[-=Germania=-]

[size=small]Hey,

I was just wondering how many people here belong to some sort of Greek Letter or Fraternal organization. [/size]

Were you part of a Service or Speciality Sorority or Fraternity like Sigma Alpha Iota (Music) or Alpha Phi Omega (Coed, service)?

Were you part of a Traditional Fraternity or Sorority? ( including BGLO's in the Pan-Hellenic , all Panhellenic sororities, IFC Fraternities, Local Greek letter fraternities/sororities)

Did you go Secret Society? (Quill and Dagger, DERU, Fox Club, Mystical Seven, Skull and Bones, Wolf's Head, etc.)

Adult Secret Society or Fraternal Organization? (Kiwanis, Masons, Knights of Columbus, Rotary, Lions club, etc.)

Did you pledge, but not initiate?


[size=small]You could have been a HECK NO! and I fully understand the reasons seeing as most of my closest friends are not greek. A famous saying is that "If it is secret, it probably isn't good."

Well, my experience has been quite the contrary and I have enjoyed my time in a traditional sorority. Based on the friendships I have made and seeing the ones my family members made in college, they are deep seeded. My godmother is my mother's pledge mom and my grandma still plays bridge with her sorority sisters every week along with them all living within 10 miles of each other. [/size]


[size=small]If you feel comfortable with it, go ahead and post what organization.
If you really want to, post your "crossing" or inititiation place and/or year. [/size]

 

[DanTheMiataMan]

Booo frats sux

 

[TheMarchingMule]

I hope nobody is/was in the sorority "Delta Gamma" because I picked up a funny (but of course sexual) joke about them.

 

[chesebert]

damn..what are all those secret societies about which I have never heard.

. . . feeling ordinary . . .

 

[craiglester]

One of those things that never made it across the pond to England. I'm pretty sure I wouldn't have joined one anyhow.

 

[cwell2112]

I looked into it, and went to "rush" events, but didn't end up joining a fraternity, and boy am I glad I didn't. I certainly understand that Greek life agrees with plenty of people, but it definitely wouldn't for me. I enjoy drinking and going to parties, etc. but I wouldn't want to deal with the craziness of living in a fraternity house day in and day out.

 

[MCC]

Nope. I kept getting random calls from frats asking me to join. I eventually got annoyed and decided to never join anything with greek letters.

 

[kydsid]

Pledged PIKE way back as a freshman in college. Never crossed, iniated or the like and my pledge was like one day. I am glad they were a bunch or $%^#bags.

Member in college and still (I think) of Tri-Beta. Great time in college and great for a resume. I would never hesitate to recommend a academic/career based fraternity to anyone in college.

Current member of the FOP and hope to become a Mason.

I think all non-traditioanl University based fraternities serve a purpose. Some even, like the Shiners, provide a tremendous public good.

And the connections you make aren't bad either

 

[thatwunguy]

i am an SAE at DePauw University.

At my small school (2300 students), about 75% of the students are in Fraternities and Sororities. Because there are so many Greek students, we don't fit your typical Greek stereotypes.

I live with the group of guys who are smart, funny, artistic, accepting, and into music (performance and composition).

I am also a member of Alpha Psi Omega which is a National Theater Honorary Fraternity.

 

[Zodduska]

I was just kidding when I voted secret society... or was I?

 

[J.D.N]

Don't you have to be invited to join the Masons, or be born into it? Its not as easy as just turning up and asking to join, at least not over here. I worked at a country club where the masons held meetings, once we'd set up we had to leave the entire club premises, the only person allowed who wasn't a member was the club manager.

Im not a member of anything, but then as already stated, most of those listed haven't made it over here.

 

[mbriant]

A couple of years ago I was approached by the local lions club to help out at one of their annual BBQ events, and several years ago, while still operating a photo studio, I did a portrait of some guy dressed in full regalia, who was high up in the Mason organization. We talked a bit about it during his photo sitting and a couple of days later he came back and gave me a recruitment video to watch. Apparently, these sort of organizations aren't replacing old members quick enough and are actively recruiting. The video explained that the Masons are an extention of the Shriners. I'm not much for wearing fez's or riding tiny motorcycles in parades, so I declined the invitation.

I recently read that many of the local social clubs ( who do considerable charitable public service work ) such as the Oddfellows, Elks, Moose, etc., are in serious membership decline as well. Many of them were started up after WWII to continue the comradery that had been created in the army. However, most of the original members have died off, and because of stricter drunk driving enforcement, along with less homogeneous multi-cultural immigration .... new citizens who aren't into hanging out drinking and playing darts with a bunch of old grey haired white guys ... their numbers are not being replenished. It's unfortunate in a way because as mentioned, these organizations do a lot of charity work and are in serious decline just as the economy is tanking and charity is needed more than ever.

 

[Bojamijams]

DON'T TRUST THE GREEKS!

ESPECIALLY THEIR HORSES!

 

[G-man]

I never understood the point of the whole fraternities thing. The universities, any of their founders, or almost anything to do with them is not of Greek origin. Anyone care to explain?

And as for any societies, in UK we don't really have the whole "frat" thing going on. Rather, we have normal societies, and I think I'll be joining a few in a few months time, especially the OUS. I doubt I'll get into the main team (or anywhere near it), but it will be fun, and at least i can attend all the famous debates etc.

 

[chadbang]

I'm a member (or was eons ago) of Zeta Psi. It was great being in a frat. 32 "brothers" to pal around with (instant set of companions) while going to school. I was at Lehigh University where there is (or was) a huge frat system. In truth, the main reason was that there was so little university housing, you either had to take your own apartment or join a frat. It had also been an all-male university until 1971, so booze and horseplay was the alternative to, er, socializing. By the time I went to Lehigh, it was around an 80-20 percent ratio of men to women. At least there was some relief. Ah, if it had only been the other way around. "Secret" societies? Hardly. The only secret we were bound to was a "secret" handshake, which was slightly sillier than the "bird flap" motion before doing a fist pump. In fact, I've learned alot of frats share the same deep, dark "secret" handshake. Basically, a frat is just a motel full of guys who've joined other under the pretext of becoming "brothers". Reputation-wise, sure frats are rife with parties and mischief. Come on, we're talking the "Spring Break" generation here. Mine was probably as bad as the worst of them, especially as "Animal House" came out my junior year. That really gave us something to aspire to. Can't tell you the number of times I shouted "toga, toga, toga..." God, what an embrassment. But when you're 20 and free for the first time in your life, well, it was a helluva lot of fun.