The local Greeley chapter of Camp Fire Girls was founded in December 1919 and was called Camp Potowatami with Miss Edna Welsh, a high school teacher, as Guardian. Under the Department of Education at CSTC, Gertrude Lee was the director of Camp Fire Work which trained young women to be “Guardians” in the Camp Fire Girls organization. Native American culture served as the inspiration for ceremonial activities and attire, names, and respect for nature.
The first two fraternities on campus were Delta Psi and Lambda Gamma Kappa both of which organized in 1903. Sororities soon followed in 1905, the first was Delta Phi Omega followed by Sigma Upsilon. Except during the war years, Greek houses have always played an important role in campus social life. President Snyder himself was skeptical about fraternities and sororities. He thought they were exclusive club for elites, with arcane rituals and little educational value. This picture was taken in Estes Park on an outing sponsored by Epsilon Tau in 1936.
The Art Club on Guggenheim in the 1920s.
Throughout the past 125 years, students have been involved in hunderds of different organizations. There has been clubs focusing n aerobatics, scuba, Frisbee, rifles, powerlifting among many others. In addition, honorary societies, political organizations, and fraternities/ sororities have also played important roles students lives. Take a look at a list of organizations compiled in the Cashe la Poudre from 1907-71 and 1979-84.