Confusing question?

[cutie_cat_4ever]

This question has been bugging my mind a bit. Do you call those Honor Societies that use greek letter greek societies? Those societies also have their own rituals and such, but I assume it doesn't fall under the general type of frats/sororities.

And what was the reason for honor societies to use greek letters as well?

[macallan25]

I dunno. I also wonder what the reason was for band groups and service organizations to fall under Greek letter organizations. Neither fall under general fraternity or sorority types to me.

[Soul D-Psi-ple]

Originally Posted by macallan25

I dunno. I also wonder what the reason was for band groups and service organizations to fall under Greek letter organizations. Neither fall under general fraternity or sorority types to me.

The same can be said about social fraternities and sororities as well.

[DSTRen13]

Originally Posted by macallan25

I dunno. I also wonder what the reason was for band groups and service organizations to fall under Greek letter organizations. Neither fall under general fraternity or sorority types to me.

Of course they aren't just "general" fraternities/sororities. Groups such as KKPsi and TBS (band) and GSS, APhiO, and OPhiA (service) serve specific purposes in addition to being fraternities and sororities. They aren't intended to be general purpose, and as far as I've seen, none of us have any desire to be. It isn't the point of our organizations.

I don't know anything about honor societies; none exists for my major so I never joined one. However, from my (limited) observations of these groups on my campus, they did not seem to be as involved as the fraternities and sororities I've mentioned above. IE, they would hold chapter meetings and perhaps host a few events per year related to whatever they were an honor society of, but nothing beyond that. Whereas other groups (KKPsi, TBS, GSS, APhiO, OPhiA, AKPsi (business), AOE (engineering sorority), etc.) have chosen to function as full-fledged fraternities and sororities for their specific areas, holding a full schedule of events relating to their purposes, placing emphasis on ritual, adding in social events, etc.

I don't know that there is a set rule as to what kinds of non-social groups tend this way and which tend the other, but it does seem that service and band groups have a propensity for the one way. Nothing wrong with that

[PM_Mama00]

On my campus, Theta Tau and Alpha Omega Epsilon are professional Greek orgs, but they socialize with the social Greeks also. They still have parties and mixers with the others, and have formals and everything else. The difference is that you have to be engineering/science majors to join.

[Coramoor]

Professional Frats/Sors. are resume builders. The only people that take them seriously are those that can't get a bid to a real greek org. or use them as a way to further their resume/student gov't bid.

[EE-BO]

Originally Posted by Coramoor

Professional Frats/Sors. are resume builders. The only people that take them seriously are those that can't get a bid to a real greek org. or use them as a way to further their resume/student gov't bid.

That is my general feeling as well. But in many cases they are also people who want to be part of a group but do not have an interest in social fraternities, or the work involved.

There is a strange irony about all this at U. Texas since even though non-Greeks seem to loathe us, every single type of organization you can imagine makes a point of having Greek letters.

So they hate us, yet at the same time are desperate to seem as much like us as possible.

Every campus has some organizations that are legitimate nationwide fraternities of a non-social type- Alpha Phi Omega for example, philanthropy driven.

But at U. Texas just about every major has a greek-lettered professional organization or two, plus all kinds of spirits groups and there is even a church-related one that call themselves the "eternity fraternity" (I forget the name, but Omega is in there somewhere- hence the 'eternity'.) I have never seen anything like this to such a degree at any other school.

Beta Kappa is a business fraternity here (open to women as well I believe) and at one point they actually got their hands on a house in West Campus (the old Theta Xi house next to ADPi) and tried to basically function as a social fraternity (only guys could live in the house if I remember right.) When I was in West Campus last week I saw an Acacia sign out, so it appears that effort failed.

We also have groups like Tejas House- who own a nice historical home in West Campus- who do not have greek letters and advertise themselves as a place for people who don't like Greeks to join up, but in form it is just a bunch of people living together having the social side of Greek life (well- they think so), but none of the ritual or serious commitment. And yes, there are "trial periods" for admission to many of these groups (not sure about Tejas House in particular.) So they are doing just the things they seem to hate Greeks for doing, but somehow think they have a better way. They are essentially local fraternities that chose to not have greek letters.

In any event, U. Texas is full of these kinds of groups and regardless of their stated purpose they have, in some cases and to varying degrees, houses or other off-campus meeting sites, socials, winter and spring formals, and other party-oriented purposes. I can understand a philanthropy-based greek organization having parties and get-togethers, but a full blown Winter Formal at a hotel complete with T-shirts and a sit-down dinner? What better purposes could those funds have been used for? (no names, but I am referring to a specific organization here- not making up a hypothetical example.)

Fine by me, and many surely have found the right place for themselves in these groups- but the desire to be like real GLOs is unmistakable, and a testament to the fact Coramoor is right with regards to a significant portion of the membership.

[cutie_cat_4ever]

So I was seraching for the origin for Greek socirties on Wikipedia and found this lengthy article:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fratern...and_sororities

I was surprised to learn that the first group that used Greek letters was Phi Beta Kappa, which is a honor society for liberal arts and science students. It was founded in Dec 5, 1976.

[EE-BO]

True, but that organization was not founded in the spirit of the social GLOs that exist today.

Consider too there are both literal and working definitions here.

In my above post I made reference to "real GLOs"- and I should clarify that to mean GLOs in the sense that most people think of them. Or to put it another way, I expect the vast majority of people coming to Greek Chat are here to talk about NPC, IFC, NPHC and other national or local social fraternities (which term includes sororities.)

History will show that we were not the first to adopt Greek letters, but in the modern world, a discussion about Greeks at colleges will inevitably bring to mind the social organizations.

[adpiucf]

NPC/IFC/NPHC doesn't own greek letter titles. Anyone can call their organization a fraternity or sorority.

[EE-BO]

True- I was just trying to summarize the groups I was referring to in the shortest space possible is all. I think I actually missed one of the national umbrella groups- I can't keep track of all that.

[adpiucf]

I wasn't harping on you. I just find the topic silly. Who cares?

[CutiePie2000]

Originally Posted by cutie_cat_4ever

I was surprised to learn that the first group that used Greek letters was Phi Beta Kappa, which is a honor society for liberal arts and science students. It was founded in Dec 5, 1976.

I think you mean "1776", not 1976.

[macallan25]

Originally Posted by Soul D-Psi-ple

The same can be said about social fraternities and sororities as well.

Explain that reasoning to me.

[cutie_cat_4ever]

Originally Posted by CutiePie2000

I think you mean "1776", not 1976.

hehe, thanks apparently 1776 is too far away from me

As far as I'm aware of honor societies, they barely, or I could say never, call their members, greeks. They just call them members, because they understood what the word "Greeks" is exclusively for...I think that's just on my campus though.