Co Ed Fraternity

[naraht]

While Alpha Phi Omega service fraternity is co-ed, we refer to all of our initiated members as brothers. While the Fraternity officially went fully co-ed in 1976, a significant number of our chapters (tech schools and west coast mostly) began initiating women underground and sending in forms with just the first initial 6 or 8 years earlier. At this time some of the other (mostly more conservative) chapters had little sister programs. Refering to the women who had pledged as brothers in some ways was a reaction to that as well as showing full equality. While there are a few chapters that locally refer to their female members as sisters, it isn't very common (Georgetown U. is the only one I can think of off the top of my head).

My guess is that one of the more likely reasons for the split between all members being brothers vs brothers & sisters is whether the group started out all male and admitted women later (all brothers) vs. started as co-ed (brothers and sisters)