The terms "fraternity" and "sorority" (from the Latin words frater and soror, meaning "brother" and "sister" respectively) may be used to describe many social and charitable organizations, for example the Lions Club, Epsilon Sigma Alpha, Rotary International, Optimist International, or the Shriners. In the United States and Canada, however, fraternities and sororities are most commonly known as social organizations for higher education students.

Terminology

The term "fraternities", often colloquially shortened to "frats", generally refers to all-male or mixed-sex organizations; the female-only equivalent is usually called a "sorority", a word first used in 1874 at Gamma Phi Beta at Syracuse University—before this, societies for either sex were called "fraternities." To this day, some women's organizations prefer to be called "women's fraternities". Outside North America, they are also referred to as "student corporations", "academic corporations", or simply "corporations".

The term "frat" is often considered to be derogatory, because of the relation to negative associations with fraternities in popular culture, which often tend to overemphasize the negative aspects of the organizations for plot purposes.

With few exceptions (notably "Acacia", "FarmHouse", and "Triangle"), the names of North American fraternities and sororities consist of two or three Greek letters, many times abbreviating a Greek motto. For this reason, fraternities and sororities are known collectively as a Greek System or Greek Society and its members as Greeks. The use of Greek letters started with the first such organization, Phi Beta Kappa, which used Greek letters to hide their secret name.

Outside North America, organizations like college fraternities are rare. A notable exception is the Philippines, which maintains a large fraternity and sorority system (see fraternities and sororities in the Philippines for more detailed information). Other countries with active fraternity-like organizations are the Netherlands, Belgium, Switzerland, Austria, Germany (Studentenverbindung) and Sweden (see student nations).

The purposes and types of fraternities

There are various types of fraternities: General (social), service, professional, and honorary. The most recognizable form of fraternity is the social fraternity. Most of these fraternities were founded on dedication to principles such as community service, academic achievement, and leadership qualities.

Many fraternities and sororities are national or international organizations with chapters at individual schools. The organizations' headquarters or "Nationals" may place certain requirements on individual chapters to standardize rituals and policies regarding membership, housing, or behavior. These policies are generally codified in a constitution and bylaws which may be amended at conventions. Members of a such a fraternity or sorority may enjoy certain privileges when visiting other chapters of the same fraternity. Some fraternities and sororities are "local" and do not belong to a national organization.

Classification can also be made along religious lines, geographic extent, gender requirements (single-sex or co-ed), cultural or multicultural emphasis, and time of founding. "Secret Societies" are usually categorized separately from other types of fraternities.

Structure and organization

Ritual and secrecy

Most fraternities and sororities today maintain traditions which are generally symbolic in nature and closely guarded secrets. These rituals most often encompass an initiation ceremony, but may also include passwords, songs, handshakes, and the form of meeting. Meetings of the active members are generally secret and not to be discussed without the formal approval of the chapter as a whole. There are two national fraternities which were founded as "non-secret" societies: Delta Upsilon, founded in 1834, and Alpha Kappa Lambda, founded in 1914.

For organizations with Greek letters composing their name, these letters can have a secret meaning, known only to initiated members. In the case of fraternities and sororities that have disaffiliated from a national organization, the Greek letters chosen for the name of the organization are often a derivation of the previous name (for example, Phi Tau [a local Dartmouth College fraternity, not to be confused with the national Phi Kappa Tau, is the former Tau chapter of Phi Sigma Kappa) and thus, while the name may bear some secret meaning, it also may represent a historical or exoteric context.

Fraternity and sorority houses

Main article: Fraternity and sorority houses

Unique among most campus organizations, members of social fraternities and sororities often live together in a large house or apartment complex. This can help emphasize the "bonds of brotherhood (or sisterhood)" and provide a place of meeting for the members of the organization as well as alumni. For reasons of cost, liability, and stability, housing is usually owned or overseen by an alumni corporation or the national headquarters of the fraternity or sorority. As a result, some houses have visitor restrictions, and some national organizations restrict or prohibit alcohol on the premises. ^[1][2]

The Chi Psi Fraternity chapter in Ann Arbor, Michigan was the first fraternity to use a house for its meetings. Sigma Phi's Williamstown, MA chapter was the first fraternity to own a chapter house. Delta Kappa Epsilon at Kenyon College is often described as the first fraternity to build its own building, in the 1850s, although some sources state that the group bought an existing cabin. Alpha Phi was the first women's fraternity to have a chapter house.

Symbols

Fraternities and sororities often have a number of symbols by which they are identified, such as colors or flowers, in addition to a badge (or pin), crest, and/or seal. An open motto (indicating that the organization has a "secret motto" as well) is a public motto that is used to express the unique ideals and/or standards of a fraternity or sorority. Most symbols are built from the collective experience of the organization; paddle design, for example, is a highly meticulous and precise art for many houses.

An obvious symbol of a fraternity or sorority is their Greek letters. Often displayed in front of or on a chapter house, the Greek letters of a fraternity or sorority are the most visible means to distinguish themselves from others. They will also be worn on clothing as an identifier for recruitment activities or general exposure.

