I just think it depends from org to org - as DeltAlum said, after a certain amount of time (for us since 1869), there are going to be secrets that slip out. All I or anyone else can do is to NOT be that person.

It's interesting how it can differ from org to org what is esoteric and what isn't. I guess it's just for those of us in XYZ or AB org to understand why.

Good point though - I've often wondered myself whether what I was reading was something I should be privy to.

I agree with many of the posts already. I also know that information leaks out...its inevitable. Of course we all hate it. My boyfriend (who isn't greek) came up to me months before we ever dated and said, I know ADPi's handshake. People get some kind of thrill out of knowing 'secrets'. Unfortunately we can't do much about these things, but honestly, if someone read every detail of my ritual, but didn't experience it, it wouldn't mean anything to them. I would assume this is true of most organizations. Our ritual is amazing when you experience it.

As far as open information...I think that's great, especially for pnm's...I believe a potential member should learn all they can about an organization to find one that is the best match. You can learn a lot about an organization from their open motto, creed or whatever else is not a secret.

/hijack
I had no idea that's what it means, that's really beautiful!
/end hijack

My mom figured that out when I first joined DG! It's pretty obvious. While other things, like our colors or the letters on our badge, are private (at least I think our colors are private).

Then there is Delta Upsilon, who doesn't believe in secrets at all. And Alpha Kappa Alpha, who holds open initiation that the girls' friends can watch. I was invited to one, and I hate that I didn't go, because I think it would have been interesting.

Are you sure it wasn't some sort of ceremony to publicly introduce the women as members? I'd be very surprised if initiation itself was open! But then, you learn something new every day!

If it was AKA or any other D9 org, it probably was a Coming Out Show or a Neophyte. These public events happen AFTER initiation which is private.

I think so too :D

Our colors are private ;) so Shhh! :D

Re: Re: "Leaking" Information
 

There's also the possibility that colors, symbols, etc., may have more than one meaning. Sometimes, a group may have open (or exoteric) meanings for its symbols, colors, letters, etc., which are public knowledge, but also have secret (or closed or esoteric) meanings that are known only to members.

Alot of Greek organizations tell some information because keeping secrets creates bad steroetypes. Think about how people have always accused fraternal orgs like Masons and Shriners and Elks of being negative. Alot of people in small towns (like mine) are under the false impressions that fraternal organizations (both male and female) are somehow satanic.

Just my small town back road observation.

Edited to add:

NOT THAT I THINK FRATERNAL ORGANIZATIONS ARE SATANIC. Every man in my family is a Mason all the way back to my great- great grandfather and my boyfriend is an Elk so it's not my thoughts. PLEASE DONT BRING OUT THE WET ROPE ON ME!!

LIke open and closed mottos??? Is that sort of like what you mean??

My roomate (non-greek, and a little against it) said to me once "it's like all you people act like you know something everyone else doesn't and it makes other people on the defense".
I think thats part of the reason there is some openess to some greek mottos, colors, creeds and what not. It's trying to create a sense of "we want to share some of this with you" type feeling.

No, it's not. It's not in any way a reaction to the perception of non-greeks or anyone else.

GLOs have had both exoteric information and esoteric information for ages. Maybe not in the very beginning for some of the early groups, as student orgs were verboten then. But certainly from the 1850s onward.

The exoteric info was put out there as an outward show of the aims of the group. This was to attract new members and to establish the character of the group on campus and in the community. The esoteric info was obviously the secret bond that tied the members together.

This isn't a new phenomena. If you see it on the group's website, it's exoteric info and fully intended to be there.

wptw

More or less, yes.

To give just one example: All one has to do is look at Phi Gamma Delta's coat-of-arms to see that FIJI has a motto, the three words of which begin with the letters Phi, Gamma and Delta: "Philotes, Glukutate Dunasteia" ["Friendship, the sweetest influence"]. So, publically the letters Phi, Gamma, and Delta stand for this motto, and someone looking at FIJI's website might say "Oh, now I know what the letters stand for." But I'm quite sure (FIJI brothers need neither confirm or deny ;) ) that the letters have a "deeper" meaning known only to brothers.

In the same way, a GLO may have a "public" meaning for a flower, colors, or other symbols, but also have an additional, or "deeper," meaning known only to its members.

And with all the members in every organization, there are bound to be a few disgruntled members...