Sigma Gamma Chi
Sigma Gamma Chi was a fraternal organization sponsored by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Although it once was a national organization, it later only operated at the University of Utah where it was established in 1967. The last chapter closed in 2011.
History
Sigma Gamma Chi originated with Lambda Delta Sigma, a fraternity for Latter-day Saints founded in 1936 by Lowell L. Bennion, director of the University of Utah's Institute of Religion. Soon afterward it also admitted women into its membership. In 1967, the LDS Church assumed management and divided the organization, making Lambda Delta Sigma a sorority and creating Sigma Gamma Chi as its fraternity.For decades the organization expanded and grew, creating new chapters within Sigma Gamma Chi and the sister organization Lambda Delta Sigma, and women outnumbered men 6 to 1. There were several charters at campuses throughout the United States. The fraternity's community service projects included repairs to the Jewish Community Center and creating Christmas baskets for the needy. It also sponsored dances and parties for young men to socialize with young women.
In 1978, Sigma Gamma Chi absorbed Delta Phi Kappa, the fraternity for returned missionaries. By 1999 it held 15,000 members in 105 chapters. In June 2000, it was announced that the fraternity would be absorbed by the new church organization Institute Men's Association in September 2000. The seventy chapters that were active at the time were allowed to keep their Greek letter name but functionally became chapters of the Institute Men’s Association. Eventually, the fraternity declined until it only remained at the University of Utah where at one time it had as many as thirteen chapters.
In 2011, the LDS Church closed all groups still operating as fraternities and sororities, replacing the remaining twelve chapters of Sigma Gamma Chi with non-collegiate "young single adult" congregations for Mormons between ages eighteen and thirty.
Symbols and traditions
The Greek letters Sigma Gamma Chi were selected to stand for "Service to God and Country", the fraternity's motto. The fraternity's six ideals or pillars were spirituality, brotherhood, service, leadership, scholarship, and patriotism.Membership
Membership in Sigma Gamma Chi was open to anyone who wanted to join. Members were required to attend an institute class and live according to standards of the LDS Church. They also attended weekly chapter meetings.Organization
At the University of Utah, Sigma Gamma Chi had twelve chapters. Chapters met weekly on either Wednesday or Thursday night. Meetings were held at the LDS Institute of Religion to the South of the University of Utah campus at 1780 East South Campus Drive. Sigma Gamma Chi was led by the Inter Chapter Council composed of a president and officers he selected from the twelve chapters. A chapter president led each chapter and assigned other officers from within the chapter.Sigma Gamma Chi elected a new president annually to replace the previous president. Officer positions included president, vice president, secretary, and pledge trainer.