holiday shopping trip, visiting a local pumpkin patch or antique shop, a “girls night out” (pick your destination for food & drink), a theatre night or a “ghost tour” around Halloween. The ideas are endless! Some chapters enjoy a girls’ weekend here and there — “glamping” at a state park, taking off to the mountains or beach, attending a Beta Sigma Phi state convention (most states have one), or taking in a fun festival.

  • SERVICE is usually a part of chapter planning each year. Some chapters have one or two service projects that become their “trademarks”. They may sell a specific product every year to raise money for their support of a cause. Other chapters like to choose projects in which they can be involved on a personal basis, such as having monthly birthday parties at a home for seniors, collecting food or clothing for those in their area who need assistance or “adopting” a family at the holidays who are in need of gifts for the children or food. Some chapters have held ways & means projects to raise money to help a local student with college expenses. Beta Sigma Phis reach out in their communities to make a difference.

  • CULTURAL activities also play a part in Beta Sigma Phi, and chapters have various ways of integrating cultural activities in their planning. Some chapters choose a theme and each member presents a short, information program on the theme — such as notable women of (i.e. pick women in the state you live in). Other chapters might have a fun session with someone with makeup expertise. Enjoying a theatre night, concert, art exhibit or historic home tour are examples of other cultural program ideas. Chapters choose how many of these types of activities they wish to include in their planning for their sorority year.

    BEYOND THE CHAPTER - LOCAL COUNCILS:

  • LOCAL COUNCILS such as the Metro Atlanta Council present opportunities for expanded friendships, social and service opportunities in some metropolitan areas. A local or regional Council unites chapters in the area in order to achieve goals larger than what a single chapter might accomplish.

  • The Metro Atlanta Council’s activities are covered in a separate section of this website. Metro Atlanta Council (known as MAC) sponsors social events that are open to all member chapters in the Council as well as to non-Council chapters in NW Georgia and beyond. For example, the annual North Georgia Christmas Luncheon is attended by sorority sisters from Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee and the Carolinas. Check out the Metro Atlanta Council section on the website for much more information including photos of the Council’s social and service activities and the Beta Data news magazine in our Publications section!

    BETA SIGMA PHI’S INTERNATIONAL OFFICE

  • BETA SIGMA PHI’S INTERNATIONAL OFFICE is located in Kansas City, Missouri. It unites Beta Sigma Phis worldwide, handling membership, degree advancements, honors, sorority merchandise (degree pins, award certifications, sorority jewelry, publications, all manner of sorority merchandise from clothing to coffee mugs, legal and organizational policy and more).

  • FUNCTIONS OF THE INTERNATIONAL OFFICE

    • Business management, membership services, programs support, as well as social, cultural and philanthropic activities.

    • International publishes The Torch magazine (accessible online), presides over various contests and announces an International theme each year. This year the theme is “Beta Sigma Phi - The RIght Place to Be”.

    • The International office provides a substantial amount of information for cultural programs and ideas for socials.

    • International’s philantropic activites include:

      • International Endowment Fund – Health research groups & charities (including The Children’s Tumor Foundation, an Endowment project established by Theta Pi - a member chapter of the Metro Atlanta Council)

      • Disaster Relief Fund – Aids Beta Sigma Phi sisters who are victims of natural disasters

      • Breast Cancer Research Fund – Supports research organizations

      • Scholarship Fund – Awards scholarships to sorority members, their children and grandchildren

  • SORORITY SYMBOLS

    On this website and throughout Beta Sigma Phi publications, a few symbols will frequently appear. The sorority's Greek letter name is derived from its motto; the letters Beta Sigma and Phi are the first letters of the Greek words for "Life, Learning, and Friendship". Beta Sigma Phi’s colors are black and gold. Our flower is the yellow rose, and our symbol is the torch.

  • MEMBERSHIP: SEE THE SPECIAL MEMBERSHIP SECTION TO FIND OUT HOW TO BECOME A BETA SIGMA PHI!
    Beta Sigma Phi is a non-political, non-sectarian organization. Its membership is open to women of all ages and backgrounds.

    In addition to helping you make the best friends of your life, Beta Sigma Phi has many benefits of membership. Some of these are:

    • Scholarships

    • Conventions - state, province and country

    • On-Line Chapters

    • Local chapter membership

    • Transfer privileges of membership

    • Chat room

    • Membership discounts

    • Insurance programs

    • Legacy membership for your special young girls

    • Envoy membership for supportive adult males and Envoy 2 membership for young boys

    • Chapter in a Box to form new chapters in areas where there are none

    • On-Line Torch Magazine

    • Gift shopping

    • Disaster Relief Fund

    • The full use of International’s website

International Honorary Members

BETA SIGMA PHI INTERNATIONAL HONORARY MEMBERS

Beta Sigma Phi also awards honorary memberships to women who have achieved worldwide recognition in their field.
International Honorary Members include the following distinguished women:


FIRST LADIES OF THE UNITED STATES
Eleanor Roosevelt, Pat Nixon, Nancy Reagan, Barbara Bush, Rosalynn Carter

U.S. SENATORS
Hillary Clinton (Senator, First Lady & Secretary of State), Muriel Humphry (Senator & First Lady),
and Senators Elizabeth Dole, Margaret Chase Smith, Olympia Snow

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
Sally Ride (America’s First Woman in Space)

MOTION PICTURES AND THEATRE
Joan Fontaine, Debbie Reynolds, Agnes Moorehead, Ginger Rogers

ARTISTS
Grandma Moses

OTHER WOMEN OF NOTE
Eunice Kennedy Shriver (Founder of the Special Olympics)
Lillian Carter (Mother of President Carter, Nurse, Author, Peace Corps Volunteer)
Peggy Goldwater (Wife of Senator Barry Goldwater, Founder of Arizona Planned Parenthood)
Louise Tracy (Wife of actor Spencer Tracy and Founder of the John Tracy Clinic for the Deaf)