Fall is my favorite time of year and nothing is better than crossing the Charles to spend some time in Harvard Square.  On a recent trip, I noticed three young ladies dressed as the characters from the Wizard of Oz doing weird stuff.  I was confused for a second before I realized that these were new sorority recruits.  About a minute later, I glanced at my phone and saw Donald McPhee acting a bit silly.  Ah, Donny is rushing Doghouse!

More than just an organization who runs tournaments (not that I would ever think there's anything wrong with that), the cornhole sorority extends a sense of belonging, over the top team spirit, and in most cases, something a bit different!  While I will troll these post-adolescent social groups, I think they are great for cornhole and I only expect the numbers to multiply.  Let's take a glance at two of my favorites, Doghouse Cornhole and Woohole because I don't think they'll get bent if I poke at them a bit.

Doghouse Cornhole is out of Melrose and is composed of a group of familiar faces as urban legend has it that the Doghouse was formed at a Boston Cornhole event.  There are several groups north of Boston, but players these days seem to end up considering themselves "dogs."  Yes, the Doghouse offers another place to toss bags, but the recent Dogcast podcast has those Melrose Dogs offering something a bit novel to the cornhole community.  It's well done, intelligent, and they now face the challenge of keeping it fresh enough so that people stay engaged.

Head far enough west of the Hub and you can't avoid Worcester...not that I've tried.  But, now with Woohole, there's a very good reason to visit Massachusetts' second largest city.  The Tornado-led group offers cornhole, cornhole, and more cornhole!  And if you are paying attention, then you'll notice that this crew has some young studs who keep getting better and better.  But, what has captured my attention most is the way in which Woohole (among some other groups) has embraced technology to run their events.  Carrie and crew have gone all-in with SCOREHOLIO which is by far the best tournament software on the market.  Play with Woohole and you get a completely automated experience from check-in, tablet scoring, and the big screen dashboard.  Very professional and almost has me ready to give up my paper and pen...

Do you belong to a cornhole sorority?  Here are some defining characteristics:

1.  Membership

Fortunately, there does not appear to be any initiation rituals to joining any of these socially competitive groups.  Usually you just need to play, not be a jerk, and you're good to go.  If you finish in the top 20 and post a picture, Brendan will usually make you a lifetime Doghouse member.  As we all know, there's no monogamy in cornhole, so players freely hop from group to group throughout the week.  If I were to look into my crystal ball, I would anticipate seeing some recruitment videos popping up soon...somebody please do a parody of this!

2.  Apparel

Show your team spirit by sporting your sorority's colors and logos!  Both Doghouse and Woohole got you covered with branded bags, hats, shirts, hoodies, jerseys, etc.  Showing your Woohole pride may also earn you some money shot tickets!  When I am laboring over the heat press putting out Boston Cornhole swag, I often curse Brendan who has convinced me that apparel is "a thing."

3.  Participation at Turf War

Nothing caters to cornhole sororities more than the popular and very successful Turf War, sort of a Greek Games where New England groups get to show their pride and skills!  For some that spread their time among several organizations, it may also be decision time on your loyalty.  And if other sorority leaders spend as much time creeping on your roster as their own, you know your sorority has arrived!

4.  Calling Card

Each sorority needs a calling card or some unique schtick.  Fittingly, for Doghouse, everything is about the dogs.  Dogs were here and there, dogs made it to the podium...I even cleaned up dog shit twice at 3rd Ave in Burlington!  And for Woohole, if you place at one of their tournaments, you have to strike a certain pose and do this thing with your lips...I thought sorority girls didn't do that!