Why is there so much secrecy between greek organizations?
 

I am not greek, but am thinking about it. One thing I have always wondered is why everything about a fraternity or sorority is a secret. I've been told they have secret meetings, and certain things are to be known only by fellow brothers or sisters.

I'm not saying it's wrong or right, I just wanna know why all of these fraternities and sororities are so private and secretive.

If you can't tell me why, I'll understand:D

SMSUBear

Our rituals are secret because it is privilege for the initiated memebrs to know. Rituals are beautiful, bonds us together as brothers/sisters and stands us apart from other chapters.

The fact we have meetings is not secret, but content is again a privilege for members to know. It's kinda like a secret you shared with your best friend about your private business. Would you like it if that friend made it known to everyone your business? Ofcourse not. Same kinda principle if you want to look at it that way. In other words, those not initiated dont need to know, because it doesnt concern them.

Other than that, that is why the secrecy is there and shall so remain. It keeps things special to us.

So basically, it's done just to remember what it means to be a (insert greek organization)? That makes sense. I just was with a friend of mine who was (is) greek, and I asked him a question about something, and he said. "I can't tell you that." It seemed rather irrelevant at the time, but now I see why.

Are there certain greek groups who are more secretive than others? I'm not looking for names, just wondering.

SMSUBear

All but two fraternities have secret rituals (Delta Upsilon and Alpha Kappa Lambda,) and the reason for the secrecy is to preserve that special bond, and to commit the members to honorable behavior.

As far as operations go, there is virtually no secrecy at the national level. All of the HQs share information, and often work together.

HOOTIE, I have always Known that I love you!:)

SMSUBear, Yes, We all have Secrets that We keep amongst ourselfs or we would be just a club with secrets.

It is a very sore subject among many of us, but Hazing is a sore subject with all of us! Some do, Try finding the Book Goat by Brad Land, I am reading it now.:o

While All Greek Organizations have a No Hazing Clause, it does happen, and I have seen some of my own Chapters do it and when it is discovered, they have their Charter Taken and they are No Longer Members of My Fraternity! So, IF LXA is no longer on Campus, who does that Hurt? Me, My Brothers, and Any and All future Brothers That I might Have Had!

My Oath, Badge, Coat of Arms All have meanings that are to be known only to members of LXA. They are special to us and no one else! LXA is not the only one, We all are and so that should be the way it should be.:cool:

As Hootie said, for those that beleive it, 4-5 years is not being a Member of a Fraternity/Soroity, it is for life, and I have been doing it for almost 40 years!:cool:

So, ask yourself, Why is Tom doing this for so long!:)

Just randomly Tom... Since you mentioned charters being taken away and hurting the organization... I went to a party at the LXA house in Berkely last weekend and I must say all the brothers I met there were a credit to your org. they were very cool and made sure that everyone was having a good time and took their risk management seriously and had wristbands and guest lists and all... (as Berkely is required to do) so no need to worry about that chapter I would say :)

Also to add onto why we have secrets... it is the secrets that tie us all together.. that is the stuff that has been passed down for (for most NPC orgs) practically 100 or more years... it helps ground you in the fact that this org. is bigger than you and your chapter sisters or brothers... it is something that binds you to people across the country and it binds us to the past sisters or brothers of our organization. it is amazing to be sitting in on a ritual and think wow... I'm saying the same words/ doing the same things, whatever it may be, as the women 90 years ago just reminds you that you're involved in carrying on something so big and outside just you and it's neat to think that other people who you may never neat will continue on these traditions as well.:)

Re: Why is there so much secrecy between greek organizations?
 

I hope wptw can elaborate on what it is I want to say....

My opinion: Fraternities and Sororities are secretive because they were initially established as societies for free-thinkers. Back in those days, there were a lot more rules and regulations about the ideas that students could discuss and pursue. So the secret societies convened in secrecy, away from the interference of faculty members, so that men could express ideas without fear of reprisal.

