Non-secret sororities?
 

Are there any "non-secret" social sororities in existence? Delta Upsilon fraternity has a policy of non-secrecy, but I've never heard of sororities like this.

Evergreen

Good question, Evergreen!

I'm not aware of any non-secret social sororities. I know that the ones on my campus all kept their rituals and parts of their history private. :) (Delta Zeta, Phi Mu, and Alpha Delta Pi were on my campus.)

I found out about one from GC awhile back, and I think it was something called CERES or something like that. It is the Sorority version of FarmHouse if I'm not mistaken.

Yeah here it is on a search. It's fairly new - 1984 it says here, and like FH dedicated to promoting members in agriculture mainly. Some other threads are coming up as well. It appears they have only about 15 chapters nationally at most.

Personally, I don't necessarily see the draw of being non-secretive. Perhaps it's the whole secret password clubhouse experience that dominated several of my summers as a little kid that I find the secretive aspects a lot cooler. No offense to any DU's, FH's or any other non-secret org members, just MHO.

Betarulz!,

Thanks for your reply. As a city-dweller, I probably live nowhere near a Ceres chapter - but it's worth checking out.

My reason for asking the original question:
I've been following GC threads regarding alumnae initiation - something that I'd love to do. However, I want to belong to an organization whose practices and standards are known to all... so that members are held to those high standards in the eyes of not only their fellow members, but also their family, friends and community.

Not to slander any GLOs: they have many virtures and are a vital and influential part of our society. I just need something... different.

Hmm, anyone else out there looking to start such a sorority with me? ;)

Evergreen

I believe that Ceres members have to be involved in agriculture in some way ("I eat" doesn't count <g>.)

Have you considered membership in a non-collegiate sorority?
The P.E.O. Sisterhood was founded as a college sorority in 1869 but chose to become a community organization in the early 1870's. (www.peointernational.org). Other such organizations are Beta Sigma Phi (www.betasigmaphi.org) and Epsilon Sigma Alpha (www.esainternational.org). They promote philanthropy and service, and provide opportunities for fellowship too.

I also suggest the American Association of University Women (www.aauw.org), which promotes eduation and equity for women and girls, and self-development over the lifespan, and positive societal change.

Hi Evergreen!

Have you checked out the Junior League? As far as I know, they don't have any secrets. I know JL isn't a sorority, but I think that it is based upon many of the same ideas -- community involvement, philanthropy and social activities. There is a thread on JL in the alumni involvement forum that might be helpful.

Good luck, and let us know what you decide!

Thanks to everyone for your suggestions. With Christmas just around the corner, it may be a week or so before I can check out these leads fully. We'll see what happens!

Evergreen

Evergreen,
Most NPC sororities DO have standards known to all. Each has an open motto, and many have creeds or mission statements that make their purposes very clear. The secret aspect is a shared bond among the members, but it is not something that varies widely from the information known to non-initiated members.

Delta Zeta does not have an open motto.

That's absolutely right, dzsaigirl! :)

On the other hand, Evergreen, our creed is open so that non-members can see what we stand for. :D

Evergreen,

I know how you feel. I am a DU, the oldest and largest non-secret fraternity. After becoming a part of a non-secret fraternity, I saw no reason for having anything secret. As a freshman I just thought it would be "coool" to have secret handshakes and the like, but then realized they aren't necessary. Like Evergreen said, no offense to any other fraternity or sorority, it's just my experience.

This is a description of the Panhellenic Crest. Those of us who are in NPC sororities should take time to understand it, as all of our organizations are striving together to exemplify the meaning of it.

The shield is a protective influence for our entire membership.

A lamp denotes leadership, scholarship and enlightenment.

The laurel wreath signifies victory, or achievement of ideals.

While the sword piercing the wreath indicates willingness to fight for ideals, symbolizing, too, penalty of obligation; also bravery, achievement and discipline.

The mantling surrounding the shield is the protecting cloak that education gives us, and a protective influence of organization.

Thus, there in the mantle is inscribed the name of the National Panhellenic Conference.

The Panhellenic Creed is also something that we should all take to heart:

We, as Undergraduate Members of women's fraternities, stand for good scholarship, for guarding of good health, for maintenance of fine standards, and for serving, to the best of our ability, our college community. Cooperation for furthering fraternity life, in harmony with its best possibilities, is the ideal that shall guide our fraternity activities.

We, as Fraternity Women, stand for service through the development of character inspired by the close contact and deep friendship of individual fraternity and Panhellenic life. The opportunity for wide and wise human service, through mutual respect and helpfulness, is the tenet by which we strive to live.

Think about how this compares to the creed/symphony/etc. of your organization. You will surely find that when it comes right down to it, we are all essentially founded upon the same principles. :)

AOII does not have an open motto, but our mission statement does say a lot about who we are and what we stand for.

Sarah
AOII-Beta Gamma Chapter Adviser

All of the useful info above brings me to a question that might deserve its own thread: Do you find that the greatest bond comes from shared secrets, or shared experiences?

For example, in 1993, 4 friends and I went to Myrtle Beach for a week for spring break. We had to head home a day early due to a blizzard that was on the way. We met the storm in Virginia and spent the next 3 days in a motel room in the middle of nowhere. When the cable TV went out, things almost got ugly, but we managed to keep our sense of humor (and our sanity). Later we told "hilarious" stories of how we dealt with the isolation, but no one else ever seemed to understand. We became even closer friends then, in some undefinable way. Marriages, children and moving have separated us in some ways, but not in spirit!

What say you all - shared secrets or shared experiences? Which is more valuable to you?

Evergreen -

For me, it's a combination of both. For example, there are experiences I"ve shared with the sisters from my 'home' chapter. Those experiences are dear to me because they are things that happened with friends. The flip side of that is that I may have never met these women had I not made the decision to go Greek and share the secret parts.

Because I share the secret things (rituals & meanings) with every initiated ZTA, that leads to a commonality that helps when meeting sisters from another chapter. Because of our shared rituals, we know there is a bond between us, even though we haven't met or gotten close.

Granted, not every sister I meet will be a friend, but the concept of sisterhood, our ritual, etc. is strong and that helps to overcome obstacles.

The open motto of ZTA is "Seek the Noblest".

Our creed is:

To realize that within our grasp, in Zeta Tau Alpha, lies the opportunity to learn those things which will ever enrich and ennoble our lives; to be true to ourselves, to those within and without our circle; to think in terms of all mankind and our service in the world; to be steadfast, strong, and clean of heart and mind, remembering that since the thought is father to the deed, only that which we would have manifested in our experience should be entertained in thought; to find satisfaction in being, rather than seeming, thus strengthening in us the higher qualities of the spirit; to prepare for service and learn the nobility of serving, thereby earning the right to be served; to seek understanding that we might gain true wisdom; to look for the good in everyone; to see beauty, with its enriching influence; to be humble in success, and without bitterness in defeat; to have the welfare and harmony of the Fraternity at heart, striving ever to make our lives a symphony of high ideals, devotion to the right, the good, and the true, without a discordant note; remembering always that the foundation precept of Zeta Tau Alpha was love, "the greatest of all things."