Students wanted to learn about a greater variety of topics than were offered in the classroom, explore other academic venues in more detail than time allotted for with their professors during class time, and be able to express themselves freely.
Hence began the first organized, modern-day debating and literary societies. Some universities fostered these organizations by encouraging students to think for themselves. Inevitably, the students in these groups began to form deeper relationships and depend on each other for more than just an intellectually stimulating conversation.
Through the end of the nineteenth century, intellectualness was still the center of fraternity life, but the members also made plenty of time to organize parties, sports events, dances and so on. The members of these groups sometimes lived together in college dorms or boarding houses, but the actual Chapter House did not become common until the 's. Most fraternities before this time were rather small in number, with no more than 30 members if that. Therefore, they were able to hold meetings on campus in a hall or dorm room.
But their small numbers made it financially impossible to obtain a house for only the organization members to live in since they essentially did not have enough members to pay the cost of renting, much less owning a house.
However, in the 's some groups had graduated enough alumni who had become successful and donated money and services to the fraternity to help secure a house for the chapter. The advent of the Chapter House marked the beginning of a period of prosperity and increased growth for fraternities. It also signaled a change in the makeup of the organization and their priorities. What used to be a special occasion when the fraternity all gathered together all of a sudden became a regular event.
While this meant more interaction, it also meant a large part of the attention of the fraternity had to be focused on the house itself. Alumni had to form boards to become incorporated and handle mortgage payments, legal matters and large repairs or improvements. Active members at the chapter had to handle day to day business, which no longer included only intellectual daydreaming, free expression or academic exploration. It meant cleaning, maintaining, and paying for the property, and in some cases building the house!
Facebook YouTube Twitter Instagram. The Latest. What Is Greek Life? The Pros and Cons of Greek Life The Pros Despite their reputation for encouraging drinking and throwing wild parties, fraternities and sororities are known to bring a wide range of benefits to their members. Comments comments. January 10, Articles. Cut — When a sorority does not invite a woman back to participate in new member activities, or the potential new member does not go back to a house she was invited to.
Dean of Pledges DP — Person who oversees the membership intake process. Those who depledge an NPC sorority may not begin a process with another sorority for one full calendar year. Deferred Recruitment — Recruitment which starts after the beginning of the school year. Dirty Rushing — When one organization will attempt to influence a potential new member through gifts, bad mouthing other organizations, etc. Dry — A fraternity or sorority which does not permit alcohol on their house premises, and in some cases, does not allow the organization to host a party involving alcohol.
For example, one may allow the sorority to attend a function hosted by a non-dry fraternity, while another sorority may not. Dry Rush — A fraternity rush event with no alcohol. All sorority recruitment events are dry, so this term only applies to fraternities. Dues — Charge for joining a fraternity or sorority. Covers costs of national and local operations, formal events, activities and other events.
The amount varies based on the organization. Expansion — When an organization is looking to expand and open a chapter at a new school. Financial — Term used to refer to an active member.
Founders Day — An event celebrated by fraternities and sororities to highlight the founding of their organization and celebrate its history.
Frat — A nickname for a fraternity or a fraternity brother. IFC members generally find this to be offensive; however, NPHC fraternities use it as a mark of respect for each other. Frater — A term used to identify members of the same fraternity; sometimes used to refer to any fraternity man of an NPHC organization. Fraternity — A group of people brought together because of mutual interests. Generally thought of as a group of men, but also refers to co-ed organizations and many sororities are officially fraternities.
Greek — Not the nationality. Greek in this sense means a member of a fraternity or sorority. Greenbook — Manual of Information the informal name for the handbook containing procedural, instructional and practical information about National Panhellenic Conference NPC , college and alumnae Panhellenics.
The handbook has green covers. Greeting — Greetings are defined as formalized ways in which a potential new member is required to address a current member of the organization in which skits, songs, prose, etc. Only initiated members will know the handshake. Hazing is against the law in all states and is against the principles of all fraternities and sororities.
Often happens because of finances, personal reasons, grades, etc. Hot Boxing — Members of Greek organizations putting pressure on potential members to join.
House — A physical facility usually used to hold meetings and other events. House Corporation — The entity that holds the title to property that a chapter lives or meets in. This is usually an alumni group like an advisory board. Inactive Member — A member who has elected to become inactive in fraternity or sorority life for various reasons.
In-House Legacy — A potential new member who has a sibling who is currently a collegian in the organization. For instance, if you are going through recruitment, and your biological sister is an active member at that school, you are an in-house legacy to that organization. If your sister has already graduated and left the school, you are considered to be a regular legacy. Initiate — A person who has recently learned the ritual of a fraternity or sorority and is a full member.
Another motivation for using the Greek alphabet was to create an air of secrecy around the club. The founding members surmised that the Greek name would only be decipherable to students in the know who had the intellectual savvy to recognize the language. In the early days of fraternities, membership in one was consummate to being a member of a secret society, and using the Greek alphabet was a form of encryption. Although Greek life has become a more accessible and publicly visible phenomenon, chapters still retain this quality of exclusivity and secrecy—specifically around obtaining membership—to this day.
Phi Beta Kappa expanded to the Harvard and Yale campuses by Students found the use of the Greek alphabet as a signifier of academic integrity to be a rich basis on which to build the culture of fraternities and sororities.
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