On the first part, I agree and disagree. I think it's really fun to learn facts and be knowledgeable about NPC--it's something that GreekChat has really helped me with, and it's made my sorority experience so much richer. It's important to know the history of the NPC, NIC, and NPHC, as well as the history of the newer LGLOs and multi-cultural GLOs. However, we can't get caught up in thinking that more funding/age/size/numbers gives any particular group superiority! :)

On the second part, I know that Pi Beta Phi is incorporated as a women's fraternity. On this part, I think some groups have changed over to "sorority" officially and others have retained the "fraternity", Pi Phi being one of the latter. It would be interesting to know which ones are which! :)

Kappa Kappa Gamma is a fraternity.

Okay, here is what I heard...

ADPi, Phi Mu and Pi Phi were obviously the first three female orgs. founded. However, they were found without Greek letters and as societies that concentrated on interests such as sewing and reading (this is what I heard, may not be true).

Theta was the first female org. to be modeled after male fraternities by calling themselves a fraternity and incorporating the use of Greek letters from the start.

ADPi, Phi Mu, and Pi Phi later adopted Greek letters.

Then, Gamma Phi Beta came along later when there were already several other groups for women. They were the first to be called a "sorority" though.

Everyone has their firsts!

Things that seems to get clearer to me the more I hear people argue about this are:

Phi Beta Kappa was the first greek letter organization. but it's an honor society! Not like a fraternity in the sense we think of it. (like brothers living in a house, with a ritual etc. etc.) That's why Kappa Alpha is the first Social Fraternity. And since their fouding all but two US presidents have been alumni of greek organizations.
and most fraternities were formed either by masons or children of masons who wanted to be part of something special like their fathers.


I'm also very interested in other secret collegiate societies, like skull and bones etc etc. if anyone can list stuff on that I'd appreciate it.



PS that link was very informative (and my fraternity was on there, oh yeah, :) )

Again, thank you all so much for the help. Now just pray that I can get this paper done on time ;)

According to Kappa Sigma history we were founded in Bologna Italy in 1400. We weren't transplanted into a US chapter until 1869.

But that would make us by far the oldest group . . .

www.kappasigma.org

Minor correction: Pi Phi did not originally have Greek letters, but its intent was always to be a fraternity for women. That is why we call ourselves the first national women's fraternity: we were formed in response to the lack of opportunities for women to participate in fraternity life (at Monmouth College), and we were the first to start a second chapter. But yes Theta was the first women's GLO! :) I don't want to be seen as arguing on this... I think all women's GLOs are due great respect no matter when they were formed... Especially some of the newer ones (NPC, NPHC, and otherwise!) since they were formed in response to prejudice/lack of open-mindedness! :) :)

Actually, when Phi Beta Kappa first began, it was more like the GLOs in their original conception (obviously GLOs have evolved since then). Phi Beta Kappa, however, was "discovered" by the oppressive college faculty and forced to reveal their ritual and secrets. That is when they evolved into an honor society. So the first regular social GLO that is still in existence in its original form is (per our discussion, I don't know my NIC like I know my NPC :() the Kappa Alpha Society....

hehe... I'm a history major... Can anyone tell?? :D

Re: ADPi
 

This really confuses and intrigues me! WHERE are there still Adelphean Societies that are in any way connected to Alpha Delta Pi?

FYI, all of our Alpha Delta Pi literature states that Alpha Delta Pi was the first secret society for college women. Just in case anyone was interested! :cool: If you go to Georgia Wesleyan College, you will see the exact same symbols (and not see the exact same ritual, although it's "there") as in 1851. And Georgia Wesleyan was (approopriately!) the first college for women in the US, if I'm correct.

Panhellenically,
honeychile

Yep, once again I am right!

We have some of the Greatest Minds in the world on GC!

Ask and Ye will receive!:)

Greek History is very interesting and valuable to each of us!

I know LXA has changed many things over the years!

Pledge/New Associate

No Hazing

Kinder Ritual (PC)

What you learn from History evolves into today and tomarrows values!

I can't believe how I just spelled "appropriately"!!! :eek:

honeychile

oldest group
 

The oldest existing national organization is Kappa Alpha Society -1825. Several other local groups predate KA including the Mystic Seven at Wesleyan and the final clubs at Harvard. The Porcellin Club was founded in the 1790's at Harvard. Another old local Kappa Kappa Kappa was founded at Dartmouth in 1841.
My fraternity Delta Upsilon is the sixth oldest existing National/International Fraternity being founded in 1834 at Williams College(sadly the active chapter at Williams transformed itself into a local nonselective cooperative called Garfield House in 1965 under severe University pressure). DU has 81 active chapters, 1 colony and 6/7 petitioning groups at this time, a far larger amount than any of the older active fraternities.

James, I was just going to say something -- I could have sworn my favorite Kappa Sigma says they were founded in the 1400's.

This is a Greek Urban Legend. You can read more about it in the thread Nifty Fun Fact.

Re: Re: ADPi
 

There are probably no Adelphean Societies around that have a specific connection to ADPi. "Adelphean Society" (or "Adelphian Society") was a common name for literary or social societies on college campuses all over the country, some of which I'm sure still exist. "Adelphos," of course, is Greek for "brother," (Greek for sister is "adelphi"), so an Adelphean Society is simply a society of brothers or sisters.

Also, Alpha Delta Phi fraternity (and its co-ed relation, Alpha Delta Phi Society) use the name Adelphian.

The average greek's lack of knowledge about our own history, as displayed in this thread, is really troubling to me. Some of you will argue ad nauseum about which sorority/women's fraternity/secret women's society was the first to be/do/say/have XYZ (also as displayed in this thread), yet you don't know even the most basic history.

Phi Beta Kappa was certainly NOT just an honor society. It is widely recognized as the "big bang" of the greek universe. Breathesgelatin already covered this. One correction though: Phi Beta Kappa revealed their rituals and constitution voluntarily, albeit under strong pressure from the anti-masonic crowd. They were not forced to do so. And it was not their "discovery" that prompted this - they were already well known to the universities and communities where they were established.

Today we associate a "social" fraternity with a house, functions, etc., but obviously things were very different in the beginning. Students in Schenectady in 1825 didn't go hang out at the KA Society house on weekends to drink beer and meet women. They met secretly to share friendship and read literary works. (THEN they'd go out to drink beer and meet women!)

Every greek should know all about Phi Beta Kappa and the Kappa Alpha Society. Your GLO owes its very existence to these groups.

How this "all but 2 US presidents were greek" myth perpetuates itself is beyond me.

Kappa Sigma was NOT founded in 1400. The fraternity was indeed based on Chrysoloras' brotherhood in Bologna, and the group does make use of this symbolism. But to claim a direct link between the Bologna brotherhood and the Kappa Sigma fraternity is preposterous. Another myth perpetuated by someone's shallow desire to be "the first THIS to do THAT".

1400? Ha! My fraternity was founded on the brotherhood of Jesus. So we were founded in 0. Beat that!

Most fraternities were NOT founded by masons or children of masons. The masonic influence is unquestionable, but let's not get carried away.

And before someone chimes in with this old chestnut, NO your badge is not on the moon. And there are no rituals in the library of congress.

Doodlebug's post was right on the money - how about debating which group has the best philanthropy, or the highest GPA, or the least number of chapters on suspension, or the best pledge program? We try to attract new members with these ridiculous "fun facts" and then we bitch when those members turn out to be more concerned with trivial things than with the central ideals of our GLO!

wptw