Student social organizations in other countries.
 

ETA. I decited to delete most of my posts here since, due to huge changes in the government and University policies, the Dutch "greek" system is changing very rapidly, and I wouldn't want to post any information that won't be valid a few months from now.





All I can truly state is that there are lots of fraternities and sororities in The Netherlands.
All are local and they vary in size from 10 to 50 active members.

Some fraternities/sororities are part of larger student groups called "studentenverenigingen" (also local) that vary from 50 - 3500 in members. These date back to the 1700s, formalizing in the 1800s. Some are mixed, some just men or women.
You can join one of these groups in September during the University Introduction days. After going through a pledge period you're initiated as a member. After a few weeks you usually form a Yeargroup with a 6-20 people from your pledgeclass. After a few months of membership you may go through "mini-recruitment" to join a sorority or fraternity ( sororities/fraternities are sometimes called verticals). Joining once again requires a pledge period.
Fraternities/sororities/student groups have a coat of arms, name with symbolic meaning (no Greek letters), symbols etc.

Some fraternities/sororities/student groups own/rent houses were some members can live.
Most also own a building where officers work out of and there's usually a bar in the building where members meet several times a week.
Most fraternities/sororities/student groups work with philantrophies.
Both fraternities/sororities and student groups have active alumni networks. You receive alum status once you graduate, which usually takes around 6 years since most students in the Netherlands pursue a graduate degree right after undergrad and graduate students are still seen as active members.

More please!!!!

Wait. Sororities are formed within the student social groups? And these are separate from the yeargroups, correct?

Ok. Yeargroups= pledge class. And the tied sororities help the larger student social groups break down into smaller, more intimate groups within the organization. This is really interesting!

Tulip, are you an exchange student studying in Europe? Or do you live there and attend university there because it's your home?

I was in the Netherlands, in Groningen (a town with 1 university & 1 vocational university) for "Kei Week", which is orientation week.

During the week, they had a parade through the streets of (I assume) all the student groups, with floats, trucks, cycling-beer bus thingy-s and the like. Some were single sex, some co-ed, some named things like "Cleopatra", "Dionysus" and "Albertus Magnus", some were sporting clubs. The student groups all had matching t-shirt so you could pick them out of the crowd.

And that's all I know about Dutch student groups, but "Kei week" was amazing to see.

In Latvia, they have "student corporations" and in German, they have "duelling clubs", but they're quite similar to the whole fraternity / sorority / student club type of idea.

Here are the List of Fraternities and Sororities in the Philippines --->>> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of...he_Philippines

Fraternal Greetings!!!

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PhiOM1961---USA

Interesting thread from a few years ago:

http://www.greekchat.com/gcforums/sh...ad.php?t=90025

One thing to remember about the Philippines is that there are *no* national multi fraternity organizations (other than things like Magic 5, which are basically mutual support groups), so there is no way to easily distinguish those with significant National Support like Upsilon Sigma Phi, Alpha Phi Omega, Alpha Kappa Rho and Tau Gamma Phi/Tau Gamma Sigma from those which were basically formed last week or that have very minor popularity.

And there are some like Upsilon Sigma Phi which have a National Reputation even though they only exist at one school (the largest campus of the University of the Philippines)

I agree with your statement Naraht.