Joining a fraternity or sorority

The process of joining a fraternity or sorority commonly begins with "rushing", or "recruitment." The term "rush" refers to the historical practice where students would hurry to join fraternities at the beginning of the school year, in a large part to find housing. "Rush" is usually followed by "pledging," or committing. Many fraternities and sororities have forgone the term pledge as part of their education process due to the negative association made by many people in the United States, and some organizations have completely eliminated both the term and process.

Recruitment may be done formally or informally. A traditional "formal recruitment" often consists of a period known as "Rush Week," or simply "Rush." Fraternities and sororities invite fellow students (often referred to as "potential new members" or "rushees") to attend events to meet current active members and learn about their organizations. Some prospective members may be referred to as "legacy:" someone who is related to another member of the organization. The formal rush week(s) may have limits imposed restricting the duration of contact between interested students and active members to ensure broad exposure, such as length and type of event or alcohol restrictions.

At the end of the formal recruitment period, the various organizations invite the visitors of their choice to "pledge" the fraternity or sorority. If the invitation, or "bid", is accepted, the student will be admitted to the house as a pledge until they are initiated as full members. A student may pledge only one fraternity or sorority at a time, and generally is not allowed to be initiated into more than one organization. This restriction usually only applies to other social fraternities and sororities, and does not bar a member from being a member or later joining professional, service, or honorary organizations.

"Informal recruitment," as the name suggests, is much less structured. New members are introduced to the fraternity's members and activities through friends and everyday behavior. Many campuses may have formal recruitment periods and also allow informal recruitment after the formal period ends.

"Deferred recruitment" refers to systems where students must have at least one semester's experience on campus before joining. This system is preferred by some campuses for the benefit of the potential members – by making sure the "rushees" have adjusted to the university environment before becoming a member of a fraternity or sorority, they are shown to have higher academic success rates and post-school job placement.

Requirements may be imposed on those wishing to pledge either by the school or the organization itself, including a minimum grade point average, wearing a pledge or new member pin, learning about the history and structure of the fraternity or sorority, nicknaming each other, or performing public service. The pledgeship period also serves as a probationary period in the fraternity or sorority membership process where both the organization and the pledge decide they are compatible and will have a fulfilling experience. Upon completion of the pledgeship and all its requirements, the active members will invite the pledges to be initiated and become full members. Initiation often includes secret ceremonies and rituals.

Hazing issues

Hazing can be defined as the ritualistic harassment, abuse, or persecution of individuals in a group. Modern hazing began after the Civil War, where soldiers "grew closer" after the trials of the war, and attempted to replicate those experiences.

Because of the association of fraternities with hazing, schools such as Bates College started banning fraternities as early as the mid-1800s. One fraternity, Sigma Nu, was founded in opposition to the hazing taking place at Virginia Military Institute. Hazing became widespread after World War I. Soldiers returning from the war re-entered colleges, and brought with them the discipline they learned in boot camp. Hazing began to be officially banned at the national and international levels of fraternities and sororities, is against many colleges' Greek Codes, and is illegal in most U.S. states.^[3][4] The North-American Interfraternity Conference also requires anti-hazing education for members, as do most universities. Hazing can result in the revocation of the local chapter's charter and possibly expulsion of members from the national organization. While a report of hazing activity does occasionally appear in the news, for most fraternities and sororities in the United States hazing has been abandoned.

History and development

Early Beginnings

The Phi Beta Kappa Society, founded on December 5, 1776 at the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia, is generally recognized to be the first Greek-letter student society in North America. By legend, it was founded by individuals rejected for membership from an older student society known as the Flat Hat Club. The Flat Hat Club, or FHC for short, was founded at the Raleigh Tavern in Williamsburg, Virginia on November 11, 1750, by six students at the College of William and Mary. While it largely disappeared in 1776, a modern secret organization using the same name exists at the College of William and Mary.

The Phi Beta Kappa Society was formed as a forum to discuss topics not covered in the regimented classical education of universities of the era, lending the name literary fraternity to its type. Most students were well-versed in Greek, Latin, and Hebrew; Phi, Beta, and Kappa were the initials of a secret Greek motto, Philosophia Biou Kybernētēs = "Love of learning [is] the guide of life". In addition to its secrecy and selection of a Greek name, it also introduced a code of high ideals, secret rituals and handclasps, membership badges, and oaths that characterized later Greek letter societies.

The first general fraternity is considered to be the Kappa Alpha Society, established at Union College in Schenectady, New York on November 26, 1825 by John Hart Hunter. Kappa Alpha's founders adopted many of Phi Beta Kappa's practices, but formed their organization around fellowship, making the development of friendship their primary purpose. The Sigma Phi Society formed in March 1827, followed by Delta Phi in November. These three constitute the Union Triad.

The Fraternity system becomes "national"

Sigma Phi became the first "national" fraternity when it opened a satellite chapter at Hamilton College in 1831. In 1833, the Skull and Bones Society was organized at Yale University among members of the senior class as a of Phi Beta Kappa. This spawned other similar secret societies that differentiate themselves from Greek-lettered societies.

