The Secret Rituals Of Greek Letter Organizations

By Author: Andre Taylor
Total Articles: 6
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Fraternal organizations are all about brotherhood, bonding and coming together for a cause. But there is one characteristic of these organizations which draws a lot of attention due to its mysterious nature. Yes, we are talking about secret rituals. Read on to know of some rituals of modern day fraternities, which are not so secret any more.

The history of Greek fraternities and sororities places a lot of importance on secrecy. In fact this secrecy has led to unending speculation among outsiders about what exactly what goes on in such ‘brothers only’ rituals. With time, the practice of keeping secrets tight changed and certain rituals and themes of Greek organizations have become common knowledge. Most people know that fraternities conduct rituals not only during the initiation of new members but have rituals held on a regular basis throughout the year.

To present an overview of such rituals, one can refer to the ‘rush’ of the special ritual for potential new members after membership recruitment. Then there are certain small rituals followed during the weekly chapter meetings. The monthly formal chapter ...
... meetings include some rituals too. Even when a Greek graduates, there is a ritual in marking them as the alumni. When a brother or sister marries, the brotherhood/sisterhood celebrates with certain rituals. Most fraternal organizations are known to have a written record or a handbook of these rituals and the handbook is always stored in a secure place. Let us discuss some of the major secret practices of the Greek fraternal organizations:

1. Pledging Ceremony

In the present era, pledging has become sort of an open ritual, which is no longer a secret. The ceremony involves a formal introduction of potential new members with the organization and the new recruits get a special pin to wear during their new member period. This initiation requires the potential new members to know and learn all they can about the organization- from history, to symbols to goals.

2. Initiation Ritual

This ritual is probably the most exciting for new Greeks beginning their journey in lifelong brotherhood. The Greek experience is considered to be incomplete without a proper initiation. This ritual is conducted with an entire chapter present and is a formal ritual. As per the practices listed in the organization’s handbook, special clothing is worn by the initiating officers and certain props are used by them throughout the ceremony. The initiation ritual remains unchanged for most fraternal organizations. This means that new recruits see the same initial process being conducted as did the members four decades earlier. Being initiated in the same manner lays the foundation of feelings of solidarity and oneness among the Greeks. The initiation practices require the initiates to memorize the fraternity’s secret motto, the meaning of the Greek letters in the fraternity name, the symbolism on the crest/shield, and other things like the handshake, songs, and more. After the initiates take their oath and commit themselves to the organization, they receive the much coveted fraternity badge or pin.

Such is the feeling of bonding, brotherhood, solidarity that Greeks sincerely value their organization's secrets throughout their lives. Remaining mysterious and maintaining their secrets become natural for Greek members and they consider privacy highly important. This is why when members of Greek letters sororities and fraternities use networking platforms to reconnect with fellow members; they require complete secrecy and privacy. There are some chosen online directories and networking sites which ensure complete secrecy and privacy- something the fraternal members truly appreciate.

The writer is associated with TheGreekSpace, an online platform for members of Greek lettered organizations to meet and reconnect with fellow Greeks, in a secure environment.