Alina Popova
TAL1-06-01
(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 general Greek letter fraternity is
considered to be the Kappa Alpha Society,
established at Union College in
Schenectady, New York on November 26,
1825.
 As
with men's fraternities, women's
fraternities would largely be inspired or
preceded by student societies with Greekinspired 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.

 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 AfricanAmericans 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.
 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 PanHellenic 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 InterFraternity Councils
on college campuses
with more than one
member
organization.
 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.
 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fraternities_an
d_sororities_in_North_America
 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Nor
th_American_college_fraternities_and_sorori
ties
 http://www.baacc.colostate.edu/greek.aspx
 http://greekyattire.com/index.php?cPath=25
 http://www.ka.org/public2.asp