Beta Theta Pi was founded at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio in August, 1839, in response to the chartering of the west-most chapter of Alpha Delta Phi. Phi Delta Theta (1848) and Sigma Chi (1855), also founded at Miami University, emulated Beta Theta Pi's focus on establishing new chapters. These three constitute the Miami Triad. These and other fraternities spread West, South, and even into Canada.

Growth was then stunted by the American Civil War; though following the War, the system as a whole underwent phenomenal growth in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, both in the number of organizations founded and chapters of existing organizations established. This was aided, in part, by the reopening of schools and the return of veterans as students.

Alpha Phi Alpha,^[5] Phi Iota Alpha,^[6] and Phi Sigma Nu were founded as the first fraternities for African-American, Latino-American, and Native American members.

Modern sororities

Women's organizations also formed contemporaneously: the Adelphean Society (now Alpha Delta Pi) was established in 1851 at Wesleyan College in Macon, Georgia, making it the first secret society for collegiate women. The Philomathean Society (not associated with the Philomathean Society of the University of Pennsylvania) was also founded at Wesleyan College in Macon, Georgia in 1852, and I.C. Sorosis (later renamed Pi Beta Phi) was founded in 1867 at Monmouth College, in Monmouth, Illinois. The Adelphean Society and the Philomathean Society did not take on their modern Greek names (Alpha Delta Pi and Phi Mu, respectively) until 1904 when they took on expansion beyond the Wesleyan campus.

In the mid-1800s as women began getting admitted to previously all male universities, there were many women who felt that it was in their best interest to ban together. During this time, there were many people opposed to women joining men on college campuses, and the women of the early fraternity days felt that not only did they need to establish a social presence on campus, but also an academic presence and that the most efficient way of accomplishing this would be to form an organized group. By imitating the men’s social groups, including their policy of secrecy and ritual, the first collegiate women formed women's fraternities in an effort to counteract the widespread opposition to their presence. ^[7]

Kappa Alpha Theta (founded on January 27, 1870 at DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana) and Kappa Kappa Gamma (October 1870) are formally recognized as the first Greek letter fraternities for women. Pi Beta Phi (under its original name), however, was the first secret society for collegiate women based on the Greek secret societies for men. The term sorority was not yet in use, so the earliest organizations were founded as "women's fraternities" or "fraternities for women." The first organization to adopt the word sorority was Gamma Phi Beta, established in 1874 at Syracuse University in Syracuse, New York. Alpha Kappa Alpha formed America's first Greek-letter sorority for college women of African descent in 1908 at Howard University in Washington, D.C.. Lambda Theta Alpha is the first Latina-based Sorority in the Nation, established in December 1975 at Kean University in New Jersey. Alpha Psi Omega is the first Native American Sorority in the U.S., Founded at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill on Sept. 1, 1994.

High School Fraternities and Sororities

High school fraternities and sororities, or secondary fraternities and sororities, are social fraternities for high school-aged men and women. There are a few active high school fraternities and sororities, including Zeta Mu Gamma in Puerto Rico and Sigma Alpha Rho (SAR) in the mainland United States.

Greek umbrella organizations

These are councils and associations that seek to aid their member organizations through eccumenical promotion and providing a forum for them to interact at.

• North-American Interfraternity Conference (NIC) — association of 68 men's social fraternities; local organizations found on a single campus are usually known as "Interfraternity Councils."
• National Panhellenic Conference (NPC) — association of 26 international social women's fraternities and sororities; local organizations found on a single campus are usually known as "Panhellenic Councils."
• National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC) — association of 9 historically African-American fraternities and sororities; local organizations found on a single campus are usually known as "Pan-Hellenic Councils."
• National Association of Latino Fraternal Organizations (NALFO) — association of 23 Latino fraternities and sororities.
• National Multicultural Greek Council (NMGC) — association of 13 national and local multicultural Greek fraternities and sororities; local organizations found on a single campus are usually known as "Multicultural Councils" or "Unified Greek Councils."
• Concilio Interfraternitario Puertorriqueño de la Florida (CIPFI) — umbrella council for the Florida chapters of 5 Puerto Rican Greek Letter Fraternities
• Fraternity Leadership Association — association of fraternities similar to the NIC.
• Association of College Honor Societies — association of 65 honor societies.
• Association of Fraternity Advisors — organization intended to support and assist advisors of fraternities and sororities.
• College Fraternity Editors Association — organization for professional fraternity and sorority communicators.
• Fraternity Executives Association — organization for professional fraternity and sorority members.
• Professional Fraternity Association — organization for professional fraternity and sorority members.

Fraternities and sororities outside the United States and Canada

Further information: List of fraternities and sororities in Europe, List of fraternities and sororities in the Philippines, List of Puerto Rican fraternities and sororities

See also

• List of social fraternities and sororities
• List of fraternity and sorority mottos
• List of fictional fraternities and sororities
• List of collegiate secret societies
• List of high school fraternities and sororities
• Fraternal and service organizations

References