Neutroroberts,
Thank you very much for the interesting review of your order's history. It is very gracious of you to come here and offer to share ideas with us. Is there anything specific you would like to know about our organizations? The development of the North American fraternity system is a little bit more difficult to describe, especially since we have hundreds of organizations associated with several categories: social fraternities for men, social fraternities/sororities for women, professional fraternities which support a specific occupation or subject, fraternities which focus on specific ethnic groups, Greek-letter societies which honor students for achievements and so on. Here is a quick description of the American Fraternity Description which I have obtained from the following website:
http://www.hexagongirl.com/y/02-Amer...ternities.html
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In early Colonial colleges, student enrollment was limited to males from upper class families. The strict classical curriculum was based on memorization of Greek and Latin texts. Discussion or debate with professors was prohibited. The need to seek individual means and opportunities of expression resulted in the students banding together in "literary societies" where disputation and debate could be carried on without professional interference. The societies chose Greek names to identify themselves with ancient classicism.
Such literary societies existed at most colleges. Their object was training and drill in composition and oratory and their exercises consisted of debates, reading of essays and orations. The membership was large and did not foster close friendships.
On December 5, 1776, at the College of William and Mary, five students met in the Apollo Room of Williamburg's Raleigh Tavern to form a secret society for social and literary purposes, Phi Beta Kappa. It was the first organization in the world to identify itself with a Greek letter name. It had all the characteristics of a modern fraternity, the charm and mystery of secrecy, a ritual, oaths of fidelity, a grip, a motto, a badge (a square silver medal with the letters żBK and three stars standing for friendship, morality, and literature), a background of high idealism, a strong tie of friendship and comradeship, and a desire to disseminate its values through nationwide expansion.
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In 1851, the Adelphean Society was organized by 19 young women at Wesleyan Female College in Macon, Georgia. In 1913, it changed its name to Alpha Delta Pi, and is considered the first sisterhood. Pi Beta Phi was established at Monmouth College in Illinois in 1867 as the first organization of college women as a national college fraternity. The Greek letters were used as a secret motto and it was not until 1888 that the Greek name was adopted. Kappa Alpha Theta was organized at DePauw University (then Indiana Asbury University) in 1870 as the first Greek-letter society for women.
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This is only a description of how men's and women's social fraternities and sororities came into existance. The others have interesting stories to tell as well.
Neutroroberts, does your order have a website I could look at? I am a member of Gamma Phi Beta International Sorority founded in 1874.
http://www.gammaphibeta.org/
.....Kelly