Delta Upsilon is non secret. Initiation is open to members and invited guests alike. Due to my involvement in DU I became interested in the secret/nonsecret debate, this is my take on the issue.
Most fraternal organizations derive ritual from the masons, odd fellows etc., these older groups are secret in nature therefore fraternities founded in the 19th century had and to this day maintain a heritage inclining them toward secret behavior. Secretiveness was reinforced by the administrations of several universities that have expelled Greeks early on in the 1800's, Princeton and Purdue are two big examples of 19th century colleges that were hostile to Greeks. Many chapters went sub rosa in the 19th century to avoid persecution.
If a Sigma Chi reads this post perhaps he can explain the big battle Sigma Chi fought to stay at Purdue and how that chapter went sub rosa for years and ultimately opened all public universities to the greeks.
I don't think the mumbo jumbo/obscurantist issues mean as much today as they did 50-100 years ago. Most orgs. simply maintain secrecy as a memory of their past and to celabrate their history.
I think the ideals of an organization are so much more important than whether they are secret .

Glitter, thank you for the Kind Words about My Brothers at Mu Chapter, our First on the West Coast!:)

One must understand, that "While there may be a lot of similarities among Greek Organizations, there are a lot of differences".

LXA has the most intricate Coat of Arms that I know of and each thing means something! TKN and LXA were merged in 1939 and so there were incoprorations to what we have today. Our Badge while seems not as fancy as some each part of that Badge has a special meaning in our training and teachings.

I am sure when you really study each Organizations C of A and Badge, each thing has a specific meaning to them! Rituals are the same way. WPTW is one of the most knowledgeable people I know, but He holds things rightly so closed mouthed!

I for one respect each and every Greek Organizations C of A and Badge simply because it means something and projects each Organizions teaching and beleifs to and for them!:cool:

g4, I think your history lesson is very well written and explains many things! None of us were started yesterday and the times then are a lot different today!:)

The Purdue Case
 

http://www.purduesigs.org/case.html

The Purdue Case

May 6, 1869 Purdue University was established with president Richard C. Owen, however classes did not start until 1874. The enrollment was 39 students and 6 staff members along with President Abraham C. Shortridge. The next year in 1875, the enrollment was up to 75 and on March 3, the Delta Delta chapter of Sigma Chi was established at Purdue, making it the first Fraternity on campus. The founders were Blair, Clark, Harper, Hatch, Jamison, Reed and Vanada. Shortridge did not like Fraternities, but he tolerated them because he did not want to deter prospective students due to troubles with enrollment.

The next president was John S. Houghham, who only remained for 6 months, giving way to Emerson Elbridge White on May 1, 1876. White despised Fraternities even more than Shortridge and vowed to abolish them, guided by James McCosh of Princeton University. He was quoted as saying that Purdue should "rise above the rest and stand alone," free to pursue its greatness "with industrial classes with industrial interests." White also believed Fraternities to be immoral because they presented students in a negative way along with his feeling that students would not have time for such student organizations. Although not significant, it seems almost fitting that on September 11, 1877 with the full support of the faculty, White established what was known as the matriculation pledge, beginning the entire fight against the oppression of the Greek system. This pledge stated that students would not be allowed to join any secret or Greek lettered societies, smoke or drink, skip classes, or even go to the bars. This pledge was aimed at abolishing the Greek system within 3 to 4 years since it could not be required for students already admitted. Ironically, even those faculty members who had been associated with Fraternities when they were in school still promoted the new mandate, and played an integral part its passing, due to the reluctance of White. This forced Delta Delta to go underground, having to conduct meetings in total secrecy and initiate new members while classes were not in session. There were 7 new members initiated during this time, called "sub-rosas" as a result of the secret status of their initiations. Due to the actions of Purdue’s administration, the brothers of Delta Delta did not wear their letters around campus, a tradition that is continued today, showing great respect for the courageous actions of those who came before them. During the ensuing months, the brothers of Delta Delta fought their case with the faculty but to no avail, as they were not heard to any reasonable extent.

Over the course of 1878 and 1879, there were 5 of 6 members expelled. This left only one brother, James Milo Waugh, who today is recognized as the only Fraternity member on the entire Purdue campus at that time. He died on October 22, 1930. A student by the name of James B. Shaw, one of the 5 expelled, was suspected to be connected with the blowing up of a fountain by the ladies dorm on campus. Later he was cleared of any suspicion because he had just been experimenting with chemicals for a class he was taking.

