Why the negative connotations???

[CASIGKAP]

When people refer to sororities and fraternities, they are always described as "secret societies". It makes us sound secretive and exlusive as well as veiled in secrecy. What is with the bad connotations?

[Sistermadly]

Because they're based on rituals that are kept secret except to those who are initiated members. We are exclusive societies - just look at all of the recuruitment threads where people don't find homes (I was someone who didn't find a home during recruitiment either, so I know how it feels).

I don't think that the term 'secret society' has a negative connotation for everyone - only to those who have some sort of agenda.

[AOIIalum]

Well, for the most part, we technically are secret societies. It's not a good or bad thing, it's a fact. A lot of it is just press and perceptions, let's face it, the negatives sell. What is more newsworthy? ABC raises $500 for the local elementary school's library or ABC members did something stupid at a campus party.

Our Greek Letter organizations do have secret ceremonies or traditions which bond our members to one another. The only exception I can think of is Delta Upsilon.

FWIW, even my academic honorary's induction was "secret". I met the qualifications, applied for membership, and was selected to join. Actually it was a very similar process to sorority recruitment, only the overall GPA/departmental GPA and involvement requirements were much stricter!

Whether we like it or not, there is an element of exclusivity in GLO membership. If a Potential New Member or Candidate does not meet the GPA or course load requirements, they cannot join. If they cannot meet the stated financial obligations, they are unable to join. There is an element of exclusivity though for dozens of other recognized student organizations. Want to join the dance team? Well, not only do you have to be able to dance, you have to be able to dance a variety of styles well AND tryout AND be picked. Want to join the debate team? College Republicans? Exclusive? Yep. That's the real world

[thermobryan]

Pi Kappa Alpha is a general, international, greek letter, secret social fraternity....We were founded as secret societies by our founders in the late 19th century to do conditions of colleges and secrecy. This is just a part of our ritual and pride as a Greek Letter Organization. There's nothing negative about it.

Oh, and I LOVE SIGMA KAPPA at my school, they're awesome girls!!!

[smiley21]

i know it has a bad rep with a lot of religions. they think that secret societies are evil

[Diamond Delta]

Originally posted by CASIGKAP
When people refer to sororities and fraternities, they are always described as "secret societies". It makes us sound secretive and exlusive as well as veiled in secrecy. What is with the bad connotations?

Because we ARE secret societies. We don't like others knowing all of our business (the Delta is for Discretion!), our rituals, membership selection process, voting process, bylaws, and initiations are secret, we ARE selective, (some more or less than others). The negative connotations come from the acts of certain members, not our foundations.

[decadence]

Some might say...

Secret societies are things like The Skulls á la the film.
All secret membership, invites only no rush. Forbidden to discuss or admit to membership etc.

While fraternities etc wear paraphernalia, lettered apparel etc publicly to show their pride, marketing etc. Are happy to talk about their group and new members can approach the group - sometimes there are processes to that and some potential members will go onto become members and some will not. But a difference is that fraternities may have privileges of membership that are secret, legacies passed down and not just widely disseminated all over while not being hidden in the same ways at all as secret societies like Skull & Bones are.

Some might say it, might be wrong.

[MysticCat]

Originally posted by AOIIalum
Well, for the most part, we technically are secret societies. It's not a good or bad thing, it's a fact.

We meet the definition of "secret society" for sure -- that is, we have rituals etc., that are kept secret from all except initiated members. (Alexandra Robbins and her "sources" notwithstanding. )

But some draw what can be a useful distinction between "secret societies" and "societies with secrets," reserving the term "secret societies" for those organizations that not only have secret initiation rites and symbolism, but that also keep their membership, and perhaps even their goals or their existence, secret. For examples of "secret societies" with this more restrictive meaning, see the most recent thread on Theta Nu Epsilon, think the Skulls from the movie, or even the Mafia or the Klan. These last two examples give a clue as to why some can view "secret societies" as bad things.

GLOs, on the other hand, are societies with secrets -- our existence and our memberships are certainly not secret, but we do keep our rituals secret, as well as some specifics of our operations. (Would "private" be a better word?)

