Fraternities and sororities

While the terms "fraternity" and "sorority" may be used to describe any number of social and charitable organizations, including the Lions Club, Epsilon Sigma Alpha, International, and the Shriners, in the United States and Canada fraternities and sororities are most commonly known as social organizations of higher education students (though there are organizations like fraternities in other countries as well; for example, the German Student Corps). Fraternities are all-male or mixed-sex; the female-only equivalent is called a sorority, a word coined by Gamma Phi Beta in 1874. Consequently, there exist some all-female fraternities which were named before this, such as Kappa Alpha Theta, founded in 1870. Fraternities and sororities are also referred to as student corporations or academic corporations, or simply corporations.

Structure and organization

Ritual and secrecy

Most fraternities maintain a ritual system that is highly symbolic in nature and kept a closely guarded secret. Some signs point to common ancestry in both sorority and fraternity ritual, but most are likely derived from Masonic order ritual. Other "fraternity secrets" may include passwords, songs, handshakes, journals and initiation rites. The notable exception is Delta Upsilon, founded originally as anti-secret in 1834, and is the only international non-secret men's fraternity.

Related Topics:
Ritual - Masonic - Delta Upsilon - 1834

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Meetings of the active members are generally secret, and not to be discussed without the formal approval of the chapter as a whole.

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Members will keep their rituals and secrets sacred and hold them to the highest regard for all of eternity.

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The fraternity or sorority house

:See main article: Fraternity house

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Uniquely among most campus organizations, members of social fraternities and sororities often live together in a large house or apartment complex. This serves two purposes. First, it emphasizes the bonds the members share as "brothers" or "sisters". Second, the house serves as a central location for the events and administration of the fraternity. Because of the unique nature of this setup, the individual organizations themselves at their respective schools are known as "houses". Professional, academic or honorary societies rarely maintain a permanent housing location, and some may be barred from doing so by their national organization.

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Such a house can usually be identified by large Greek letters on the front of the house, advertising the name of the group. Depending on the size of the house, there may be anywhere from three to twenty bedrooms or more. The larger houses generally have a large meeting room and/or dining room, commercial kitchen and study room. There is usually a lounge of some sort, access to which is often restricted to fully initiated members. Fraternities and sororities will also often maintain a chapter room, to which only initiates may ever be admitted and even whose existence may be kept secret. The walls of the house may be decorated with pictures of past house events, awards and trophies, decorative (or historic) paddles, or composites of members from past years.

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It should be noted, at many large universities, it is traditional for many Greek organizations to enjoy the use of large, Victorian style mansions on campus. Penn State is an example of a school with many large fraternity and sorority houses which are architecturally impressive and notable. In more modern times, some university administrations have sought to seize or buy out these houses and convert them into academic use. This ends the use of the house for social purposes and helps curb overall binge drinking on campus.

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For reasons of cost, liability and stability, housing is usually overseen by an alumni corporation or its respective national fraternity/sorority organization. As a result, some houses prohibit members of the opposite sex from going "upstairs" or into the individual bedrooms. Other houses may impose a curfew or "open door" policy. Furthermore, some national organizations restrict or prohibit alcohol in the house at any time.

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Joining a fraternity or sorority

During a period known as "Rush" or "Rush Week", fraternities and sororities invite fellow students to attend events at the house (or on-campus) and meet the current members of the organization. At the end of this period, the house invites the visitors of their choice to "pledge" the fraternity. If the invitation, or "bid", is accepted, the student will enter a period of pledgeship. A student may pledge only one fraternity at a time, and most often agree to never pledge a second fraternity if they have already been initiated into another one, though this does not preclude such events from happening. In general, this restriction only applies to social fraternities/sororities, and does not bar a member from being a member or later joining professional, service, or honorary fraternities/sororities.

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Pledge requirements for each house vary, and some houses have eliminated pledgeship entirely. However, common requirements usually include wearing a pledge or new member pin, learning about the history and structure of the fraternity and the local chapter, performing a service of some kind, and maintaining a deferential attitude toward current members (known as Seniors, Ancients, etc.). Though it has become rarer, some still practice something like hell week, when pledges are submitted to compounded endurances, which may still include paddling, which may also be applied during so-called paddle games. Upon completion of the pledgeship and all its requirements, the active members will invite the pledges to be initiated and become active members.

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The pledgeship serves as a probationary period in the fraternity membership process where both the fraternity and the pledge make sure that they have made the right choice. Almost always, after a pledge has been initiated they have a membership in the organization for life. Those pledges who demonstrate their commitment to the organization and its members are initiated, while those who demonstrate little-to-no effort and/or cause divisions and conflict are dismissed. Occasionally, however, houses will invite anyone who completes the program to become active members, in order to maintain their numbers (and survival).

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Starting in the mid to late 1990s, the terms "Rush" and "Pledge" were generally replaced with "Recruitment" and "New Member" respectively. Change is slow in the Greek world, and the use of older terms is still fairly common among the chapters. Some schools and National Offices use the newer terms.

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Hazing issues

Hazing is the harassment or persecution of prospective "new members" or "pledges" of a group. Often meaningless, difficult, or humiliating tasks, it can be physical, psychological or both.

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Historically, hazing as it is known as of 2005 did not come into widespread existence until after World War I. Soldiers returning from the war re-entered colleges, and brought with them the discipline and techniques learned in boot camp. However, roughness toward young recruits has a long history. One fraternity, Sigma Nu, was founded in opposition to the excessive hazing taking place at Virginia Military Institute after the Civil War.

Related Topics:
World War I - Boot camp - Sigma Nu - Virginia Military Institute - Civil War

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The activities which devolved into modern hazing originated as legitimate team-building techniques; some are still used today in the US military. In their essence, they are meant to make the individual fail as an individual, but succeed as part of a team. Thus the individual learns to become a valuable asset to the team and be loyal to its success. This philosophy of team development continued to be used in fraternal organizations as each subsequent war refreshed the pool of ex-military students.

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Eventually, however, with fewer military students entering college/fraternities, these techniques were passed on to others who did not understand their purpose or usage, and hazing became a brutal and hazardous exercise as each new class tried to create new challenges simply for their own sake. Many fraternities and sororities hazed their pledges, especially during certain initiation rites. In extreme cases, some pledges even died as a result. Though now created for decoration, the iconic "pledge paddle" is a tradition and reminder of this history.

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During the 1960s-1980s, however, most organizations (especially those governed by alumni at the National level) implemented clear no-hazing policies. The North-American Interfraternity Conference (formerly National Interfraternity Conference) also requires anti-hazing education for members, as do most universities. Since at least the 1990s, if hazing was conducted at a local chapter, it was without the knowledge or consent of the national organization and outside the guidelines for their initiation rituals. If discovered, it usually results in the revocation of the local chapter's charter and probably expulsion of members from the organization.

Related Topics:
1960s - 1980s - North-American Interfraternity Conference - 1990s

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Many chapters today still struggle with the legacy of hazing. It is seen as tradition, and many find that the best indicator of a pledge's worth to the group is their willingness to endure the challenges set out before them. While hazing rarely exists in its most brutal forms, many chapters still incorporate behavior such as yelling or demanding menial tasks be performed that are deemed by their universities and national headquarters to be hazing.

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