The first lawsuit filed, was a class action lawsuit against Purdue in the name of Thomas B. Hawley in 1882. The case was to be conducted in the Tippecanoe Circuit Court System. Despite their political connections, they lost their case. Judge D. P. Vinton, who ironically had two sons that were initiated in the Delta Delta chapter unbeknownst to him, made the ruling. Soon after, Samuel T. Stallard, Esq. filed a writ of mandate but it was denied. Unsatisfied with this verdict, McMillin, Coffroth and Ward appealed the ruling to the Indiana Supreme Court and on June 21, 1882 they ruled in favor of the plaintiffs. The ruling read: "There was no impropriety in either becoming a member of or being otherwise connected with the Sigma Chi fraternity ... and that the objections seemingly entertained by the faculty against other fraternities of the same class were unfounded."

President White, upset by this ruling, mandated a set of new rules against Fraternities. They said that although Fraternity members could remain on Purdue’s campus, they would not be allowed to receive any types of honors. The Governor of Indiana, Isaac P. Gray, along with his Lieutenant Governor, Thomas Hanna (both Sigs) at the time quickly stepped in and attached a rider to Purdue’s appropriations bill that prevented White’s mandated rules to take affect. They also attached another rider that would abolish any future actions taken against Fraternities.

President White retired soon after this as was preceded by James Henry Smart Xi ’76 in 1883, who had previously acted as the President of the National Education Association in 1880. Another new person added by the Board of Trustees was Oscar J. Craig, another member of the Xi chapter, as head Academy. As a result of the courageous actions of all those involved in the struggle to keep the Delta Delta chapter alive and functioning at Purdue, there was a precedent set for future Fraternity chapters to follow in the footsteps of.

I think the secrecy also help keeps the bond between members alive. I like sharing something with my sisters that no one who doesn't wear a quill would know.

Wow I am getting a little sentimental (we just had retreat and I am feeling closer to my sisters than ever!)

Secrecy in these organization goes back a long, long way. Even the Flat Hat Society, the precursor to Phi Beta Kappa at William and Mary was highly secretive. At the beginning (and for quite a long time afterwards) student life was entirely controlled by the faculty. Students had no right nor permission to discuss freely either inside or outside the classroom. The fact that these students were meeting without faculty involvement was in direct defiance of rules of the college. Furthermore, such meetings and societies were viewed as seditious, and membership therefore, treasonous to the Crown. Secrecy was essential to fraternities, and ultimately, one of the key things that set them apart from any other group.

This question is asked of both Greeks and Masons all the time, and one of the reasons is so members can recogize other true members of the organizations. Today's fraternities and sororities are not secret societies, but societies with secrets. Everything learned through ritualistic demonstration has valuable and significant meanings to each member that there is no wonder that each organzation would want to share them only with themselves.

pirate in answer to your Q! YBYSAIA!:D

TS, very good answer!

We as Organizatins Have our own feelings about Our Organizations and hold them dearly. As I said some where On GC, while there are similarities, each is different.

We hold these parts of Our Ritual, which say means the signs on Our Coat of Arms and Our Badges to hold dear to what We Feel and Think!:)

Each Greek Organization has special meanings and feelings about what they represent and feel as it should be!:)

There also certain signs that a Brother/Sister may recognize each other by words, signs or what ever!:D :cool:

andPreserving the bond and recognition of other members of one's GLO are certainly key aspects of ritual secrecy, but I think there's much more to it.

Any ritual worth its salt exists primarily not to just impart secret recognition signs but to teach values -- specifically, the values that matter to a fraternity or sorority, that form the basis of its ethos (or at least should for the basis of its ethos). These values or principles certainly are not exclusive to the particular GLO in question, but presenting them as secrets within the context of a ritual teaches the member to regard them as privileged and significant information and to respect them with an increased sense of pride and personal ownership. Our founders certainly would have hoped that this would result in incorporation of these values into members' personal value systems. Ritual secrecy gives these values or principles increased new meaning because they are presented as treasures that are to be guarded and treated as sacred, and because we, like all of our brothers or sisters, commit ourselves to these treasured values through the oaths that bind us together as brothers or sisters.

Other secrets - signs, grips, passwords, and the like -- serve not only to provide recognition; they also serve to underscore and call to mind the more central lessons of a GLO's ritual.

I hope this makes some sense.