TTT

My husband is a member of AKL. They are not a secret society so he is able to discuss his ritual and the meanings behind his symbols. Even though he can share it, we don't talk about it. Don't get me wrong, they don't go around telling everyone about it but if someone asks, they can tell them. What they usually say is that they would prefer to reveal the meaning at initiation and ritual events because it has more significance. I have also heard rumors about other sororities and saw some items used in initiation and ritual by some sororities when our campus joined National sororities (moving in some things can be difficult when the sororities are housed in a dorm). I wouldn't reveal any secrets nor confirm or deny any rumors about my sorority. However, my sister was willing to confirm "rumors" I heard about her sorority ritual.

No GLO, with the possible exception of elusive groups like QNE, is a "secret society." A secret society is one which keeps the identity of its members, and often its very existence, secret (a la the Mafia or the Klan).

GLOs, by contrast, are societies with secrets. A nit-picky but important distinction.

Thanks for the clarification
 

MysticCat81, thanks for pointing that out. I think many of our organizations refer to secret societies as those that strive to keep rituals and symbols "secret" (known only to members) to differentiate between groups. Sometimes the true meaning of words gets stretched to accommodate certain aspects of a group.