How to Honor Your Chapter OGs and Founders at a Greek Reunion

Without the OGs, There Is No Chapter

Every Greek chapter has its founding members and its OGs, the elders who built the chapter's reputation, established its traditions, and held it together through the hard years. In NPHC culture, the term "OG" carries deep respect. These are the members who crossed when the chapter was young, who navigated campus politics to earn the organization a place, who mentored the next generation, and who kept the chapter alive during periods when it might have folded.

For Panhellenic and IFC chapters, the founding members and early alumni hold a similar place. They negotiated with the national organization for a charter. They found housing. They built recruitment systems. They established the philanthropic and social traditions that defined the chapter for decades to come.

Honoring these members at a reunion is not just good manners. It is a fundamental expression of the values every Greek organization claims to hold: respect for tradition, gratitude for sacrifice, and reverence for the chain of membership that connects every member to the founding moment.

Identifying and Locating Your Elders

Before you can honor your OGs, you need to find them. For chapters that are several decades old, this can be challenging. Members from the earliest lines may have moved multiple times, changed their names, or lost contact with the organization entirely.

Start with your national headquarters. Request charter member information and early membership records. Cross-reference with university alumni records. Reach out to members from slightly later eras who may have known the charter members and can provide leads.

For NPHC organizations, the line structure can help. If you can identify one person from each of the earliest lines, they can usually connect you to others. Chapter history documents, old newsletters, and newspaper clippings from the chartering era may contain names and other identifying information.

When you locate elder members, approach them with respect and genuine interest. Many will be surprised and moved to hear from the chapter after years of silence. Some may have complicated feelings about the organization. Meet them where they are. The goal is to reconnect and honor, not to recruit or obligate.

Creating Meaningful Recognition

Recognition should be substantive, not perfunctory. Calling names during a banquet program and handing out plaques is fine, but it is the minimum. True recognition involves telling their stories, acknowledging their specific contributions, and making them feel seen and valued by the community they helped create.

Video tributes. Create short video tributes for each OG being honored. Interview family members, line brothers or sisters, and younger chapter members about the person's impact. Include photos from their active years alongside current photos. Play these tributes during the reunion program as each person is recognized. This format allows even OGs who cannot attend in person to be honored meaningfully.

Oral history spotlight. Give each honored elder time to address the gathering. Not a formal speech, but a conversation. Have a skilled interviewer ask them questions about their experience: What was the chapter like when you joined? What was your proudest moment? What do you want today's members to know? These conversations are often the most memorable part of the entire reunion.

Physical tributes. Commission a commemorative item that reflects the chapter's identity. A framed composite of the charter line. A custom piece of art featuring the chapter's symbols and founding date. A bound volume of the chapter's history dedicated to the founders. These tangible items carry more meaning than a generic plaque because they are specific to the chapter's story.

Named recognition. Consider naming a recurring chapter award, scholarship, or event after a founding member or particularly impactful OG. This creates a living legacy that extends beyond the reunion itself. "The [Name] Service Award" or "The [Name] Scholarship" ensures that future members learn about and carry forward the legacy of early members.

Facilitating Intergenerational Connection

The most powerful thing you can do at a reunion is create genuine interaction between your oldest and youngest members. This is where the chain of brotherhood or sisterhood becomes tangible.

Assign newer members to escort and assist elder members throughout the reunion. This is not just practical (older members may need help navigating the venue, hearing in noisy environments, or managing technology). It is symbolic. The newest links in the chain serving the oldest links. In NPHC culture, this kind of deference to elders is deeply embedded and should be practiced without needing to be explained.

Create structured conversation opportunities. A "generations table" at dinner where each table has members from at least three different eras. A "wisdom exchange" session where OGs share advice and younger members share their perspectives on the organization's future. A joint activity, like working together on a community service project, that puts everyone on equal footing.

For Panhellenic and IFC chapters, consider a "legacy panel" where founding members and early alumni share the story of chartering the chapter. Current active members can ask questions. This is living history, and it creates a connection that reading about the founding in a handbook never can.

Accommodating Elder Members' Needs

If your OGs are in their 60s, 70s, 80s, or beyond, your reunion planning needs to account for their specific needs. This is not optional. It is a matter of respect and basic accessibility.

Venue accessibility is paramount. Ground-floor or elevator-accessible spaces. Adequate seating (not everyone can stand for extended periods). Clear signage with large print. Good lighting. Manageable noise levels, or a quieter space available for those who need a break from the main event.

Transportation assistance may be needed for members who should not or cannot drive. Arrange shuttles between the hotel and event venues. Offer to arrange airport pickup. If a member needs a wheelchair or mobility assistance, have it available without them having to ask.

Food accommodations should include options for dietary restrictions common among older adults: low sodium, diabetic-friendly, soft foods, and clear labeling of ingredients. Ask in advance what elder members need rather than guessing.

Schedule the events that honor OGs during times when they are likely to be most comfortable and alert. An afternoon program may work better than a late-night event. A seated ceremony is more accessible than a standing reception. Consider hosting an OGs-only luncheon or tea where they can connect with each other and with leadership without the noise and energy of the full reunion.

If some OGs cannot attend in person due to health or mobility issues, bring the reunion to them. Record the tributes and send them a copy. Arrange a video call during the event so they can participate virtually. Send a care package with reunion memorabilia, photos, and personal notes from attendees. Some chapters organize post-reunion visits to homebound members, bringing a small group to their home to share highlights and express gratitude in person.

Travel and Financial Support

Many elder members are on fixed incomes. The cost of traveling to a reunion, paying a registration fee, and purchasing meals and accommodations can be prohibitive. Do not let money be the reason a charter member misses the reunion.

Create a fund specifically for sponsoring OG attendance. Frame it as an honor, not charity. "The chapter is covering your travel and registration because your presence is essential to this celebration." Most members are happy to contribute to this fund when they understand its purpose.

Book their travel for them if they are not comfortable doing it themselves. Arrange for someone to meet them at the airport. Ensure their hotel room is comfortable, accessible, and close to the event spaces. These logistical details make the difference between a stressful experience and a dignified one.

When OGs Have Passed Away

For chapters with significant history, some founding members and OGs will have passed away. Honoring deceased members is one of the most sacred responsibilities of a reunion.

A memorial segment in the formal program should include each deceased member's name, photo, line or pledge class information, and a brief remembrance. A candle-lighting ceremony where a light is lit for each departed member is a powerful visual tribute. An empty chair at the head table symbolizing their presence in spirit is a simple but moving gesture.

If family members of deceased OGs are available and willing, invite them to the reunion as honored guests. They carry their loved one's legacy, and their presence completes a circle that the member's absence would otherwise leave open. Presenting the family with a tribute, a framed photo, or a donation to a cause in their loved one's name is a meaningful gesture.

Create a permanent memorial in your chapter's records. A page in the reunion program, a section on the chapter website, or a physical memorial at the chapter house or meeting space ensures that these members are not forgotten as time passes.

Making It a Tradition

Honoring OGs should not be a one-time event at a milestone reunion. Build it into every gathering. An annual Founders Day tribute, a regular OG appreciation event, and consistent outreach to elder members throughout the year maintain the connection and ensure that the chapter's respect for its elders is ongoing, not performative.

Your OGs are living links to your chapter's origins. Every conversation with them is a chance to learn something that is not in any record book. Every moment of recognition is a chance to demonstrate the values your organization claims. Honor them now, while you still can.

Grove was designed to help organizations like yours stay connected across generations, making it easier to coordinate tributes, manage event logistics, and ensure that every member, from the newest to the oldest, feels valued and included.