FRATERNITY AND SORORITY

Alina PopovaTAL1-06-01

FRATERNITIES AND SORORITIES(from the Latin words frater and soror,

meaning "brother" and "sister" respectively) are fraternal socia organizations for undergraduate students at colleges and universities.

In modern usage, the term "Greek letter organization" is often synonymous with the terms "fraternity" and "sorority".

Fraternities and sororities began with students who wanted to meet secretly, usually for discussions and debates not thought appropriate by the faculty of their schools.

Today they are used as social, professional, and honorary groups that promote community service, leadership, and academic achievement.

Typically, Greek letter organizations are single-sex, initiatory organizations with membership considered active during the undergraduate years only, although a notable exception to this rule are historically black, Latino, Asian, and multicultural organizations, in which active membership continues, and into which members are often initiated long after the completion of their undergraduate degrees.

Greek letter organizations may sometimes be considered mutual aid societies, providing academic and social activities. Some groups also maintain a chapter house, providing residential and dining facilities for members.

THE FIRST FRATERNITIES The first general Greek letter fraternity

is considered to be the Kappa Alpha Society, established at Union College in Schenectady, New York on November 26, 1825.

OTHER COATS-OF-ARMS

THE FIRST SORORITIES As with men's fraternities, women's

fraternities would largely be inspired or preceded by student societies with Greek-inspired names but without Greek letters.

The Adelphean Society was established in 1851 at Wesleyan College in Macon, Georgia, making it the first secret society for collegiate women.

The first Greek letter women's fraternity, Chi Theta Delta, was formed in 1856 at Troy Female Seminary.

Sororities had, from the beginning, the difficult objective of proving the viability of coeducational studies. That women could perform academically as well as or better than men while maintaining the Victorian ideals of womanhood was a tall order. Sororities created high academic standards and monitored the social activities of their members from their inception.

The social sororities were one of the few social outlets at most universities. While enrollment had opened to women at most institutions, student organizations like literary societies, student government, and other clubs were still free to restrict membership. Intense curriculum and mandatory religious involvements limited free time but the social sororities and social fraternities began a tradition of interaction.

They would put together skits for entertainment, hold events for singing and waltzing after meetings were over, held socials at the houses of local members, and lower their inhibitions during annual Halloween parties.

ETHNIC AND CULTURAL DIFFERENCES While the late 1800s held tremendous

growth for the fraternity system, it was also a time of great discrimination against the minorities who were increasingly entering the universities. Informal agreements were often codified in bylaws to restrict membership only to white Christians.

Jewish students could rarely gain entry into any fraternities as, at the time, just one member could often block the initiation of any new member. Even Christianity was not enough for many as there was also much discrimination against Irish Catholics.

In 1898, fourteen students would form the Z.B.T. Society (later Zeta Beta Tau) which was only open to Jewish students.

The establishment and evolution of fraternities and sororities for African-Americans partially mirrored the development of social fraternities and sororities. Literary societies with Greek letters came first.

The oldest Black fraternity still in existence, Alpha Phi Alpha, appear at Cornell University in 1906.

INTERFRATERNITY ORGANIZATION

The first attempt at organization between different fraternities began as a recommendation from members of Beta Theta Pi. Men representing thirteen fraternities officially and others present unofficially met in Philadelphia, PA in 1883. They had intentions of having a conference the following year and several edits formed the Inter-Fraternity Press Association.

Kappa Kappa Gamma began the process of attempting to organize sororities in 1890. The first Panhellenic Convention of Woman's Fraternities was held in August 1891.

Alpha Phi would take the initiative to inspire the first Inter-Sorority Conference in 1902.

The next few conferences would establish rules and standards such as a student-run Panhellenic Association.

The next decade would add many more sororities to the organization and it would be renamed the National Panhellenic Conference.

The social fraternities would create small Pan-Hellenic organizations in various cities in the late 1890s and early 1900s.

The Inter-Fraternity Conference would begin with twenty-six organizations in New York City, November 1909. Like the sororities,

the conference would call for local student-run Inter-Fraternity Councils on college campuses with more than one member organization.

RITUALS AND SYMBOLS Most Greek letter organizations today

maintain traditions which are generally symbolic in nature and closely guarded secrets, calling it their ritual. They include an initiation ceremony, but may also include passwords, songs, handshakes, and the form of meeting, amongst other things. Meetings of the active members are generally secret and not to be discussed without the formal approval of the chapter as a whole.

For organizations with Greek letters composing their name, these letters are the initials of a motto (such as Delta Upsilon), a set of virtues (such as Alpha Kappa Lambda), or the history of its organization (such as Phi Tau).

Greek letter organizations often have a number of distinctive emblems, such as colors, flags, 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 used to express the unique ideals of a fraternity or sorority.

RESOURCES: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fraternities_

and_sororities_in_North_America http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_N

orth_American_college_fraternities_and_sororities

http://www.baacc.colostate.edu/greek.aspx

http://greekyattire.com/index.php?cPath=25

http://www.ka.org/public2.asp