This secrecy can lead to tensions is a couple of ways. First, it is true that some religious groups have a problem with it, because they feel unable to assess whether the secret vows of a GLO (or masonic group, or whatever) conflict with religious obligations and doctrine.

But perhaps more problematic is that the general non-Greek population, to the degree that it pays any attention at all, does not understand why we keep our ritual activities secret. That, I think, is the underlying, if unintended, message of the infamous chapter in Ms. Robbins' book. We come across as "having our little secrets" that to an outsider seem to be nothing more than a juvenile way of saying "you're not one of us." Even many of the Greeks in that chapter seem to have little clue as to why, historically or philosophically, we keep certain activities, words and phrases, and symbolisms secret.

[AGDAlum]

It's not a "secret organization."
It's an "organization with a secret."

[Erik P Conard]

Think we are all saying the same thing. The Masons say it simply
"we are a private organization." But the rituals are available on
E bay, in libraries, for sale, and really, in the sum of it all, they are
kinda silly, or personal at best. When I joined the Masons long ago, I swore they stole the ritual from TKE! And the Elks, and the
Eagles, and the Moose, etc...
Folks, especially non-joiners, are really threatened when they think that we know something and are keeping it from them. I do
not know any answer for this. Most counselors are non-joiners.
I think there are other fraternities besides DU that are somewhat open. And when we do learn these "secrets" we say... "oh."
The Catholics and Mormons and somewhat some snake-handling
baptist types reject Masonry. When I was in the fraternity some
of the rushees would say their church was dead-set against the
fraternities. The Catholics would often use priests during the old
Phi Kappa Theta (Phi Kappa, Theta Kappa Phi, etc) rushes and the Lutherans would be at the Beta Sigma Psi house to induce the
wavering rushee to join their lot and not the others...and so on.
This is simply our cross to bear. We hold our heads high, try to
present a positive image, and go on.

[SGill4613]

I know I'm stating the obvious. But everyone else calls them secret socities or whatever because they're not a part of them and our rituals are secret to their eyes.

Lets be honest. There is really no need to keep a ritual secret. What is wrong with letting the world know what we have pledged to do? To hold up certain virtues and ideals shouldn't really be secret, but it makes the members happier that when they do it, no one quite understands it like they do.

In reality, everyone around you ought to know your ritual by the life you lead. Thus not making it secret anymore, but when we fail, thats where those newspaper articles come in. It happens. We know we're still better people, its just that no one else sees it because they don't want to. They're better off thinking we're just drunks that haze.

[MysticCat]

Originally posted by SGill4613
In reality, everyone around you ought to know your ritual by the life you lead.

I couldn't agree more, but I don't think that this is inconsistent with the traditional secrecy of GLOs. That secrecy, when properly understood and respected, serves a valid purpose, as was discussed in this thread.

At the same time, no one should have to know our rituals to know what our values are -- we should be exemplars of the values our rituals teach. Alpha Sigma Phi's open motto states it so well: Causa Latet Vis Est Notissima -- "The cause is hidden, (but) the results well-known." The world should not need to know what words certain Greek letters stand for to know what the GLO that bears those letters stands for.

[erica812]

All official Beta Sigma Phi publications make clear that the organization is not a "secret society." Our rituals are open, yet they remain private. Guests are only admitted to the ritual room under very special circumstances, and a member may not see a ritual of a degree higher than her own.

The privacy keeps our rituals special, and the International office seems intent upon avoiding the stigma that comes with proclaimed secrecy.

Erica

[KSUViolet06]

People will keep calling us 'secret' until we just open the floodgates and accept everyone. I honestly don't see how we're any different from anything else that has certain requirements and standards. Like, why isn't college football called a 'secret society' since obviously only certain people get chosen to play??

[MysticCat]

Originally posted by JocelynC
Like, why isn't college football called a 'secret society' since obviously only certain people get chosen to play??

Because secrecy and exclusivity (or selectivity) are two different things. Football teams are certainly exclusive and selective -- they won't just take whoever walks on the field. But they're not secret, unless they have some secret rituals we've never heard about.